Asthma like symtoms

[werfvan5]

Hi Everybody,

Since my Op 3 years ogo,i get asthma like symtoms that come and go,such as Tightness and pressure in chest and easily get out of breath,,,does anyone else get this...

[patchworker]

Yes, I get very breathless at times, but I had never connected it with my op.,which like yours was three years ago. I've just had tests done on my heart, to see if that was the problem, but it's not that.

I think it must be the fact that they collapse a lung during the op., and I had pneumonia, and my ribs are so sore if I breathe deeply. In fact I don't know why I thought it was my heart!

[werfvan5 in reply to patchworker]

Hi patchworker

I too think it may have something to do with collapsed lung and the fact the stomach is now taking up room where it was never deseigned to be !...our surgery involved opening up and even removable of a rib ,which can lead to Costochondritis (rib pain) and thats something i get of which my doc prescibes "ibugel" and when applied certainly helps....

[Cortex1]

I often have shortness of breath too since op, and I had the ectomy 6 years ago. I have done asthma tests but they said it was no asthma.

[werfvan5 in reply to Cortex1]

Hiya Cortex,

Had asthma tests done also and they were negative ....will have to put my running a marathon on hold !!....not that i could have run one before my Op...all the best

[Joseph84]

I have the same problems and my op was nearly 20 years.

[werfvan5 in reply to Joseph84]

Hi Joseph84,

Wow your an inspiration to us all ...thought it may be something we have to live with,though be it a small price ...

[jay2908]

I think that shortness of breath is a common problem. It would be worth getting a blood test to see if you are anaemic.

[werfvan5 in reply to jay2908]

Thanx for replying Jay2908 ,had that many blood tests done i was wondering if my arm was ever going to fill back up again...but your right it does seem common problem...cheers for that.

[racy]

I'm 22 months post op and still have a chesty cough with lots of phlegm coming up. I've heard it's the anaesthetic that causes the problem and it can take years to go away.

At least we're still here.

[werfvan5 in reply to racy]

Hiya,due to the length of the operation,i think your right about the anaesthetic....and what the heck we are still here ....

[Hidden]

Yes, but gradually it improved over time, but only, I think, because I gradually increased the exercise I did.

Now that you are 3 years after your op I suggest that you ask your GP about it, and perhaps seek some advice from a physiotherapist. My lungs certainly had a bashing when I was in hospital and they do take their time to recover.

[werfvan5 in reply to Hidden]

Evening Alan,

will suggest to my doc about seeing a physiotherapist ,collapsing a lung must be part of it,and maybe the fact the chest area is now a bit overcrowded ! !...

[Hidden in reply to werfvan5]

Yes! If you have had an oesophagectomy, your stomach is pulled up into your chest cavity and there is indeed that much less space for your lungs. But there are people who do quite strenuous exercise like long distance cycling after the surgery, so the body often seems to be able to adapt.

I was fortunate not to have had an oesophagectomy because my oesophagus was repaired (not cancer-related).

[annrobertshaw]

Yes, I'm two and half years post op and get a cough and have to clear my throat a lot plus a little breathlessness sometimes. It is often worse first thing in the morning and I think that it is associated with reflux. It is very similar to the feeling that "something has gone down the wrong way" that happens if I bend over after eating or drinking. Coughing itself squeezes our new stomachs and causes more reflux so it can be a bit of a vicious circle.

[werfvan5 in reply to annrobertshaw]

Having anything pickled or with vinegar goes straight to the back of the throat and usually results in a coughing bout ...im more careful now eating anything,and chewing lots is the normal now...all the best

[Bernadette]

Good advice to be referred to physiotherapist...I still get breathless after four years.

[angela2]

Hi, I had my op in 2003. I do experience a tightening in my throat at times which interferes with breathing and causes some hypoxia making me become a bit confused and disorientated. It doesn't last long and I have learnt to deal with it by withdrawing from stimulation or activity and making sure I'm not dehydrated. Sometimes a boiled sugary sweet will help too - it depends whether or not I feel at risk of fainting.

[Hidden in reply to angela2]

If you are feeling at risk of fainting and a sugary sweet helps, I am wondering whether some of this might be to do with insulin levels, and the effect of 'dumping syndrome'. Some people suffering this have described suddenly fainting, with no apparent warning. It is to do with the rate at which sugar gets absorbed into your body, accelerated by having a shorter digestive system. So it might be with discussing this with your doctor and monitoring sugar:insulin levels?

Plus, if you have had an oesophagectomy, your stomach is now likely to be in your chest which may have some effect on the lungs.

But it is perfectly normal to suffer from things that do not originate from the original surgery and this might also be the case. We are unusual cases in the GP's surgery. but working out a timeline with when you have suffered, what you had eaten beforehand, and other factors, would be helpful in presenting your case history to the GP and what further investigation might help, perhaps?