A-Fib & COPD: I’m having problems with shortness of breath

Hi @woozy745 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I have added your question to the Lung Health group as well as the Heart Rhythm Conditions group. Several members, like @faith123 @jmb73 @kaykitty @amberj and @catmom777, have both a-Fib and COPD and may have some experience to share. You may also be interested in reviewing this discussion in the Lung Health group where members @gabrielm @merpreb and others have shared many ideas:
- Mysterious shortness of breath https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mysterious-shortness-of-breath/

Woozy, what is indicating that you may be allergic to something? Did the shortness of breath start when you starting taking new medication?

Woozy,
Normally, the cardiologist would prescribe a blood thinner when a patient has been diagnosed with AFIB. Stoke is the major concern due to the normal pooling of the blood.= due to FIB.
The shortness of breath may be related t some type of a lung issue, which I'm sure the pulmonologist is aware of at this point. (I have AFIB).Is your imine system impacted? That would make your lungs more susceptible (along with other parts of your body) to picking up unusual bacteria. I'm surprised that the inhaler impacted your heart, was it prescribed, and revied by your team?
You should be comfortable asking direct questions to your providers, no need to guess.

Best.

I am also taking Warfarin. I was not able to take the newer drugs Eliquis, etc. My lung doctor had me try Anoro & Stiolto, both of which made my AFIB worse. I was told that albuterol was the culprit as most of inhalers have a high content, except for Spiriva. A regular physician suggested the allergy test. Turns out I’m allergic to 17 different things. I haven’t taken any new meds since the inhalers. My shortness of breath has been the same except several times last week, I had to use the ProAir, but if I use it very often it triggers my AFIB ??

@woozy745- Good morning and I also welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect. I also take PROAIR and it makes me shake. It is an albuterol drug and it is a common side effect. You need to ask your doctor about not using it if it makes your AFIB worse. I'm surprised that you were given this with AFIB.

I'm wondering what came first, your AFIB, or SOB. Usually, if you have a shortness of breath after starting a new drug it's a definite sign that your body is reacting negatively to the medication and it should be stopped. I say usually because there could be other factors like interactions with another medication or it's your heart.

You need to speak with your doctor about this and I wouldn't wait if I were you!

My AFIB came first. My lung doctor told me, my lungs were not doing well, thus the new inhalers that followed & shortness of breath increased along with AFIB. Of course I stopped both, but my SOB was worse so I was put back on Spiriva & Predisone. I had to still use Pro Air occasionally, but it made my AFIB worse, so now I try not to use it, but I get out of breath walking from room to room which can’t be good.
I got my heart monitor today & the nurse suggested I take Albuterol To see for sure if I’m allergic to it.Cant say I’m thrilled about this idea, but it would be nice to know for sure. Does anyone have suggestions?

@woozy745- Oh, boy I think that you will have to wait until your heart monitoring is finished. I think that since your heart sped up with albuterol and you didn't have a severe reaction it might do well to use it, at least a few times. My husband is in his last week of wearing his. They wanted him to exercise, which started his problem, at least that's when the symptoms showed up.
How long do you have to wear your monitor?

7 days. I have my 6 Month checkup on Aug. 27th, but probably won’t have results back by then. I’ll update when I find out something. Thanks for your help!

Well, going on this journey with everyone, I was in Texas during that horrific sand storms for about a month off and on, I have COPD and had the inhaler for that, but the dust in my lungs changed everything, could barely breath and felt very bad, went to ER and they out me in ICU for 8 days, had acquired A-F from coughing my brains out for a week before ER, something unnatural about that sand storm with half the town sick with this awful coughing, no infection just a weird cough, anyway.
With COPD things became worse for my heart and breathing was more of an issue than before.
I had a cardiologist team and internal medical team at a military hospital, they put me on Xarelto and Eliquis, also pain meds for my 3 collapsed vertebrae, a Valium to help calm me down, I had to leave Texas after discharge soon after, so no follow up with same doctors was not possible.
I get back to Alaska and my breathing improves a bit because of our clean air and altitude, saw my regular internal doctor on her last day at work, she kepted me on Eliquis and I did get another inhaler, I acquired a dinosaur mask inhaler and used that on occasion, I have to wait till Sept to see my Cardiologist, seems they have become overwhelmed with people with heart issues since the covid vaccines that they had to hire 6 more doctors at a heart clinic. Atleast this was from the nurse who made my appointment.
So, for the time being I am doing serious research on this A-Fib and these medications, I am a researcher way back in college days, now during these last 3 months not one doctor has warned against using a inhaler, so after reading all these concerns, I did more research, and yes, these should never be used for heart patients. And seems lots of souls have died from using them especially in nursing homes...
I will have lots to go over with my apps, first off Eliquis and Xarelto are not blood thinners, period, I correct every doctor who says that, its misleading. It's a anticoagulant, help prevent blood clots from forming..people are taking aspirin, when infact its not aspirin at all, if you look at every package it says NASIDs, to make it simple its advil, pretty much.
Pharmaceutical companies cannt patent anything from nature, real aspirin is white willow bark that's been used for 3 thousand years, Pharmaceutical companies change the chemical compound of willow, so it's not really aspirin, have family that are chemist. There are many things natural that thin your blood, beets, willow, turmeric, Ginger, cayenne pepper, garlic, etc
I brought the willow tincture made with alcohol, you can take make a true tincture without alcohol. And beets, and asian ginger drinks with real ginger root in bottle, I drink two big glasses of fresh squeeze OJ, I sit outside in the Sun for no less than 30 minutes, no hats or glasses, the Sun is life, then walk around the property everyday..not always possible in Alaska, but your vitamin D from the sun, your body stores for winter. One more thing you must get the best form of magnesium, take a bath in it , take a very good brand of pill form, do not ever buy a vitamin in any store but a health food store..Heals everything..You are electric beings, we need magnesium.

I have a-fib and COPD. I’ve never connected the a-fib to COPD meds. I have been on Symbicort, on Anoro ellipta, and now Trelegy…I did find online….” can also cause your heart to beat irregularly. If you have high blood pressure or certain heart conditions, such as atrial fibrillation, let your doctor know before starting Trelegy Ellipta. They may recommend more frequent monitoring while”… etc etc
I’m in Canada. we don’t get in to the old MD all that often. Rationed social health care. What we do have is access to a pulmonary clinic nurse..sometimes. But I think now my a-fib progressed after stopping symbicort and my Ventolin!! ( my MD said “oh you don’t need Ventolin. “ )anyway. just had a pop-up from Amazon. Freaks selling cures! most are lies. Short answer is-believe NOTHING that your medic/cardio person doesn’t tells you! The big pharma marketing people at supper time are ravenous!!! (What really did you know a decade ago about A1C?) ? Please!! . talk to your heart person first, get a referral to a pulmonary guy.