Why do I feel more breathless in the evenings lately? Is this normal with COPD? I don't understand why because after all I am relaxed,

[siestasue]

just watching the TV. Does anyone else suffer from this?

[Hidden]

All depends what your condition is copd could mean anything

But could be down to co2 could be down to obstruction or restrictive nature of scaring of fibrosis or just as simple as a infection

But ye just breathing takes lot out of you ... 25% of your oxygen is used before you think let alone move or even fart thus your chest musicales even when relaxed have to work hard ..

How many times can you blow up a rubber glove .. A don't recommend you try BUT because of your illness your lungs are having to do that all the time .. Thus thats why we conk out like cheap batteries as are lungs are trying to inflate a load of scar tissue .. when really it should be as easy as a cheap pvc grocery bag .. but thats lung disease for you pretty much like british army takes no prisoners

But as an when you go on oxygen you have hit your reserve tank thus need arburtoy or full time oxygen what ever the case may be.

Hope that helps cheers all the best

[Rodikenley in reply to Hidden]

I don't even know how much of snow is water i.e

[Hidden]

If you've only just started noticing you are breathless in the evenings and you weren't previously, for you this may not be normal. Perhaps something is affecting you in the evenings of late, dampness in the air, a recent change to what you have been doing in the evenings.

For me I will get more breathless in the evenings when its very damp outside, it affects the air quality inside, when this happens I usually take my evening dose of the inhaler meds earlier in the evening rather than later.

Hope you find you are soon breathing easier.

[JackB]

I don't know why you feel the way you do, but I also feel awful in the evenings, quite frequently. I have 'severe' COPD, but I'm not on oxygen or anything yet. I also take strong painkillers for my back as I have disc-disease. I'm also fond of the odd glass of wine, and apparently they react with each other, consequently I have real problems breathing, mornings and evenings. My reply probably doesn't apply to you, but I thought it might strike a chord with someone. I hope you feel better soon.

[siestasue in reply to JackB]

Well JackB....I also like the odd glass of wine although l don't take painkillers. But I wonder if you've hit the nail on the head? God! We COPDers don't have much in life to enjoy do we!

[JackB in reply to siestasue]

Haha! I guess not! However, I never thought I'd appreciate something as simple as breathing easily, in the way I do now. Perhaps fresh air has become my new drug of choice!

[siestasue in reply to JackB]

That's a very profound slogan Jack.....Fresh air has become my new drug of choice..Mm. But tell me what are you on that is making you breathe so easy now?

[JackB in reply to siestasue]

Sorry, I read that back and it does sound a bit pretentious. It isn't so much that I'm breathing that much better, it's that I've had to virtually give up alcohol to feel less dreadful, because it reacts with my pain killers, apparently, according to a nurse I spoke with. The only way to control how I feel is just to move around really slowly. I'm good at that!

[siestasue in reply to JackB]

Oh Jack I didn't for one minute think you sounded pretentious, I really like that phrase. Poor you having to go teetotal. Can't you change your painkillers, they don't normally interact with alcohol do they?

[JackB in reply to siestasue]

Sorry Sue, I'm just not used to being on these type of message boards. To be honest, I'm not sure what makes me breathless more in the evenings or mornings. It could be a combination of things. Having thought about it a bit more, the cold air is more of a problem.

[Rodikenley in reply to JackB]

I don't know; I'm getting to where I can lift 7 lb weights again; I hardly use LED light bulbs in my home anymore either

[wahya in reply to JackB]

Please do not combine alcohol and painkillers. It could lead to death. I have moderate-severe COPD and was not given that diagnosis until after I had been on oxygen for over a year. Last June I had the experience of Respirator depression. I have little to no memory of last summer.Was in a drug-induced coma for a month, had CPR three times. I am now going the early steps towards a lung transplant. I came to this site because I am having the uncomfortable symptom of increased Shortness of Breath in the evenings. My heart rate and pattern change when things get really bad. It affects our hearts. Struggling to breather puts extra work for the heart to function. I have O2 sats as low an 69 and heart rate up to 140. The painkillers and alcohol are both Central nervous system depressants And the combination increases the properties of both. I am only providing my experience and a little knowledge from working in medicine e for over 20 years, although no time in pulmonary medicine. PS of course, if you are smoking quit. It really does make a difference you can feel at any stage of the illness. Do take care and keep us updated.

[Bevvy]

I often usually feel / am worse in the evening. I put this down to having struggled / got through the day!

[caroleoctober]

I too am more breathless in the evenings, I am severe stage four and on oxygen 15 hours a day but the oxygen does not affect my breathless it is to help my organs get enough oxygen. I think it is partly tiredness and partly due to the fact that we eat dinner at about 5pm, if I eat at midday I am not so breathless in the evenings. I have been diagnosed 15 years but have had the evening breathlessness about 10. I find by 9pm it is worn off a bit so put it down to a full stomach taking up lung space! Keep smiling.

Carole x

[junespoon in reply to caroleoctober]

I am the very same Carole, a full stomach any time of day makes me more breathless, as does walking around soon after getting up not good,X

[Rodikenley in reply to caroleoctober]

And like we've lost our right-eye distance vision some to say the least but how?

[Hidden]

Hi Sue,yes I am the same,& have been for some time now.

Even if I have a snooze in the afternoon,I still feel the same way in the evening,which is annoying.

I just put it down to the busy days I have with Harry!

