Struggling to breath especially when I walk

[Gardenneedstidying]

I had a light cold Thursday/Friday a week ago. In the evening, over half an hour my chest tightened and I started having difficulty breathing.

It got worse and I rang 111 and several hours later via a walk in centre, the doctor gave me steroids, antibiotics and an blue inhaler.

I am still struggling to breath a week later.

During the week the doctor upped my steroids...no change
Went for chest xray...nothing bad on it (thank goodness)
On second lot of antibiotics atm (pill 3 of 8)...no change yet but still hoping this will kick in soon.

Awaiting results from BNP Blood test from Friday.

Just scared really.

Gp is useless - there's no tests or investigations they can do - they only have s stethoscope and medical knowledge - you need the hospital with its ability to carry out proper investigations....

I also don't really cough. Maybe once a day at most. I feel like I have a light cold but no fever or aches or anything like that.

I can't go to hospital...I just need some treatmentioned at home. I cannot wait months to see a specialist...I need help now.

Did they not even use the nebulizer on you in the hospital? They should use that regardless of your saturation levels as then they can see if it helps which, if its asthma, it will do.

GPs are not useless .

OP I am not a medic and am not suggesting you don't go to hospital if you can't breathe but I am recovering from pneumonia as a chronic asthmatic.

Completely managed by my lovely GP who saw me every third day, requested blood tests, tests, X-rays. All showed what was diagnosed on my first visit to the surgery because of her medical knowledge and stethoscope, not in spite of it.

I didn't have a clear X-ray or 100% sats, my SATS were below 90% on my first visit.

It sounds like you are being looked after/followed up.

No treatment in A&E.

They wanted me to stay and see a doctor. But after a three hour wait and seeing that loads of the same people were STILL waiting to see a doctor from when we arrived. We would of been still waiting thoughout the night or longer and we had to get back to our babysat kids.

Plus if I am well enough to wait 6 hours plus for treatment. .then it is not an emergency and I should be waiting for the GP Monday and not wasting A &E resources.

The most important part was I was very pleased that it was not my heart ! That is what frightened me most.

Aiming to try and see GP again today and see what they suggest. Maybe I will feel better when I get up today.

Hope you get to the GP today

Is your breathing any easier?

Hope you get some answers.

And have stopped trying to do housework :)

I've had a bad chest for a week now, and am on steroids, blue inhaler + spacer, and antibiotics. My chest is still weezing, but has loosened up a little so that I can at least cough. Before, my lungs felt very stiff and uncomfortable. I know the antibiotics I'm on aren't working as I have an ear infection that hasn't improved at all or the sinusitis but I'm intolerant to most and they are limited with what I can have.

I have had to give in, no housework or activity as my body is working hard just to breathe, and you have to respect that. Just take up root on the sofa, stay upright and rest. It's the only way. The more you try and do, the longer you will take to recover. If your nailbeds are pink, and your chest isn't recessing when you breathe, then chances are you are well oxygenated.

I hope you feel better soon.

GP 10am
I am still struggling to breath.

I have to do 2/4/6 school runs/clubs runs, min basic 2 loads of laundry, make lunches and basic essential cleaning (like plates etc) or else the house wouldn't function.

Yes, I have enough oxygen...still feel on the verge of stopping breathin at any moment. Cry. Guess that doesn't matter :(

My house looks like a bomb has hit it. But it'll still be there when I feel better. And I'm wearing clothes that I've not dug out for years as no washing done.....my DDs were slightly alarmed yesterday and made me promise not to go outside but luckily they took pity and shoved a few loads on.

Hope you get some answers from GP today. It's crap feeling so rough.

Hope appointment goes well. You won't get better unless you slow down. If your dh won't assist ( surely he could put a wash on , make lunches and do drop off/pick up this am , or arrange for someone else) do you have anyone else who could? How old are dc? Can't believe you didn't stay in a and e , your dh could have gone home to relieve babysitter.

OP I am recovering from bilateral pulmonary embolisms. My SATS were 96% and my chest X-ray was clear. I had a Doppler scan which was also clear. Only when I had a VQ scan did they find the clots.

