Shortness of breath: occasional 'bad' days?

I’m sorry to see what you’ve been experiencing. How long has it been going on? Do you have an on call nurse with your insurance company you can call to get advice? I’d probably be ultra cautious with shortness of breath. I might call my doctor on call or speak with someone.

I say this because I had Diabetic ketoacidosis once (I have Type 1 diabetes) and I didn’t know I had it. I had been calling my doctor, thinking I had food poisoning, but was wrong. When I called and reported labored breathing they sent me to the ED. Good thing, as I needed medical treatment immediately. I felt better with oxygen, fluids and insulin. I realize you don’t have diabetes, but just wanted to point out that blood issues can cause low oxygen.

I hope you can find some answers. Please post how you’re doing!

Thanks, Celia! I do monitor my oxygen. It has always read in the high 90s; today, also, when I was experiencing shortness of breath, it read 98. But I will mention this to both my PCP and home-health nurse, especially if it persists tomorrow. Rest assured, after struggling with sepsis for so many months, I won't take this lightly. Again, thank you for your post! And I will let you know how I fare in the coming days. –Ray (@ray666)

Oh, that’s really good that you monitor it like that! So…..your oxygen level is excellent.

This is a mystery. Have you had undue anxiety? I used to get that with panic attacks.

It sure is a curious thing. Hoping it resolves quickly.

No, no anxiety. Friends tell me I'm one of the least anxious people they do. Of course, there might be subliminal anxiety, although I doubt it. Since posting earlier, I have been breathing the way my therapist taught me: in through my nostrils, out through my mouth––and slowly! Let's see how I'm feeling tomorrow. Cheers! –Ray (@ray666)

Good morning, Celia! (@celia16)

It's Tuesday morning, and I'm feeling better. I recognize that 'better' is an adjustable term for those of us with PN. But I'm certainly feeling better than yesterday when I asked my question about the occasional worsening of shortness of breath. Yesterday, I was huffing and puffing more than usual, which worried me. Also, I woke up yesterday with an exceptionally achy back, an achiness that persisted all day. Is this a worsening of either my PN or sepsis, the sort of worsening others have experienced?

Or was yesterday a fluke? It may yet have been a worsening––a step in the wrong direction––but I'm inclined to think I did it to myself. Because of a sepsis foot wound, which is now 99.9% healed, the wound clinic doctor is encouraging me to practice going about in shoes (shoes + orthotic insoles, something I've been unable to do for 200+ days!). On Sunday, I 'practiced,' all right, but I'm afraid I overdid it. I put my shoes + orthotics on my surprised feet and walked (around the house) and walked and walked. That 'overdoing it' may have been the cause of yesterday's backache and general yucky feeling. At least, I'm hoping that was the cause: I did it to myself––which has been the story of my life. 🙂

I wish you, Celia, and all of us, a good, good day today.
Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

I don’t have PN but some type of central nervous system hypersensitivity that started after cervical neurosurgery and is steadily growing worse over the almost two years since surgery. I have been in a pretty stress state during that time due to my husband’s and my medical conditions and his dna discovery. I also had a mild heart attack in 2020 attributed solely to a myocardial bridge. So between the meds I’m now taking, the chronic central pain syndrome(or hypersensitivity), the heart issue and my major stresses, I don’t know what’s causing what! For many months I’ve been going through period where every few minutes I automatically take a huge gulp of air for no known reason. Last week when I was under considerable stress I could feel the gulp go up my neck then split in two and go up past each ear. I was afraid I was having another heart attack! I sometimes have uncomfortable pressure around my heart/lung area. Also since starting duloxetine in September I’ve had difficulty swallowing when laying down or reading back on a couch to watch tv. Again don’t know how or if symptoms are related to neuropathy and central sensitization or what. Neither of our symptoms should we be ignoring. We should both be making appointments with our cardiologists and if symptoms become severe call EMS for a trip to the emergency room.

the heart issue

Hello, web28 (@web28)

That is indeed scary! It would be foolish for anyone to have experienced what you have and not be super cautious. I want to think I am at least 'appropriately' cautious. My life with, first, peripheral polyneuropathy and, more recently, sepsis, has taught me what I regard as a valuable––perhaps life-saving––lesson: there's hardly a part of my body that's not sending me messages 24/7 about how well I'm doing; sending warnings, too, about problems on the horizon. I used to pay little attention to my body's gazillion messages. No longer. I'm now a keen listener!

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

Glad you’re better today! I hope it continues. It sounds like you are taking steps to get back to walking, which sounds good. I’m familiar with going easy on the feet. Good luck with that!

Maybe, the breath matter will subside. I’ll look for your posts.

I’ve had those bad days, even had my cardiologist send me to the ER for it. They gave me IV diuretics which did nothing to help. Back home, I tried a shot of the albuterol inhaler that we keep for emergencies for my husband. It was several years old but worked like a charm. I very rarely use it, maybe once every 3 or 4 months, but it really helps. I don’t have asthma, so I wonder if it might help you?

Hello, taosmary (@taosmary)

Albuterol? I wonder. I'm in the habit of checking my oxygen levels whether I'm winded or not and I seem to get readings in the mid- to high-90s every time. I'm going to discuss this with my PCP. I'm done with home-health now, so my PCP is my best bet, if for nothing else, then at least for a promising referral.

Thanks for your post!
Ray (@ray666)