Hi, i'm a newbie, currently on steroids for 2nd infection in 6 weeks, hence a post at this ridiculous hour. Does anyone have trouble breathing after getting off a flight and can suggest anything that would help. Thank you
Breathless after flying.: Hi, i'm a... - Lung Conditions C...
Breathless after flying.
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Kippys
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Hello and welcome 😊
Being on a plane is like being at the top of a high mountain so it can affect your breathing and cause low blood pressure. I don't have anything to suggest that can help, so this is not a very useful reply 😳
Lol, thank you for the welcome and just for answering.
I never thought about it that way. I fly a lot and used to be fine but it's becoming so bad its embarrassing. On the plus side, i am rushed through passport control, too much paperwork if i collapse i would imagine 😁
I don't fly a lot but do so several times a year. I don't like flying but didn't used to have any problems. However a few years ago I noticed it was starting to affect me and one time I did actually collapse mid flight which was very embarrassing (not that I remember too much about it but thinking about it is embarrassing!) but it did speed me through passport control on arrival. I was driven through on one of those airport vehicles. 😳
Soz for the late response, i eventually got a couple of hours sleep. Oh dear, thats not good, hope you made a full recovery to enjoy your holiday.
Hello Kippys and welcome. 😊
I see on your profile you write you have COPD, but you don't say what stage you are at it if you are on oxygen or not and importantly did you inform your doctor of your shortness of breath when flying?
As lung patients we are at a higher risk for hypoxemia where our oxygen levels can dip significantly in a flight, increased pulmonary artery pressure and desaturation when snoozing during flights. You may require oxygen when flying. It would be good if you can discuss this with your doctor and they may suggest a fit to fly test, so they can evaluate your need for oxygen.
Have a good day,
Cas xx 🙋🐕
Hi Cas, thank you for responding.
Tbh i have never been told what stage i am and i am not on oxygen. I attend the respiratory clinic at my local hospital, not been for a while yet though but i am ok to call and arrange to see the nurse. I'm not sure i want to know what stage i'm at, i struggle as it is dealing with this horrible disease. Nothing i do seems to help, more bad days than good just now 😩.
Lorraine xx
Hi Lorraine, 👋
When was the last time your medication was reviewed? Maybe life would be more comfortable if you explained to your respiratory team how you are feeling at the moment? They can adjust your meds and maybe get you into pulmonary rehab? I hope things get better for you, but if you feel you are declining it may be best to take the beast by the horns, get some facts and see what can be done to help you. Clearly, you need support. Just a suggestion, all in your good time. xx 😊😀
Hi Cas
I Have been to Pulmonary rehab and attended a COPD Psychologist but your right, i will phone my Respiratory nurse and get an appoint. Just when i feel i improve a wee bit it comes back with a vengeance. On my 2nd infection in 6 weeks so i suppose it's just bringing me down just now, more than normal. Still dont think i want to know what stage tho, that i find very very scary 😪.
Thank you for taking your time to respond xx
Hi,sorry you’re struggling.haveyou taken your steroids today
When. I was on-high dose steroidsiused toget upat 6 am to take thesteroids.
I go downstairs to take them.i don’t leave them on the bed side table,as I don’t want to mess the dose-up when I am half asleep.
Am currently down to 15 g,sothigs are looking up.
I hope the steroids are working well for you.
Last time I flew I had a wheelchair etc.i didn’t struggle to breathe when I got off the plane,but I did feel tired
Hi Oshgosh, yes i took them about 5am, hopefully sleep better tonight 🙂.
I'm sure if i had assistance it would give me time to get my breathing regulated as it's as soon as i start walking that the problems start. I just feel that i will be admitting defeat if i go down this route. I know it's silly though. I do wear a sunflower lanyard now and some airlines are more understanding.
Last few times I’ve flown I’ve had wheel chair assistance. It’s a bit of a faff,cos you have to wait sometimes. But it’s worth it,cos you don’t get breathless
I will seriously consider it. I i don't think it would be as bad when i travel alone. It's just if i am going with "friends", one who is not so understanding x
I always use wheelchair assistance when flying as I can't cope with all the distances and the standing. When I don't use it, I have to sit on a luggage trolley when waiting in queues. Pulling a suitcase and walking those distances makes me severely breathless, even now.
