Dear Barbara, I would like to know why the breathing pattern is different at
end of life. My Mother had fast and labored respirations. She did have
COPD, but my Dad had the same breathing pattern and he did not die from
COPD. This was very disturbing to me. Are they suffering when breathing
like that?
The irregular, difficult breathing that occurs at end of life frightens most
people. As we watch we feel something bad is happening. Our loved one is
hurting, struggling, suffering, and of course this is disturbing to us.
In the hours to minutes, sometimes even days, before death, a person’s
breathing changes. First it becomes fast, often with congestion, and then
gradually the breaths becomes slower and slower. As breathing slows (ten
times, or even six times, a minute) the person actually breaths like a fish,
with their mouth opening and closing. This can be frightening if you don’t
know that it’s normal.
The congestion that occurs before death will depend upon how hydrated or
dehydrated a person is. The more fluids in their body, the more congestion.
Sometimes changing their position (laying them on their side) will help to
redistribute the fluid, and the breathing will sound quieter. Suctioning the
fluid generally does not eliminate it. The bottom line is that congestion and
difficult breathing are a part of the normal dying process.
Is the person suffering? I think not, although it appears that they are. By the
time they are hours from death their awareness of what is going on around
them and of their body has diminished. What I envision is the little chick
working hard to get out of its shell. In the hours before death from disease
our body is shutting down. It is laboring to release itself from this planet. It
is a struggle, just as the chick is struggling, but I don’t think either the
person or the chick are suffering.
Something more about Laboring to Leave:
Difficult breathing during the natural dying process is only one of the many changes that we will witness when a person is dying. It's comforting to know what to expect during that process. Gone From My Sight (The Little Blue Book) is a "road map" of what will occur during the dying process. The Eleventh Hour is the companion book and is more specific about the changes in the last days, hours, minutes, seconds and just after death. These two books, along with your nursing staff, will provide knowledge so that you can better support the one who is laboring to leave.
27 comments
Hi Linda, in reference to your mother’s rapid breathing and was it normal as death approaches. Yes, rapid breathing can be part of the dying pattern. Just know that nothing works right. The body is shutting down and chaos sets in. It’s like all body parts are trying to work in whatever way they can but all unsuccessfully. A small dose of morphine can ease the rapid breathing but often times doesn’t. You watched the struggle for life to continue in a body that could no longer maintain itself. Watching that struggle is so hard for us the watchers. Based on your description of your mother’s actions I do not think her rapid breathing was a signal of physical pain.
Blessings! Barbara
My mother passed away last week. She suffered from dementia for several years. For at least three hours prior to her death she was breathing very hard, loud and fast! No clue how she was able to do that for so long, I tried to mimick her breathing pattern myself and could only tolerate it for a couple of minutes before becoming really uncomfortable. She was incoherent at this time. Morphone was given but it did not calm her freight train like breathing pattern.
it was very disturbing to watch her go through that. I keep reading about the irregular, stop start type breathing before death but I cant find anything about rapid , panting type breathing. Is this a normal breathing pattern prior to dying or was she in severe pain?
Hi Lisa, in response to your telling me about your mother’s dying moments and what happened—from your description your mom did what so many do in the last hours to minutes before they leave their bodies. So many people have a frown, grimace even a silent scream. Why do I think that is? We work very hard to get out of our bodies. It is labor. It is the chick working to get out of its shell. It has nothing to do with what is going on around them or anything to do with the relationships they are leaving. It is all about the labor to leave their bodies. It doesn’t sound like she had a seizure. Restlessness and aimless movements are also part of labor. It does not sound like anything abnormal or even unusual was happening in those last hours of your mother’s life. I hope this eases some of the uncertainty you are carrying. My blessings are with you. Barbara
My mom passed 2 months ago today. She had lung cancer 7 years ago received treatment and getting a lung scan every year she seemed out of the woods. In Spring 2018 she started losing weight was crying and was scared her cancer returned. All tests showed no sign of cancer, the doctors diagnosed anxiety and depression and put her on medication. She did not improve and November 2019 had 2 liters of fluid in her lungs which they removed and found cancer cells. At this point she said if I have 6 months to live I don’t want to know. In January 2020 her pet scan and brain MRI showed cancer in bones, lung, liver and brain, doctor gave her 6 months. During this time she became weaker and weaker sleeping all the time. I took care of her and the day she passed still haunts me. She woke at 6:30 am and I told her she could go back to sleep which she was happy to hear. I told her I loved her and she said I love you too. About 45 minutes later I noticed her moving a lot when I went in her room the sheet was off and she had slid off pillow on her back. I lifted her bed positioned her to be comfortable and she said, Lisa I’m sick…I didn’t get a chance to ask her what she felt because suddenly her eyes widened her mouth was puffing air in and out. Her face was so frightening almost a possessed look then just stayed with a calm look eyes closed. I gave her oxygen and she remained like that for an hour and passed. I just keep wondering what happened to her face, a seizure? What did she feel? Thank you
Hi Julia, About the last few hours before your mum’s death; I know it was hard to watch ( I’m sorry the nurse didn’t explain to you what was happening) but what you saw was your mum working to get out of her body. Think of how hard a little chick works to get out of it’s shell, that was the kind of work your mum was doing, working to get out of her shell of a body. Even the facial expression just before she left, (once in a rare while I have seen a smile but most often it is a grimaced frown) was very much a part of how we leave our bodies. From what you have described nothing bad or pathological was happening. Your mum did a good job of getting out of her body. My blessings to you. Barbara
Leave a comment