Jimeee!!!
03-04-15, 12:30
Hi everyone
About 7 days ago i ran up 5 flights of steps-quite a feat for someone like me -i.e. Overweight and not generally active. As i got to the top of the steps, i gasped for breath and could really feel my chest pumping and my lungs working overtime trying to catch my breath. I was fine a bit after this but then started getting wheezy a couple of hours later and having to breathe through my mouth on walking.
The next day, i had a fairly sedate day, was sat reading a book and generally grazing after lunch until i had a feeling of light headedness. I got up and opened the front door to let some fresh air through. I started to feel dizzy and sat down. I then started to feel like i couldnt breathe and was trying to catch my breath. I had never had this feeling before and i asked my husband to get me a glass of water and an aspirin as i felt like i was having a heart attack. I asked him to drive me to a and e and just as we pulled up, i was beginning to have a full blown panic attack. I didnt know this at the time, i genuinely thought i was having a heart attack. I scrambled to a paramedic and asked him to help me -he the sat me down and told me breathe deeply. I cried and explained that i couldnt breathe. I was wheeled in to a and e, by this time i had developed spasms in my hands and arms which freaked me out even more. My oxygen sats were done which were 100%. I had an Ecg trace which was normal and a chest xray which was normal too. I was discharged home.
The next day, i still had shortness of breath and started to develop tightness across my chest. I rang my gp and asked to see them straight away-luckily there was a cancellation. I asked whether it could be asthma and she did a peak flow test which suggested it could be. She checked for a chest infection but couldnt hear anything. I was in bits by this point and she said that formal testing for asthma would need to be perfomed-a spirometry. This unfortunately is for a couple of weeks time! She gave me a rescue inhaler in the meantime to use as and when needed. Since then, i still have the tightness and shortness of breath. I feel tired very easily ( im still in bed writing this). I was just wondering if anyone has a similar experience to share with me as I am very worried. I hate feeling like this, i dont want to rely on the rescue inhaler because at the moment i dont know if it is asthma or if it is relating to the panic attack or indeed if it is a chest infection. I am 37 and have never had a diagnosis of asthma though I do get a lot of chest infections, particularly in the cold months. I am a bit scared. :wacko:
About 7 days ago i ran up 5 flights of steps-quite a feat for someone like me -i.e. Overweight and not generally active. As i got to the top of the steps, i gasped for breath and could really feel my chest pumping and my lungs working overtime trying to catch my breath. I was fine a bit after this but then started getting wheezy a couple of hours later and having to breathe through my mouth on walking.
The next day, i had a fairly sedate day, was sat reading a book and generally grazing after lunch until i had a feeling of light headedness. I got up and opened the front door to let some fresh air through. I started to feel dizzy and sat down. I then started to feel like i couldnt breathe and was trying to catch my breath. I had never had this feeling before and i asked my husband to get me a glass of water and an aspirin as i felt like i was having a heart attack. I asked him to drive me to a and e and just as we pulled up, i was beginning to have a full blown panic attack. I didnt know this at the time, i genuinely thought i was having a heart attack. I scrambled to a paramedic and asked him to help me -he the sat me down and told me breathe deeply. I cried and explained that i couldnt breathe. I was wheeled in to a and e, by this time i had developed spasms in my hands and arms which freaked me out even more. My oxygen sats were done which were 100%. I had an Ecg trace which was normal and a chest xray which was normal too. I was discharged home.
The next day, i still had shortness of breath and started to develop tightness across my chest. I rang my gp and asked to see them straight away-luckily there was a cancellation. I asked whether it could be asthma and she did a peak flow test which suggested it could be. She checked for a chest infection but couldnt hear anything. I was in bits by this point and she said that formal testing for asthma would need to be perfomed-a spirometry. This unfortunately is for a couple of weeks time! She gave me a rescue inhaler in the meantime to use as and when needed. Since then, i still have the tightness and shortness of breath. I feel tired very easily ( im still in bed writing this). I was just wondering if anyone has a similar experience to share with me as I am very worried. I hate feeling like this, i dont want to rely on the rescue inhaler because at the moment i dont know if it is asthma or if it is relating to the panic attack or indeed if it is a chest infection. I am 37 and have never had a diagnosis of asthma though I do get a lot of chest infections, particularly in the cold months. I am a bit scared. :wacko: