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The doctor's recommendation is to "move more" to increase her lung capacity. She tries, but still struggles around 1 or 2 am. Does anyone have any suggestions please?

She needs to see her cardiologist soon if this is something new. She could have a blood clot related to A fib.
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Reply to MACinCT
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My 95 yo mother had afib for years and DID need oxygen at night to help her breathe, beginning at about 88 years old. Unless your mom's breathing was monitored at night, the doctor does not know if oxygen is needed or if it isn't! Does her doctor suggest she run a half marathon to expand her lung capacity, for petesake?

A visit to a cardiologist is a good idea. Along with a finger pulse ox reader you can get at Walgreens to gauge her oxygen levels at any point during the day or night. They're very handy and inexpensive.

Best of luck to you.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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You and your Dr may have had some miscommunication.
O2 won't help fix the Afib. Which is different than helping with symptoms.
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Reply to jwellsy
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Is this a cardiologist? I have never known Atrial Fibrillation to be implicated in breathlessness UNLESS there is no rate control. Do you take blood pressure and pulse two times daily? If not please purchase an ARM CUFF BP measuring machine (Omron is in this old retired RN's opinion the best) at Amazon (about 35.00). Take the blood pressure both sitting and standing. If there is a marked decrease upon standing then some of her medications may be lowering the BP too much, increasing a feeling of exhaustion. Is the pulse too fast? Then this can lead to feeling breathless.

What medications does mom take daily? Does she have any swelling abdomen or ankles? Is it difficult for her to lay back and breathe? Does she have any lung complications? Does she have fluid on her lungs? Does she take diuretics? Has anyone ever examined her for or suggested she has congestive heart failure?

As I said, there are many things implicated in breathlessness, and I never had a doctor say that walking more would decrease it.
I think what is wanted here is a referral to a good cardiologist for an exam, an ultrasound of the heart. Perhaps an adjustment of medicatiosn.

As an old RN I am just doing guesswork here, but with atrial fib in good rate control with medications it should not cause a whole lot of breathlessness. Now some meds treating it (I take atenolol) may cause some breathlessness as a side effect. I have had atrial fib for almost two decades and walk a whole lot and feel good. My partner has had it even longer, has had a pacemaker at least two decades (while I have not). It is said that at least 15% of elders do eventually develop chronic atrial fib. Most live quite well with it in control of medication and medical supervision.

I sure do wish you the best. Do know we can't know your mom, her weight, her overall health, what meds she takes, her blood pressure, her heart rate, or much of anything else and anything we say is simple guesswork.
DO SEE A CARDIOLOGIST with your mom for a good workup and assessment. And do know that with an age of 95 she may be actually doing "pretty well" or as well as can be expected. Our organs, like the rest of us, age and weaken. We are a shadow of what we once were.
Hope you will update us.
I wish you the best of luck.
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Reply to AlvaDeer
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