Shortness of breath

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tinacap77
tinacap77 Member Posts: 27 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

I have just finished 4 of 6 planned chemo cycles and it seems each cycle I've had increased shortness of breath just walking short distances (like to the bathroom)

I did have a bit of a rough  go in that my very first chemo, I went into anaphylactic shock from the paciltaxel. I was allergic to the additive Cremophor in the drug and consider myself lucky to be alive) and was hospitalized. The second chemo, I developed AFib. Today I had a chest CT scan with contrast to rule out a clot ( pulmonary embolism ) in the lung as that would cause shortness of breath. 
Has anyone else dealt with feeling shortness of breath perhaps caused by the chemo itself?

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  • Tamlen
    Tamlen Member Posts: 343 Member
    #2
    Perhaps low hemoglobin?

    Yes, I experienced that. My chemo finished 2 1/2 years ago. By round 4 I was very short of breath and could hear swishing in my ears, matched to my pulse, when I put my head on the pillow. By round 5, my hemoglobin had gotten so low I needed a blood transfusion, not uncommon with this chemo (carboplatin and taxol). By round 6 I could barely walk across the room and it took me a while to climb the stairs to bed. I'd been a runner before chemo! Soon after round 6 I was rushed to the hospital for an emergency blood transfusion because my hemoglobin had reached a dangerously low level. I was told this was not unusual and things gradually got better over time after chemo was over. By a month out I could sleep without swish-swish-swish in my ears and was starting to take long walk again.

    Do you know your hemoglobin levels from your blood work?

    Tamlen

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