Shortness of Breath

[coltsfan715]

Okay guys,

I have been on IVs for almost 3 weeks now. When I first started IVs - around the 23-24th of Sept. I started feeling good almost immediately. The stuff started loosening up - I was getting everything out and just yeah was able to breathe easier. The doc put me on Cefepime and Zyvox IV (when I was in the hospital) and TOBI nebs. I am now on Cefepime/Maxipime IV, Zyvox Oral and TOBI aerosol at home.

Last week I had my appointment at the doc and went and things were looking good, but I had started to get shortness of breath again. I had pretty bad shortness of breath when I was admitted, but it was gone after about the 2nd-3rd day of IVs. After almost 2 weeks it started to come back though. I was also coughing more and so on. Well the doc thought it was acid reflux and started me on Nexium (I had also had a sore throat with hoarseness and could feel acid coming up). The doc said I should start feeling better and I did for the most part. My throat started feeling better and the shortness of breath seemed to be going away.

Well then I got sick this weekend with a bout of salmonella poisoning or whatever. I started getting chest pain again and could feel stuff moving around "in there" again, so I called the doc on Monday (when I was supposed to be getting off meds) and talked to them about it. They told me that they wanted to keep me on IVs for another week since I had been dealt a bad blow so close to finishing treatment. Well that was a bit of a bummer, but I understand the logic behind it cause they want to make sure I am not weakened when I get off IV meds - that way I don't get sick again immediately.

Well here I am 2 days later and I am still getting this darn shortness of breath. I have checked sometimes when I am SOB - thinking my blood sugar may be high and it is - like if it is shortly after I eat or something. Then there are other times though that I am just short of breath for no real reason. I will normally do my albuterol neb and that helps and I am able to breath a bit freer, but I don't understand. If the shortness of breath went away - why is it coming back ... before I even get off IVs. I am also hearing stuff again. Not alot and no where near like what I was hearing before IVs but just little wheezing if there is stuff in my airways.

I am wanting to call the doc about this but am afraid I am over reacting. I am going to list the meds I am on below and see if any of you think these may be causing them. Most of them I take all the time, but some I have not been as diligent about until recently - like the Advair inhaler. I am prescribed to do it twice a day and up until recently was lucky to do it once a day if I could remember.

My Current Meds:

Maxipime - IV 2x daily
Zyvox - Oral 2x daily

Albuterol - Neb (3x daily)
Saline - 2-3x daily
Pulmozyme - 2x daily
TOBI - 2x daily

Lantus - 7 u. AM 7u. PM
Novolog - sliding scale shot per meal

Zithromax - MWF
Diflucan - 1x daily
Ambien - 1x daily(PM)
Ultrase MT20 - 4 per meal
Megestrol - 2 teaspoons daily

Advair 250/50 - 2x daily
Flonase - 50mcg 1puff/nostril 2x daily

Do you guys think it could be a medicine thing or that I could be having a reaction to meds? What about a PICC infection? My PICC LOOKS fine, but is it possible for it to look okay and still have problems? I don't know I have just never had this hard of a time after feeling better with IVs ... especially when I am STILL on them.

Thanks for the input guys. I am going to be calling the doc tomorrow either way I think, but I wanted to maybe get some of ya'lls opinions.

Thanks again,
Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

Okay guys,

I have been on IVs for almost 3 weeks now. When I first started IVs - around the 23-24th of Sept. I started feeling good almost immediately. The stuff started loosening up - I was getting everything out and just yeah was able to breathe easier. The doc put me on Cefepime and Zyvox IV (when I was in the hospital) and TOBI nebs. I am now on Cefepime/Maxipime IV, Zyvox Oral and TOBI aerosol at home.

Last week I had my appointment at the doc and went and things were looking good, but I had started to get shortness of breath again. I had pretty bad shortness of breath when I was admitted, but it was gone after about the 2nd-3rd day of IVs. After almost 2 weeks it started to come back though. I was also coughing more and so on. Well the doc thought it was acid reflux and started me on Nexium (I had also had a sore throat with hoarseness and could feel acid coming up). The doc said I should start feeling better and I did for the most part. My throat started feeling better and the shortness of breath seemed to be going away.

