| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| tree |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 12:10:55 AM
Does anyone have any info on links between asthma and pre-E/HELLP? I had mild asthma before I got pregnant. It got really bad while I was pregnant (starting at 8 weeks), and it has stayed bad for over six months after delivery. I finally went in to see the internist and got a referral to the pulmunologist today after nearly a month of constant breathing problems and increasing meds.
Has any one else experienced lingering breathing issues after PE/HELLP? I really can't stand this anymore. I used to use an inhaler only before intense workouts, and I now need one to get out of bed. I was doing fairly well on an increased dose of Advair for a few weeks, but things have gone pretty badly the last few days.
Recent research is starting to show a correlation between asthma and autoimmune issues, which is probably an ominous sign for future pre-E development. My two most recent flares have been accompanied by severe joint pain, which is freaking me out. I know some of it is stress related, but I am not THAT strung out... |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tree |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 11:17:20 AM
I forgot about this in my last reply -
Has anyone had lung scarring from a bout with pulmonary edema? There was some slight scarring in my chest x-ray, and I have never had pneumonia or anything else that might cause it. I definitely had a lot of fluid around/in my lungs when MB was born. |
| tree |
Posted - 11/06/2009 : 11:11:47 AM
Things are slowly getting better. I saw the internist again, and she is pretty sure it is just bad asthmatic bronchitis with some inflammation/irritation in my chest wall from six weeks of coughing. We went through my blood work, and my TSH dropped by a factor of 5 from this summer, which I find a little concerning. We are going to retest in a month. I can't remember if I had my TSH tested before or after I had the retained placenta removed, so the value from this summer might be off. My sedimentation rate was sky high as well. She thought we would reconsider the rheumatologist after the next round of blood work.
Either way, she thinks I should be feeling much better next week. I think I will keep the pulmonology appointment for January just to get an asthma action plan together for next time. My peak flow at my second appointment was around 350 (after 3 days of steroids). I need to get a peak flow meter for home to keep better track of it. I am pretty sure that I will just go to the ER if it flares up again. |
| love_the_daschies |
Posted - 11/05/2009 : 2:38:49 PM
teresa - I have moderate asthma, bad asthma at times. I see a great pulminologist - but I have NEVER hesitated to go to the ER if my breathing feels off. Do you measure your peak flow? It is a cheap little thing that measures your lung capacity. It can alert you to a problem before you feel symptoms.
For example:
my usual peak flow is 390
my danger zone is under 350
before I et sick - I start getting measurements of about 360 and use my inhaler to get me back up to 390. |
| JMom08 |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 11:56:27 PM
Ugh, I am so sorry you can't see the pulmonologist until January! Is there another one in your area you could see for a 2nd opinion, to get in sooner? I hope you can get some relief soon!! |
| tree |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 2:36:34 PM
I just talked to my doctor, and the blood work came back consistent with "someone on prednisone" and "nothing scary". Still, my thyroid is off and there is an inflammation marker that is high. I can't breathe well at all, so this is frustrating. I will go see her tomorrow to discuss if there is some underlying autoimmune issue that caused all of this. She thinks it could be some sort of virus, but I haven't felt that bad or had fever. In the meantime, I get a nebulizer. The pulmonologist can't/won't see me until January. I don't want to get bad enough to get in quickly, but we have all been there before...
Mother bear - we have similar asthma triggers. Mine are basically pregnancy (really bad) and exercise (pretty manageable). |
| mother bear |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 2:18:48 PM
Unexplained asthma symptoms is actually my early warning sign that I'm pregnant. You know, some people feel bloated, some people just "know", some people suddenly can't stand the smell of coffee. I get asthma. But, my asthma is usually well controlled (as in one episode per year or less) when I'm not pregnant, and when I avoid my asthma trigger food.
That said, the severe joint pain combined with the asthma would send me to a doc fairly promptly to get some testing done for some kind of underlying autoimmune disorder. |
| Caryn |
Posted - 11/04/2009 : 11:43:42 AM
This makes me wonder if maybe you should have your airway hyperresponsiveness formally measured, and if there's any particular protocol for managing changes in it.
I'm not really up on my asthma stuff, and I should be -- family history etc. -- but I'll keep my eyes peeled. |
| missgamecock |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 6:04:10 PM
I have asthma. It got worse with Kirsten and Sara. It was ok with Cate. I'm not surprised there is a link. |
| JMom08 |
Posted - 11/03/2009 : 2:54:47 PM
I've had bad chest colds since my son was 1 yr old (bronchitis, lots of antibiotics and some rounds of oral steroids), and my son's asthma doctor is telling me now that I probably have mild asthma. I've been prone to them since I was a kid, but it does seem like they got worse after PE (well, a year after that, we stayed fairly isolated his first year).
I am so sorry about your breathing issues and joint pain. (((hugs))) I hope you can get some help!! |
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