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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Lynnedz56 04/21/2012

When I was diagnosed, they also discovered that I had pulmonary hypertension. Hopefully, as I healed the hypertension would subside or go away entirely. We are now at the point where the pulmonologist said we can do another echo. I'm at six months now. Getting better. But still with very little activity my heart rate goes skyhigh. Anyone else have this problem? Did it resolve or what can you do now? I don't need or want another diagnosis.

deleted_user 04/21/2012

i'm 7 years out and i still have sob and racing heart .the say it from the lung damage my heath has to pump more blood thru my lungs to make up the difference in lack of lung function

deleted_user 04/21/2012

Ask I you can try deep breathing or resistance breathing exercises. I've been readin that it can help sometimes.

jmac67 04/21/2012

i notice as soon as i do anything that my heart races really fast - shortness of breath is easing with time but heart still races like mad after just a little exertion. i had a heart scan after about 4 weeks but they just said all was fine.

deleted_user 04/21/2012

Before diagnosis of my PE (which was via VQ Test), I thought it was my heart. My heart rate would increase lots with minor exertion (e.g. increase from 60 bpm to 100+ just by standing up from a chair). I know this because I bought a heart rate monitor. Looking back, I think I spent too much time worrying about my heart rate. I sometime notice it these days, but try not to worry (and I don't wear the monitor). (I'm also at 6 months.) I'm trying not to worry about it too much - the good news is that I can now exercise without becoming breathless. I hope you're getting better too. Good luck. Thoughts are with you.

deleted_user 04/21/2012

I have the same. 6 months out I only have to stand up and my heart rate jumps considerably. Occasionally I'll b sitting and get a sudden HR of over 200, will only last 10 secs or so but my HR monitor goes nuts - have to wear one all the time to rest when it gets way too high. Only time it comes off is at night.

They think it's a problem with my autonomic nervous system as a result of the PE's. I'm now on heart medication to control the high HR's.

Good luck with ur next echo.

RetiredNavy02 04/23/2012

Here is some patient information regarding pulmonary hypertension following a PE:

http://patientblog.clotconnect.org/2011/06/29/chronic-lung-damage-after-pe-%e2%80%93-pulmonary-hypertension-cteph/

cave76 04/23/2012

Mayo Clinic has a page on the tests done to dx pulmonary hypertension.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulmonary-hypertension/DS00430/DSECTION=tests-and-diagnosis

cave76 04/23/2012

The full text of an article in Circulation in 2011.

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/123/16/1788.full

Scroll almost half way down for the section on Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

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