Breathlessness?

[Estate1]

Curious if my racy heart (at times) and shortness of breath are adverse reactions to BR?

[Britam]

I have not had BR treatment, but have severe anemia with my CLL and I have the same symptoms. Have you had your hemoglobin levels checked recently? If not, it might be good to do so and compare them to previous ones to make sure there is no serious drop.

[cllady01 Former Volunteer]

Estate,

It appears this is a new complaint--the heart palpations--since you replied to a post earlier today stating your were feeling well.

The breathless feeling can be heart related also. And BR effects all cells, so your RBC may be low and need attending. Call your CLL Dr. and report what you are feeling.

[noeagaman]

I have the same symptoms from FCR which ended a year ago. If I walk up a flight of stairs I can feel my heart beating so hard that I feel it in my head. If I bend over to tie my shoes, I run out of breath. My doctor sent me for a pulminary test and a cardiac test and I'm scheduled to go back to the cardiologist in two weeks. They had me wear a heart monitor for a week. My CLL doc said that FCR can affect your heart sometimes.

I hope that helps a little. How long ago did you finish BR or are you still going through it?

Chris

[Shedman]

It sounds like worsening red cell scores/anaemia - the nurses made no comment about my oxygen saturation levels, but I noticed they were struggling a little.. And I notice that I can more readily feel dizzy the last week or two - you know, if standing up suddenly, that type of thing.

Yes, time we both talked to our cancer team - more so you! Go gently - not time to overdo things.

[Cllcanada Top Poster CURE Hero]

Hgb levels, perhaps low B12, Red blood cells.. its doctor time.. call into your clinic, don't let this go...

~chris 🇨🇦

[Shedman in reply to Cllcanada]

Which lab test/result is relevant to this?

I am baffled at this time by the difference between them all..

Some of mine have improved since start of treatment, some have gone from too low to become too high..

Eg.

"MCV, MCH, MCHC, and RDW Mean Cell Volume (MCV), Mean Cell Haemoglobin (MCH), Mean Cell Haemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) and Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW) are measurements relating to the volume, size and haemoglobin content of red cells in the blood."

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to Shedman]

You shouldn't need to get into the detail of what's happening with your red blood cells/haemoglobin - that's your specialist's job. If your breathlessness is due to anaemia from insufficient/ineffective red blood cells, your haemoglobin (Hb or Hgb) will be low. What's your haemoglobin count?

If it is low, then it's your medical team's responsibility to examine values and trends in the test results you mentioned, plus your medical history, to order additional tests to determine the cause and suggest remedies if the reason is not obvious:

mayoclinic.org/symptoms/low...

That can include B12/folate/iron studies by your doctor (GP/PCP) to ensure you are getting and absorbing enough of the raw materials to make red blood cells with an adequate quantity of haemoglobin to carry sufficient oxygen to your body cells for them to produce energy. In your case it could be bone marrow suppression from your BR treatment. If your haemoglobin count gets too low, then you should be given red blood cell transfusions to lift your haemoglobin to a satisfactory level.

Neil

[Shedman in reply to AussieNeil]

132g/l - up from 123 at start of year before start of BR chemo, but down slightly since treatment cycle 2.

Yes of consultants, but to be our own best advocate and make any sense of getting all our test results.. It makes reasonable sense to begin understanding one or two tests whose trends might be worth following..

And at home I have my results but no consultant to hand.. And my own symptoms are not yet worthy of worrying my team -- not quite.

Thx.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to Shedman]

A good resource is the videos done by Dr. Susan LeClair about understanding your labs. patientpower.info. She has a gift for making the complicated understandable.

[Shedman in reply to MsLockYourPosts]

Thx. I'll try to take a look when I'm feeling up to it.

Just muddling along for now.

[MsLockYourPosts Passed Volunteer in reply to Shedman]

You don’t need to learn everything at once, and the plus to sites like CLLSociety and patient power is that you can always go back when you are ready to. I have rewatched these videos more than once, as I was ready to process more.

[Shedman in reply to MsLockYourPosts]

Likely I should take a look when my stiff neck neuralgia recedes - struggling at the moment from a virus.

[Big_Dee]

Hello Estate1

I just finished my 5th cycle of B+R. My shortness of breath started going away after I started my daily walks before treatment and completed the progress after first cycle of B+R. I have an increased heart rate right after B+R treatment probably from IV steroids I am given during B+R treatment. You can buy a oxygen saturation/heart rate sensor at a drug store for $30-$100. This will allow you to track your daily rates. Same thing they do to you at pre-treatment check up. Onward and upward!

[Ellieoak]

Go to your doctor and complain about this. It can lead to a stroke. This is very imminent .