High C02 in blood

[Natura]

Does anyone have high co2 in their bloodwork? I am having a terrible time with breathing. I dont know if its lung inflammation, or low iron. What tests should i get done. Its very uncomfortable and a bit scary. Thanks

[Hidden]

The only reliable way to have your CO2 tested is an arterial blood gas which isn't a routine test. High CO2 is a feature of obstructive lung diseases such a COPD ( type 2 Resp failure ).

Lung function tests and a chest X Ray are a good starting point for investigations.

[Natura in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Keyes. Ugh. Yet another problem.

[Wendy39]

Hello Natura. Sorry to hear you are feeling so unwell. I was going to ask you how you know you have those high levels of CO2 as I had never heard of those tests being done routinely. I'm afraid I cannot help at all, just wanted to reply and say I hope you get this sorted out very soon. I have suffered with asthma in the past and also severe allergies which have effected my breathing, so I know how frightening it can be. It sounds like you need to a trip to your doctors anyway. Please keep us posted. Good luck. Wendy x

[Natura in reply to Wendy39]

Thank you Wendy. High co2 showed up in my routine bloodwork for my clotting disorder. My hematologist thought my trouble breathing was a possible clot. But, it seems it could be inflammation. She asked what my rheumatologist said. I do not have one. We have really lousy health ins. My husband has an opportunity for health ins with his job. Better ins. I think we are going to have to get it so that I can see a dr. I am worn out with taking care of myself these past 3 years.

[PMRpro]

What makes you think you have raised CO2 levels in your blood? I assume you mean your bicarbonate level which is measured as part of your electrolyte panel? If so there are several causes and your doctor should investiggate.

labtestsonline.org.uk/under...

[Natura in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you PMRpro. I will read that article. It was in my bloodwork.

[Sheepcoat]

Hi Natura, what sort of breathing problems do you have? I have had breathing problems for years now but still haven't got answers at the moment. I don't get any wheezing but I have to keep taking deep breaths a lot, which especially happens the day after exercise. I get the same sensation as a yawn when I take these deep breaths, but have to keep doing it throughout the day to get relief. I am going to ask for a referral to a pulmonologist.

[Natura in reply to Sheepcoat]

Hi Sheepcoat, I actually have trouble taking deep breathes a lot. It seems to be getting worse. I have to go outside sometimes. It puts me into a panic attack a little when I cant breathe deeply.

I have been dealing with it by drinking my anti inflammatory tea. Ginger and turmeric.

I am just reallu tired dealing with all this by myself. My husband tries to support me by tellng me to raise my arms up to open my ribcage. I could try that, but I know its more than that. He has asthma and uses an inhaler. Which is also inflammatory.

I did have a dr. Have me do breathe into a tuby thing, but how does that determine your lung function? What parameters are they going off of? What is normal for any individual? Then he had me use a nebulizer, and I guess it didnt change anything. So, he didnt issue me one. So, you can see my reluctance to get help from a dr. They seem to be hacks in my town. Over 70 years old, using equipment from the 60s.

I tried to get a list of drs from the local lupus foundation, and never got the list. They are not allowed to recommend any drs, but she said she would mail me something. I have to contact them again.

[PMRpro in reply to Natura]

I assume you had to breathe out hard and fast through your mouth with your lips around the tube thing? It was probably a peak flow meter and it measures how much air you can exhale forcibly. If you have asthma or other lung problems you don't get as high as the expected figure for your height and weight. There are tables which predict the figures that are normal range.

The nebuliser should probably have increased it if there is a problem. There is nothing wrong with using a peak flow meter - it provides a lot of information for a very low cost. It is used to monitor asthmatics - and your husband should have one to use regularly if he has asthma.

nhs.uk/Conditions/peak-flow...

It is all very well trying to manage an illness on your own - but you have to have a proper diagnosis and a fair amount of basic background medical knowledge.

[Natura in reply to PMRpro]

Pmr....my sister is a doctor. I also majored in biology in college. Including the functions of the brain. I also read my bloodwork. But, as you said, I could still be misdiagnosing. And i have seen a doctor about my breathing. I think this disease has to have tests done when you have the symptoms. When i had that breathing test, it was a year or so ago, and i wasnt having problems then.

.I am ready to go to a dr again, and get some tests done.

[Sheepcoat in reply to Natura]

Hi Natura,

Sorry for the delay in my reply, my message didn't send last time for some reason.

I'm the same as you and have to go outside sometimes to get the oxygen into my lungs, and I'm always heaps worse indoors. I also have mild asthma, but this feeling of not getting enough oxygen is different.

I'm also sick of having to dig for answers all the time and not really getting anywhere.

