Constant shortness of breath with good sats.

[Jemm_beth99]

Recently I have been becoming really short of breath and having great difficulty. Even whilst walking I am getting really breathless. I have lifelong confirmed asthma and recently had an asthma attack about 7 weeks ago now. But the weird thing is my sats are sitting around 96-99% even when i’m struggling to breath. My chest always whistles when i breath in and my heart is always on the high side. (sits around 98-106 resting). My inhalers don’t seem to be helping me, i am on ventolin, spiriva (tiotropium) and fostair 200/6 along side with prednisolone and carbocisteine 375mg. Could someone please give me any advise as to what this could possibly be as i don’t want to waste time at A&E. Thank you.

[lakelover]

If I were you I'd go & see your GP.

[Jemm_beth99 in reply to lakelover]

It’s a weekend, they are not available.

[Wheezycat in reply to Jemm_beth99]

Tomorrow?

[utkmybrthawy]

You will get better. This spell may last a week, or weeks, or even months. You’ll think that you’re losing ground, that “this is it.” Then one day it clears, your lungs feel light again, and you feel completely normal. I promise. Remember, your immune system is always working.

You might try a round of antibiotics if you’re getting lots of colored phlegm.

[hilary39]

It is totally normal to have high SATs, a good peak flow reading, no wheezing, and still be struggling and breathless. For a lot of asthmatics, the disease manifests in the small airways more than the big airways.

Many allergens are really really tiny and when they enter your lungs they drift down to your smaller airways where inhalers don't reach as well. That's why you can take your medicines as directed but still be struggling to breathe and it's why for bad attacks you have to use prednisone to zap your whole body into being less inflammed.

I'd see your GP just to be on the safe side since it's never good to be feeling breathless in spite of using all of your meds and rescue inhaler. It's common, it's happens to me all the time, but always good to follow up with a doctor to be on the safe side or to get a course of steroids if you need it.

Take care!

[Hidden]

You dont say how long you have had SoB, I had those same symptoms, SoB and my peak flow was fine and my inhalers didnt work ( I am also a lifelong asthmatic), althogh my ventolin gave a small amount of relief occasionally.

I am still having tests 18 months after it started, I have a few ideas what might be causing it but it is not related to my asthma.

[Tugun]

Sounds like you need further tests. It may not be asthma. Best to get your heart checked and rule that out as a possibility.

[Seena2019]

If you are taking medication from Chest physician, then you normally will get a steroid inhaler and other inhaler like a long-acting and short-acting bronchodilator. Some times even you need to take montelukast tablets.

Inspite of this if you are getting shortness of breath then I would suggest you to do a simple thing - take hot water in thermal flask and keep sipping hot water like you sip your coffee, you will see benefits immediately. You may have to do this for few days till your symptoms subside

For any reason, if your symptoms don't improve , then it might be due to anxiety.

Check with your doctor and get prescription for escitaloprám oxalate 5 mg or 10 mg , but note that you will see the improvement only after 3 to 4 weeks as it takes time for this medication to work.

[Wheezycat in reply to Seena2019]

Escitalopram is a significant antidepressant of the SSRI type. It is a big leap to ask for that to manage what sounds like typical, though frustrating, asthma symptoms, and I doubt any GP here would prescribe an SSRI for someone without establishing a mental health issue first.

[Junglechicken in reply to Wheezycat]

I agree with you Wheezycat that Jemm_beth99 does have symptoms very similar to mine which were confirmed as “interesting” (love that term used by medics, translates in everyday language to “I’ve not got the first clue”) asthma symptoms.

[Lysistrata Administrator Community Ambassador in reply to Seena2019]

I'm glad sipping hot water helped you, but combined inhaler plus montelukast doesn't control everyone's asthma - might be the wrong combination inhaler, wrong dose, and montelukast doesn't help everyone, plus some people just need additional medication to control things, and have some trial and error or flares despite medication. I'm one of these people (and Jemm_Beth, I also don't wheeze or drop sats even in bad attacks).

I'd be wary of suggesting just sipping hot water as a solution to this, as I'm struggling to imagine how that would control the underlying physiology of asthma, even if it does relieve some symptoms for some people.

Also agree with WheezyCat that it is a bit of a jump to assume anxiety and take meds for that at this point, for the reasons given above. It won't help the asthma in itself to take antidepressants, and there is no reason to assume anxiety and start on meds without good support for actually having anxiety. Yes you can be short of breath with anxiety, but so can you with other things, and it isn't the only symptom.

[Wheezycat in reply to Lysistrata]

Also if you are short of breath from asthma etc, that can make you anxious. Completely understandable, and should not be medicated with minor or major tranquillisers or other psychopharmaca unless properly assessed by an appropriate professional .

[foxie7777]

Sorry to hear that. So firstly sounds like your body is in crisis. You are probably hyperventilating creating an imbalance in your body. The mind says I need to breath and the body says I have enough. This imbalance is created by hyperventilating through your mouth because nitrogen oxide is introduced in the body through nasal breathing. Nasal breathing helps regulate the levels of CO2 and oxygen in your body. (I have simplified it)

The other thing is breathing through your mouth DRIES your lungs and your lungs then create more fluid and sometimes extra which you have to cough up. So nasal breathing helps filter, warm and moisten the air entering the lungs.

Buteyko breathing helps address all this. Its difficult (i know because I was where you were for years) but persevere and make it routine.

The most difficult thing in change is not the willingness to change, its creating the new habits to enable the change to become natural.