You need to go back to A&E and insist on a d-dimer blood test and scans. Please take this seriously - whatever is stopping you breathing could kill you.

For fucks sake op you need to go back to a&e and wait there until you've seen a doctor. Antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler haven't had any effect...don't you think that's kind of worrying!? Sitting at home doing nothing isn't going to make you better!

Doctor thinks I am making it up aka Anxiety.

But I was breathless for two days before I was anxious, as I thought it was a chest infection and awaiting antibiotics to kick in.

I told her I thought one night I was going to stop breathing and die, before we figured out what is wrong.

Could I be making it up, even though I am happy and the symptoms got worse 10 days ago, just as I was about to pour my weekly glass of wine ! Which I would not volunteer to do ?

Doctor very kindly has asked a hospital doctor to have a look at me this afternoon but sounds sure nothing is wrong with me. Which is good news of course but so still can't breath. :(

I am still doing the breathing exercises regularly and will be seen this afternoon at the local hospital.

Not expecting any further treatment to be given, just need to finish off antibiotics and learn to live with it :(

Anxiety doesn't mean you're making it up. The symptoms are real with a panic attack or an ongoing anxiety thing

You need to insist on the full array of tests and if they all come back clear then it's time to consider anxiety as a possibility. It does cause the symptoms you're experiencing but should only be considered once everything else is ruled out. I'd take comfort from the fact that so many health professionals think you're relatively ok

Doubt they will do more than look at me.

I just want to know how to breath again. I have been doing mindfullness breathing exercises all week and they haven't worked yet.

How long will I be like this ?

Thinking when I get back frpm the hospital, I might get on the treadmill and keep running until eventually my body will have to breath properly.

Your "Saturation" is the amount of oxygen in your blood, if that is high then that means you have plenty of oxygen in your blood. You shouldnt have to be doing gasping breathing to get there though.

You need to go back to A&E and WAIT until you're seen - I had to wait for 7 hours once but that ended up in being admitted for a week when they found out what was wrong (blood clots and massive PE). Just because youre not being rushed though and can wait doesnt mean youre fine to go home. Why didnt your DH leave you waiting and go home to the kids if they needed someone to go back to them?

I have an appointment this afternoon at the ACU? Department of my local hospital.

I am expecting them to confirm the diagnosis of anxiety and send me home.

TBH I would rather be healthy and feel ill, than feel fine and be ill iyswim.

I am not pursuing any further treatment after this afternoon. To be honest I feel a awful that I have been worrying myself and my family for no reason.

So quick checkup this afternoon and then suck it up...until I can breath properly again.

I'm finding this thread incredibly frustrating. Your DH is part of the problem. You need to be admitted to hospital for monitoring and investigations that a GP can't do.

You must go to A&E, and you must wait to be seen and admitted. Don't be so bloody-minded and assume you will be dismissed. The housework is not important. Your wellbeing is.

Saturations are an indicator of oxygenation, but young people can compensate remarkably well by eg breathing faster and deeper and getting your heart pumping harder. Until you can't do that anymore and you end up extremely sick.

You could have any number of things wrong with you. You need another X-ray for a start, and more blood tests to look for infection. I agree that you might need to be investigated for a PE.

Go to A+E. Oh, and don't get on a treadmill hoping that will sort out your breathing. It won't.

(Medically trained here. You need to be in hospital).

Cancel the activities/after school clubs. Let DH do the laundry. Shut your eyes to the mess and rest. If you can only breathe whilst sitting down, then listen to your body and sit down!

I had a week like this 7 years ago. It left me slightly asthmatic and prone to chest infections but other than that I recovered fully.

I am being looked at in hospital this afternoon. Will update thread even if it is no change/anxiety only.

Thanks for the support. It makes my time sat here slowly open mouthed breathing and trying to make my brain, make my breath right, easier.

If I get the all clear, I will try getting drunk and eat a lot of chocolate and see if I can breath better after that, lol.

I was joking about the drinking and chocolate
..I just want to feel better.

Getting on treadmill would be amazingly stupid. Unless you want to collapse.