What is Pulmonary Embolism
By far the most common form of pulmonary embolism is a thromboembolism, which occurs when a blood clot, generally a venous thrombus, becomes dislodged from its site of formation an...
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Hi, I am new to posting on the board. I had my PE on July 3rd and I have used this message board as a means of support over the past few months. It has been a great asset to me and I wanted to post my story and ask a question.
My doctor sent me for a CT scan of my lungs on July 3rd after I had been complaining of getting shortness of breath after playing with my 5 year old daughter outside (running around, etc). I had been getting the SOB for a few months. Sure enough, I have the scan done and they tell me to go back to my doctor's office and they told me I have a clot in my lungs. They said I had to go to the hospital right away. I was only in the hospital for a day and they ran all of the genetic tests, etc. which all came out negative. They still do not know what caused it. I was not on any b/c pills, no long car rides, no recent surgery, etc. They gave me lovenox in the hospital and I did that until my INR was stable. They also started me on the coumadin right away, which I will be on for life (since they don't know what caused it). My anxiety levels have been pretty high since this happened and I have always been a nervous person anyway. I have been to the ER once and to my doctor's office numerous times since July. I am just starting to figure out what is "normal". My doctor suggested seeing a counselor which I think is a good idea. I had a follow up CT scan done and the clot is gone. Sorry to make this so long, but my question is about bronchitis. I have had it twice since July and this time it is hanging on and making me feel short of breath on exertion. I went to the doctors and they ran some tests but didn't think it was a clot. I bought a pulse oximeter for home and it has been 98-99% until I got the bronchitis and now its 97% or 96% at times. Is that normal for bronchitis to affect your oxygen level? Thank you to anyone who reads this and I appreciate your input. Take care. Posted on 11/08/09, 08:11 pm |
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Yes, it is normal for your oxygen level to go down with bronchitis. That was why I was misdiagnosed with bronchitis (oxygen at 90%) until they ran the scan for PE. Normal ox stats are 95-100.
It is extremely normal to be anxious long after PE. The ICU nurses and my docs have all confirmed that oxygen deprivation makes the anxiety soar upward, I even had to go on Xanax for a short while so I would sleep at night. Counseling is a great idea, and drugs work well, too. Together they make the best team. Hugs to you, another Mary jane 
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Sorry to hear you are having battles with infections on top of everything else. I agree with the other maryjane that when your oxygen levels go down (PE, Chest infection, etc.) our anxiety levels go up. I too use Lorazapam when the anxiety gets too strong of a hold. Talk to your PCP about meds and counseling too. I lean heavily on relaxation techniques I learned many years ago. Take caare and be gentel to yourself. You have been through a lot.
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Hi again. Thanks to both of you for your replies. I appreciate it. It is good to know about the oxygen level and bronchitis. I just talked to the doctor's nurse and they are prescribing me Zithromax for the bronchitis because it isn't gone yet. I set up an appointment with the counselor for next week. I have been taking Klonopin since this happended as well, mostly to help me sleep. Thanks for the support. Its nice to know there are people who understand. Its hard when your family doesn't really understand and thinks you should be "back to normal" by now. I just started a new job too so things have been pretty stressful. Hugs to both of you.
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I used to take klonipin for anxiety due to PTSD suffered in 2005. I ended up requesting Valium, which seems to help my anxiety issues. Had I not been on anxiety meds before being diagnosed with DVT, multiple PEs and infarctions, I probably would have torn my hair out..lol! I had pneumonia which contributed significantly to my SOB. I agree with marjanec--drugs and counseling go hand in hand--being in this support group is also quite helpful:)
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Thank you, ladystarla, for your reply. The klonopin seems to help with the anxiety but it doesn't take it away totally. I am hoping the counseling (which I start next week) will help deal with that as well. Hugs to you! Thanks for the support. I appreciate it.
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