I've had the lung function test the same as you, which showed no dysfunction but I think your (or our) problem is more of an internal technical problem and not just about lung capacity etc. I've been reading about fibrosis and people having problems with their diaphragm when they have lupus, but I think it needs a specialist consultant to look into it further, as a lung function test just isn't the solution. Have you got anywhere since your last message?

[Natura in reply to Sheepcoat]

Hi sheepcoat. Thank you for inquiring.

I did just recently read that inflammation in your intestines can move inflammation through your body. Particularly your lungs. I found this interesting, since I am trying to heal my intestines with bone broth daily, probiotics and digestive enzymes. I find that body has limited function of moving food through it. I also have cysts that appear on my liver and then disappear. I have not been able to pin down why, since i have terribly memory of what I did the day before. It seems to take 2 days for my body to move food.

I found this link to be very useful. I found it when I was putting a heating pad on my abdomen every day for my liver, and woke up gagging on mucus. Ran to my ipad and found this.

thelifemanagementalliance.c....

I think I am going to start doing the routine they suggest, because my breathing is terriblly stressful. It will eventually stress my heart if I dont get a grip on it.

Thanks for caring!

[Sheepcoat in reply to Natura]

Hi Natura,

I think that just having lupus causes inflammation everywhere including lungs and intestines and that it doesn't necessarily move from one place to another. I went gluten free and that definitely helped me a lot with the intestines and IBS, it was an overnight improvement. I think lupus just causes your body to become very sensitive to various foods, as there's a massive autoimmune response occurring all the time and so I guess it makes sense that your body isn't going to like gluten and dairy, especially. I used to have a problem with moving food but now I'm the opposite!

I hope you get to see a pulmonologist soon for your breathing.

[Natura in reply to Sheepcoat]

I am gluten and dairy free for awhile. Still eating anti inflammatory foods. I guess I need to see one. It doesnt seem to be going away. My husbands insurance kicked in. Yay...

[Sheepcoat in reply to Natura]

Yeah I guess there's only so much you can do with natural remedies like food and supplements etc, although it does help. I'm going to ask my rheumatologist if I can be referred to a pulmonologist, I definitely need more than a lung function test.

[Hidden]

Hi, Have blood gases shown high co2 ? Did they do this test following just breathlessness or other symptoms ?

[Natura in reply to Hidden]

No, bloodwork.

[Wenwen]

Hi, would suggest to see a pulmonary doctor soon. I had short breath from the beginning when was diagnosed for myositis but got worse after pneumonia and now have ILD. Had to be on oxygen for a few months and is lot of better now.

Take care!

[Fennella02]

Some breathing issues can be hard to detect. My peak flow is very very low but my basic spirometry is only just below the lower limit of normal. It took a lot of extra tests based on my symptoms to ascertain that respiratory muscle/diaphragm weakness were causing a lot of my problems with a less usual (in SLE) presentation of inflammatory Small Airways Disease and associated air trapping. It took 3 years of 3 monthly PFT's before we got to the bottom of it. I would urge you to get some investigations just as soon as you can x

[Natura]

Thank you everyone for your help. I hope to have coverage march 1st. Of course, today I am breathing good. So difficult.

[Joy_1]

Hi Natura

I have UCTD with lung involvement.

Luckily and long may it continue my lung issue is mild. But when I was first diagnosed my chest consultant told me to swim, swim and swim as I was VERY breathless. And that is what I did and my lungs in terms of my breathing is very good now. So may be you could give that a go at some point.

I have a lung function test once every 6 months and that way they can keep on eye on my 'lung health'. At the beginning of my RA journey 5 years ago I had an x-ray and then a CT scan as well as a number of tests within the lung function test regime to figure out what was going on.

Hope that helps.

Joy

[Natura in reply to Joy_1]

Thanks joy... as far back as i can remember, i always had lousy lung capacity. I could never hold my breath long under water. I was extremely active my entire life. I tried to get back into swimming a decade ago, and unfortunately, I have heavy muscle or bones and I sink. So, i would move my arms hard in the water. I remember the next day, i woke up and I felt like my arms were broken. Now, i canteven go into a chlorine pool. The smell of chlorine makes me ill. However, we live near the ocean, and that is more buyont. Maybe I will try to swim more this summer. And somehow stay out of the bright sunlight. Lol. I cant win. Maybe cloudier days.

Just upsets me when taking a deep breathe is so difficult. I really sympathize with people who have asthma. They are ver brave. My husband being one of them. I should tell him that.

Thanks again for the advice.

[Joy_1 in reply to Natura]

Yes Natura you are right. I now have lots of sympathy for people that suffer from Asthma.

May be yoga is the way forward for you. And here in the UK singing for lung health is taking off. You don't need to have a fabulous voice. I am thinking of giving that a go not just for lung health but being in that positive social setting brings on all those lovely endorphin's.

Good luck with getting to the bottom of it all.

Joy