Kinda Bad News

[CandyADiva]

Well I was having shortness of breathe. My doctor did a lung test which called a breathing test to see if I have asthma. Well they gave me albuterol to ihale for part of the breathing test(lungs) Well I dont have asthma because the albuterol didn't open my lungs at all but the test said I had mild disease of the lungs that cause me not to Exhale to breathe in other words I dont allowed to get enough oxgen through my lungs. My doctor said it's nothing they could do with that I will always I shortness of breathe but he did say that my breathing problem came from my Sleep apnea which cause damage to my lung he also said that I had to have Sleep apnea way before he found it. Well my saddness come from I didn't know having Sleep Apnea could cause health issue. I just thought my airway closes only when I sleep but know I cant breathe right when I'm a wake. I'm so depress right now I dont know what to do. He told me to keep wearing my mask and maybe lost a little weight and that might help a little because the damage is already done to my lungs.

[capt]

CandyADiva, sorry to hear about your news. Is there any chance of your using oxygen as part of your cpap treatment and maybe to have a portable unit when you go for walks and excercise to makes things more comfortable for you?

[yawn]

CandyAdiva.....
I'm so sorry. You have every right to be depressed but try not to let it take over your life. You have a problem, it's been identified...you know what you're dealing with and it isn't fatal. I'm sure it's not easy but it really could be a whole lot worse. Try to count your blessings and hang in there.

[CandyADiva]

Yes without being on the Cpap my oxygen drop to 73% but when i was given the machine it stayed up. I dont know i could talk to my doctor about adding some oxygen or give me an portable oxygen to carry with me. just to talk on the phone i'm out of breathe or it's hard to breathe.

[FL andy]

Well I was having shortness of breathe. My doctor did a lung test which called a breathing test to see if I have asthma. Well they gave me albuterol to ihale for part of the breathing test(lungs) Well I dont have asthma because the albuterol didn't open my lungs at all but the test said I had mild disease of the lungs that cause me not to Exhale to breathe in other words I dont allowed to get enough oxgen through my lungs. My doctor said it's nothing they could do with that I will always I shortness of breathe but he did say that my breathing problem came from my Sleep apnea which cause damage to my lung .

There are breathing tests and then there are complete breathing tests.

If all that was done after your initial breathing test was to add albuterol, then it is conceivable you did not get the full range of available tests - which are paid for by insurance if the initial test was paid for.

I am *not* a doctor so my comments are based only on what I have gone through. I am just a layman who has had similar "shortness of breathe".

If your current doctor is not able to help you more than what you posted, then why not seek out a Board Certified Pulmonologist who is certified in sleep disorders as well as pulmonology? Don't know what part of the country you live in but even if you drive for an hour or two, isn't it worth it to get a more complete answer than "your lung is damaged because of sleep apnea and we can't do anything about it"?????????

That doesn't sound right. I got rid of my first pulmonologist and am very glad I did. It seems to me to be worth the effort for you to get the situation fixed, if it can be fixed. If for some reason it cannot be fixed, then at least you got a second opinion, which if you have insurance, it will not cost much.

ALSO, PART of your failure to exhale enough when using cpap equipment may very well be alleviated or even cured if you need a Bi-Level pap machine, where inhalation is at a higher setting than is exhalation.

Just my thoughts, not medical advise.
Good luck, my friend,

FL andy

[Flower51]

I'll be praying Candy. Maybe your doctor can't do anything, but God can.
Your post made me wonder if the bronchial problems and pneumonia I had such a tough time getting rid of this past year (pre apap) were aggravated or even initiated by something related to apnea....hmmmm....good thing we have our machines now, isn't it! Terry

[CandyADiva]

I have no problem with exhaling on the cpap machine. Well I talk with my husband and we are going to see a pulmonologist. I will call and make an appointment. He just said lose weight and it might help me. Because it's no inhaler out here that helps with my problem

[dsm]

Candy,

Very sorry to hear this. It is good that you can get our support as there are a lot of caring folk here.

