COPD & Emphysema Support Group
COPD is a progressive disease characterized by airflow obstruction or limitation. Emphysema is characterized by loss of elasticity of the lung tissue, destruction of structures supporting the alveoli and of capillaries feeding the alveoli. Both have symptoms that include shortness of breath, among other respiratory troubles. If you are a COPD or Emphysema sufferer, join...
I wanted to ask if anyone has experienced the following. I felt I could breathe ok but kept feeling like I had to take a deep breath but when I did I did not feel any satisfaction. Went to my family doctor and had some test done. My pulse ox was 92% which was not bad but lower than usual. Had an echo done and waiting on the results. I did experience fluid around my heart last summer and am thinking that is what it is. They increased my lasix and I am feeling much better. Do you think this is the emphysema? I just don't know. I have stage three emphysema and never experienced this before.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Its hard to say if what you are experiencing is due to emphysema or something else, if it is the fluid on the heart as you are thinking it might be, doesn't that need to be bought to your docs attention?
I have experienced something similar to what you describe ie 'not getting satisfaction from breath', but my experience was whilst I was waiting for diagnoses and before I had medication. I would breathe in but not feel I could get any oxygen from the in breath. Its not a pleasant experience. I was diagnosed with emphysema eventually after I had the CT scan.
I think it would be best to talk with your doc about this and hopefully you can get some relief.
Do let us know how you get on.
Take care
Generally congestive heart (CHF) is more what folks can experience especially with COPD and that one causes fluid to build up in the lungs, making it hard to breath. Generally its also associated with increased puffiness of ankles, fingers, etc and managed with lasix or another type of diuretic medication.
Pericardial effusion is usually due to a infection or inflammation and generally not treated with long term lasix so I'm betting you have the CHF type
On the breathing.. yeah.. I think almost anyone here who has anything more than the mod emphy/ COPD has that feeling.. esp. those of us with emphy.
Its because with emphy the air sacs collapse on exhale trapping "old" air in so on the next inhale, we don't get as much in.. we're still breathing but not feeling like a full breath was successful because it wasn't.
If the lasix is helping then that's awesome...
But if you keep feeling like you can't get enough air in and become more short of breath despite the lasix, its a good idea to check in with your Dr.
Could just be a change in the emphy or the start of a flair up so don't panic but just keep an eye on it.
Hugs
The hardest thing to adjust to IMO is the fright we feel when we can't breath as well as we could maybe the day before or the hour before.. we get on this hyper-alert stage and then have to focus on calming down, using some PLB ( pursed lip breathing) .. not so easy to do at the time but t does work usually... and sometimes if the anxiety becomes persistent or overwhelming there's nothing wrong with asking the Dr for something to help reduce the anxiety too..
Hang in there...
It depends on so many variables, including other health issues, etc.
Don't let anyone make you feel your part of a cookie cutter diagnosis or treatment.. work closely with your Pulm Dr and the other Drs you see and be proactive in your health.. past that like everyone.. one of the beauties of living IMO is taking each day at a time.
Hugs!