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.
I'm not sure what I'm looking for with this - support or advice. I've been dealing with shortness of breath for the last two weeks after feeling mostly okay since the end of December. It's causing me a tremendous amount of anxiety because it feels so similar to how I felt when I got my initial diagnosis. I keep telling myself that it's really unlikely that I've got a new clot as I've been on blood thinners since my dx and I've been therapeutic for a long time. I just can't shake my fear. I had a similar episode in September and they did a second CT scan that showed that one of me PE had already cleared up (I had two and my DVT). Also, all genetic testing and other testing has come back normal. I keep telling myself it's allergies, the dry air, maybe a virus, but my mind won't let up. Which probably makes the sensations feel worse. I feel like a pain around my family because they don't understand this fear. I have half a mind to just got the ER again and let them check, but I don't want to expose myself *again* to a CT scan. I feel like I can't win and the anxiety is starting to really take over again. I already do ativan as needed since my dx. Ugh I just feel a mess this week.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
Hello. The SOB could be a number of things. Did your original clot begin in the leg? Have you noticed anything else out of the ordinary? It's true, this condition really plays on one's mind. Now, when I feel any discomfort in my chest, I think the worst. I'm only three weeks since my diagnosis. Two weeks is a good enough time to have the SOB so maybe you should have that looked at just to be safe. Maybe they won't need to do a CT. Maybe a D-Dimer test (blood test). Hope you feel better......... PS, I'm sure you're fine.
indwen
I had a bad episode of SOB last summer that lasted a couple of weeks. Despite being on warfarin and always therapeutic, I was convinced something was wrong after I found myself reaching for my inhaler on a daily basis. Showed up half-panicked at my doctor's office. Everything looked fine and when we backtracked, we realized that the SOB started the day we had our carpets cleaned. The fumes had just set off my lungs. Airing out the house and doing some extra vacuuming really helped.
If the weather has changed recently (more cold), you've got a new air freshener, you just recently cleaned the whole house, turned your furnace on for the first time this winter, etc., etc. Any of those things can partner with the anxiety to make your life really miserable.
Might be worth it to go in and have your doc check your pulse-ox, consider a d-dimer, and etc. Sometimes, just having someone check you out (even without a full CT) can help tremendously.
Hang in there! Hope you get the best of the anxiety-beast.
So I am trying to take solace in the negative (below negative they said) d-dimer. I'm on meds, negative d-dimer, my clots were already improving just a month out from dx. But my breathing still kind of stinks. I just hate this much. I hate being afraid every single time. pre-dx I would have just chalked this up to weather, or allergies. Its like I feel like I don't have that luxury anymore. I feel like I drive my family nuts with my anxiety about it (though they never let on).
Part of me wants to go in and request another CT scan just to shut my brain off because its getting so that I can't fall asleep at night. But that's #3 in 3 months - not so great in terms of radiation exposure. I hate everything right now. Too emotional for my own good (which will also exacerbate things). Sigh.