Shallow Breathing

My ankle surgery went well, but during the prep, they kept getting low O2 readings and kept telling me to take deep breaths.

Is it possible that sleeping with increased pressure has caused some laxity in daytime breathing? If so, how do I train myself to take adequate breaths now?

Anxiety causes shallow breathing...might just be-op nerves. Was it before the pre-op shot?

How are you doing? Plug ya in in recovery room?

I am trying to remember back from respiratory school, but when you use cpap your body expands the bases of your lungs and increases your functional residual capacity (or the amount of air in the bases of your lungs). This actually trains the lungs to accept more oxygen in the bases and should not cause you to take shallower breaths while not on your machine. It is the same principal of using an incentive spirometer or pep therapy after surgery. While under anesthetic, you breathe shallower and the bases of your lungs close off causing atelectesis and you need therapy to help open them. I don't think using CPAP will cause this, but on the contrary should help you become used to taking deeper breaths than someone not on CPAP.
Like Muse said, may be nerves or the medications they gave you.
Good Luck with your recovery,
Kevin

After anesthesia I experience a reaction that results in bronchospasms resulting in not being able to take deep breaths. Just wondering if you have asthma or an allergic reaction to the anesthesia or meds? Be sure to describe your symptoms, when they occure, how long they last (each episode or how many days etc.).

LinkC wrote:My ankle surgery went well, but during the prep, they kept getting low O2 readings and kept telling me to take deep breaths.

Is it possible that sleeping with increased pressure has caused some laxity in daytime breathing? If so, how do I train myself to take adequate breaths now?

That's good to hear about the ankle surgery, hopefully you'll be on the amends soon. If before the op, you had already received some kind of anesthesia than that might have explained it. That's the one concern when having operations is that anesthesia provides less of an ability for us to breath, very similar to having our upper airway close as our muscles start to relax.

If it was prior to any anesthesia then it could just be Anxiety like Muse suggested.

Thanks
Dave

Whats this ?

LinkC getting anxious about something !

I don't believe it

Mars

LinkC wrote:If so, how do I train myself to take adequate breaths now?

Get a bike.

LinkC wrote: If so, how do I train myself to take adequate breaths now?

Take a Yoga course

LinkC wrote:My ankle surgery went well, but during the prep, they kept getting low O2 readings and kept telling me to take deep breaths.

Is it possible that sleeping with increased pressure has caused some laxity in daytime breathing? If so, how do I train myself to take adequate breaths now?

LinkC

I don't have a clue on the breathing, but, I have had surgery so..... Take good care of yourself and we'll keep you in our thoughts, have a speedy and good recovery.

Cheers,

Dave

Linc, wishing you a speedy and successful recovery!

Y'know, my wife mentioned yoga, too! I', thnking there MUST be something else that will make me breathe heavy...

I'm resting at home this week. The tendonhad retracted up my leg further than expected. Instead of the 3 in incision my doc talked about, it's 14 in and S-shaped, I'm told. It's beneath the cast so I haven't seen it. There goes my second career as an exotic dancer! Darnit!

And I DO have a new "bike"... http://www.amazon.com/Weil-Knee-Walker- ... B0015K015I

Thanx forall the good wishes!

I had a problem with shallow breathing following total knee replacement surgery four years ago. The hospital sleep lab performed a sleep study in my hospital room in the surgical department by means of a remote wireless communication system. They determined that my shallow breathing was caused by morphine that I was being given for pain relief. My surgeon prescribed different pain medication and my breathing became normal using the REMstar CPAP machine that I normally used at home at that time.

LinkC wrote:Y'know, my wife mentioned yoga, too! I', thnking there MUST be something else that will make me breathe heavy...

Yes well I am sure she will handle that but for all the rest of the breathing Yoga teaches you controlled breathing that can make the "heavy" breathing more uummh "heavy"

carbonman wrote:

LinkC wrote:If so, how do I train myself to take adequate breaths now?

Get a bike.

LOL . . . and a hill : )

LinkC wrote: ...Instead of the 3 in incision my doc talked about, it's 14 in and S-shaped, I'm told.

Yikes! What a surprise to wake up to. Does that alter your expected course of recovery?