Sudden breathless
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi everyone, I have had bronchiectas for a few years now , been in hospital with psudomas pnemonia about three years ago, I cough every day , and get many chest infections. However I have now developed a new symptom of hyperventilating. It just starts suddenly, and I am not moving around. It lasts for about 20 minutes the only thing that seems to relieve it is to take a dose of my symbicort. Nothing else works . Has any one else had this ever . It's really frightening when it happens,. Any advice please
1 like, 7 replies
joviswoman jackie14837
Posted
Hey Jackie,
After the hyperventilating do you cough up any sputum?
I get extremely tight chested, start fighting for breath, like I'm aiming for an asthma attack, but then I start to cough up sputum like it's going out of fashion.
When I'm finished the tightness has gone, but I've noticed more and more these days that I'm fighting for breath whilst coughing up, if I'm on my own I do get scared that I won't get a breath at all.
This may be nothing like yours, and you might want to ask your GP or consultant about it.
There may be someone out here that is having the same symptoms as you and I really hope you can get an answer.
Gail.
jackie14837 joviswoman
Posted
Thank you for your reply, I do seem to cough up sticky sputum during the attack, it's this new thing of hyperventilating that frightens me, and how it comes on so suddenly, does yours attacks last long ? Mine last a good 20 mins. Then thay leave me feeling short of breath .
joviswoman jackie14837
Posted
Mine can last 10 -30 mins. Until I get the sputum up I can't hardly breath.
I hope you can get yours sorted asap, but I can't stress to mention it asap to your doctor asap as there may be something else underlying your BX that's causing the attacks.
pam81116 jackie14837
Posted
I do get panic attacks and hyperventilation, I was told to use a brown paper bag to breath in and out of , just hold it up to your mouth keep it there and breath in and out of it till it passes,
Hugs Pam
aitarg35939 jackie14837
Posted
Do you use a mucus thinner regularly? They can make it so very much easier to get mucus up and out.
I was taught by a nurse to "smell the roses and blow my kisses" ALWAYS while coughing, which means teaching ourselves to inhale through the nose even in coughing fits and only open the mouth during the cough /exhale. I find it an immensely calming technique versus that gotta-cough-&-try-to-inhale-simultaneously system.
For plain hyoerventilation, the paper bag someone else mentioned is best system still.
jackie14837 aitarg35939
Posted
aitarg35939 jackie14837
Posted
I'm in the States and I use guafenisin tablets, 1200 mg twice daily with at least 8 oz. water each time. My pulmo set the dosage. You might need less.
This used to be a cheap OTC med but then people got greedy & created the mucinex brand -- for which each major outlet like Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart etc. have their own "generics". Mind boggling: generics of a generic. But if there's a Costco, it's cheaper to join & buy Mucus Relief, at $12/2 month.
I tried NAC/Mucomist. In the States it's not cheap. I do better on the guafenisin, but others are better on the NAC.