All Topics → Forum: Stage III Breast Cancer → Topic: NEED ADVICE
Posted on: Jun 16, 2012 07:51 AM
many wrote:
Did any of you ladies have shortness of breath after CLIMBING ON STAIRS?
No OTHER SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOM
COULD BE DUE TO CHEMO /RADIATION OR IS IT CONNECTED TO LUNG METS?
Thank you all for your help!
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Jun 16, 2012 08:33 AM Bugs wrote:
I did, because I was anemic during/after chemo for a bit. Low iron can cause major shortness of breath.
Jun 16, 2012 08:49 AM Dianarose wrote:
Radiation caused severe lung problems several months after I finished. Fluid built up between my lung lining and scar tissue from the rads. I woke up in the night and couldn't get a breath. It was terrible and lasted for about 3 months.
Jun 16, 2012 08:50 AM Laural wrote:
I had SOB after TC along with elevated heart rate. It resolved with time but make sure you let your doc know about it.
Jun 16, 2012 11:02 AM NancyD wrote:
Yes, I had it too. I noticed it when my usual trek up out of the subway (46 steps) became a five minute journey rather than the usual 15 second sprint. Primarily it was just after any of my surgeries and definitely towards the end of radiation. It has resolved itself, although I find I lose ground quickly if i don't keep my exercise level up.
Jun 16, 2012 10:39 PM Shanagirl wrote:
I noticed shortness of breath so much that I was beginning to worry about lung mets. It all started after chemo and rads, and got worse on the AI's. I still get it, but not so much anymore. A lot is stress related, and medication related.
Barb
Jun 16, 2012 10:45 PM reesie wrote:
SOB can be a sign of low HBG which can definitely be caused by chemo or rads. Bone marrow creates HBG and rads can affect bone marrow. Chemo can affect HBG production because they are one of the rapidly dividing cells that can be zapped by chemo.
Jun 16, 2012 11:03 PM faithfulheart wrote:
I agree with Barb, stress can cause alot of it..........I have struggled with shortness of breath all my life, totally benign for me, its caused by anxiety....but, I also get shortness of breath afer climbing stairs sometimes.... don't under estimate chemo and rads....Your wife has been through alot, it will take time.....mention it to the doctor if it keeps up......I would not worry........
In my prayers...........
steph
Jun 16, 2012 11:06 PM Letlet wrote:
Yup, it's happened to me. Same thing as NancyD on the subway. I attribute it to not being very physically fit. I had a chest CT in Feb and it was clear.
Jun 17, 2012 03:58 AM Momine wrote:
I had this a few weeks ago and scared myself silly. Then I thought of low blood counts, took some iron supplement and increased my protein and now I am better.
Ask your doc, but it may simply be anemia.
Jun 17, 2012 04:18 AM, edited Jun 17, 2012 04:19 AM by Jennt28
Firstly, hope you don't mind me posting here since I'm not Stage III..
Rads can cause pneumonitis and one of the signs of that is SOB. It's important you get this diagnosed (x-ray or CT scan) and get treatment (prednisolone) as if it is left it can cause long term fibrosis...
It usually shows up 3-10 weeks after rads.
Jenn
Jun 18, 2012 08:07 AM, edited Jun 18, 2012 08:08 AM by financegirl
After chemo I couldn't walk two feet w/o struggling. Two things happened - I was on Lisinopril for high BP and it kind of turned on me (one of the major SEs is coughing and SOB) and I was dx with anemia. After my last chemo, BP med was changed and I was sent for a transfusion. Two pints of blood and my energy came back. I did not find that radiation zapped me anywhere near what chemo did and until my "boosts", radiation was pretty tolerable.
Jun 19, 2012 11:34 PM fondak wrote:
I did following chemo as well. I was taken by surprised by the degree which I had it.
For some reason I was thinking when I finished chemo I would have my really tough day or two after the treatment but then begin to get stronger and stronger. I didn't consider how it builds in your system. But it was tough for me after treatment with leg pain and weakness and shortness of breath. I forget about it now but as soon as I hear someone mention it, it all comes back. I also felt it more toward the end of radiation and following radiation it would come and go. It's a lot more on the body than people realize.
Hope she feels better soon.
Jul 1, 2012 01:20 PM LittleFlower wrote:
I had shortness of breath going up stairs during taxol, and my heart rate was super high too.
Jul 1, 2012 02:02 PM Momine wrote:
Jenn, thanks for the info.
Mine improved some, but persisted. Eventually I called the doc. They did a blood test (normal), CT (normal, yeah!), heart ultrasound (normal, also yeah!).
So my onc says nothing is wrong with me and it must be anxiety, i.e. in my head.
I know what anxiety feels like, thanks to cancer, lol, and this is not anxiety.
So I will go see a lung guy on tuesday. I realized that I also have the weirdness in my voice that I had on tax and was told, then, that it was inflammation.
Anyway, anyone else?