my husband has continual breathing difficulties. Has anyone any advice on what treatments help, especially with the agitation and distress.

[teena2]

We already use Carbocystene, Salbutamol and saline nebules in the nebuliser and Oxazipine tablets when the distress gets really bad.

[kay1]

Probably not the answer you need - but when my husband gets like that there is usually a urine infection which changes his pattern of behaviour x

[teena2 in reply to kay1]

Thank you Kay1, certainly worth keeping in mind and yes if he has any infection he can become confused. He has just had two courses of antibiotics so I am hoping that things will start to calm down but so far he is still having difficulty. I am grateful for your advice.

t5eena 2

[Sarndeep]

Get your hubby checked out for a chest infection, does your husband eat normally, and is the breathing difficult more so after he has been fed?

[teena2 in reply to Sarndeep]

As i mentioned to Kay1, he has just had two courses of antibiotics so I am hoping that will help. Unfortunately food and drink are problems and he chokes most of the time especially with his drinks. I have to thicken his drinks until they are almost like thick custard . All his food is pureed and it is a night mare to be able to give him something that he doesn't cough and choke on.He is not prepared to have a gastric tube and so we have to run with this.

Thank you

[barbren]

As someone who has pracised hypnosis and self hypnosis for many years , my first reaction was to, as the previous two replies suggest, exclude infection, then do some relaxation techniques, quiet, gentle talking suggesting easy breathing, slow, gentle stroking of the hand if it does not annoy, anything that you can think of to calm his anxieties (fears). It may not help but I suppose anything is worth trying.

[teena2 in reply to barbren]

Thank you.it seems that we all really talk the same language. My daughter is a hypnotherapist and so she is very helpful in this field, and yes it does help, but he finds it difficult to relax for me.

[Jordannolastname]

I don't know of this would work but if you lie him flat on his back and pull his chin up it could help open his air way more, we used to do this with my grandmother to help have her swallow her pills.

[teena2 in reply to Jordannolastname]

He doesn't like lying flat on his back, but he will lie on each side and he does seem to get some relief that way, so anything is worth trying in my book.

thank you for your advice.

[Lorra]

Hi Diazipam and Liquid Morphine helped to relax my Mum but I agree sounds like chest infection does he have trouble swallowing if so ask about gastric feeding tube it does help. Hope this helps but keep on at nurses and Doctors for more help if you dont ask you wont get my Mum used to say God Rest Her. Lorra

[teena2]

Thank you Lorra, I think we might be offered morphine towards the end. Our nursing team have what they call a "just in case box" which contains a syringe driver and various Intravenous medications for relief of distress, nausea,etc. Currently our GP has finally offered Oxazepam and we are now allowed to give it to my husband 4 times a day which certainly does help thank goodness. I think he really ought to have a gastric tube but he made the decision a long time ago that he would not have one . It would seem that I am doing everything I can, which in itself is a relief because it means that I have not missed out any important care that I should be giving.

I am grateful to everyone for sharing their experiences and thoughts and makes me feel less alone. Teena2