Evening Episodes

[concerned granddaughter]

My grandmother is 72 and was diagnosed with Emphysema two years ago.  She also has congestive heart failure.  She quit smoking, attends Rehab 3 times a week, eats healthy, and uses oxygen only at night on 2.  She's very active.  She takes care of her 96-year old mother and she babysits for my 2 girls one day a week.  She has been having these episodes at night where she gets short of breath, she then panics and my grandfather has to call 911. In June, she was admitted to the hospital because of this.  She had filled up with fluid.  Her Cardiologist, Pulmonologist, and Family doctor worked together and decided to change her medications and started treating her with Zoloft and Xanax for anxiety and depression.  This seemed to be working and she was doing pretty good and felt good.  Then in July she had another episode in the middle of the night.  They called 911 she ended up back in the hospital and this time she had to be put on the ventilator because her organs were under too much stress.  It was taken out the next day.  Her heart medication was changed, and the pulmonologist suggested she see a psychologist to help her deal with the fear and anxiety.  She's been feeling good again and has started going back to Rehab again.  My questions are Do you think the Psychologist will help?  Are these episodes just part of the disease?  Can you suggest any other treatment?

[National Jewish]

Your grandmother

[1!2@3#]

It could just be that she has a minor breathing problem, but when she realizes that she can't breathe very well she starts to panic and possibly hyperventalates, which would make her breathing far worse.  Maybe by seeing the pschologist she will be able to not panic when she has an episode.