Well then I got sick this weekend with a bout of salmonella poisoning or whatever. I started getting chest pain again and could feel stuff moving around "in there" again, so I called the doc on Monday (when I was supposed to be getting off meds) and talked to them about it. They told me that they wanted to keep me on IVs for another week since I had been dealt a bad blow so close to finishing treatment. Well that was a bit of a bummer, but I understand the logic behind it cause they want to make sure I am not weakened when I get off IV meds - that way I don't get sick again immediately.

Well here I am 2 days later and I am still getting this darn shortness of breath. I have checked sometimes when I am SOB - thinking my blood sugar may be high and it is - like if it is shortly after I eat or something. Then there are other times though that I am just short of breath for no real reason. I will normally do my albuterol neb and that helps and I am able to breath a bit freer, but I don't understand. If the shortness of breath went away - why is it coming back ... before I even get off IVs. I am also hearing stuff again. Not alot and no where near like what I was hearing before IVs but just little wheezing if there is stuff in my airways.

I am wanting to call the doc about this but am afraid I am over reacting. I am going to list the meds I am on below and see if any of you think these may be causing them. Most of them I take all the time, but some I have not been as diligent about until recently - like the Advair inhaler. I am prescribed to do it twice a day and up until recently was lucky to do it once a day if I could remember.

My Current Meds:

Maxipime - IV 2x daily
Zyvox - Oral 2x daily

Albuterol - Neb (3x daily)
Saline - 2-3x daily
Pulmozyme - 2x daily
TOBI - 2x daily

Lantus - 7 u. AM 7u. PM
Novolog - sliding scale shot per meal

Zithromax - MWF
Diflucan - 1x daily
Ambien - 1x daily(PM)
Ultrase MT20 - 4 per meal
Megestrol - 2 teaspoons daily

Advair 250/50 - 2x daily
Flonase - 50mcg 1puff/nostril 2x daily

Do you guys think it could be a medicine thing or that I could be having a reaction to meds? What about a PICC infection? My PICC LOOKS fine, but is it possible for it to look okay and still have problems? I don't know I have just never had this hard of a time after feeling better with IVs ... especially when I am STILL on them.

Thanks for the input guys. I am going to be calling the doc tomorrow either way I think, but I wanted to maybe get some of ya'lls opinions.

Thanks again,
Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

Okay guys,

I have been on IVs for almost 3 weeks now. When I first started IVs - around the 23-24th of Sept. I started feeling good almost immediately. The stuff started loosening up - I was getting everything out and just yeah was able to breathe easier. The doc put me on Cefepime and Zyvox IV (when I was in the hospital) and TOBI nebs. I am now on Cefepime/Maxipime IV, Zyvox Oral and TOBI aerosol at home.

Last week I had my appointment at the doc and went and things were looking good, but I had started to get shortness of breath again. I had pretty bad shortness of breath when I was admitted, but it was gone after about the 2nd-3rd day of IVs. After almost 2 weeks it started to come back though. I was also coughing more and so on. Well the doc thought it was acid reflux and started me on Nexium (I had also had a sore throat with hoarseness and could feel acid coming up). The doc said I should start feeling better and I did for the most part. My throat started feeling better and the shortness of breath seemed to be going away.

Well then I got sick this weekend with a bout of salmonella poisoning or whatever. I started getting chest pain again and could feel stuff moving around "in there" again, so I called the doc on Monday (when I was supposed to be getting off meds) and talked to them about it. They told me that they wanted to keep me on IVs for another week since I had been dealt a bad blow so close to finishing treatment. Well that was a bit of a bummer, but I understand the logic behind it cause they want to make sure I am not weakened when I get off IV meds - that way I don't get sick again immediately.

Well here I am 2 days later and I am still getting this darn shortness of breath. I have checked sometimes when I am SOB - thinking my blood sugar may be high and it is - like if it is shortly after I eat or something. Then there are other times though that I am just short of breath for no real reason. I will normally do my albuterol neb and that helps and I am able to breath a bit freer, but I don't understand. If the shortness of breath went away - why is it coming back ... before I even get off IVs. I am also hearing stuff again. Not alot and no where near like what I was hearing before IVs but just little wheezing if there is stuff in my airways.

