Hello Blaine.
I had a similar experience, couldn't get any air in, feeling like my lungs were too tiny, some chest pain. Called the province's healthline and she called an ambulance for me. They thought I had an embolism but nope, fine. They noticed that my GP prescribed me albuterol 4x a day, and was heavily exacerbating the symptoms instead of helping. Are you supposed to take Advair 4 or 5 times a day, even if your breathing is disturbed? It could be making it worse.

Anyway, I just did a complete pulmonary function test, yet to get the results. I suggest you do one if you haven't already, or do another one if your symptoms aren't being controlled anymore.
What kind of high BP med is it? I was on propranolol (overactive sympathetic nervous system) for about a week before I realized it was making my breathing worse. I think most beta-blockers have that effect, so definitely consult with your doctor is that's what you're taking.

Thank you Polygon!
I use my Albuterol inhaler only as needed. I had used it maybe three times that day, and it did not really help. Normally it does help tremendously. I take my Advair 0-2 daily depending on the time of year. Normaylly this time of year I don't need and so had stopped taking it. But that week in particular my asthma(or breathing difficulties) had been bothing me so I was back to twice a day. I take Lotensin for my BP, I don't remember if it is a beta-blocker or not. I am thinking not because it could interfer with my asthma or something like that?

I want to get in to see someone about pulmonary function - my pcp said she will be e-mailing me today. I also have a seriously racing pulse - its waking me up at night at around 110 bpm. Does this relate to High Blood Pressure?

Your heart will beat faster when your blood pressure goes down.
This is a compensitory reflex, and most common with calcium channel blockers, and drugs like nitroglycerine which dilate blood vessels.

Lotensin is an ACE inhibitor and not as likely to cause racing heart. Not a beta blocker, and no interaction there with breathing, like beta blockers.
But some people have allergic reactions to ACE inhibitors, and so discussing this with the doctor may be warranted. If you are allergic to this drug, you will have allergic reactions, hives, closing of the throat and perhaps asthma.

Advair has Serevent in it. Increasing any dosing beyond the twice a day maximum can be very hazardous, and there have been deaths with it in fact. Serevent was on a potential FDA removal list for a while, but the drug companies lobbied to keep it available in the end. You can look this warning up:
http://injury-law.freeadvice.com/inj...nt-warning.htm

Some people get racing heartbeats with albuterol as well.
When people are on an inhaler containing Serevent, using albuterol for rescue should be done very carefully as they can be additive for reactive bronchoconstriction (which is a life threatening situation).

MrsD you are unbelievably helpful, I hope you know that!

Blaine, I'm glad your doctor is emailing you soon, ask about a referral to a pulmonary specialist, they can get you hooked up with all the tests you need, and are specialized in that field, unlike a regular GP/PCP.

I too have a crazy pulse, usually hovering from 100bpm to 120bpm. Did an ultrasound, ECG, and blood tests, and xrays, but they haven't found anything wrong with my heart. I started having the racing pulse far before I was put on albuterol, did yours start before or after? Because yes, it can make you jittery and get your heart racing, since it's opening up your airways chemically. I believe it's a beta-2 agonist, but I'm lazy to be looking it up at the moment.

So yeah, let me clarify exactly what I'm asking.
-When did your racing pulse start, before or after albuterol, and before or after breathing problems first started?
-Have they looked into the matter, and done any tests to see if your heart is okay/healthy?

WOW! I agree with you polygon - MrsD is an amazing person, she ahs helped me out with my other condition as well.

As far albuterol causing this rapid heart beat right now. no. I wish it were that simple. I have not been using my inhaler because it wasn't helping the breathing problem anyway, though I am using the advair oncea day to be on the safe side. I know about albuterol causing a rapid hb - especially when taken through a nebulizer - aaaghhhhh!

Becasue of my neurological condition I have had an ekg done ,and also one done the night of the "Attack?" that one showed that there might be signs of something wrong with oxygen levels or it could of been a machine fluke. The one from the neurologist office was fine -but that was nearly a year ago. Nothing more has been done.

I also am likely to have ehlos-danlos(sp?) syndrome, or otherwise know as benign hypermobility syndrome, which can cause heart problems. With all my neuro problems I havebeen lax on finalzing a dna test to confirm that i have it or not. now I am wishing I had moved on it sooner because maybe I would have been prepared for something if I really do have something wrong

I have yet heard from my doc, but she was out yesterday, and nope - I have never seen anyone about my heart as an adult. When I was a child I had hole in heart that closed up on its own when I was 12.

Thank you so much for your feedback - I will let you know what my dr says!
hugs and smiles

Okay i heard back from my PCP and she doesn't seem to be concerned. She just emiled me to keep taking my bp meds andcome in in a couple of weeks.

does this seem normal to everyone else? What about what happened? What about all my other symtoms? While now my bp has gone down and my other symptoms are subsiding slowly as well - shouldn't we find out why it all happened? Isn't there some fear about why it all started? I am terrified about what happened and why it did - I really don't think it was asthma as it did not respond to the breathing treatments at all - that has never happened before. SO what else could it have been? Also why am I getting this kind of pulmonary hypertension now - shouldn't that get checked RIGHT AWAY by someone?

or am i just in panic mode?

There is a condition called the "MS hug"..

Our multiple sclerosis forum has posts about it. They describe it as a feeling of being unable to breathe. You might ask them over there about your symptoms.

Another thing I can think of right now, is that your phrenic nerve-- what works the diaphragm is not working right. You do have that ganglioneuritis? Could that be part of your neuropathy?

There is a chance of myasthenia gravis... they get muscle weakness in the chest and cannot breathe at times. But there are other signs of this, autoimmune condition, like drooping eyelids, and other muscle issues.

Thank you mrsD

My Dr wrote me back again, she had confused me with my husband and so wasn't sure what was going on, now after checking [I]my[I] chart she wants me to see a cardiologist. From what I have read I should see Pulmonologist (sp?) at some point too, but at least I hope to find out what may be happening. She thinks there may be a drug interaction occuring possibly causing the rapid pulse. I am on about 10 daily meds and have about 5 other as needed meds for my ganglioneuritis so there is a possible interaction, and so she is going to contact my neurologist. Hopefully she will also ask him about if the breathing difficulty could be part of my neuropathy or I will email him as I don't see him again until December.

She (my dr) doesn't feel that my bllod pressure has been high enough to cause all the problems I had. But ALL the symptoms I had - shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, dizziness, blurry vision, (blah blalh, you know by now i guess) are pretty much gone today! I have been on the bp meds daily for almost a week now I think.

I am looking into your other referrals as well, thank you - it really does help.

Hugs and Smiles, Blaine

You can send me a list of your drugs, and I can try to evaluate them.

There are secondary issues with some, which over time deplete certain nutrients, and I use a special reference book for those.

So send me a PM if you want my opinion too. I am trained for that type of work.

I just love you to no end mrsD. You make me feel so validated. I get a little nutty after all Ive been though the past couple of years. I will put the latest list of current meds together right now - but I needed to know what a PM is?