Help! Short of breath when I lie down 1week post section

[TiredMama05]

Hi all. I am panicking. Again.

it has been 1 week since my c section and I am on antibiotics for a womb and water infection. I just started these today.

my HB levels are 79 which I know is low but the hospital said they will treat this with iron tablets for now and a possible transfusion once my infection has cleared up.

I also have symptoms though, that aren’t explained by these things… and this is shortness of breath along with a dizziness and tightening in my throat when I am just about to go to sleep. It also makes me want to cough but I can’t do much coughing with the section still being so raw! I have googled and diagnosed myself with a pulmonary embolism!!! And now I am panicking. I don’t want to keep ringing triage as I literally phone them everyday and I am sure they think I am being a nuisance.

has anyone else experienced something similar post c- section?

thanks!

Well it could be GERD. Propping yourself up helpful. But do ring again to make sure it's not anything serious

I really think you should get that checked out... please.
You will be in safe hands at the hospital but you need to get seen. I have no doubt you are truly exhausted and the thought Of going to a hospital is the last thing you want to do but you need to get those symptoms that are a week post surgery checked as soon as you can.

Why are you ringing every day?

Could it be anxiety? I get a weird thing in my throat along with palpitations and then I can't breathe. It's often when I'm in bed but it doesn't last that long maybe 20/30 seconds? Hope it's nothing serious. X

Shortness of breath and dizziness can be explained by a Hb of 79. I’d have thought it sounds more like that plus anxiety. Especially with the symptoms being when you lie down, a PE would be causing issues all the time. But I’m not a doctor so if you’re worried ring them.

Because I haven’t felt right post section - they finally did some bloods yesterday and today confirmed the infections so I’m pleased that I continued to phone to say what I felt wasn’t normal…. But this strange sensation while trying to sleep isn’t explained by the womb/water infection from what I understand.

This is what my husband has just said too. Thank you! I think I will prop myself up this evening trying to sleep and then call Triage again tomorrow.

Re HB my friend passed out a few times post birth very frightening

part of me thinks this too… but I am so tired and I really think the hospital team will think ‘oh no, here she is again… something else this time’ and I don’t want to make a fuss if it is just the HB levels and anxiety. Maybe I can give them a call at least.

How did they resolve it in the end? Was it a transfusion or just iron tablets?

Please get this checked out ASAP you will be at higher risk of a pulmonary embolism post surgery. I had one during pregnancy and my only symptom was being breathless ! Personally I would go to AE now with these symptoms, they will do a simple blood test called a D-Dimer .

Low iron levels can make you dizzy and breathless. Are you on Clexane or blood thinner injections? I would ring them if the breathlessness thing is new or you have chest pains or swelling and r pain in your leg. They should rule out DVT/PE. It's difficult when your iron levels are low as fighting infection can be tricky and your body is trying to heal. Please don't be put off by thinking you are annoying them by ringing, your health is so important and not trying to scare you new mums can be at risk of infections that can spread very quickly also risks of blood clots higher.

Yes I’m still doing the clexane injections - 4 more to go after today. No issues with pain in my legs or chest. I think I will give them a call just to get some feedback from them.

Did you have the breathlessness all the time or did it just happen at certain points in the day/after certain activities?

i get dizziness throughout the day but this strange sensation of a tight throat with the dizziness happens just before I fall asleep

Don’t second guess seek medical attention, not to scare you but you know a PE can be fatal . Hopefully it’s not one but let the experts rule it out ! No I wasn’t breathless all the time and I didn’t have any chest pain . Hope you get this sorted .

They won’t be able to do the blood test in A&E, it will come back positive as you’ve recently given birth.
Honestly, if you were one of my patients, you would be readmitted and probably be having a blood transfusion, your iron levels are far too low for oral iron tablets to make much headway.

Please contact them OP.

They will need information to assess whether this is likely to require investigation tonight, to rule out a PE. You will be high risk for a PE after a section, and breathlessness can only be attributed to anxiety for example when other things have been excluded.

Hopefully it is unlikely but if it is a PE it can be fatal.

You will sleep better too after hopefully having some reassurance.

If you are worried about anxiety in general (and phoning every day due to this), also mention this to your midwife when you next see them, but this could well be a separate issue.

Please ignore this unhelpful comment- you are not wasting their time, being post-natal and particularly after a c-section can be riskier than usual. Trust your instincts not some throwaway snide comment on an anonymous forum.

Probably because she feels like shit because she’s been discharged with too low a Hb which will cause all sorts of physical symptoms.

Please get checked out

Please go to a and e
this needs looking into now 💐

I have to say OP I think you need to head into to hospital straight away lovely. Breathlessness caused by lying down isn't ok.

I am hoping that the radio silence means that the OP is being seen.

Hi all… thought I’d reply to let you know what happened!

I went back to the maternity ward after calling an out of hours GP (who thought it was probably just anxiety and low iron levels rather than anything sinister)… and anyway to cut a long story short my obs were fine, they said it was my iron levels, infection and anxiety.

interestingly, the following day I actually forgot to take my daily injection of clexane (I was on day 8 - I think - of 10) and I noticed that that night I didn’t have any of these weird headache /breathless symptoms. Not sure if that was related at all!

anyway - everything has improved now :) antibiotics complete and booked in for a retained tissue scan followed by iron transfusion on Tuesday next week to get me back to some level of normal (well, new ‘normal’ whatever that might be!) :)

thanks again for your care and advice xxx