Shortness of Breath Lying Down

[beachbum]

I couldn't find anything posted about this. Sometimes late at night when I go to bed I am very uncomfortable when I try to lay down. I feel short of breath or like I'm suffocating. The only thing that seems to relieve the symptoms is to sit up or prop myself up but this makes trying to get a good night's rest nearly impossible. I haven't started D yet and my GFR is 10. I heard my doctor mention something about this. Could this be related to ESRF? Any tricks to help it? After I lay down for a bit I am fine, it's just getting past that first half hour or so.

[beachbum]

One more thing, once I start D, will that help this symptom?

[Sax-O-Trix]

With a GFR of 10, I'd be concerned about fluid build-up around the heart/lungs.  Get this checked with your Doctor.

[willowtreewren]

I was going to say the same thing. It sounds like you are simply not able to remove enough fluid. Starting dialysis should help this condition as part of the process is not just cleaning the toxins out of your blood, but removing excess fluid.

Aleta

[monrein]

Ditto to both of the above replies.

[Stoday]

I've had that. As others have said, it's fluid build-up in the upper part of your body. When you sit in a chair instead of laying down, the fluid falls to the lower parts of your body.

Before I started dialysis, I learnt to sleep in a chair to relieve those symptoms. Dialysis cured it, so I sleep in a bed again.

[galvo]

Been there. Fluid for sure. Ended up going to Emergency by ambulance. Felt like I was drowning.

[cath-hater]

Yes, it is known as Pulmonary Edema. You should start DX soon.  I had that once, while ON DX. I was missing treatments because my machine was acting up for a week and got water in my lungs. Had to go into hospital. They did 4.25% solution on me for 2 days to get the water out.

[billybags]

My husband is on APD and this has happened to him this week. When he has been lying down at night he is coughing and short of breath and feels like he is drowning, saw the neph and yes he has fluid on his lungs so now he is on a restricted fluid intake. Stonger bags and he has to sleep on his side with an extra pillow, so even being on dialysis, it happens.

[Poppylicious]

Yep-yep, definitely sounds like fluid.  Starting dialysis should help.

[Bruno]

I had the same thing before dialysis, I woke up from sleep in fright because I was convinced I had stopped breathing - a dreadful situation - I thought I was dying.
I got out of bed and had to sit up for an hour whilst I got my breath back. This was in the late stages before dialysis and since I've been on the needles (nearly a year now) it only has only happened once so I guess Dx has almost eliminated the problem.
I found it to be the most terrifying aspect of my kidney disease.

[texasstyle]

fluid around the heart can also cause shortness of breath by putting pressure on the heart allowing it to not pump adequetly. Known as congestive heart failure.  If you suspect you amy have fluid in the lungs or heart, personally I suggest you get checked out by Dr. as soon as you can. And I'm confident that if it got too bad, you would seek immediete attn. Diuretics such a Lasix can help rid water and that would be the best "trick" for now I assume. Watch your sodium intake. Sodium acts like a sponge and keeps all the water in you. Also, once on dialysis, it is very important to watch your fluid intake. Follow the diet, you wanna feel the best that you can. Hope you get passed this quickly and feel better soon.

[texasstyle]

I am wondering how you are doing with your shortness of breath. Are you feeling any better? I certainly hope so.

[Riki]

Before I started dialysis, I learnt to sleep in a chair to relieve those symptoms. Dialysis cured it, so I sleep in a bed again.

I did that when I first started hemo.  I had a lot of extra fluid on because of inadequate dialysis while I was sick.  When I got home from the hospital, I couldn't lay in my bed because I had a hard time breathing, and I was in a lot of pain from having the PD cath removed, so I slept in my mom's rocking chair

I had the same thing before dialysis, I woke up from sleep in fright because I was convinced I had stopped breathing - a dreadful situation - I thought I was dying.

I did that too, when I was on dialysis before my last transplant.  I was still getting used to things when I got the kidney.  I would wake up, unable to breathe, and sit right up, gasping for breath.  Scared the crap out of my boyfriend.  I was only on dialysis a month that time, so once I got the kidney, it fixed itself.

[texasstyle]

Glad your feeling better!

[billybags]

It is scary, husband is going through this now and yes  it is fluid. With him losing a lot of weight the fluid is sneaking allover the place. It is hiding every where.He is on a fluid restriction and he is ridgedly sticking to it. The weather here is very humid at the moment and that does not help at all with the breathing.