Mysterious breath shortness

Lisa · 11-18-2005, 10:43 AM

Friends,

Do any of you have shortness of breath? I do, but it's not consistent. I especially notice it when I lay down at night. My doc is stumpded. I had an echo a couple of weeks ago and it looked good. And my latest PET, back a few weeks, also looked good. No sign of anything in the lungs. I'm currently on Gemzar weekly (when my white blood count cooperates), Herceptin weekly and Zometa monthly.

If anyone has any idea, I'd love to hear.

Love and light,

Lisa

Pam P · 11-18-2005, 11:54 AM

Lisa -- Is there any chance that you have pleural effusions as a s/e of the chemo? Although if that was it I would think it would have showed on the PET. I had pleural effusions from taxotere. At first it was noticable when I laid down -- more painful than short of breath as I remember (it was 2 yrs ago), then gradually the shortness of breath was more apparant when I walked around. I've not had gemsar and don't know if that's a possible s/e like it is for taxotere. How are you doing otherwise, Lisa? I've been thinking about you & haven't seen a recent post from you. Pam

al from Canada · 11-18-2005, 12:57 PM

Hi Lisa,

How was your hemaglobin count? Low counts mean low oxygen therefore shortness of breath. Also, Any chance this could be in part fueled by anxiety attacks?
Take care,
Al

StephN · 11-18-2005, 01:25 PM

Hi Lisa -
When I was so long on the various chemos, and my red count was low, it seemed I was always out of breath. It did not take much exertion to get my heart pumping and me ouit of breath. My nurses said that this was most likely caused by my heart working harder to make up for the oxygen deficit caused by the lowered red count. An oxygen starved body will work harder and that means the lungs as well. Perhaps you have been more active just getting ready for bed and this is why you notice it then.

So glad you are seeing some improvement after ALL you hard work!!

Sheila · 11-18-2005, 04:05 PM

Lisa
I agree that it could be a low RBC or a touch of anxiety when you finally lie down and all is quiet and still...and if you focus on it, it seems to magnify...hopefully that is what is causing it...you have come to far to have another setback.

Becky · 11-18-2005, 04:14 PM

Lisa

Al beat me to the punch. I can get it now because my normal RBC is only 3.8 so in chemo it was going sometimes below 2 (especially when I got a never ending period too). And I was breathless.

Love and Peace

Becky

Sandy H · 11-18-2005, 05:41 PM

Hi Lisa: It could also be low potassium. Anyone of these mentioned should be showing on your blood work. Another possibility is lymphedema. When I lay in certain positions mostly on the effective side I will have a hard time to breath. You do have a few ideas to consider here. Hope you can find out what it is. hugs, Sandy

Lisa · 11-18-2005, 10:07 PM

Thanks for your replies. As far as red blood counts, they are normal. Not sure about the potassium or the hemoglobin count. I'll have to check on my last blood workup. I DID, however, discover that 1 in 4 people on Gemzar have shortness of breath as a side effect. Which is probably the culprit since I seem to always be the "1" in 1 in 4 or the "1/3" in one-third of all patients, etc.

Love and light,

Lisa

Lyn · 11-21-2005, 09:31 PM

Hi there, did you have any radiaiton to your chest? I had resperatory tests done today for same reason, conculusion was my lung capacity was down 30% and it is most likely from fibrosis from the radiation as I had the results of my echo as well and LV 58% so up 1% from last time and only mention of slight pleural infusion, I know about that.. I managed to get to read my file today, they gave it to me to take to the heart doc, I was a bit peeved when I read about my heart failure in 2003, comment was not to proceed with heart valve treatment as other disease would get me first, news for them, I don't agree, if anything I will choke on my large pills before anything else gets me. Love & Hugs Lyn

lu ann · 11-21-2005, 09:53 PM

Hi Lisa, I'm on gemsar and have had shortness of breath. I also had rad. tx. to the chest which caused fibrosis. On my last CT scan the pleural effusion was less so I think I'm getting results from the gem., her., and zom.,that I'm on now. Blessings, Lu Ann.

JoyMiller · 11-22-2005, 03:34 PM

My B-12 levels were low- shortness of breath is a symptom.

Lolly · 11-22-2005, 09:51 PM

Hi Lisa, just want to check in about low Hemoglobin possibly being the cause; mine is very low this round (yesterday at 8.9) and I've been getting Arenesp to try and keep it stable. Anyway, I was told to watch for shortness of breath and if it became too severe to call in. So, definitely worth checking into as a possible cause or contributing factor.

<3 Lolly

Lisa · 11-26-2005, 05:01 PM

Thanks for the replies. My blood tests have been pretty good. (Except for still way too high tumor markers.) No anemia. The B-12 is interesting. It's difficult to lay down, because the breathing gets worse. But I will perservere and hopefully find an answer.

I went to a funeral of a good acquaitance this week. Her bc mets slipped into her lungs and couldn't be controlled. So, of course, breath shortness has me more worried than usual.

Love and light,

Lisa

athena453 · 11-26-2005, 10:23 PM

I blame low RBC's, anxiety and herceptin for my shortness of breath in that order. I have just finished taxotere and carboplatin following AC as adjuvant tx for stage 3C. I had a transfusion of 2 units of RBCs the day following my last chemo. I felt instantly better. Previously, I started taking lexapro for the anti-anxiety benefit, which also helped tremendously. I do think that the herceptin has something to do with this, as I feel "tight" in the chest after infusions.