Spent last night in hospital. Breathless - Thyroid UK

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Spent last night in hospital. Breathless

Rmichelle profile image
28 Replies

Hi all last night my husband called a ambulance as i was very breathless and stii are, i am hyper thyroid, i had various bloods done , heart monitored all night etc, even Ent doc put a camera up my nose and down my throatb but nothing unusal there. They know i am recentley diagonised with this condition and had said that therecwas nothing they could do as my oxygen levels were fine, they did say that ent said nothing was pressing on my windpipe but said neck where thyroid is tender and slightly swollen. I am not taking beta blockers now as did say not sure they are right for me in which no reply back. I have started carbimazole this morning, he did say. Bit lost and upset that im still suffering and dontvknow what to do ask for a alternative beta blocker, i dont know, is it worth me going to get a private ultrasound.help

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Rmichelle
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28 Replies
bantam12 profile image
bantam12

Its good they found nothing worrying, there could be an element of anxiety going on as you have been very stressed about your diagnosis and meds. Personally I wouldn't waste money on a private scan, I think you just need to get on with your treatment and in a week or two symptoms should start to get better. Maybe talk to your GP about a different beta blocker to get you over the next week or so.Hope you feel better soon 😉

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply tobantam12

Thankyou bantam 12, i lnow ive been stressed but i really do hate being breathless im 47 and feel 80. I am going to try so hard to get through the next week and im going back to docs for any alternatives to taking beta blockers.

shaws profile image
shawsAdministrator in reply toRmichelle

Being breathless must be scary itself, not being able to fill your lungs with air. Your husband will have been very worried too. That's the problem when we're newly diagnosed and maybe being on levo or betablockers that all these sensations are very new to us.

I hope you improve quite soon with regard to breathlessness.

I think you will find the following interesting:-

web.archive.org/web/2010103...

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toshaws

I will read the link, im on carbimazole now and was given no advice regards to beta blockers as was not sure if they added to breathlessness. It is very scary and doc said hopefully it should see a improvement. Im just grateful to everyone here getting me through this and of course my family.x

As you have started the medication may be you should talk to the nurse. As you are used to an inhaler for your breathlessness you could ask for one. I'm sorry to hear you are in hospital

but sure they will help you - may be you need a sedative, such as Valium?

Get well soon.xxxx

Raising the pillows so you can sit upright may help your breathing. Sometimes if your abdomen swells up after food, it can press on your diaphragm, and make you feel breathless. Find your comfortable position. If you lie down on your right side with your head raised, that may be more comfortable. Take care.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to

Hello i am out of hospital now, doc did say need to start mefs which i did do this morning i am taking ventiolin to assist with breathing but doc did day unfortunatley it is a side effect thyroid. I do sleep upright andvjust really hoping the carbimazole will sort me out soon.x

in reply toRmichelle

You are the same age as my daughter - she went through a rocky patch like you-

she had a hyperactive thyroid and a urinary tract infection and ended up in hospital ..she's been ok but lifestyle of not eating all day, or drinking enough

is one reason she was so ill. Glad you are home.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply to

Thankyou, i used to be prone to uti,s but you are do right im a mum of a 11 year old and work 5 days a week only part timevand always rushing around here and there and also not eating properly especially during morning and working hours, i think my body has paid the price but also found out my mum who is 76 had a flare up of thyroid when she was my age and also her sister did! Only telling my sister today dont take your health for granted its so precious.x

in reply toRmichelle

My daughter is like you runs her own business and rushes round after her two sons aged 11 and 7 - it's a family thing the same as your family - thyroid problems on both sides of the family - my father aged 93 was diagnosed with hyperthyroid disease and had a gippy

tum with diahorrea - it took months to find out what was wrong

ad he was prescribed with antacids which helped but did not solve the problem. He was given something for the thyroid and his health

and nerves improved. x

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase

I think you've just got to take the mess you've been given and wait for them to kick in.

I know exactly what you mean when you say you're 47 but feel 80. I felt the same myself. Have a read at this letter to family if Graves Disease patients. It tries to tell the people who love you just how Graves affects you.

Do you have a brown preventer inhaler as well as ventolin? It might be worth using that if you do.

I think looking back it took three to four weeks to get sorted out. It wasn't instant, you will get there though. Get as much rest as you can though, that will help you.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toFruitandnutcase

I will have a read fruitandnutcase. I do have a blue and brown inhaler but i dont think its asthma but i am continuing to take them but i have left the beta blockers off now as not sure if they had a affect on me, heart was fine at hospital and blood pressure has dropped. .i will be resting as not going to work until im feeling like myself. ☺

Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake in reply toRmichelle

I had breathing problems early on and not sure whether it was made worse or helped by betablockers. Also a query about asthma but it doesn't look like it so I think breathing probems happen with rapid heart rate and low thyroid hormones and maybe thyroid imbalance as a whole. Generally, I've learned that I'm not as sick as I think I am. It's just that the weird sensations are so frightening. I've learned that a heartrate of 110 is not actually that bad because if your heart is healthy it's designed to go that fast if you were running for example. Of course if it doesn't settle down that's a different matter and it does make you feel terrible. I had a couple of visits to A & E too. Since I got my thryoid in balance I've had no more problems so you will be all right once sorted out. Main thing to tell yourself is that you're not as ill as you think you are and the fear and fright which is temporarily part of the condition is worse than the actual biological symptoms.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply toNanaedake

Hello nanaedake yes i hate rhe breathing problems with a passion i could tolerate the other symptons that are associated with this horrid disease but being short of breath is rubbish. I have stopped taking the beta blockers for now just to see how im going along as not sure really if they did contribute to being even more short for breath. I am more trembly and palpy without them.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

I keep telling myself im going to get better and it is very scary especially the breathing part, i could quite easily manage the palps and trembles if thwy were the only sympton, doc said being hyper does cause breathlessness and explained that my whole body atbmoment isc n over drive with hormones and that the thyroid organ itself is wrapped around the windpipe

Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake in reply toRmichelle

You might find it reassuring to get an oxymetre that takes your pulse and oxygen saturation levels. If you know you're getting enough oxygen even if you don't feel like it, you may be less worried about it.

