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.

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AmyHar 03/25/2011

I used to be on a swim team and was still swimming for exercise before I ended up in the hospital.

Yesterday was 1 month since I developed my DVT, and mulitiple PE's and was diagnosed with MTS (May-Thurner Syndrome). I had nightmares all night that I was suffocating. My dreams incorporated swimming, and not being able to turn my head out of the water.

I had to wear oxygen while I was in the hospital when I fell asleep because my oxygen kept dropping. Is anyone else having problems with sleep/nightmares?

I'm happiest when I'm "running with my hair on fire". I'm only 38 and I thought I would be much better my now.

deleted_user 03/25/2011

I too have had nightmares since developing my PE. My first night home from the hospital I dreamt I got buried in an avalanche and couldn't breathe. A few nights later I dreamt I was struggling to swim in a thick ocean of seawater, drifting farther and farther away from my boat. Both times I woke up gasping. I chalked it up to my lungs having to work harder as I slept and translating into a dream. Propping myself up a little has helped. I haven't had a nightmare like that in over a week now. Good luck.

TossNTurn 03/25/2011

I haven't had nightmares so much as just an inability to fall asleep after the PEs. I woke up in the middle of the night two nights after getting out of the hospital and I could swear I felt the clots moving around in my lungs. Ridiculous of course, but it made sleeping very very difficult.

Honestly, you're only a month out. I was worse at one month than I was at diagnosis (less SOB, more pain, more exhaustion) and it took a long time to bounce back. I'm about your age (35 at diagnosis) and work a job where I am on my feet all day. I was really surprised at how long it took me to feel normal again.

Take it easy on yourself. Healing from these things takes time! Best wishes!

deleted_user 03/26/2011

No nightmares but woke up having anxiety attacks for awhile. It does get better. Check with your Dr about a cardio respiratory physical therapy program. They were going to put me on one and I wasn't haven't any trouble...it was just to get me back to normal faster. I bounced back pretty quickly...a couple months and except for the Coumadin, I have no further symptoms except for a weak right leg where I will have to have PT if it doesn't get better on its own.

deleted_user 03/26/2011

I have trouble going to bed at night and sometimes am having trouble going to sleep. I love my sleep so this is strange for me. I am 2 months out from my PE and am still on oxygen and coumadin. the coumadin is for life. I feel very very edgely late at night for some crazy reason. My only crazy doesn't make sense dream is that I have 2 times now dreamed of my grandfather who died 30 years ago. I have never dreamt of him and now 2 times. ??

AmyHar 03/26/2011

I went to Walgreens today and purchased an oxygen meter. They sell it for $50 and I'm going to have my husband see what happens to my oxygen when I sleep. He said that my breathing sounds different now, so this should help me figure out what is going on.

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