Take a bweaff...
November 28, 2011 7:39 PM Subscribe
I have shortness of breath/cannot get a deep breath without forcing myself to yawn. Have you experienced this, and what is wrong with me?
Sorry for the length of post. YANMD/YANAD, but I hope someone recognizes my symptoms and can tell me which direction to go.
Six months ago or so I went to the student health center on campus and told the MD that I was having trouble getting a deep breath sometimes, and that I have to force myself to yawn in order to get a deep breath. He said that it is probably "in my head" from the last cold I had, and blew it off.
I went again a couple of months later to a different doctor, and they did not feel it was a big deal. I went a month ago when I went in for my annual, and the doctor put the pulse-ox thing on my finger and said it read "80" which "is normal". I am pretty sure she said 80, at least, and I know that 80 is not normal. At all.
So I got fed up and went to a 'real' doctor outside of the health center, and he ordered a chest x-ray, bloodwork (including histoplasmosis antigen, since I have birds), and looked at my ankles. The nurse called me on Wednesday and said that my x-ray showed, "unspecified abnormalities" (no details) and told me that they would call when they got my bloodwork. Fretted over the next couple of days, bloodwork came back normal. So they wanted to know if I wanted a chest CT, and I scheduled it for Friday.
I am an otherwise healthy 37 year-old female, and this is cramping my style. It has gotten worse. The inability to get a deep breath occurs more often in the evening, but does happen during the day. I can't go to the gym anymore. Recently (like in the last week) I have noticed that sometimes my chest feels 'squeezy' on the left side: not painful, just very aware of it. When this happens I wonder if I should be heading to the ER or something, but so far I just take a couple of low-does aspirin and hope for the best. I have been coughing quite a bit, but don't feel like I have a cold or flu. Sometimes I feel a little dizzy, but that might be because I am working so hard to breathe. Or something.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Ideas?
Sorry for the length of post. YANMD/YANAD, but I hope someone recognizes my symptoms and can tell me which direction to go.
Six months ago or so I went to the student health center on campus and told the MD that I was having trouble getting a deep breath sometimes, and that I have to force myself to yawn in order to get a deep breath. He said that it is probably "in my head" from the last cold I had, and blew it off.
I went again a couple of months later to a different doctor, and they did not feel it was a big deal. I went a month ago when I went in for my annual, and the doctor put the pulse-ox thing on my finger and said it read "80" which "is normal". I am pretty sure she said 80, at least, and I know that 80 is not normal. At all.
So I got fed up and went to a 'real' doctor outside of the health center, and he ordered a chest x-ray, bloodwork (including histoplasmosis antigen, since I have birds), and looked at my ankles. The nurse called me on Wednesday and said that my x-ray showed, "unspecified abnormalities" (no details) and told me that they would call when they got my bloodwork. Fretted over the next couple of days, bloodwork came back normal. So they wanted to know if I wanted a chest CT, and I scheduled it for Friday.
I am an otherwise healthy 37 year-old female, and this is cramping my style. It has gotten worse. The inability to get a deep breath occurs more often in the evening, but does happen during the day. I can't go to the gym anymore. Recently (like in the last week) I have noticed that sometimes my chest feels 'squeezy' on the left side: not painful, just very aware of it. When this happens I wonder if I should be heading to the ER or something, but so far I just take a couple of low-does aspirin and hope for the best. I have been coughing quite a bit, but don't feel like I have a cold or flu. Sometimes I feel a little dizzy, but that might be because I am working so hard to breathe. Or something.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Ideas?
When this happens to me, it indicates anxiety.
posted by unknowncommand at 7:49 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by unknowncommand at 7:49 PM on November 28, 2011
I get this when I've had bronchitis (and sometimes for months afterwards.) Makes even going down the stairs a real challenge. The inhaler they gave me last time really helped a lot, and it's my opinion that it helped me get past the thing considerably faster than the last few times I've had issues. Part of it probably is anxiety, too - I definitely freak out about being sick.
