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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Breathing Difficulty And Swelling In The Lower Legs?

Hello. I am a 47-yr old female. Having troubles breathing even walking 20 feet and during the night. I have a big panic disorder and this sets it off even more. I also have been having swelling in lower legs, ankles, and feet, along with an extended stomach. I m on a few meds for high blood pressure, cholesterol, anti-depressant and anxiety meds. I live alone with my 2 dogs and I get very afraid when I cannot breathe and do things like before.
Mon, 7 Aug 2017
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General & Family Physician 's  Response
Thank you for your question as i do understand difficulty in breathing and swelling of your limbs may be quite troubling.

From your question you say you are on,among other medications, anti hypertensive medications.

It is important to understand that uncontrolled blood pressure could lead to a series of serious complications that include damge to your heart,your kidneys,liver,eyes as well as strokes among many other problems

From your question you could most likely be suffering from one of the above serious complications,with a likelihood of it being a heart complication because of the worsening difficulty in breathing even at night,the swollen limbs and the distended stomach.

Anxiety disorders do worsen breathing problems but are highly unlikely to be the cause of both the difficulty in breathing and the lower limbs and an extended stomach.

I would advise visiting a physician to have necessary tests carried out to and to be started on appropraite medication to avoid worsening of the current symptoms.

Kind regards
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What Causes Breathing Difficulty And Swelling In The Lower Legs?

Thank you for your question as i do understand difficulty in breathing and swelling of your limbs may be quite troubling. From your question you say you are on,among other medications, anti hypertensive medications. It is important to understand that uncontrolled blood pressure could lead to a series of serious complications that include damge to your heart,your kidneys,liver,eyes as well as strokes among many other problems From your question you could most likely be suffering from one of the above serious complications,with a likelihood of it being a heart complication because of the worsening difficulty in breathing even at night,the swollen limbs and the distended stomach. Anxiety disorders do worsen breathing problems but are highly unlikely to be the cause of both the difficulty in breathing and the lower limbs and an extended stomach. I would advise visiting a physician to have necessary tests carried out to and to be started on appropraite medication to avoid worsening of the current symptoms. Kind regards