Cheers Wendells xx

[moneal]

I have noticed that the air freshener in our living room like other things can effect me, also the chair I sit in, sounds silly but I think it is to do with the position of my 'steroid belly'. I have a more upright chair which eases the problem, I have also noticed that if I lower myself slowly into the lower chair rather than collapsing into it I don't get so suddenly breathless. I do wonder how much is in my mind, am I thinking about getting out of the chair, which has been difficult in the past so now my brain tells me to avoid it. The other thing to check is the dreaded black mould, the spores come out at night and believe me can really effect you. It only takes a small amount to bring me down.

[siestasue in reply to moneal]

What is a 'steroid belly' Moneal? I have only recently been put on steroid inhalers and my stomach is big enough already thank you!! Do you mean it will get bigger?

I am really interested in your comments on sitting.......I have sat on a dinning chair at the table for about 6 years in the evenings as I cannot get comfortable in an easy chair. I have a suite to fill the room up! What a laugh!

[moneal in reply to siestasue]

Best way to describe it is it's like a beer belly but caused by steroids and lack of exercise (in my case).

I notice that today someone has started a discussion on reflux, by coincidence I was talking to my GP about this yesterday, Leaking acid can cause all sorts of problems from a bloated stomach to a sore throat. The bloated bit is what gets me when I sit down, it's like having a football inside me, when I sit in the wrong position it pushes upwards into my diaphragm and make breathing even harder. He has given me a stronger dose of tablets to control the acid but it will take a few days to know if they help.

[Suzy6]

I am breathless when I first get up and my stats are low and early evening too.

[Rodikenley in reply to Suzy6]

Sorry; I don't drink any okay juices with peach flavor i.e - peach flavor stuff many times makes me sick

[butter-fly]

Hi Siestasue

You've gotten got some lovely informative answers from the others. I've certainly learnt a lot from the answers to this post. Great to get information 'from the horse's mouth' so to speak.

I too get breathless in the evening. This has been happening for the past year, even when I'm watching TV or any other quiet activity. (Must say I'm often much more breathless in the mornings.) I usually have to increase my steroids if I get very breathless but each person's condition is unique and needs tailored attention.

I think you should speak to your GP, nurse or consultant to see if you need more or different medication, your lung condition has changed a bit, or the atmosphere/weather is affecting you, etc.

Take care and good luck

[MrFlicks]

I too get more breathless in the evenings and especially more so after warm food and "normal" sized portions.

I remember reading somewhere when I was first diagnosed with COPD that it might be better to eat more meals of smaller portions to help with this rather than 3 square meals a day and also to stop that bloated feeeling one can get eating that way.

Also I have found subliminally the TV one watches in the evenings at times doesn't help as the "score" (that's the music - the type that gets you all hyped up and >> on the edge of your seat >> and that you don't tend to notice) can at times exasperate this to.

Also at times other aspects of the evening TV when you get emotionally controlled by things can also have an effect similarly to the score of the programs controlling emotions and heart rates..

For me also I can also get anxious and breathless in the evenng as my 12 hour time release morphine is due around 7ish and so after a warm/hot meal that last hour and a half leading up to 7pm can add to this so it's a double whammy that leads to the breathlessness.

Strangely though last summer (b4 I got put on the morphine) it was this breathlessness in the evening that lead to my having a heart attack (suspected series of heart attacks >> I didn't call an ambulance for as don't like calling unless I really have to - so not definate except that last one they are sure was a heart attack) followed by a lung collapse a week later but this was always after consuming warm food and also as heat build up occured from flats below that built up in the evening (thankfully got a ground floor flat since).

Seems it's not uncommon that this breathlessness occurs more with those suffering from COPD in the evenings from what I have heard and read.

[Rodikenley in reply to MrFlicks]

I don't know; I to this day can't have 60g Total Carbohydrate from the Protein Builder Clif Bars i.e - 58g or 57g will have to be me yet

[Rodikenley in reply to MrFlicks]

My heart rate on occasion goes to 90 anymore and that feels too high for me but better than it was when I otherwise felt okay; blood pressure went too low for awhile so must've been the thyroid

[tatteka]

Ihave found that too, my solution is to turn the heating off.Gong into shops hospitals all buildings with heating .its dry heat, i go to the front door and grab a few lungsful of cool air.

[Rodikenley in reply to tatteka]

I know never to have a Ben & Jerry's ice cream of dairy with 115mg sodium again however - too hard on me

[kimmy22]

I was just about to say what tatteka has just said = central heating can be so bad for us. Too cold and we are poorly - but heating dries out the air, makes us too hot and uncomfortable so the breathlessness appears. I also stand at the back door and freeze for a bit to cool down.

I also think after a long day our bodies are just generally tired from all our breathing - and its just fighting back.

[Rodikenley in reply to kimmy22]

Yeah, in this day and age gotta keep the house warmer than 57.2 - 58.8 many times cause I get ill from my mom; she's otherwise sick; and my dad and sis - I only need the house warmer when they and traffic are fed-up - still isn't good

[Kristicats]

I have put my evening only cough and harder to breath down to acid reflux that starts my throat off , like a scratch/ irritation in the back of my throat. So now I take Rennies instead of cough sweeets etc !

[oooodicky]

Hi 👋 could be your blood pressure low have you got a MMed to stick on your finger worth trying hope you find a cure good luck 😉.

[Rodikenley]

Not the flat-screen kind so easily; anyways, I have otherwise