Shortness of breath and Chemo

[Jessica]

My mother has shortness of breath six days into chemo(carbo had a reaction to taxol). Has only right lung,was not short of breath after surgery 3/16 started having shortness of breath six days after 1st dose of carbo. Has anyone else had shortness of breath during chemo? Did it get better or go away?

[CharlieD]

I too had SOB when I was on Carbo. It usually went away but seemed like it always came back. Hope your Moms goes away too. God Bless.

[richinsdakota]

I had SOB, (pneumonitis, or pneumonia) from chemo...taxotere...Onc says it can do that , (now he tells me.) Took a week of antibios and steroids to clear up. Seemed to return to where I was, breathing wise, but steroids made me emotional wreck for awhile. Required anti-anxiety med to calm me down. (Lorazepam). Rich B.

[bcbcbc]

I've had SOB while undergoing chemo. It seems to come and go. Among other things it is affected by low red blood cell count. My onc says if hemoglobin count is less than 12 (I think) you need medication to increase the reds.

They're the ones that carry oxygen to the whole system. Makes sense to me that if oxygen is low the body will ask the lungs to breathe harder.

I was really short of breath last September when I was first diagnosed. Actually that was what got me to the ER. I thought I was having a heart attack.

It turned out that I had a large pleural effusion. Essentially fluids had accumulated in the pleural cavity occupying the space that the lungs need for expansion. So I was running on empty.

After they drained the PE and administered treatment to prevent recurrence my breathing improved to something approaching normal. I can walk a mile or more on flat terrain without tiring. Hills and long stairs are a challenge.