Hi, Guys
 

Is anyone experiencing difficulty breathing at times?
Dyspnea? What can you tell me about it. Who is a good
doctor to see for this?

Where are you located?

My mother has experienced this. In her case, it appears it was at least partially caused by her Sinemet dose being too high. (It was, I guess, considered to be some sort of dyskinesia.) She has scaled it back from 700mg daily to 550mg daily, and feels some relief. Also, the benzo class of anti-anxiety med, particularly Klonopin, provided some relief to her when this symptom was at its worst. But I am not sure that Klonopin is commonly prescribed for this shortness of breath from PD -- this may have been an off-label use. (Also, the benzos interfere with various drugs -- be careful.)

But tight chest muscles may also be part of the PD itself, at least for some people. Even though my mom's shortness of breath is probably 50% improved by reducing the Sinemet, it is still there to a lesser extent as she is waiting for her meds to kick in. This makes everything very hard to figure out.

I think that reducing Sinemet, increasing it, or adding another drug (like Amantadine or a "benzo" drug may be helpful), but of course I don't know for sure...it has definitely been trial and error for us! Best of luck to you -- it is a really awful symptom and I hope you can figure it out soon.

TX
 

Thanks, it is really awful not to be able to breathe!

I am thinking that it is due to meds wearing off....not sure.
But, I do know that I hate it when it happens.

I have a PD doctor, in fact I just saw my old PD doctor, but I am
not impressed with either one.

Florida
 

We are in Florida, but have seen doctors in MN and AL.
We will go just about anywhere to be under the care
of a good doctor who stays up to date on PD, and cares
about us.

Some very highly regarded movement disorder centers in Florida include:

- University of Florida's Center for Movement Disorders & Neurorestoration located in Gainsville.

- Cleveland Clinic's Department of Neurology in Weston.

- U of Miami's Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders


You can also use the Partner's in Parkinson's website to search for a movement disorder specialist anywhere in the country. Just enter the location.
https://www.partnersinparkinsons.org/

It sounds like dystonia of the diaphragm. You might have to take your meds closer to each other. I have the same problem.

Sympton of PD or depression?
 

Difficulty breathing can also be a sign of depression. If possible, have someone observe you when you are sleeping. Do you seem to be having breathing difficulties when you are asleep? If not, the cause may be depression. Solution: anti-depressants - they make you stop concentrating on your breathing and your natural breathing returns.

Ann

There are probably over two dozen possible causes for difficulty in breathing. Many of the causes could be serious in nature. I strongly suggest you get advice from a doctor. We can all give suggestions of possible causes, but we aren't doctors and your should be properly examined before guessing as to a cause for your symptoms.

TX
 

Thank you all so much.