Chest tightness

[chrisj]

I was wondering if many of you suffered from tightness in your chest and an inability to breathe properly? especially in the night... and if you have other symptoms. I'm told they're panic attacks but my worry is they might be heart or Lupus related...

[suki65]

they sound like panic attacks my dad had them and took medication for them but i also have panic attacks and family members who have panic attacks but we have found out how to manage them without medication .

tell yourself you will always be able to breathe no matter what and try to calm yourself down by thinking of good things like what you will be doing tomorrow or next week ,if this does not work read or listen to some light music while in bed or watch a favourite film .

the worst thing you can do is worry i dont think it is an illness its just something you can control yourself just find something that makes you calm down all the best

[chrisj in reply to suki65]

Suki what meds did your dad take??

[suki65 in reply to chrisj]

i will find out for you

[saranne]

It is scary when you feel you cannot breath and may well be panic driven, however my GP says always get symptoms checked. So I would say go and discuss how you feel. When I was diagnosed I had checks on my heart as part of establishing what the lupus was affecting, have you ever had checks? My area has a rapid access heart clinic which my GP's refer any concerns to, If you have talked to GP already I would still go back and say you want a referral. At least you won't be as worried about not knowing, good luck

[chrisj in reply to saranne]

Not had a heart check for a long time Saranne...we have a drop in clinic in town, been there once before, it was sunday so no surgeries open and the doctor said I had a chest infection, he gave antibiotics

[Barnclown]

I agree with saranne.

And you could bear in mind: once you feel you ARE effectively managing any possible tendencies to panic attacks, IF a dr suggests your symptoms could be due to panic attacks, DO emphasize loud 'n clear that you have learned how to manage panic attacks and feel fairly confident these symptoms are not due to panic.

I am urging you do this cause I myself, and others I know well, have experienced & learned to manage panic attacks, and still had various persistent panic-like symptoms that turned out to be due to genuine medical causes, Some drs do seem to want perplexing symptoms to have psychological origins....I guess we gotta have our counter arguments at the ready

[chrisj]

I dont know what to think. I had these attacks for a long time, they would wake me up in the night regularly until one night I phoned NHS Direct in desperation and the nurse talked me through what was happening. That dep sent me factsheets to read on how to cope with panic and they helped for a while.

Further down the line I had a bad time gasping for breath one morning getting out of bed, took me completely by surpise and I couldnt take more then 2 or 3 steps at a time, I thought I was dying. I went to my gp by taxi, something I've never done before, and the young doctor said straight away I'd had an asthma attack, he prescribed a blue spray. The chemist was across the road, picked the spray up and I was able to walk home, very slowly. Later I was sent for a breathing test and when my gp called me in she prescribed a brown steroid spray. The panic in the night stopped, I was able to go to bed unafraid after a few years of struggling....but last night was bad again and I didnt know what to do, came in here thinking talking might help...dont feel A1 today..I have mild SLE, and Sjogrens..it just feels like I want to take a deep breath but my chest wont expand...I see the Lupus nurse next month, will see what she has to say

Thank you for your comments, all duly noted xxx

[rockchic in reply to chrisj]

I had exactly the same thing for many years and was told by my gp that it was panic attacks even though I never felt stressed or panic one night it was so bad I rang the paramedics they gave me a heart trace which showed irregularities I was taken to hospital where I was diagnosed with a heart murmur and a mitral valve prolapse with regurgitation more than likely caused by lupus make sure you have all the checks just to rule things out x

[chrisj in reply to rockchic]

I will Rockchic, thank you...just want it to go away so I can relax

[Shann07 in reply to chrisj]

Hi chrisj you sound quite similiar to how i have been feeling this past few weeks. I have sle which has affected my lungs and heart which causes me breathlessness and upper back pain which is actually pain in lungs and chronic chest pain. One of the very first symptoms i had before diagnosis 2 years ago was feeling short of breath at night, especially during the night as if my chest wouldnt expand? Drs fobed me off all the time until eventually after hospital admission showed fluid around heart & lungs! I now have only 70% lung function because i was ignored for so long my lungs were damaged dont want to scare you but lupus has a tendency to start attacking these organs so def do mention to Rheummy. Only way to see fluid is CT scan. one big thing was i couldnt yawn as i couldnt fill my lungs. If that makes sense? thats a wee test to try! xx

[chrisj in reply to Shann07]

yes it makes a lot of sense Sophie...I have an app with the nurse next month and I'll talk to her...My rheumatologist one is not till early next year...

[chrisj]

Had another breathing spasm in the night it woke me up again and didnt seem to be settling down so I called NHS Direct and they sent a paramedic out....followed by an ambulance. The medic did the heart trace, all seemed ok, checked my pulse which was fast and my bp was high. He said he thought it was a panic attack but couldnt be 100% sure and offered to take me in for tests....In the end I agreed to call my gp and make an app with them which I've done this afternoon, I'll see them on monday, the 5th....I didnt relish sitting in a hospital waiting room, lets hope I did the right thing.

Thank you for your replies. I dont think I've posted for help before I usually just pop to read and see if I can help others...