Has anyone else experienced this???

[anne2009]

Hi All

Over the last few months - I have found that I have experienced breathlessness and many times I have been told its down to the weight. I accept this and am due to have my gastric bypass op on September 14th.

I have PCOS, severe sleep apnea and I am finding I become breathless after walking stairs, doing some housework or even just walking down a road. I find I struggle to breathe during the night, even when I have my CPAP machine (for the sleep apnea) on.

I'm 35 years of age and very overweight. I just wanted to know if other people did / are experiencing this because of the extra weight and how bad it is.

ANNE x

 

[Sambucca]

Hi Anne,

I dont have sleep apnoea or PCOS, but I do suffer terribly with breathlessness at the minute. It actually scares me sometimes. I walked up a flight of stairs at new street station the other day and when I got to the top I actually thought I was going to pass out as I was struggling so hard to breathe. I get totally breathless just doing stuff like the hoovering at home. I can't wait for my surgery so I can stop putting my body under so much pressure.

I'm the same age as you, and need to lose about 9 - 10 stones to reach a healthy weight. I think losing the weight and slowly increasing fitness will help enormously.

 

[Snowcrystal]

Hi All

Over the last few months - I have found that I have experienced breathlessness and many times I have been told its down to the weight. I accept this and am due to have my gastric bypass op on September 14th.

I have PCOS, severe sleep apnea and I am finding I become breathless after walking stairs, doing some housework or even just walking down a road. I find I struggle to breathe during the night, even when I have my CPAP machine (for the sleep apnea) on.

I'm 35 years of age and very overweight. I just wanted to know if other people did / are experiencing this because of the extra weight and how bad it is.

ANNE x

Hi Anne

Yes I get so very very breathless...even just getting in and out of the car...walking up stairs...just getting off the couch and I hate it...it makes me feel ancient...and reminds me how terrible I feel....Although i don't have sleep apnoea...I am pretty sure that most overweight folk have the same or similar breathlessness.

I'm glad your WLS is just around the corner...you will feel better very soon .

Good luck

(((hugs)))

 

[Snowcrystal]

Hi Anne,

I dont have sleep apnoea or PCOS, but I do suffer terribly with breathlessness at the minute. It actually scares me sometimes. I walked up a flight of stairs at new street station the other day and when I got to the top I actually thought I was going to pass out as I was struggling so hard to breathe. I get totally breathless just doing stuff like the hoovering at home. I can't wait for my surgery so I can stop putting my body under so much pressure.

I'm the same age as you, and need to lose about 9 - 10 stones to reach a healthy weight. I think losing the weight and slowly increasing fitness will help enormously.

Ditto all the above Sam...and it is so scary...I always feel like the next time I am going to have a heart attack.

Does it hurt tour shoulders too?

(((hugs)))

 

[candie]

I've had mild asthma since the weight started to pile on, so am hoping it will go when I get down to a healthy weightIn the mean time I always carry my inhaler with me

 

[Janeywanttoloosealot]

Hi All

Over the last few months - I have found that I have experienced breathlessness and many times I have been told its down to the weight. I accept this and am due to have my gastric bypass op on September 14th.

I have PCOS, severe sleep apnea and I am finding I become breathless after walking stairs, doing some housework or even just walking down a road. I find I struggle to breathe during the night, even when I have my CPAP machine (for the sleep apnea) on.

I'm 35 years of age and very overweight. I just wanted to know if other people did / are experiencing this because of the extra weight and how bad it is.

ANNE x

Hi Anne i to was and am still very overwheight even after the wheight i have lost all ready. I to suffered breathlessness struggeld going up stairs could'nt even walk very far because of it. Beleive me it will get better once you have had the op even though i still have a lot of wheight to loose i feel so much better. Hope this helps janey

 

[Sambucca]

Ditto all the above Sam...and it is so scary...I always feel like the next time I am going to have a heart attack.

Does it hurt tour shoulders too?

(((hugs)))

You are right Snow, it is scary. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long to get your surgery so you can start to feel some relief.

My shoulders and upper back ache permanently but thats more to do with my mahoosive boobs rather than the shortness of breath.

