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Oxygen level

I'm a 35 yo F, 5'10, thin build, never smoked. I've recently started seeing a Pulmonologist after my primary doctor ordered a Pulmonary Function Test  which came back abnormal.My doctor mentioned Restrictive Lung Disease and also that my diffusion capacity was very concerning. She then ordered a High Res. CT.Findings state: Calcified mediastinal and left hilar lymph nodes are present consistent with previous granulomatous disease. Calcified granulomas are also present in the left lung. There is no pulmonary infiltrate identified. IMPRESSION: Evidence of old granulomatous disease. No active air space or intertital disease indentified.
Anyway, I started seeing a pulmonologist a few weeks ago, and he put the clip on my finger to check my oxygen level.While sitting and resting, it is 100. He said we were going for a little walk with the clip on, as soon as I got up and started walking (not even 1 minute after walking....he stopped me....the level dropped to 80).So we put the clip on the other hand and tried again.Same thing happened. It dropped quickly. He thought maybe I could have Pulm. Hypertension and he ordered a right heart cath. They ended up doing a right and left. Everything was normal. Pulmonary pressure normal.
My questions are:
1) What do you make out of the CT report?
2) If not PH, what could cause the O2 levels to drop like that?
Minimal excerise simply wears me out, out of breath like.
3) What next steps would you take if you were my Dr?
Thanks in advance for your help.
10 Responses
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Avatar universal
A related discussion, Oxygen plummets when I walk just a few feet was started.
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A related discussion, Right bundle branch block was started.
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A related discussion, oxygen level was started.
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I am a 39-year-old active female who began experiencing shortness of breath in January, 2005. Primary Dr. thought I had developed asthma...condition worsened and in September 2005 I finally sought the help of specialists who discovered...

My O2 saturation drops from 99-100 to 73-80 from sitting down to walking 10-15 feet. CT of chest, CT reconstruction, Chest Xray and tests for blood clots all have been normal. Small ventricular shunt found when Dr. did echo/endoscopy view of heart...shunt could not be seen during cath. Liver enzymes, TSH, calcium, creatinine elevated. Synthroid has stabilized thyroid. I was placed on 2 liters of oxygen in October, 2005 (still on oxygen).

This Thursday I have an appt. to see a cardiologist who will decide whether or not to repair the small ventricular shunt to see if that improves O2 desaturation problem. So far, the Dr.s have believed that the shunt is too small to be causing drop in oxygen level. During cath, the Dr. had me "pump" several bags of IV fluids..everything was normal. If repairing shunt does not improve O2 saturation, then open lung biopsy will be done.

I have been coughing up blood the past three days, both bright red blood and a couple of dark red/blackish hard clumps. How do you tell if blood is coming from your nose or from lungs?? Also, I have been coughing up small round balls. They look like tiny fish eggs; clear or slightly whitish in color, perfectly round. What is that?? I will tell Dr. about it Thursday. Has anybody else ever done that?

Thanks!
Gina
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82818 tn?1206989814
I also have PH and I'm on o2. Do they have you on any other med's for the PH. I taking revatio, a form of viagra. Which I thought was weird at first until the Dr explained why.Thanks
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251132 tn?1198078822
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The high resolution CT (HRCT)
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Avatar universal
Thanks for answering my questions in my previous post!  I greatly appreciate it!
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Avatar universal
Lynn, have you had an overnight oximetry test to see if you need O2 at night??  Or you may need a 24 hour test to see what you do during regular daily activities.  I have restrictive lung disease also with a lower DLCO, but I DO have pulmonary hypertension, and am on O2 at night.  I also have heart disease so who knows what came first??!!
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Avatar universal
Lynn, it looks like they missed your post below!  Did they do an exercise portion with your right heart cath??  It is my understanding that sometimes an elevated PAP doesn't show up unless the patient is exercised, like on a treadmill, bike, or at the very least lifting bags of saline. But you said your echo was normal too?  Maybe it could be early PH.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your response.  Yes, I had an echo done back in October and it was told it was normal. My pulmonologist and primary doctor are concerned, esp. with the Pulmonary Function Test. They're apparantly concerned with the PFT results and numbers and given that I am young and never smoked a day in my life.  I get SOB, esp. with very minimal excercise and often feels like my throat (at the bottom) is tight.  Not sure if this is related to my oxygen levels or not.  I have to see my Pulmonologist in a few weeks.  I'm just worried about what all this could be.
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