Breathing Peoblems
My mom has had parkinsons for 15+ years. She experiences “breathing problems” and says she can’t breathe because the air is cold and hurts her lungs. She holds a towel or tissue over her mouth to “warm the air”. It very terrifying to her and she has a full blown panic attack. There is no rhyme or reason to when they occur. It happens frequently throughout the day whether she is wearing off or not. Does anyone else have this problem or suggestions on what to do to help? I’ve tried distraction techniques like playing soothing music etc and nothing seems to work.
Thanks for submitting this topic, collieq. This is something that I haven't heard other community members speak of. Have you or your mom been able to reach out to her doctor/neurologist about this? It's important to keep her/him in the loop regarding new or worsening symptoms. I hope you're able to find some answers soon. - Chris, ParkinsonsDisease.net Team
Yes, he is aware. That has been her primary complaint for about a year. He says it is a sx of wearing off and prescribed the inbrija rescue inhaler however the insurance company denied it because the” dr. did not prove medical necessity”. She has had parkinsons for 15+years and has parkinsons psychosis and lewey bodies. She would wear off even when she was on the duopa pump even though it was “medically impossible”. Thanks for taking the time to respond. Take care!
"The presence of respiratory abnormalities in PD has been well known for many years, but its prevalence is probably underestimated. In his first description, Parkinson noted this association describing a man who “fetched his breath rather hard”. Since the half of the last century, many studies have discussed respiratory impairment in PD, even in early stages and in asymptomatic patients . . . "
More here: https://openres.ersjournals.com/content/6/4/00165-2020#ref-2This may be a clearer article about the topic:
"Breathing problems in Parkinson’s disease: a common problem, rarely diagnosed"
https://atlasofscience.org/breathing-problems-in-parkinsons-disease-a-common-problem-rarely-diagnosed/
I have a breathing issue with PD. At first it was diagnosed as asthma. Did the tests (chest X-rays, spirometry test, echocardiogram - all of which came back as negative . . . no pathology). My PCP and Asthma specialist both recommended that I do diaphragmatic breathing exercises.
DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING AND PARKINSON'S DISEASE
http://www.outthinkingparkinsons.com/articles/diaphragmatic-breathing