I always take steroids the day of my flights and take my nebuliser 2 hrs before the flight , I get special assistance through the airport and onto the flight ,( its less stressful and less taxing physically) ,even though they dont lower the oxygen content on the flight the oxygen content does drop , I believe its equivalent to being at 6,000ft so being at that elevation for extended periods is not good , my dr. recons I'm ok for up to a 4hr short flight but over that I would need oxygen ( which the airline will charge for ) . Airlines are more than willing to help but book special assistance at time of booking some airlines have strict numbers they will allow per flight , hope this helps .
Hiya, thank for your response. I was just thinking that maybe i should take steroids for a day or 2 before and i have now a portable nebuliser. My flights are normally around 3 hours so not too long.
I have been looking at the oxygen policy on flights and it appears Ryan Airs are the best (out of the budget airlines), they supply it free if you advise at time of booking and the appropriate form is filled in.
I am 57 but in my head i am young and the wheelchair assistance is great as i use it for my dad but just wonder if people are judging, crazy eh and why should i care, but i do 😌. I will give it a lot of thought and try change my mindset.
I'm the same with the wheel chair and the embarrassment but everyone is helpful and you get through security quicker , theres a silver lining to every cloud eh lol but if it makes my flight easier who cares , I have a portable nebuliser which I put into the hold but always keep my meds with me , if you want to use the nebuliser in the cabin you will need a product safety certificate which are easy to get off the manufactures, I've found ryan air best for special assistance especially at liverpool airport .
Yeh that does make it all the more tempting, nothing worse than passport control and security 😁. Oh i didn't know that about the certificate, i'll look into that. Hoping not to go down the road of portable oxygen cause that's even more hassle. Yes Ryan Air are great in Edinburgh and Alicante, i get assistance for my dad and he is now able to travel alone using this facility.
I will need to take a leaf out of your book regarding the not caring. Maybe if i just got the ambulator up onto the plane then assistance at the other end 🙂
It’s easy for me to say but, try to do what is right for you and not worry about what others think. Just think, you never have to see those people again.
You are so right, i will work towards that. I am travelling alone the next time so might try it then, thank you.
Being prepared does give peace of mind and we know state of mind is a big part of any illness enjoy your hols when you go 👍
I’ve had this problem coming off planes. The walk to passport control/baggage reclaim can be quite far and I’ve found it difficult to walk and breathe at the same time! I rarely use ventolin but I do in this situation. I take two puffs, a couple of minutes apart after the plane has landed but before I get off. It works. The problem arises I think because of the inactivity for the previous umpteen hours as well as the lower oxygen level.
It is the most difficult time tho i even find going to the loo on the plane a chore. Maybe i should walk up and down the aisle a few times during flight. I use Ventolin at least twice daily and have tried using it as a nebuliser before departure but it doesn't help. Thank you for responding tho. Everyone has been lovely and so helpful ❤
A few years ago, I had a fit to fly test at the hospital and the nurse said that oxygen on a flight is a third less than normal and whilst this isn’t a problem for most folk, damaged lungs will certainly feel it. I’d noticed that my chest just ‘went’ whilst ascending on a flight and I got really breathless while sitting and whilst booking special assistance allows time for lungs to recover a bit once landed without the long walk, I knew it was affecting my lungs in flight and so requested a fit to fly a few years ago and passed but after my lung function was reduced, I requested another as I wanted to go away but failed the last test, I only did 5 mins before the nurse stopped it. I was issued a fit to fly letter that stated I could fly with in flight oxygen but haven’t actually flown since.
(The test was me with an oxygen mask on which gave aircraft in flight oxygen levels whilst wearing a finger oxygen monitor.)
Hope this helps.
It does, thank you. Very informative. I did wonder what the test entailed. I should be flying with Jet 2 but they do not supply oxygen, it would mean a portable oxygen which brings it's own problems 🤨. It's all such a pain x
Airlines in general produce air pressurisation levels at the equivalent of 6,000 ft that is why some of us including yours truly require supplementary oxygen to fly,the rate of lpm is indicated by the hypoxic challenge test,at the moment i require 2 lpm once the aircraft is airborne.
