fourcatmom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I have been having shortness of breath for several weeks now and every time I get sick it takes me a long time to recover. My hands also go numb a lot. I was off for a week and the went back to work last week but actually fell over when I knelt down to speak to a child:glare:. That's never happened before. By Friday, I still was feeling very fatigued and out of breath with the slightest amount of activity. They tested my heart rate sitting in the office and it was 95. Then they made me walk "briskly" up and down the hallway three times. My heart rate went up to 136. My legs were shaking and it was hard to catch my breath. They also tested my lungs and said that I showed a mild airway obstruction and that my lung age was 57. I am 44. I have had two cases of whooping cough and since this last bout in Sept of 11, I haven' really recovered. I don't feel sick but it just feels that my body is different. I have had a complete blood work up and everything was fine. I was originally worried about thyroid but that was negative. My heart and lungs sounds fine and my pulse and oxygen have been fine except with activity. Anyway, I have an echocardiogram scheduled for 11am tomorrow. If it's fine they will send me to a pulmonary doctor for additional testing. They also took me off work pending the echo results. They also provided two inhalers for me but I don't feel like they help much, especially if I am still doing an activity. Just wanted to know if anyone had experienced this and what I should expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I had an echocardiogram last year when I had pericarditis. It's just an ultrasound of the heart and does not hurt. The hardest thing for me was not coughing when they would tell me to lay still! I'm glad that they are checking everything out. If everything checks out fine and if the doctor thinks that inflammation of your airways is involved, I would recommend curcumin (a supplement from tumeric). It was the single best thing for helping my lungs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Just wanted to know if anyone had experienced this and what I should expect. Ask to watch. They are very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Wow! I hope everything turns out ok and that you get answers.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thank you. I am not really nervous because I really think the issue is with my lungs not with my heart but I didn't really know what to expect either. It really scared me to see my heart rate go up so high from just walking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thank you. I am not really nervous because I really think the issue is with my lungs not with my heart but I didn't really know what to expect either. It really scared me to see my heart rate go up so high from just walking. The last time I had pericarditis (inflammation in the sac around my heart), I had my heart rate go up high too. It is scary. :grouphug: (P.S. - not saying this is your diagnosis but just that my condition which affects breathing capacity, had an effect on my heart rate.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcarolinamom Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 yep - I had an echo 1 year ago. It's a very detailed ultrasound of your heart. It lasted about 30-40 minutes, because so many angles are documented by the tech. I'm sure all will go well, and hope the echo gives the cardiologist missing puzzle pieces, to help you feel better soon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 (edited) The last time I had pericarditis (inflammation in the sac around my heart), I had my heart rate go up high too. It is scary. :grouphug: (P.S. - not saying this is your diagnosis but just that my condition which affects breathing capacity, had an effect on my heart rate.) Were they able to figure this out by doing the Echo or did you have other tests as well? I guess I am not really sure what to expect but I just always thought that the WC probably damaged my lungs so the problem would be there and not my heart but one never knows. I am glad they are checking though. I also have sharp pain in my legs, especially when my heart rate is up. It's not like I am tired from walking but they are sharp pains that run down my legs? Do you experience anything like that? I have had some chest pain but I would say it's been mild. It's mostly the shortness of breath and feeling completely fatigued. Edited January 22, 2012 by fourcatmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Were they able to figure this out by doing the Echo or did you have other tests as well? I guess I am not really sure what to expect but I just always thought that the WC probably damaged my lungs so the problem would be there and not my heart but one never knows. I am glad they are checking though. In my case, initially we thought that I might be having a heart attack so they did some cardiac tests (enzymes and stuff like that) to rule that out first. They also did a CT scan of my lungs to check for problems there. The echocardiogram helped to confirm the diagnosis of pericarditis. Knowing that my heart is fine did a lot for lowering my stress level! My lungs are still problematic. I've had an intermittent cough for over a year. Illness tends to go straight to my lungs or the pericardium. I do have a couple of inhalers but while the Ventalyn (Albuteral) is amazing when my airway is closing up, it also tends to make my heart race so I don't like to use it if I don't have to. That's why I researched natural anti-inflammatories and found the curcumin. It helps stop the process for me before my lungs/airways etc. get so inflamed that I need the big guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Embassy Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I had one right before Christmas. You basically lay down while the tech does an ultrasound of your heart. He stuck some sticky pads with wires on me too. It took about 20 minutes for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Two of my children had echocardiograms this past summer - my 9yo and 16yo. Very simple and painless. If you've ever had an ultrasound during pregnancy, it's basically that. Hope you find what is ailing you - I know how stressful it can be just trying to find answers. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.