How do you know if a cough might be ascites?

AussieMaddie
AussieMaddie Member Posts: 345 Member
in Peritoneal Cancer #1
Hi,

with my last CA125 count having gone up to 125, we are now just waiting for symptoms of the cancer before starting my second chemo.

The last couple of days, I've had what appears to be asthma. I've had bursts of this years ago, but not for a long time. The cough doesn't pleay up all day but when it does, it doesn't go away easily.

The onc. said for me to ring his offsider (my onc. is on leave) if I experience any of the familar symptoms - the cough brought on by ascites filling my abdomen, leaving not enough room for my lungs to expand or if, for examole, ascites might be back in my lung.

I don't know.

There are some things I really want to do before starting my next chemo (esp having my will signed) so I don't want to rush off in case it really is just a case of asthma (which does run in my family).

Wondered if others were able to tell that the cough was caused by ascites. I know that when I was first diagnosed, I definitely didn't know what was causing the cough, and it wasn't bad then either, even though a CT scan showed me to be filled with "10kg" of fluid!

As I said, I'm not wantint to rush it at present. *Really* want my will completed and afraid that once they start a new chemo that it may not go down as well as the Carbo/Taxol and might give me sickness which might cause me to delay other things.

Can't linger tonight.

Take care all,

Hugs (((( )))))

AussieMaddie

Comments

  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #2
    Crackling in the throat
    Hi AussieMaddie
    When I had fluid around my lungs I used to be able to hear a faint crackling when I breathed with my mouth open. It had to be quiet but I could hear and feel this bubbling crackling sound.

    Take care and hugs xxxxx Tina
  • AussieMaddie
    AussieMaddie Member Posts: 345 Member
    #3
    Tina Brown said:

    Crackling in the throat
    Hi AussieMaddie
    When I had fluid around my lungs I used to be able to hear a faint crackling when I breathed with my mouth open. It had to be quiet but I could hear and feel this bubbling crackling sound.

    Take care and hugs xxxxx Tina

    A wheeze that souds like asthma
    I've had a wheeze and it sounsds likew asthma most of the time - but not always. But the GP checked my chest and said that I don't have asthma. Although, like you, I have also had the fluid on the lung, and had that drained, I don't remember ever hearing a sound. Maybe I did and have forgottewn. When I was first diagnosed with the fluid in the abdomen, it seemed that I just had an ordinary cough, not bad at all - yet when they did the ultrasound, they found my abdomen filled with "10 kg" of fluid!

    I won't know really till they do the CT. I see the oncologist tomorrow. He will arrange thew CT.

    As you know, unlike many, I don't feel frightened at all, but I do have my sights set on tidying up my house before anything goes seriously wrong, and with this cancer, and the treatments, you never know what to expect. So far, I've had amazing luck.

    It's nice to hear from you Tina. As I said, you are never far from my thoughts

    (((( )))))

    AussieMaddie
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #4
    AussieMaddie said:

    A wheeze that souds like asthma
    I've had a wheeze and it sounsds likew asthma most of the time - but not always. But the GP checked my chest and said that I don't have asthma. Although, like you, I have also had the fluid on the lung, and had that drained, I don't remember ever hearing a sound. Maybe I did and have forgottewn. When I was first diagnosed with the fluid in the abdomen, it seemed that I just had an ordinary cough, not bad at all - yet when they did the ultrasound, they found my abdomen filled with "10 kg" of fluid!

    I won't know really till they do the CT. I see the oncologist tomorrow. He will arrange thew CT.

    As you know, unlike many, I don't feel frightened at all, but I do have my sights set on tidying up my house before anything goes seriously wrong, and with this cancer, and the treatments, you never know what to expect. So far, I've had amazing luck.

    It's nice to hear from you Tina. As I said, you are never far from my thoughts

    (((( )))))

    AussieMaddie

    Hello AussieMaddie
    I hope you have had the CT to find out what is going on inside of your body. I usually have a chest x-ray to find out about fluid in my lungs.

    I am please to know you re not frightened and yes, no one knows what is round the corner.

    Take care and let us know your results.

    Tina xxxxxxx
  • AussieMaddie
    AussieMaddie Member Posts: 345 Member
    #5
    Tina Brown said:

    Hello AussieMaddie
    I hope you have had the CT to find out what is going on inside of your body. I usually have a chest x-ray to find out about fluid in my lungs.

    I am please to know you re not frightened and yes, no one knows what is round the corner.

    Take care and let us know your results.

    Tina xxxxxxx

    Hi,
    yes I had CT scans of
    Hi,

    yes I had CT scans of chest, abdomen and pelvis, and amazingly it turns out that there is *no* fluid in my lungs or my abdomen. A little is in my pelvis and there is sign of very small growths in the pelvic area and also on the omentum, but I was sure that my heavy cough was caused by the ascites.

    Both my onc. and also a colleague for my general practitioner has said they can't hear sign of asthma, but I've found that Ventolin puffer can help enormously, so I will see my own general practitioner tomorrow about that. The cough, and the tightness in the chest has been very bad. That's why I thought it was the ascites.

    The onc. wants to start me on Taxol/Gemzar from next Wednedsay - same regimen as I was on with Carbo/Taxol that is, half the full dose on one day of each week over two weeks, then two weeks off. Then I go for a blood test to check the CA125 before I seeing the onc every 4 weeks.

    Not sure what to expect of the Taxol/Gemzar. Had almost no trouble at all on Carbo/Taxol, but can't expect my good luck to stay forever I suppose.

    Maybe others here can fill me in on Taxol/Gemzar side effects compared to Carbo/Taxol - even though I know side effects can vary enormously. I never did get nausea on the Carbo/Taxol. Am I more likely to get it on the Taxol/Gemzar?

    Thanks,

    AusieMaddie
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #6
    AussieMaddie said:

    Hi,
    yes I had CT scans of
    Hi,

    yes I had CT scans of chest, abdomen and pelvis, and amazingly it turns out that there is *no* fluid in my lungs or my abdomen. A little is in my pelvis and there is sign of very small growths in the pelvic area and also on the omentum, but I was sure that my heavy cough was caused by the ascites.

    Both my onc. and also a colleague for my general practitioner has said they can't hear sign of asthma, but I've found that Ventolin puffer can help enormously, so I will see my own general practitioner tomorrow about that. The cough, and the tightness in the chest has been very bad. That's why I thought it was the ascites.

    The onc. wants to start me on Taxol/Gemzar from next Wednedsay - same regimen as I was on with Carbo/Taxol that is, half the full dose on one day of each week over two weeks, then two weeks off. Then I go for a blood test to check the CA125 before I seeing the onc every 4 weeks.

    Not sure what to expect of the Taxol/Gemzar. Had almost no trouble at all on Carbo/Taxol, but can't expect my good luck to stay forever I suppose.

    Maybe others here can fill me in on Taxol/Gemzar side effects compared to Carbo/Taxol - even though I know side effects can vary enormously. I never did get nausea on the Carbo/Taxol. Am I more likely to get it on the Taxol/Gemzar?

    Thanks,

    AusieMaddie

    Good news
    This is really good news about the ascites. Funnily I also had the same results as you with some fluid in my pelvic area when I had a scan early Sept this year.

    Good luck with your new regime. I think it will give your cancer a run for its money as the Gemzar is something new and will be more effective.

    Take care Tina xxx

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