I've posted a few times recently about my trouble with chest infections. I am under a specialist at the hospital now, only seen her once so far, due to go back in a couple of weeks to check how my new medications are doing. (Fostair & Montelukast)
But I am still puzzled by the fact that I can feel so tight chested and breathless some days, but my blood oxygen level is 99%! How is this possible? I've been like that for over a year. Does anyone else have this? I always feel like a fraud when I go to the doctors saying I feel like I can't breathe deeply and I've got a heavy weight on my chest and she says my levels are great! It was suggested it may be anxiety, but I'm not sure.
Any ideas?
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I was like that on my brown inhaler. But my GP's worked out something was wrong. My asthma was not being controlled properly. I am on fostair I have not one tight chest. I am the pump one. (There's two types of fostair pumps) has worked wonders for me to the point I don't have any asthma attack's. I never knew my asthma tiggers and I still don't.
I hope you will get the answers you need and fostair will help you. Give it about a week to kick in depending on your dose. By the way good luck
Thanks for your reply Camilla. I've been on the Fostair pump for just over 4 weeks now. The tight chest hasn't eased yet. Maybe it is a case of trying different inhalers until we find one that works for me.
The specialist said she is hopeful that it is my asthma that isn't well controlled rather than any other undiagnosed issues that is causing the relentless chest infections. I guess I'll have to wait and see what she says in a couple of weeks time.
Glad to hear you have found something that works for you!
Sorry to hear you’re struggling! Sorry if you know/have tried some of this already but I had a few thoughts.
Asthmatics are notoriously good at compensating while struggling. During asthma flares your oxygen levels will only tend to drop when things are becoming extremely serious - so for most people and most flares oxygen levels will be totally normal. For example, when I end up in A&E I’m nearly always rushed through to resus, but I very rarely have oxygen levels below 96% at that point!
Have you tried using your ventolin (reliever) inhaler? Does that give you any relief from the symptoms? If it does then it suggests that it’s at least partly your asthma causing the problem!
Also do you have a peak flow meter? If you don’t already it might be worth monitoring that closely for a bit while you’re struggling - if it’s lower than your personal best (if you know it) it might just be that you need a short course of oral steroids to kick start things. If you don’t know your best, try doing it, take 2 puffs of your ventolin and then try your peak flow again after 15/20 mins or so to see if it has improved at all.
Finally asthma tends to cause problems with breathing out rather than breathing in. So if you can figure out which part of breathing is causing you problems it might help suss out what is contributing to it. Although, chest infections will give problems with breathing in so if you have another one of those it may not be as useful 😅
That is interesting, we do try to soldier on because we have to don't we!? The first thing the doctors do when I go in is listen to my chest then put the monitor on my finger and say I must be fine because it's 99%. I feel like I'm wasting their time.
I have recently started recording my peak flow but haven't tried testing it before and after my reliever so I'll do that.
I feel as if it is more when I breath in, but I do have an infection at the moment so I'm not sure if it is down to that.
It’s always frustrating when that happens! But don’t feel you’re wasting time - remember it’s always much better to get checked out early on when it’s relatively easy to get on top of than leaving it too late and ending up in hospital.
If you’ve got an infection at the moment it’s quite likely that that is causing the problem with breathing in. I know last time I had one I struggled to get a breath in with it
Hope you feel better soon!
is your peak flow ok when you are SoB? I have something similar to you and it turned out to not be my asthma causing it.
My peak flow use to be around 600, for the last 18 months it's been between 300 and 450. Although I've only recently started doing it myself at home so it was not done regularly before. I feel tight chested all the time for the last 12 months at least, and often comes with breathlessness too when I have a chest infection (which is 3 weeks out of 4 or 5)
I have the same problem, which is now going away after 4 weeks of fostair 100/6 . Breathing in was laboured and shallow breathing . Have you got postnasal drip?! This usually comes hand in hand with poor asthma control . My shallow breathing in was due to excess phlegm in my throat causing shallow breathing. Ask the the doctor for avamys steroid nasal spray. Hang in there, it will get better . May God Bless you always.
The one thing I've learned being on this site is that 'asthma' patients have such varying experiences. My symptoms sound similar to yours - tightness, inability to get a satisfying breath in, etc. But my breathing tests are always 'normal', including oxygen levels, which is frustrating when they tell you there is no problem. The doctor I have now tells me that it is not uncommon for people that are generally healthy in other ways to present with normal results on the breathing tests even while experiencing severe symptoms. I have found it helpful to use a peak flow regularly to find out what my reading is when I'm feeling better. My peak flow is around 600 when well so when I drop to low 500s that is a sign for me. However, 500 on it's own has been viewed as totally fine by some healthcare professionals in the past. This condition has been BY FAR the most challenging healthcare issue to manage that I've ever experienced.
I would suggest also downloading the Asthma MD app. Sometimes unless you review the peak flows and symptoms you forget how unwell asthma and associated problems like post nasal drip can make you. I find using it useful as it also has graphs as well. To get the best out of it read the common questions people ask, something I forgot to do until recently!
Still having same issues but not as bad. Had lots of camera procedures and test coming back as ok. Through Prayer and Worship alone, I was guided to do my own research. I've been Blessed to be shown that I have SIBO. Also I suffer from Low stomach acid levels( confirmed with heidelberg capsule test )which is more than likely the cause of sibo. This has all triggered off gerd which in turn has been the reasons for my breathing issues. I have insufficient folic levels high cholesterol high ferritin ( also from low stomache acid levels ) . Been trying for the last week to supplement with betaine hcl with pepsin and creon ( prescribed by doctor ) with mixed effects due to trying to find correct dosage.
Getting there though , God Willing.
God Willling, this will help someone else who's suffering with the same issues and getting no help from their gp .
I have the same difficulty. My chest had been tight most days for 8 years following my second pneumothorax. My chest tightness worsens greatly if I contract any virus or cold to the point where I feel light headed and about to pass out.
However, my asthma nurse prescribed symbicort turbohaler last month after I told her clenil did not help to loosen my tight chest and I have found this beneficial over the last few days. It took a few weeks before I felt some difference.
Maybe you should discuss it again with the asthma nurse. I hope you feel better very soon.
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