I am wanting to call the doc about this but am afraid I am over reacting. I am going to list the meds I am on below and see if any of you think these may be causing them. Most of them I take all the time, but some I have not been as diligent about until recently - like the Advair inhaler. I am prescribed to do it twice a day and up until recently was lucky to do it once a day if I could remember.

My Current Meds:

Maxipime - IV 2x daily
Zyvox - Oral 2x daily

Albuterol - Neb (3x daily)
Saline - 2-3x daily
Pulmozyme - 2x daily
TOBI - 2x daily

Lantus - 7 u. AM 7u. PM
Novolog - sliding scale shot per meal

Zithromax - MWF
Diflucan - 1x daily
Ambien - 1x daily(PM)
Ultrase MT20 - 4 per meal
Megestrol - 2 teaspoons daily

Advair 250/50 - 2x daily
Flonase - 50mcg 1puff/nostril 2x daily

Do you guys think it could be a medicine thing or that I could be having a reaction to meds? What about a PICC infection? My PICC LOOKS fine, but is it possible for it to look okay and still have problems? I don't know I have just never had this hard of a time after feeling better with IVs ... especially when I am STILL on them.

Thanks for the input guys. I am going to be calling the doc tomorrow either way I think, but I wanted to maybe get some of ya'lls opinions.

Thanks again,
Lindsey

 

[CowTown]

Wow Lindsey, I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time! I really don't have any idea what could be going on. From the looks of it, you are taking a lot of meds. Wow. Are any of them new, other then the IVs? There could be a reaction going on I suppose, I really don't know though.

The only time I've experienced continued shortness of breath during IVs and after IVs was when I had a different bug to deal with that the current drugs did not address. I would want to know if there could be any thing else going on which would be why the current drugs aren't doing what you want. In my case my mycobacteria was acting up and needed a whole different regime of meds. If we didn't know about the bacteria, we would have been clueless as to why the regular drugs weren't working.

Hang in there Lindsey!! And keep pestering the docts for more answers until you all figure it out. I hope this helps a little bit.

 

[CowTown]

Wow Lindsey, I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time! I really don't have any idea what could be going on. From the looks of it, you are taking a lot of meds. Wow. Are any of them new, other then the IVs? There could be a reaction going on I suppose, I really don't know though.

The only time I've experienced continued shortness of breath during IVs and after IVs was when I had a different bug to deal with that the current drugs did not address. I would want to know if there could be any thing else going on which would be why the current drugs aren't doing what you want. In my case my mycobacteria was acting up and needed a whole different regime of meds. If we didn't know about the bacteria, we would have been clueless as to why the regular drugs weren't working.

Hang in there Lindsey!! And keep pestering the docts for more answers until you all figure it out. I hope this helps a little bit.

 

[CowTown]

Wow Lindsey, I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time! I really don't have any idea what could be going on. From the looks of it, you are taking a lot of meds. Wow. Are any of them new, other then the IVs? There could be a reaction going on I suppose, I really don't know though.

The only time I've experienced continued shortness of breath during IVs and after IVs was when I had a different bug to deal with that the current drugs did not address. I would want to know if there could be any thing else going on which would be why the current drugs aren't doing what you want. In my case my mycobacteria was acting up and needed a whole different regime of meds. If we didn't know about the bacteria, we would have been clueless as to why the regular drugs weren't working.

Hang in there Lindsey!! And keep pestering the docts for more answers until you all figure it out. I hope this helps a little bit.

 

[NoExcuses]

I think Kelly's on to something...when was the last time that you had a sputum culture?

I hope you feel better soon <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

I think Kelly's on to something...when was the last time that you had a sputum culture?

I hope you feel better soon <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

I think Kelly's on to something...when was the last time that you had a sputum culture?

I hope you feel better soon <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-sad.gif" border="0">

 

[coltsfan715]

The last sputum culture I had was the week I was admitted to the hospital. They always take a culture when I am admitted so they make sure I am on drugs that will work.

The culture showed Staph as the predominant bug and light Psuedo growth.

I have taken Zyvox before ... but this is the first time I have taken Cefepime/Maxipime.

Do you think it could be caused by the TOBI. I was taking TOBI before my hospitalization ... I ended my 28 days ON on Sept 15th and was admitted to the hospital and they started TOBI again on Sept 22nd for another 28 days. That thought just hit me ... do you think it could be the fact that I have practically been on TOBI for almost 2 months straight? with a short 5-6 day break in between.