Definitely mention the squeezing in your chest, because they're going to be really reassuring and specific about when to call 911.
posted by SMPA at 7:50 PM on November 28, 2011
Definitely mention the squeezing in your chest, because they're going to be really reassuring and specific about when to call 911.
posted by SMPA at 7:50 PM on November 28, 2011
Same thing over the course of years - stress and anxiety. Not to say that this is your problem, but if you are prone to somatizing your feelings, you might consider it. Every time I've had a fancy medical test (or almost every time) I've had subclinical "abnormalities", so those don't always mean DOOM.
Why can't you go to the gym anymore? Are you literally too breathless to work out, or is it sort of a weird-breathing-weird-feeling thing?
If you were me, what would be happening is something minor that's physical (bronchitis aftermath or something) plus anxiety. I'm also wondering about this "80" business, because it seems like you would be a lot sicker if your oxygen saturation was that low, right? They start recommending that pilots use oxygen at like a 92 reading. Also, your doctor could not possibly have thought that 80 was a normal reading - it's so far off normal that he/she simply wouldn't see many patients at that level. Could he/she have misspoken do you think? Maybe told you your heart rate in a fit of absent-mindedness?
posted by Frowner at 7:59 PM on November 28, 2011
Why can't you go to the gym anymore? Are you literally too breathless to work out, or is it sort of a weird-breathing-weird-feeling thing?
If you were me, what would be happening is something minor that's physical (bronchitis aftermath or something) plus anxiety. I'm also wondering about this "80" business, because it seems like you would be a lot sicker if your oxygen saturation was that low, right? They start recommending that pilots use oxygen at like a 92 reading. Also, your doctor could not possibly have thought that 80 was a normal reading - it's so far off normal that he/she simply wouldn't see many patients at that level. Could he/she have misspoken do you think? Maybe told you your heart rate in a fit of absent-mindedness?
posted by Frowner at 7:59 PM on November 28, 2011
Response by poster: I appreciate the answers. I am hoping it is asthma, and I just want it fixed (as much as it can be). I do get anxious about a few choice things, so it may very well be part of it.
I told the nurse about the squeezy feeling, and she was very vague about when it was ER-worthy.
Lakeroon, I don't use over cleaner or other harsh chemicals at home because of the birds. I use bleach when I do dishes (in the rinse sink), and I can't think of anything harsh that I've used in the lab lately.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:00 PM on November 28, 2011
I told the nurse about the squeezy feeling, and she was very vague about when it was ER-worthy.
Lakeroon, I don't use over cleaner or other harsh chemicals at home because of the birds. I use bleach when I do dishes (in the rinse sink), and I can't think of anything harsh that I've used in the lab lately.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:00 PM on November 28, 2011
In the meantime, i've learned that the key to a deep inhale is a lengthy and complete exhale just before the inhale.
You might increase your capacity by focusing on your exhale.
IANYD--but I have asthma and exhaling fully provides me with some comfort.
posted by vitabellosi at 8:01 PM on November 28, 2011
You might increase your capacity by focusing on your exhale.
IANYD--but I have asthma and exhaling fully provides me with some comfort.
posted by vitabellosi at 8:01 PM on November 28, 2011
Response by poster: Frowner, it was the weird-breathing-weird-feeling thing, but now I get out of breath bringing laundry upstairs.
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:02 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 8:02 PM on November 28, 2011
I've had this off and on for several years since I had back surgery. I think my brain learned to respond to stress with shallow breathing, since I spent a few weeks after my surgery in pain, stressed out, wearing a brace and not being able to breath well.
I find it usually goes away when I do exercise. I have never talked a doctor about it, but if you google "shallow breathing" o "air hunger" you will find a lot of things to read about it.
Mine has gotten a lot better over the past fewyears. I know it's very distressful. Good luck!
posted by Locochona at 8:06 PM on November 28, 2011
I find it usually goes away when I do exercise. I have never talked a doctor about it, but if you google "shallow breathing" o "air hunger" you will find a lot of things to read about it.