Pressurization systems are designed to keep the interior cabin pressure between 12 and 11 psi at cruise altitude. On a typical flight, as the aircraft climbs to 36,000 feet, the interior of the plane “climbs” to between 6000-8000 feet.
Lol i dont really understand any of that but is good to know it is not only me, Thank you.
If flying long haul the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is much more comfortable in general but particularly for those with lung problems as it is pressurised to a lower level and the air is taken directly from outside, not bleed air via the engine. The attached explains it better but you will have to copy and paste the link as I can’t seem to make it a hyperlink.
thepointsguy.co.uk/news/why...
Yes i have read about how some of the more modern long haul aircraft have improved air quality and pressurisation but the majority of aircraft still adhere to the old system,alas without several batteries for my poc or oxygen provided by the airline my trips to see family in South America will be a thing of the distant past.
Kippys if not requiring o2 for ambulatory reasons is unlikely to need oxygen for flying at the moment i would imagine.
Hopefully that's the way forward and i do hope that you manage to visit family again.
No i don't use oxygen, though they have threatened to admit me for it a couple of times 😩. I have bought a handheld nebuliser and i will try taking steroids the day before as well as moving more on the flight, see if that helps. I may try the assistance at the other end. Going to call my respiratory nurse too and see if she has any other suggestions.
Anxiety may have something to do with it too. I do take Diazepam for flying but i have now learned that my anxiety is better if i put my case in the hold rather than trying to carry it and walk up the steps, sitting at the front of the plane and an aisle seat. My biggest pleasure i have now is visiting mine and dads wee place is in the sun and i'm determined this is one thing i will not give up 😁
I can only say what the nurse told me and given they do these tests day in, day out, I presume their tests are based on fact OR the best simulation that’s possible whilst being grounded. I too struggled with breathlessness whilst walking to the loo on board shortly after ascending whilst earlier in the airport lounge, I’d been perfectly well.
It was that and the previous flights that had made me question the oxygen, it wasn’t anxiety, I’m really good at calming myself when breathlessness is bad and even my sister noticed the effects in flight.
There would be no point asking my GP as lungs are not his speciality.
I am going to phone my respiratory nurse specialist and see what she says, there has to be a reason for it if we are the same x
Don’t forget also that the air on a plane is recycled so all people”s germs are too. That’s why you’re often ill after a flight. Being on a plane is one of the unhealthiest places to be. My friends brother, who was an airline pilot, was diagnosed with copd after many years of flying and he’d never smoked. Inhaling the fumes getting on and off the plane is bad too. Best to fly as little as you can.
My husband flew with assistance on Swiss air and it was excellent. He was put on the plane first and got off last but taken a very quick route through the airport and customs. I’d recommend it if you need it.
Best wishes
Corin
Thank you for replying. Yes i am ill a lot after flying but find masks a bit suffocating. Saying that, visiting my wee holiday home is about the only pleasure i have left, so desperate to keep going.
I think i will try the assistance this time while i'm travelling alone, maybe it will be easier and i won't find it so embarrassing.
Thank you
Most UK airports now recognise the sunflower lanyard alert & issue them at the special assistance desk.
Don’t be afraid to ask for one, it makes life so much easier going through the airport & boarding the aircraft.
Check the airport website for more info!
Hiya, i have the lanyard which a lovely lady on the nail bar counter in Edinburgh Airport managed to get for me as there was non where they should be, in the Special Assistance Office.
I have found Jet 2 great at recognising them, even Ryan Air were happy to help but Easy Jet were terrible. I hope eventually they all have the same training.
I do feel that i need the Special Assistance at the other end, will build up the courage to give it a try. If it wasn't that my breathing was so bad getting off i would manage.
Thanks for responding 😌
I fly at least 2 to 3 times a year and since Covid and wearing mask I noticed that I am fine on plane but when I get off plane I feel out of breath for 5 or 10 mins while coming down ramp. I have found slowing down and take a moment to catch breath. I heard a few other passengers saying same thing. Not sure why I am having issue. Drs find no issues.
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