Breathing Difficulty

[anrean]

If you are having trouble breathing, please also have your heart checked! For me it is 1/2 genetic and 1/2 too much rads (right breast, left breast and lung) but he stressed that it doesn't have to be because of rads - our hearts have to work harder. The heart med makes breathing so much easier for many of us!!

[Feelingblessed2013]

That makes sense. My PCP once told me that because of my missing lung lobes, and the emphysema, my heart has to work harder. I know I now have high blood pressure, I'm on medication for that. But I have also noticed lately that when my oxygen level drops, my heart rate does as well.

Maybe time to go see my cardiologist again.

[anrean in reply to Feelingblessed2013]

Please do see the cardiologist. I am keeping a journal of blood pressure, heart rate and 02 level for my cardiologist, per his request. He is concerned that my heart races and blood pressure appears to drop when I have more difficulty - it might be a good idea for you to do the same for your doc. Now that I know what is causing the breathing difficulty and the med helps, I am more calm about it. I am stable right now, and every day I would panic that the cancer is growing because of the difficulty - thank God it remains stable!

[Feelingblessed2013 in reply to anrean]

My heart rate drops when my O2 drops.

I am glad you are doing okay.

[Denzie Moderator Volunteer]

Great advice, anrean. I’m grateful that you are stable. You’ve been through so much already.

[anrean in reply to Denzie]

Denzie, it just keeps coming When I fractured my back in 1988 I got through it by laughing and saying God would give me a good old age. HA...If you want to hear God laugh, tell him of your plans.

Cardio wants to put me in hospital and start Timolol.

[JanetteR57]

so true and many inhalers and medications given for breathlessness can also increase the heart rate or lead to irregular heart rhythm as can painkillers.... I have twice been told I had enlarged heart (from imaging and echo cardiograms) - once presumed to be the amount of endurance swimming I'd done over years and last year as a result of having an inhaler changed as the lobectomy changes the way I was breathing.... it can be too easy to assume everything is related to the lungs but the cardiovascular/pulmonary systems are interlinked as is so much of our body.... if medications don't improve things, worth asking to check the other organs' functioning...

[Ncpoet]

I never had any problems with my heart until I began taking the targeted drug, Xalkori. Apparently it has a rare side effect of a prolonged QT wave which, after taking it seven months, caused me to go into cardiac arrest. After taking it, I began having afib which was monitored for two years by an implanted loop that monitored heart rate. When the loop was taken out, doctor said pacemaker was not necessary. Rhythm was regulated with medication. Although there is no evidence of cancer, I still struggle with shortness of breath and have developed stage 1 congestive heart failure. Even with the after effects, I wouldn’t change my treatment as that enabled me to overcome my stage 4 lung cancer and I am still alive, seven years after diagnosis.

[JanetteR57]

We have a friend who had heart failure and had to retire from work a couple of years ago and had a device similar to a pacemaker fitted - all resulting from radiotherapy she had years ago for her Hodgkins lymphoma but her attitude is the same - without the treatment back then when it wasn't known about the potential harm to other organs if heart wasn't shielded, she wouldn't be alive today. live life whether short or long and appreciate every day

[anrean in reply to JanetteR57]

Your friend has the right attitude! We knew there would be heart damage from the 3 separate rounds of rads, just didn't have a choice. Now it is time to pay the piper.