As for culturing other bugs - unless I just caught something (which I guess anything is possible) I don't know. The stuff that I am coughing up is like a whitish color most times with the occasional yellow stuff thrown in - especially when doing treatments and CPT. As for normal - I haven't had whitish sputum in years lol so that is good for me.

Let me know I guess what you guys think about the TOBI. I have 12 more days and I will be ending this run of it. Maybe that is all this is - again that just hit me as I am sitting down to start the TOBI now and thinking how much I hate it lol.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I will call the doc and talk to them about it tomorrow.

Edited to Add: I did see great improvement the first 1 1/2 of IV treatment then started having problems again. Started the Nexium and that seemed to help but then got sick again this weekend and felt fatigued Sun. and have been getting occasional shortness of breath. I guess I could still be recovering from the food poisoning too... I read that can take anywhere from 4-7 days to fully get over for some people. Who knows. Thanks guys.

Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

The last sputum culture I had was the week I was admitted to the hospital. They always take a culture when I am admitted so they make sure I am on drugs that will work.

The culture showed Staph as the predominant bug and light Psuedo growth.

I have taken Zyvox before ... but this is the first time I have taken Cefepime/Maxipime.

Do you think it could be caused by the TOBI. I was taking TOBI before my hospitalization ... I ended my 28 days ON on Sept 15th and was admitted to the hospital and they started TOBI again on Sept 22nd for another 28 days. That thought just hit me ... do you think it could be the fact that I have practically been on TOBI for almost 2 months straight? with a short 5-6 day break in between.

As for culturing other bugs - unless I just caught something (which I guess anything is possible) I don't know. The stuff that I am coughing up is like a whitish color most times with the occasional yellow stuff thrown in - especially when doing treatments and CPT. As for normal - I haven't had whitish sputum in years lol so that is good for me.

Let me know I guess what you guys think about the TOBI. I have 12 more days and I will be ending this run of it. Maybe that is all this is - again that just hit me as I am sitting down to start the TOBI now and thinking how much I hate it lol.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I will call the doc and talk to them about it tomorrow.

Edited to Add: I did see great improvement the first 1 1/2 of IV treatment then started having problems again. Started the Nexium and that seemed to help but then got sick again this weekend and felt fatigued Sun. and have been getting occasional shortness of breath. I guess I could still be recovering from the food poisoning too... I read that can take anywhere from 4-7 days to fully get over for some people. Who knows. Thanks guys.

Lindsey

 

[coltsfan715]

The last sputum culture I had was the week I was admitted to the hospital. They always take a culture when I am admitted so they make sure I am on drugs that will work.

The culture showed Staph as the predominant bug and light Psuedo growth.

I have taken Zyvox before ... but this is the first time I have taken Cefepime/Maxipime.

Do you think it could be caused by the TOBI. I was taking TOBI before my hospitalization ... I ended my 28 days ON on Sept 15th and was admitted to the hospital and they started TOBI again on Sept 22nd for another 28 days. That thought just hit me ... do you think it could be the fact that I have practically been on TOBI for almost 2 months straight? with a short 5-6 day break in between.

As for culturing other bugs - unless I just caught something (which I guess anything is possible) I don't know. The stuff that I am coughing up is like a whitish color most times with the occasional yellow stuff thrown in - especially when doing treatments and CPT. As for normal - I haven't had whitish sputum in years lol so that is good for me.

Let me know I guess what you guys think about the TOBI. I have 12 more days and I will be ending this run of it. Maybe that is all this is - again that just hit me as I am sitting down to start the TOBI now and thinking how much I hate it lol.

Thanks for the thoughts guys. I will call the doc and talk to them about it tomorrow.

Edited to Add: I did see great improvement the first 1 1/2 of IV treatment then started having problems again. Started the Nexium and that seemed to help but then got sick again this weekend and felt fatigued Sun. and have been getting occasional shortness of breath. I guess I could still be recovering from the food poisoning too... I read that can take anywhere from 4-7 days to fully get over for some people. Who knows. Thanks guys.

