Totally. The cold feels like SOB, which feels like a PE. Plus, the first couple times I got sick after my PEs, it seemed like 1000 times worse than normal. And yeah, the anxiety kicks up for sure.

Make sure to stay hydrated. That'll help with the cold and with avoiding new clots. Also, if you're laying around a lot, keep your legs elevated.

That's exactly how it feels. Like a 1000 times worse than a normal cold. I've got aches and pains everywhere. The SOB is really getting me though as that's the main symptom that I got at the start of my PE. Hate feeling on edge all the time :(

So yesterday I decided to go to the doctor as the SOB was really getting to me. He did a full examination on me and everything was normal to him (Oxygen was 98, BP was normal, Pulse was normal). No swelling in legs and chest seemed fine. However to put my mind at ease he sent me to the CDU to get checked out due to my family history (Mam had PE at 32 pregnancy related and my Aunt had bilateral PEs this year - however she has no clotting factor). Went through all the necessary tests and everything came back clear (chest X-ray and D-dimer test came back negative). The doctor put the SOB down to anxiety but I can't help but feel something is wrong. It's like something is pressing down on my chest. No sharp pain but I have to take a deep breath in every so often to catch my breath. I never had this while on warfarin and only got it since going off. Could it really just be anxiety? Can anybody shed some light on this? Also, I could just be a hypochondriac now and trying to find a problem but can you get a false negative D-dimer test back 3 weeks after going off warfarin? I read somewhere that anticoagulants give a false negative but warfarin is out of your system in 5 days right?

I can't speak too much on the D dimer and it's accuracy, BUT, I can tell you that when you're sick like that, it's very easy to become hyper vigilant and fixated on your breathing and your chest discomfort, to the point where you may be making it literally worse and you're sort of forcing yourself to take a breath rather than just relaxing and breathing like normal. Plus, yes, when I suffered anxiety after my PE, I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest and it makes you feel short of breath. I constantly felt like I was having another PE.

I don't want to just dismiss it as that, but if everything looks otherwise normal, then that seems the most logical response. Otherwise, to really know, you'd have to have a CT scan. So that's the alternative.

Anxiety is a real bear and can really affect your physically. It may help to start practicing relaxation techniques, meditation, etc to regroup. These things really helped me sort out what was caused by anxiety because once I was able to work through it, a lot of the symptoms went away.

I was actually coming here tonight to ask if anyone else felt like the common cold was exponentially worse after PE. I'm three and a half months out and just got a cold and it is wiping me out. It's reassuring to read that other people have similar experiences.

I hope you start to feel better soon.

I'm 22 months post and I still have anxiety enough to go to the ER. Feeling can't get enough O2. 3 weeks back was in Wyoming 8900' got a bit anxious, by the time I got to Elko NV 5000', I had to go to the ER. Everything normal but my anxiety , so I empathize with you. My first cold I had a bit of bronchial tree pain, but over the months it has almost completely resolved.
I know it's just anxiety, but it still gets me. I may have a heart artery spasm though, or not.