Breathlessness getting worse again

[Westie2012]

The last couple of days I’ve been a bit late in going out to collect my daughter from school so I’ve had to rush a bit going up a very steep hill . Today I could feel myself getting out of breath so I took the longer way as it’s flat . I got to the school but so out of breath I couldn’t speak properly , it only lasts a couple of minutes then I’m ok . I have a GP appointment booked but not for a couple of weeks . I can get an appointment tomorrow if I call when they open . If I called an ambulance the breathlessness would have passed by the time they arrived . I had my pacemaker fitted last November for tachycardia bradycardia and heart pauses. I also had pericarditis and an effusion after a pacemaker lead put a hole in my heart . Has anyone else experienced this breathing problem after having a pm fitted or having pericarditis and an effusion . The effusion is gone , I’m still taking colchicine , naproxen , lansoprazole and pain relief when I need it.

[Westie2012]

I have no idea about rate control , my pacemaker was fitted mainly because I was having heart pauses, I also have tachycardia and bradycardia . Getting this much out of breath hasn’t happened since I had the pacemaker fitted . Think I might call the pacing team tomorrow .

[Buddy00]

I have an appointment tomorrow with the pacemaker clinic. I’m 7 months now with my dual pacemaker and am still getting very out of breath when walking up a hill , they are going to look at turning the response rate up.

[Sunnie2day]

It sounds as though you're able to recover normal breathing within a reasonable time which is a good thing.

However, yes, sadly, SOB (shortness of breath, usually happens only on exertion) is a consequence of pericarditis and pericardial effusion, and it can be a long time for that consequence to 'go away' so eventually you have no SOB on exertion unless the exertion is extreme (and recovery is still/should be reasonably quick - within or under three-five minutes). How long it takes for your recovery to reach that point depends on the pre-illness state of your health and physical condition, and the severity of your case and how long it took to clear.

And all that said - it would be advisable to get into your medic as soon as possible, just in case he/she wants to check for potential continued effusion - for example, when I find myself having SOB I usually take it to mean I'm going into another flare with an increase to the effusion (my effusion is permanent and fluctuates).