Along with the others I hope you are able to get through this crisis. Will be think of you & willing it to work our ok.

Cheers

DSM

[Sleepless on LI]

Candy,
The best suggestion is to see a pulmonlogist. What type of doctor did this breathing test on you and diagnosed you as a result of it? It would seem to me that if your shortness of breath relating to exhalation had something to do with lung disease, you would have a really tough time on the CPAP machine. That's why they invented Cflex. You don't.
I would just hold off on getting too upset until the proper type of doctor does EXTENSIVE testing and then see what it shows. In any event, if worst comes to worst and you do have what this first doctor said you do, at least you have been diagnosed and can look after this condition from here on out.
My thoughts and prayers are with you that you will get better news from the pulmonologist and that you feel better real soon.

[CandyADiva]

Well I do have C-Flex on my machine but it is kinda hard at times but i will see someone else. Well I like to thank everyone for listening to me. I cant keep breathing like this and feeling like this either. I will get to the bottom of this

[Fatigue Fighter]

Candy,
I am so sorry to hear of your breathing difficulties. I went through this very thing two years ago and my PCP thought I had adult onset asthma because it runs in my family. Alburteral did not work for me and neither did two sessions of Prednisone (at strong doses). He sent me to a pulmonologist who ran many tests to see what was going on. My lungs are clear and I don't wheeze. It got to where I could only walk half a block. I was always short of breath. He put me on Advair 500/50 and a statin (both to reduce inflammation and stop or slow down any remodelling of the lungs that he thought was probably going on). After more symptoms (extremem fatigue), he sent me to a sleep specialist. And, whaaaa laaaa...I have sleep apnea. He thinks a lot of my shortness of breath and symptoms may just stem from sleep apnea which certainly can cause serious lung problems (it just isn't advertised much). I am much improved even before the diagnosis of sleep apnea (at least I can do more and I can walk for 30 minutes on a level plane without having to stop). I can do this because of treatments my pulmonologist gave me. I just wanted you to know that with a good pulmonologist, you can get better!

By all means, press your doctor for more tests. I had numerous pulmonary function tests, a CT scan, EKGs, including a stress echo with doppler studies to see if I had pulmonary hypertension (which I don't have...thank God!).
I have another Pulmonary Function Test set for January and I am really hoping the sleep apnea treatment will show improvement on that test! Keep up with your treatments for CPAP and find a good pulmonologist that is willing to work with you.

FF

[Severeena]

Candy, you might want to look for a Sarcoidosis/Pulmonologist.

I have Sarcoidosis of the lungs, skin, and possible heart.

Please email me privatley as I do not want to go into detail on this forum.

[CandyADiva]

Well tomorrow morning I will be calling me an pulmonogist because I can't take it anymore. I laid down to just watch tv and it was hard for me to breathe. I was having bad chest pain and couldn't breathe. Even even when I'm walking with my husband I have shortness of breathe and discomfort in my chest. something is not right and I dont care what my family doctor said to me. it is something somebody can do.

[Sleepless on LI]

Candy,
Just a thought, but are you on any medications right now that their doses have been increased lately or perhaps the addition of anything new?

One last question, is your heart beating in rhythm or do you feel palpitations when you lose your breath? I'm curious to know the answer to both questions before I write a whole long explanation.

In any event, you go get yourself checked out. We are our own best advocates and we know when something is not right. Make sure you find a doctor who will listen to you until you find out what it is and have it corrected. My thoughts are still with you that you feel better.

[CandyADiva]

Well yes I take medicine for other health issue but they were not increase for any reason. I go Friday to see a heart doctor becasue I was admitted in the hospital for shortness of breathe and chest pain. Yes I can feel my heart beating in rhythm and I feel palpitations when I get out of breathe. So please give me an explanation so I can take any information with me to the heart doctor on friday.