 

[gaelic girl]

I'm the same as everyone else, i get breathless too just walking up the stairs and to the shops etc only down to weight as i have no underlying health problems. Looking forward to a time when this is no longer a prob. xx

 

[marky v]

i don't particularly get breathless at all, even up my one flight of stairs in my house, i do have a CPAP machine which i use every night, aids me in such restfull sleep compared to before, what you are suffering from, well it defo sounds like it is ''obesity hypoventilation syndrome''

click the link >>>>>

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[anne2009]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I thought I was the only one who was struggling with the breathlessness thing! I was starting to think no other overweight person is experiencing this! So, its a comfort to me that you have all suffered with this to some degree.

The only thing worrying me is having my op in mid September and that I have so many health problems because of my weight. I have started to worry if I will die on the operating table or something. I've never had an operation before, so I seem to be in a panic how I will be. My surgeon has told me the gastric bypass will eventually get rid of the sleep apnea and PCOS, so I am looking forward to that very much.

ANNE x

 

[Silversurfer]

Hi Anne

You'll be glad to know the sleep apnea is one of the first things to improve post op ! - i wasn't diagnosed with apnea but i know i had it, i used to fall asleep on the loo, meetings any longer than 20 minutes were horrendous as i'd fall asleep and generally i had absolutely no energy at all, thankfully it turns around really quickly post op and you'll find things improve.

You have spoken with and warned your surgeon that you have sleep apnea as they will need to treat you slightly differently post op, i spent my first night in ICU as a precuation and you cant have morphin if you have sleep apnea because it can supress the respiratory system, instead they gave me brufen on a drip, which in high doses does the same thing.

 

[anne2009]

Hi Silversurfer

Yes, I will be going into High Dependency after my op. My surgeon has already told me this will be the case and that I'll need to bring my CPAP machine into hospital with me. I think I'm just feeling nervous, knowing I will be having my op in a matter of weeks. Since I've never had an op, I guess I am just worrying myself to bits!!

The breathlessness does worry me as it seems like I get breathless after doing anything. Even standing up and walking to another room makes me feel like its so much effort. I work full time and even at work, I find I get breathless after walking or using stairs instead of the lift. I just can't wait for this to go away. Its scary experiencing it and I feel a freak having PCOS.

 

[Silversurfer]

Sam - Dont worry you will be fine, infact i felt great knowing for the first night i had constant care at hand, everytime something beeped or i moved my personal nurse was there moving something or adjusting a tube or administering more drugs. I had to be on oxygen as my blood oxygen levels dropped when i slept so that was just another tube

Sleep apneas horrible to have, i suffered in denial for years, my wife says i used to stop breathing at night and she'd have to wake me up to start me breathing, plus i snored like a chainsaw, now i dont snore and sleep like a baby. plus i dont feel tired or knackerd through out the day !

The nerves are normal, we all go through it, just take it one step at a time and before you know it, it will be all over and you'll be a loser like the rest of us

 

[thinkbethin]

Hi there, I suffer with brittle asthma but have to say that since losing weight my breathlessness has been alot easier. I hope the weight loss helps you too once you've had your op.xx

 

[Bonita]

I suffer from severe asthma and pre-op struggled getting my breath climbing stairs etc. Had to go into HDU for a few days post op because of it, got a touch of phneumonia and had two asthma attacks in the hospital so spent some time on a nebuliser. All this was in the first week, since then I've not even used my Inhalers once.

Ten weeks later and five stone lighter I'm not even wheezing anymore either. Not saying I won't once I really get exercising but its definately a hell of a lot better.

 

[phatmomma]

I too suffer with breathlessness. I recently had an interview which was held on the first floor, i could have took the lift but opted for the stairs. When i got to the top i had to stand for a few minutes to get my breath, i felt about 90.

I can assure you that as your weight starts to fall and you can exercise more (i know been obese exercise is a big swear word to me) you will stop wheezing n puffing! You will feel wonderful this time next year and won't recognise yourself (nor will other people lol).

Good luck with your surgery, stop looking (if you can) at this as a possible death sentence and look at it as your chrysallis stage, you are going to emerge as a new person...

Looking forward to hearing how it goes, don't be a stranger xx

 

[anne2009]

Thanks everyone!! Thank you to Julie as well for making me feel less scared!! I guess I should take my mind off the thought of never having had an operation before and imagine how life will be for me post op.

I've found this site so useful and the people friendly as well. I look forward to telling you how I get on.

ANNE x