Mine has gotten a lot better over the past fewyears. I know it's very distressful. Good luck!
posted by Locochona at 8:06 PM on November 28, 2011
I think you need to have a thorough workup of your pulmonary and cardiac systems. The scan is a definite - and you need to have pulmonary function tests - preferably on a treadmill. If you're having shortness of breath with exertion that you haven't had before, you need your oxygen saturations monitored while you're exercising. The squeezing feeling could be asthma or bronchitis or a lung mass - or anxiety; first, get the thorough physical examination and, if that's entirely normal, then consider anxiety. Just don't let anyone talk you into anxiety until you're certain you don't have something else going on.
My father was in his early 50s when he began to have a pressure sort of sensation in his left chest and a persistent, mild, dry cough. The doctor gave him an antihistamine for nasal drainage. Didn't work. Tried another medication for the same thing. No go. Went to another doctor and a chest x-ray showed a mass the size of an orange in his left upper lung. He'd been taking antihistamines for about five months then.
I had no lung trouble at all other than an occasional cough and bronchitis once in awhile and I was very active physically with my work; I also walked nearly everywhere I went. Then I got pneumonia one winter and couldn't shake it. I couldn't get my oxygen saturations up to 90 after over a week in the hospital so went home on oxygen. That was nine years ago and I've been on it ever since. On 5 liters now, with the mildest of exertion, my saturations drop into the high 70s and I'm very uncomfortable - with exactly the same kind of feelings you're describing. My guess is that your saturation was 80 and if you'd been in an ER you would have had the follow-up necessary to find out why. Do you, by any chance, not have insurance?
Keep on top of this and don't buy any "it's all in your head" stuff until you know your lungs and heart are just fine.
posted by aryma at 8:09 PM on November 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
My father was in his early 50s when he began to have a pressure sort of sensation in his left chest and a persistent, mild, dry cough. The doctor gave him an antihistamine for nasal drainage. Didn't work. Tried another medication for the same thing. No go. Went to another doctor and a chest x-ray showed a mass the size of an orange in his left upper lung. He'd been taking antihistamines for about five months then.
I had no lung trouble at all other than an occasional cough and bronchitis once in awhile and I was very active physically with my work; I also walked nearly everywhere I went. Then I got pneumonia one winter and couldn't shake it. I couldn't get my oxygen saturations up to 90 after over a week in the hospital so went home on oxygen. That was nine years ago and I've been on it ever since. On 5 liters now, with the mildest of exertion, my saturations drop into the high 70s and I'm very uncomfortable - with exactly the same kind of feelings you're describing. My guess is that your saturation was 80 and if you'd been in an ER you would have had the follow-up necessary to find out why. Do you, by any chance, not have insurance?
Keep on top of this and don't buy any "it's all in your head" stuff until you know your lungs and heart are just fine.
posted by aryma at 8:09 PM on November 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
Do you have an air filter? I have seen them recommended for people with birds, especially if their cages are in your bedroom. I have one that seems to help my occasional breathing issues. The one I linked is good because it's quiet, and you can turn off the ion filtering function, which is supposed to be bad for the birds.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:11 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 8:11 PM on November 28, 2011
Hello. I am a pulmonologist. This could be anything from psychosomatic as some have suggested to something more serious. Unfortunately, respiratory complaints are often relatively non-specific and in many cases symptoms like yours don't really narrow down the possibilities. The best course of action is to see a pulmonologist and probably start with full pulmonary function testing, though sometimes CT scans and other tests may be necessary to get to the bottom of things. I would not go to an ER for these symptoms if they've been brewing slowly for months.
