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Breathing Problems??

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Posted 2/28/2008 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hi again everyone, It's been a while since I last posted.

I've had problems for the last few days with my breathing. It feels like I can never can enough of a breath to fill my lungs?? Sometimes I'm able to get a full breath if I yawn. Does this sound familiar to anyone or am I just going nuts!! I've recently started and also stopped nifedipine because of side effects. Don't know if this can cause breathing problems but can't find anything linking this anywhere. Other than the breathing problems I just feel generally exhausted (more than normal!) and a little depressed. Any info anyone? Thanks 

Posted 3/1/2008 2:34 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Lion, I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. I know it can be depressing having yet another symptom come up. I'm the queen of lung problems around here so my first instanct is to tell you to see your doctor and make sure you don't have bronchitis or pneumonia or somthing like that. If you don't than you should see a pulmonologist ASAP. If you are having problems with your lungs due to lupus the sooner they catch it the better it will be for you to protect your lungs. Trust me you need our lungs for everything even if we tend to take them for granted at times.

Regarding the breathing when you are it makes perfectly good sense to me. It feels like you are getting more oxygen when you breath through your mouth. The only problem with that is you may be filling your lungs with oxygen but you aren't getting the right balance of carbon dioxide. When I have a bad attack my first instanct is to try to breath fast and deep through my mouth. That is the absolute worse thing I can do. I have to force myself to breath through my nose and purse my lips to breath out. Also if you aren't breathing properly you will get tired more easily.

Please get it checked out as soon as you can and please let us know

love

carol


Posted 3/1/2008 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Lion, Agreeing with Okie that you should see a doctor ASAP . . . ER is great if you can't reach your doc because of the weekend. Post and update after you've seen a doc!!!! Prayers, hugs and Blessings!
Posted 3/2/2008 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks so much guys. I have given it another couple of days but it's no better. First thing Monday i'll go to the doctor, or more than likely be unable to get an appt and go to the walk in clinic at the local hospital. It's getting frustrating and a little scary now. I think the more i panic about it the more i don't seem to be able to breathe properly. Just weird how i can breath okay, until the very end of a breath in when that last little bit doesn't seem enough??
Posted 3/2/2008 9:52 PM (GMT 0)
Let us know what you find out tomorrow. I hope it is not something serious and I hope you get some rleief. I imagine it can get pretty scary to have problems with your breathing.
Posted 3/4/2008 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Lion,

  How are you doing and how did your appt go yesterday? I hope things are getting better for you. Please give us a quick update when you can. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

                                                             Babs

Posted 3/5/2008 11:15 AM (GMT 0)
Lion I know exactly what you are talking about. I have the same problem and my Doctor is sending me for a respiratory test to see exactly how much oxegyn I am. My chest hurts all the time but there is nothing wrong with it that my doctor can find from listening to my lungs. So I just have to wait to have this test done and see what it shows. I use two inhalers daily and still have problems. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

Connie

Posted 3/5/2008 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Lion I'm concerned about you too. I hope you got some answers from your doctor.
please let us know when you are up to it.
hugs carol
Posted 3/7/2008 5:24 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Lion,

Wow.  i could've written your post myself, right down to the yawning thing!  i just went to my rheumie this morning because i have been having a mild flare, but i'm also having the exact breathing problems you describe.  i've had this periodically ever since i was diagnosed w/SLE back in 2002, but it comes and goes and this time it seems to be worse.

during this flare i've been having the awful mouth and nose lesions, painful skin, some joint aches, fatigue, costochondritis, the occasional stabbing pain when i breathe, and some sore spots.  this time its been about 3 weeks so far.

my doc did all the bloodwork etc, and then also sent me for a chest xray and gave me a referral to a pulmonologist to have the pulmonary function tests done.  he said it could be something not related to lupus, such as a virus.  or it could be lupus-related -- pleurisy, pleuritis, or something called "shrinking lung syndrome".  i looked it up and found a little info, but not too much. 

i hope you feel better soon, lion, and please let us know what you find out!

Larissa

Posted 3/9/2008 3:57 AM (GMT 0)
I do the same thing, but it worsens whenever my dry pleurisy flares up. Do you have any sharp pain or discomfort in your chest when you breathe?

Definitely see a doctor to be sure.
Posted 3/9/2008 9:02 PM (GMT 0)

Well, my doc called me Friday afternoon with the results of my xray.  the good news is I don't have some awful complication from my lupus.  The bad news is I do have pneumonia!  not quite sure how that happened, but at least it can be treated easily and will go away.  I left work after he called, picked up my antibiotic and went home and went to bed. 

Lion, I hope you are feeling better!

Larissa

Posted 3/11/2008 12:03 AM (GMT 0)

So sorry for not posting earlier. Had a rubbish week, my daughter got sickness & diarrhoea, which she kindly passed on to me! (and hubby got off scot free!)

Anyway, went to doctors. He listened to my chest, did some breathing tests, blowing into a tube etc. Nothing abnormal showing up. I have to wait 2 weeks, if it's no better go back and he'll send me for a chest xray.

He did say that some people can have a kind of panic attack where they feel they aren't catching their breath properly? Not sure about that one, but he's the doc. He said the common thing with this kind of panic attack is the yawning to be able to get a breath.

It's still there so I will go back for the xray if it doesn't go. I will let you know how things go. I found that if you google "unable to catch breath yawning" it brings up this panic thing for anyone who's interested in reading it. Didn't think I was a panicky person though. Not anymore stressed than normal!

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