Difficulty breathing
I was recently diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in my bones- de novo at 41 years old. I have been having difficulty breathing on and off for the past few months. It feels like air hunger - every day, like I just can’t get enough air. They’ve checked me for a blood clot twice now, so that’s not it. It does get worse when I lay down at night. I’ve talked to several oncologists who have thought this was unusual and didn’t know what would be causing it (other than anxiety, which I have meds for). Any ideas or anyone else have difficulty breathing?
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@mariposas4, like you I am de novo stage iv with mets to bones. I have had difficulty breathing, but it was not related to the cancer - it was entirely down to my dairy allergy (whey and caseins), which I had not been aware of. Perhaps you are having an allergic reaction. In any case, it is good that you are consulting with oncologists so that they are aware of the issue.
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@mariposas4 , What meds are you taking? Just about everything prescribed for mbc has pneumonitis as a possible side effect. Mine wasn’t easy to diagnose since my O2 levels were OK when I was sitting quietly but dropped when I was moving about or lying down. Get a pulse oximeter so you can track your oxygen levels and let your MO know if there is a problem. Pneumonitis shows up on a chest CT. Corticosteroids usually clear it up. Mine was caused by radiation. It wasn’t treated soon enough so most of my right lung became fibrotic and no longer works. Your shortness of breath might be due to anxiety or allergies but it is a good idea to keep an eye on it.
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I got pneumonitis from taking Verzenio. What meds are you on?
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I don’t think it’s from the meds because it’s been happening since May- before I even knew I had cancer or was on any meds for it.
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I'm really sorry you are going through this and hope you find answers/solutions soon. Depending on where you live, humidity/ weather could be a possibility. I've recently been reading about all kinds of weather effects on people, as I've been much more achy and tired since about May. Apparently the summer heat and humidity can aggravate all kinds of symptoms, including breathing difficulties. Just a thought, but figured I'd add it to the mix of possibilities to consider.
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I'm not supposed to post here since I'm not stage IV, but I saw your post on the main page, and had to at least pass along some information.
Back in 2012 I had identical symptoms, including horrible shortness of breath that was worse when I lay down. My oxygen levels were fine, but it hurt to take a deep breath. I was struggling just trying to take a full breath. They diagnosed asthma and put me on steroids and an inhaler. No help at all. After months of this, I went to the walk in urgent care, desperate for some relief.
At the clinic, the doctor had me lay down and show him where it hurt when I gulped in a breath. He nodded, kinda smiled to himself and said: "You don't have asthma, you have really bad acid reflux. I didn't believe him, but he started me on prilosec and within three days I was back to normal. I could breathe with no issues.
I don't know if that could be your problem, but it's an easy thing to check. Chew a Tums after eating and elevate the head of your bed when you sleep. Again, forgive me for intruding.
Good luck.
Trish
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I have dyspnea or breathlessness, off and on. One can be 100% oxygenated and still feel like a fish out of water. This is because the oxygenation test is just measuring the amount of oxygen in your red blood cells. It is not measuring the number of red blood cells. So if one does not have enough red blood cells, your body is going to experience dyspnea. I have found that putting a warm, wet towel on the face will help. Also a hand-held fan on the face will help you feel less breathless. Walking into a breeze helps, too. Just keep doing this until the dyspnea attack abates (for me it is about 10-15 minutes).
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