Incidentally the 80 you are referring to on a pulse oximeter was more likely to be your heart rate than your oxygen concentration. Both are reported on many devices, and had it been the latter, you would have been sent to the hospital immediately.
posted by drpynchon at 8:16 PM on November 28, 2011 [6 favorites]
Incidentally the 80 you are referring to on a pulse oximeter was more likely to be your heart rate than your oxygen concentration. Both are reported on many devices, and had it been the latter, you would have been sent to the hospital immediately.
posted by drpynchon at 8:16 PM on November 28, 2011 [6 favorites]
Well, my mom just had a few weeks of shortness of breath and went in and got a physical. Nothing wrong. Then she had terrible abdominal pain and went in and apparently she has some cysts on her kidney, one of which was pushing up on her diaphragm and causing difficulty breathing. It burst which caused the pain (I think). Anyway, prognosis right now is generally good but it's one of those things which is sort of outside the norm unless you really go hunting for it. All this talk in our country about unnecessary testing, etc., has not been borne out by my experiences. Seems docs want to do generally as little as possible. Which is probably the right course of action most of the time.
However, my deeper point is, it could be any number of things. Keep a log of what you've had looked at, what the symptoms feel like and keep at it with your doctor.
posted by amanda at 8:17 PM on November 28, 2011
However, my deeper point is, it could be any number of things. Keep a log of what you've had looked at, what the symptoms feel like and keep at it with your doctor.
posted by amanda at 8:17 PM on November 28, 2011
I don't want to be alarmist... But there is a VERY rare lung disease that is almost entirely diagnosed in women in their 30s, one of the main symptoms of which is shortness of breath. It's almost certainly not what you have. But still. (I have a friend with it.)
It's called LAM.
posted by kestrel251 at 8:18 PM on November 28, 2011
It's called LAM.
posted by kestrel251 at 8:18 PM on November 28, 2011
I get this when I have anxiety. Feels very real and very physical though.
posted by whalebreath at 8:22 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by whalebreath at 8:22 PM on November 28, 2011
I can get really out of breath if I annoy the ribs I broke 4 times in two years playing sports as a teenager. I assume it is some kind of muscle guarding because if I focus on moving my ribcage in and out evenly it goes away immediately. If I don't then I end up breathing very small shallow breaths and have to yawn to "catch up". My resting heart rate and respiration are very slow so I think that makes it worse.
I went through the whole anxiety/ nasal spray/ antihistamines routine at the doctors despite a complete lack of anxiety or allergies. Eventually figured it out on my own. I know a few other people who've had similar issues and were able to fix fatigue and/or breathing issues using biofeedback or just mindfulness. All of us had prior injuries like broken ribs or back injuries that probably caused the muscle weakness in the first place.
posted by fshgrl at 8:25 PM on November 28, 2011
I went through the whole anxiety/ nasal spray/ antihistamines routine at the doctors despite a complete lack of anxiety or allergies. Eventually figured it out on my own. I know a few other people who've had similar issues and were able to fix fatigue and/or breathing issues using biofeedback or just mindfulness. All of us had prior injuries like broken ribs or back injuries that probably caused the muscle weakness in the first place.
posted by fshgrl at 8:25 PM on November 28, 2011
I'm a former respiratory therapist, so drpynchon outranks me :-). Basically you need to see a pulmonary specialist, or at least an MD who can listen to your chest with do a proper physical exam. Agree that the 80 was likely your heart rate. A 37 year old woman with no other health problems --I'd be shocked if your percentage of oxygen concentration was anything but 97%. I'd be curious to know if one of the blood tests they did was an "ABG" - Arterial Blood Gas -- and if so what those numbers were.
Basically there's not enough data here to make a full assessment. If your shortness of breath gets worse, particularly at rest, don't be shy about calling paramedics. Your shortness of breath is preventing you from doing things which formerly were part of your routine -- that's a sign that it needs to be taken seriously.
All of this is not to say that the source could be anxiety-based, but the physical signs you've shared are a concern.
posted by artlung at 8:27 PM on November 28, 2011
Basically there's not enough data here to make a full assessment. If your shortness of breath gets worse, particularly at rest, don't be shy about calling paramedics. Your shortness of breath is preventing you from doing things which formerly were part of your routine -- that's a sign that it needs to be taken seriously.
