Wheezing symptons?

nomadawn68
nomadawn68 Member Posts: 10
edited March 2014 in Lung Cancer #1
Hi,
My mum has developed wheezing when she breathes, even at rest.She has never had this before. It does seem too much of a problem and her oncolgist was not duly concerned. He gave her her second round of chemo.
Does anyone else have experience of this?
Does it mean the chemo isnt working or is the cancer getting worse?
I am panicking so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for listening
Debbie
_________________
04/18/2007 - Mum, 70, diagnosed with lung cancer after CT scan. Symptons : flu like, nausea, severe headaches and persistent cough. Been treated for lung infection for 4 months.
04/19/2007 - Brain scan and bronchioscopy.
04/25/2007 - Bronch. results confirm Extensive SCLC. Tumour high up in right ling, lymph node involvement and possible adrenal gland affected. Lung specialist says incurable and only palliative care available.No radiation or surgery. Brian scan clear.
04/27/2007 - Meet with Oncologist who is a bit more optimistic. Although prognosis is poor he offers chemotherapy and possible radiotherapy late on.
05/01/2007 - Mums first chemo - Carboplatin & Etopiside by IV. takes about 2 hours in hospital. Oral Etopiside to take at home for 3 days.
05/08/2007 - Mum extremely fatigued and experiencing severe pain in back which radiates around middle. Doctor called & pain killers prescribed.
05/09/2007 - pain worsens and now numbness in left arm & left leg. Taken to A & E - it is not a stroke ! Mum sent home. Pain has eased but numbness remains - could be chemo side effect..??
05/24/2007 - Mum develops wheezing but also appears to have a cold - we all do at the moment !
05/25/2007 - Mums second round. Blood count ok. Docs not concerned with wheezing.

Comments

  • beatlemike
    beatlemike Member Posts: 55 Member
    #2
    Hi,I still wheeze from time to time. Depends on alot of things,weather or if I hace a cold or if the wind is blowing hard. Hope and pray the best for you and your Mom.
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #3
    beatlemike said:

    Hi,I still wheeze from time to time. Depends on alot of things,weather or if I hace a cold or if the wind is blowing hard. Hope and pray the best for you and your Mom.

    I had a bit of trouble breathing after lung surgery. The surgical nurse pointed out that my lungs were compromised and I would need to do more than I used to to protect my breathing. I had to stop teaching the tiny ones in Sunday school so I wouldn't get colds as much. I needed to use cleaners that wouldn't irritate my lungs and stay away from strong smells like solvents (my husband is an artist!) and perfumes. Until my breathing was better, I was to avoid the aisle in the grocery store where the laundry products were stored. I was panicked that I couldn't catch my breath at times. The nurse had no pity. If I wanted to breath better, I HAD to calm down and breath slowly. No crying allowed! She suggested opening a window or sitting in front of a fan if I needed "more air". I was to avoid extreme cold and hot temperatures. Really muggy humid weather and winter cold would make breathing more difficult. At the same time, sipping warm tea was supposed to help. (It did.) Well, things have gotten better since she gave me that lecture, but following her advice and using the apparatus to do my breathing exercises helped too. Yoga deep breathing helps some as well. It doesn't look like your mom is missing part of her lung, but maybe some of the tips I was given might help. If things get worse, don't be afraid to call the doctors for help. They need to advise you on how to tell when breathing really is a problem. With my son who has asthma, we call for immediate doctor's help when he experiences something called retractions. Retractions are when the skin just below the adam's apple seems to sink into his throat as he gasps for breath. I also knew that when he couldn't sing the first part of "Mary had a Little Lamb" without taking a breath that we had a problem. Now we have a peak flow meter that measures air flow more accurately, but a cheap whistle can work well too. If they can't blow it, call! Blue lips and finger nails are another sign of oxygen problems. Lots of water intake reduces the stickiness of lung secretions and helps with asthma, colds, bronchitis, and other lung disorders, so keep your mom drinking plenty of water. Folks tell me that that helps with chemo too. Good luck Debbie!

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