Breathing treatments and fatigue: Do breathing treatments tire you?

Hi, Pug
Have they identified why you have macrocytic anemia? Is it from B12 deficiency? Maybe you are losing some pancreatic function. I cant remember if you take enzymes. I also wonder if you could possibly be suffering some mild liver damage. I know you know - people with CF can often have liver disease and/or can acquire it due to Trikafta treatment. Mayo must be testing you for anything they may suspect.
I know my liver numbers crept up a bit to abnormal range after they trialed me on cholesterol meds recently. I basically had to take myself off of them because all I wanted to do was sleep all day, my liver actually started aching and I had new visual disturbances to boot. As soon as I stopped the cholesterol meds all those side effects went away. So, I think for me, it was too much for my liver to process both Trikafta and cholesterol meds.
Do you experience this fatigue and sleepiness the entire day or just while doing breathing treatment? I often have found myself falling to sleep during my evening breathing treatment. Though, for me, I’ve done that my entire adult life. It just seems par for the CF course!
I pray you will be able to figure this out and things will get better for you very soon.

@melly3 They've never found a reason for the macrocytic anemia. I'm not B12 deficient, Folate deficient, or iron deficient. And I've been tested (bone marrow) for Myelodysplastic syndrome (another possible cause), and that turned out to be negative. So the cause remains a mystery. Nevertheless, last month the hematologist at Mayo prescribed a monthly injection called Aranesp to bring my hemoglobin up. I'm hoping it does the trick or at least improves my stamina and makes my shortness of breath less frequent.

I should have added... apparently, based on recent testing, I also have Stage 3 kidney disease. When it rains, it pours.

@ckscoville, I'm sorry to hear that you now include chronic kidney disease to your list. 🙁

If you're interested, there's a group for that on Connect:
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Support Group https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/chronic-kidney-disease/

Back to your original topic. I can see where someone would nod off to sleep during a breathing exercise session. Breathing is often a tool used to promote calm and/or sleep. Do you distinguish between the falling asleep during treatment to being worn out by the breathing treatment? In other words, is it merely falling asleep during or are you fatigued afterwards because of the efforts it takes? Or both?

@colleenyoung It’s probably both. I’m intentionally focused on taking deep measured breaths when I’m nebulizing, and that does wear me out. I’m also a bit bored sometimes … doing this two times a day, 30-40 minutes each time, day after day, year after year, it often feels like drudgery. I know it’s good for me, even essential, but it’s still drudgery.

I do "fill the time" with things like Wordle, Strand, and online Bridge games. I would like to know how others keep their mind busy during breathing treatments. Any ideas?