Literature says the most common symptoms of PAH in order are
Increased shortness of breath
Fatigue.
Edema, or swelling of the feet, legs and eventually the abdomen and neck.
Dizziness and fainting spells.
Chest pain.
None of these are different than a multitude of heart problem. This is a great group so please feel free to comment on your situation. My major questions revolve around shortness of breath and exercise. I use a nebulizer and BiPAP (3 L of O2) at night. I haven't drank or smoked… read more
Hi Jay4! Good question!. You want to have this conversation with your own specialists to be sure you are on the same page with them. My shortness of breath usually occurs with activity like walking up a hill, but l have awakened from sleep with the feeling of shortness of breath. To me it is more of a feeling of having my breath taken away. Then it goes away. Because you do already have oxygen in your home, and l assume that you have a pulse oximeter as well. You may want to ask your pumonologist if you should wear oxygen during the day for an oxygen level of a certain number. (Whatever number he gives you, for use during the day as needed). It will require a different device to breathe through, usually named a nasal cannula. That would be as needed for oximeter reading of _______ for during the day. You may have to use this during the day, possibly if you have a bad cold, or a bronchitis situation. You would certainly want to avoid getting in a pneumonia situation. Discuss this with your Doctor and explain that you just want to know what to do and be prepared for any change in your oxygen level. Have you had pulmonary rehab? That may be something
I too have xopenex (levealbuteral) for my neb. I haven't used it in a while. Sob is very frequent with me, several times a day with very little effort put forth for it to happen.
Jay,
When I first got diagnosed and had shortness of breath and was told to use the oxygen the oxygen really didn't do anything for my shortness of breath. But then I crossed over and decompensated and now I need oxygen all the time. Yet even with oxygen on I can still become short of breath short of breath with movement or exercise or going from the car to the house carrying groceries is a real pain in the rear. And I myself I can still even be short of breath when I'm up in the higher 90s on the oxygen level on the oximeter.
Praying its a good apt.
Hi there Julie. I understand. I’m not on Oxygen yet (they are putting me on for sleep soon due to apnea, I just have been delaying 😒). But my breathing is getting the best of me. I feel for you. I am headed out to pulmonary Dr in an hour. We will see if they can figure out anything. Jay, I am not one to say much yet to that except I’m out of breath walking from car into house. Have to sit. I’m noticing oxygen levels are fluctuating from 89-95 and more recently hovering about 1-93.