i just recently began drops to lower eye pressure and suddenly I have worsening breathing problems. My BX went from a loose, productive cough to a tight, sore chest over night with no apparent cause. Now I cannot being bring up much sputum at all because I'm so tight, almost like asthma. The glaucoma drops are Latanoprost and the eye dr says they have no systemic side effects. But when I look online it says its a rare side effect. I have been waiting for a call back from the pulmonologist. in the nesntime Im stopping them. I wondered if any of you have had an experience such as this? You all are so helpful to me and I do appreciate you taking the time to respond.
What you describe is not a worsening of your breathing but a tight chest. I get those occasionally and in me they have to do with what i breathed the day before. One example was New Year’s. I stepped outside to get the dog to go out in the yard. the air was thick and almost opaque from all the (illegal) fireworks. Next morning, bam!, tight chest, dried throat. Took my usual mucus thinners & a homeopathic sore throat tab, and i was fine.
On the other hand, my eye doctor says that all the steroids i’ve inhaled in the last 25 yrs are bringing on an early cataract.
I so appreciate your response. It as been very confusing & frightening for me. With my BX Im usually loose & productive and havent had trouble breathing. . Perhaps I felt it was more of a breathing problem because my chest was so tight for days that just talking winded me. I will pay more attention to what I gave been exposed to when that happens again.
Also, what mucus thinners do you use?
Robyn, yes, getting winded while talking is a breathing problem indeed, especially when sudden onset. Yes, by all means talk to your pulmo about this. Ask at the same time about mucus thinners. i’m in the States and use a dirt cheap guifenisen tablet called Mucus Relief. My pulmo has me taking 1200 mg twice daily, which you absolutely must not do unless your pulmo agrees. I pay $5.50/month for those 180 tablets/month, a huge savings over Mucinex and every other brand.
Sinus irritation = post nasal drip = irritation in your lungs and extra mucus going down into them, which you don’t need. Sinus irritation can also cause coughing. If you have problems with sinuses, talk to your medicos & find out best treatments for you.
This will get a bit less scary over time.