Pulmonary Embolism Support Group
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 and embolizes to the arterial blood supply of one of the lungs. Symptoms may include difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and death.
Well, I gotta say that I was feeling proud of myself. My PEs were at the end of January and I was finally feeling *healed*. I could breath, I could exercise, my anxiety levels have dropped off, etc.
But, then yesterday, I'm exhausted all day. I come home from work and fall asleep for two hours. I get up, eat, shower, go back to bed and sleep like the dead. Feeling a little SOB as I drift off to sleep but I ignore it.
This morning I get to work and all I can think about is my breathing. I can't get enough air and I'm huffing and puffing everytime I walk around. And I'm still exhausted!
I call my doc and she sends me to the ER. They take me seriously. Blood draw, oxygen, IV, chest x-ray, CT. No new clots, lungs are clear and other than my INR being a little high (3.5!) and my potassium levels being low, they can't explain the breathing or tiredness. Maybe I'm getting sick? The ER doc thinks maybe my asthma is acting up even though my inhaler is not helping. She wanted to put me on prednisone, which I've already been on twice this year and which I refused.
They send me home with orders to rest for the remainder of the day. I got in to see my primary tomorrow for a second look at my lungs, since they want to re-evaluate the need for prednisone.
Now, I'm still tired although not as SOB (I've been on the couch all afternoon) and feeling annoyed. I'm pretty sure I'm not imagining this and if it was anxiety, surely it would have gone away once they told me my lungs were clear?
Grumble ... just when I think it is over, the PEs rear their head again.
But, then yesterday, I'm exhausted all day. I come home from work and fall asleep for two hours. I get up, eat, shower, go back to bed and sleep like the dead. Feeling a little SOB as I drift off to sleep but I ignore it.
This morning I get to work and all I can think about is my breathing. I can't get enough air and I'm huffing and puffing everytime I walk around. And I'm still exhausted!
I call my doc and she sends me to the ER. They take me seriously. Blood draw, oxygen, IV, chest x-ray, CT. No new clots, lungs are clear and other than my INR being a little high (3.5!) and my potassium levels being low, they can't explain the breathing or tiredness. Maybe I'm getting sick? The ER doc thinks maybe my asthma is acting up even though my inhaler is not helping. She wanted to put me on prednisone, which I've already been on twice this year and which I refused.
They send me home with orders to rest for the remainder of the day. I got in to see my primary tomorrow for a second look at my lungs, since they want to re-evaluate the need for prednisone.
Now, I'm still tired although not as SOB (I've been on the couch all afternoon) and feeling annoyed. I'm pretty sure I'm not imagining this and if it was anxiety, surely it would have gone away once they told me my lungs were clear?
Grumble ... just when I think it is over, the PEs rear their head again.
Sorry you had setback today. Hopefully, it was just some anxiety getting the best of you. You've always been generous with your advice to others on the forum and we wish you the best.
Hang in there.
Robert
That's one thing I've learned with the PE's is to not get too used to feeling good because the PE's always seem to rear there ugly head when I least expect it.
HUGS
I'm keeping you in my prayers today. Take it easy and rest.
I know the heat has made breathing difficult for me the last 3 days.
I'm so glad to hear that the tests showed your lungs clear!
Take good care of yourself,
ldmendoza
Went to my primary this morning and she took one look at me (and my breathing) and sent me across the street to my asthma guy. He took my temperature, found a fever of 100.3, and decided that I'm fighting an infection of some sort. He had an interesting theory...
He said that some people (adults mostly) who have had trauma to their lungs (PEs count!) tend to develop a mismatch between their brain and their lungs. The brain can "overreact" to new problems like a cold or allergies that are stressing the lungs and as a result the patient (in this case, me) winds up seriously short of breath because the brain is convinced that they aren't getting enough oxygen.
I don't know if this is a bunch of hooey or what...
Anyway, he told me take a week off work and do breathing exercises every hour on the hour to try to "retrain my brain" We did a bunch of the exercises in the office and it DID slow my breathing down to an almost normal pace. He also suggested Xanax, which I have refused thus far, but we'll see how the next couple of days go.
I'm feeling a little skeptical about the brain-lung mismatch, but I don't (*now*) have anything else to do for the next week, so might as well try it. Anyone else ever have anything like this?
Glad you got some answers... and glad you can take a week off to get some rest and recoup.
I am curious about the breathing exercises that your asthma doctor prescribed. How do you do them? I asked my pulmonary doctor yesterday about breathing exercises and he just said, take a couple of deep breaths twice a day..... I am looking for more than that, I know there are other techniques.
Take good care of yourself!
Hugs, Jo
Hope you feel better soon
Sue