Lindsey

 

[ladybug]

Well, IMO it could very well be the TOBI... this is part of why I hated TOBI when I was on it and just could not tolerate it at all... I got extremely short of breath and the longer in my cycle I was with it the worse my breathing got. I could barely walk on the treadmill toward the 28th day! It was ridiculous! So, perhaps this is it. You may want to mention that to your doc. According to my CF doc, more and more people are unable to take TOBI as time goes by cause they develop reactions to it (SOB and bronchiospasms and the like)... usually these just develop (as they did with me) after being on TOBI for quite some time (I had been on it and doing fine for a year or so!)... I hope you get answers.

 

[ladybug]

Well, IMO it could very well be the TOBI... this is part of why I hated TOBI when I was on it and just could not tolerate it at all... I got extremely short of breath and the longer in my cycle I was with it the worse my breathing got. I could barely walk on the treadmill toward the 28th day! It was ridiculous! So, perhaps this is it. You may want to mention that to your doc. According to my CF doc, more and more people are unable to take TOBI as time goes by cause they develop reactions to it (SOB and bronchiospasms and the like)... usually these just develop (as they did with me) after being on TOBI for quite some time (I had been on it and doing fine for a year or so!)... I hope you get answers.

 

[ladybug]

Well, IMO it could very well be the TOBI... this is part of why I hated TOBI when I was on it and just could not tolerate it at all... I got extremely short of breath and the longer in my cycle I was with it the worse my breathing got. I could barely walk on the treadmill toward the 28th day! It was ridiculous! So, perhaps this is it. You may want to mention that to your doc. According to my CF doc, more and more people are unable to take TOBI as time goes by cause they develop reactions to it (SOB and bronchiospasms and the like)... usually these just develop (as they did with me) after being on TOBI for quite some time (I had been on it and doing fine for a year or so!)... I hope you get answers.

 

[ladybug]

... One other thing... do you have anxiety about stuff? I know when I'm on IVs, I'm anxious most all of the time (worrying about the PICC, the meds, that I will/won't get better, how long I'll be on them, getting FEV1 up for the next appt., etc...) So, if you're subconciously thinking about these things, could it be that you're worrying and you don't know it? SOB is ALWAYS present when I'm anxious. Then, I start thinking its CF and I'm worse, etc. etc. So, its an ongoing cycle.

... Anyway, just another thought for if nothing else seems to be the matter. Sometimes its the mind/body connection.

<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Keep us posted, hon!

 

[ladybug]

... One other thing... do you have anxiety about stuff? I know when I'm on IVs, I'm anxious most all of the time (worrying about the PICC, the meds, that I will/won't get better, how long I'll be on them, getting FEV1 up for the next appt., etc...) So, if you're subconciously thinking about these things, could it be that you're worrying and you don't know it? SOB is ALWAYS present when I'm anxious. Then, I start thinking its CF and I'm worse, etc. etc. So, its an ongoing cycle.

... Anyway, just another thought for if nothing else seems to be the matter. Sometimes its the mind/body connection.

<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Keep us posted, hon!

 

[ladybug]

... One other thing... do you have anxiety about stuff? I know when I'm on IVs, I'm anxious most all of the time (worrying about the PICC, the meds, that I will/won't get better, how long I'll be on them, getting FEV1 up for the next appt., etc...) So, if you're subconciously thinking about these things, could it be that you're worrying and you don't know it? SOB is ALWAYS present when I'm anxious. Then, I start thinking its CF and I'm worse, etc. etc. So, its an ongoing cycle.

... Anyway, just another thought for if nothing else seems to be the matter. Sometimes its the mind/body connection.

<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0"> Keep us posted, hon!

 

[littledebbie]

I once was on IV's etc. and switching meds so much that I basically overloaded and my body just started "reacting" but it wasn't really that I was having an adverse reaction to any particular drug it was that my body was basically saying "that's it! ENOUGH". I'm sure everyone's body can handle different amounts of time lines and drug changes maybe your body has hit yours. NAyway, I hope you feel better...that egg epsiode...yick.

 

[littledebbie]

I once was on IV's etc. and switching meds so much that I basically overloaded and my body just started "reacting" but it wasn't really that I was having an adverse reaction to any particular drug it was that my body was basically saying "that's it! ENOUGH". I'm sure everyone's body can handle different amounts of time lines and drug changes maybe your body has hit yours. NAyway, I hope you feel better...that egg epsiode...yick.