Fruitandnutcase profile image
Fruitandnutcase in reply toNanaedake

Oh I have one of them, I used to find it so reassuring that my oxygen intake was top notch. Using it is compulsive. Got to watch though if you are wearing nail varnish it (or mine did) finds it difficult to get a reading. I was having a problem with a very rapid pulse, I was feeling pretty awful, sawmy doctor who I think thought I was having a heart attack - so did I to be honest - I told him my oximeter wasn't reading etc. He had a giant one though that did get a result. Turned out that nail polish was my problem. Had an ECG, chest X-ray, blood tests and he phoned next day to say they couldn't find anything. I sat it out and eventually my resting heart rate went back to normal, which for me is the low sixties.

I find if my resting heart rate goes up above 80 or so I feel awful, it doesn't have to go as high as 100 for me to feel pretty awful. Yet when I exercise and it goes way up over 100 I feel fine. Very odd, I'm sure there must be some reason for it.

I tend to think that Graves is one of those things that just take time to get sorted out. I don't think there is any sort if quick fix apart from getting as much rest and relaxation as you can and even that's not a quick fix.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Hi yes they tested me at the hospital all throughout the night and said my oxygen levels was 99% and tested my heart which fine. I have noticed now that my palps are worse today and trembling and going up the stairs in totally tiring out. I may just try the beta blockers again. How long do they stay in your system for? Are they only short lived?

Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake in reply toRmichelle

I don't know technically, but I found they lasted about 4 hours at a low dose.

Nanaedake profile image
Nanaedake in reply toNanaedake

Yes, I felt pretty awful at heartrate about 90 but I don't think it was just the heartrate but the whole physiological effects generally.

purple64 profile image
purple64

If you have asthma you really shouldn't use beta blockers as it can narrow the airways. That's why I was only given Carbimazole . If you can try and chill and sleep upright the breathless feeling will go as well as the palpitations but you have to give it time. Trouble with being hyper as well is you get very anxious maybe you need something for the anxiety rather than the palpitations and feeling breathless🤔 Take care it will all calm down x

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle in reply topurple64

Yes i fall asleep upright and then if i wake early hours to go to toilet i find myself on my back then, ive noticed the last 3 nights i nodd off and wake with a start

Taking carbimazole now just hoping i feel some benefit in around 10 days or so.

silverfox7 profile image
silverfox7

Take advice on beta blockers. I was put on them in a hosital on holiday-I have white coat syndrome but my GP wouldn't let me stop and my BP fell dangerously low. I eventually paid to see a private doctor and got my T3 tested-this was before it was easy to get private tests and then I mentioned my BP so said I must stop the beta blockers but very gradually and I soon started to feel well but unless really need them try not to be on them too long. But I think you need to have easy access so that you can take them as soon as you need to.

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Hi all i am getting plenty of rest but as soon as i move around the slightest im whacked the beta blockers did give me a lift and took that horrible anxious feeling away. I am going to ring doc and ask if i can take anything .

purple64 profile image
purple64 in reply toRmichelle

Sounds like a plan🤔 I was like that before I was diagnosed. Walking around was exhausting. Do you manage to sleep? Best thing you can do is rest when you need to housework will still be there for when you feel like doing any 😂

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

I sleep quite well last night but took me a while to get to sleep as i kept nodding off then waking with a start again like someoone shoved you. 2nd day on carbi i have a stinker of a headache and feel like sleeping again, achey limbs , slightly sickie feeling, probably side effects of meds but willing to put up with that. Thankyou for asking how i am, thank goodness for these sites where we can have a moan and people will listen and give advice, my husband isnt moaning cos usually when im on the net im buying things instead our bank account is looking more fat!!☺

elvera111 profile image
elvera111

i am in similar position. sometimes i say to people , i only stood up and i am so breathless. I know difference between Asthma and air hungerr. However doctors insist it is asthma. I find using ventolin, atrovent, salbutamol, nasal sprays do help but only because of the amount of steriod in them. they dont relieve any symptoms immediatly as in asthma. For instance using 2 puffsof ventolin is supposed to help breathing. i find using one puff has the same effect. so instead of using2 puffs every 4 hours i use one puff every 2 hours . This is because waliking to the kitchen has me out of breath and the puff afterwards is needed. i have to pace myself throughout the day on the amount of energy i exert. on days when i over exert myself the only thing that helps is a sleep to switch off the anxiety and allow my adrenals to recover. I find that it takes 3 days of bedrest to feel i can take a huge intake of air. Things are getting a lot better now that i know my boundaries. i have gone from being bedbound/housebound to getting out and socializing again. my biggest problem at minute is trying to take it easy when there is so much i want to do. i find it 2 steps foeward and 1 step back

Rmichelle profile image
Rmichelle

Hi elvera thankyou for chatting, i know what you mean, i hate being breathless with a passion, i only have to talk alit and thats me reaching for the blue inhaler not that it gives me much relief at moment, yes docs said it was asthma and a virus before getting diagnosed, then a suspected clot on lung!! I am losing faith in the medical profession.are you hyper or hypo? I agree i only take 1 luff of ventolin i find 2 not as effective. Just had chat on phone with my sister and im completley tired.

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