All of this is not to say that the source could be anxiety-based, but the physical signs you've shared are a concern.
posted by artlung at 8:27 PM on November 28, 2011
I get like that when I am anxious, which I get in crowds. He told me I was breathing too fast and shallow and hyperventilating. Concentrating on long slow exhalations helps as does the old breath into a paperbag thing works to cure it. Having said that it could be any number of things and you are best sticking to what doctors suggest as I am not a doctor. Is the air really dry where you are? Furnace filters OK? No mould problem. Do you have a humidifier and an air purifier they might help and shouldn't hurt.
posted by wwax at 8:30 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by wwax at 8:30 PM on November 28, 2011
I started having this exact same problem about a year and a half ago...after 2 visits to the ER, my doctor finally diagnosed me with an inflammatory chest condition (can't remember what it's called, but try googling it...it's basically an inflammation of the chest tissues). She said that the best way to treat is with heat and Ibuprofen (to ease the swelling). While that doesn't exactly sound great since there's no specific cure, I've gotten used to it and adapted. I have found that anxiety and stress contribute to it, so yoga has helped immensely to ease stress and stretch out my chest muscles. I have also heard that physical therapy can help those with extreme cases. I haven't had any issues while exercising (in fact it's easier for me to breathe while exercising), which confirmed my doctor's diagnosis that it wasn't something more serious.
I'm not saying you shouldn't continue to get it checked out if you have concerns, but that's my experience (especially with the only being able to get a deep breath while yawning), and I'm still here a year+ later!
posted by elquien at 8:30 PM on November 28, 2011
I'm not saying you shouldn't continue to get it checked out if you have concerns, but that's my experience (especially with the only being able to get a deep breath while yawning), and I'm still here a year+ later!
posted by elquien at 8:30 PM on November 28, 2011
Get a workup, and see a lung specialist if you can.
I had this for *years*, and various GPs and nurses told me that it was just anxiety, and that I was in a stressful situation. It finally got to the point where it was happening all the time, and I went to yet another doctor. This time, it got diagnosed correctly as asthma. Once it got treated, I started to feel better. But first, you have to get diagnosed properly and treated first.
And if they prescribe an inhaler, either rescue or maintenance, have them walk you through using it. It's not that intuitive, and if you use it wrong, you don't get the medicine from it. Good luck!
posted by spinifex23 at 8:32 PM on November 28, 2011
I had this for *years*, and various GPs and nurses told me that it was just anxiety, and that I was in a stressful situation. It finally got to the point where it was happening all the time, and I went to yet another doctor. This time, it got diagnosed correctly as asthma. Once it got treated, I started to feel better. But first, you have to get diagnosed properly and treated first.
And if they prescribe an inhaler, either rescue or maintenance, have them walk you through using it. It's not that intuitive, and if you use it wrong, you don't get the medicine from it. Good luck!
posted by spinifex23 at 8:32 PM on November 28, 2011
I have the charming combination of asthma *and* anxiety. about a month and a half ago, I started having similar symptoms, which I initially dismissed as anxiety. after several days of worsening symptoms, I went to the doctor who gave me some prednisone, which cleared it up in about a week. I had let my corticosteroid inhaler prescription (Flovent) lapse, so I got back on a daily dose of that and it's mostly been better. if I don't take two puffs of that every 24 hours on the dot, the symptoms return, plus a productive cough.
All that having been said, similar symptoms for me signaled a worsening of asthma for me. since that's a treatable condition, here's hoping that's it is in your case! good luck and let us know what happens.
posted by hollisimo at 9:05 PM on November 28, 2011
All that having been said, similar symptoms for me signaled a worsening of asthma for me. since that's a treatable condition, here's hoping that's it is in your case! good luck and let us know what happens.
posted by hollisimo at 9:05 PM on November 28, 2011
I had this for years, complete with the yawning factor. I was always extremely healthy, a runner, and had no other problems. I was diagnosed with probable asthma, except the asthma inhalers I received never did any good. It wasn't for years that I recognized it as heartburn. The only thing that worked well for me to combat it was rantidine.
It may very well be something like stress or anxiety for you. I was also told for years that it might be stress. I think the trouble here is whether the breathing is a chicken or egg factor for you. I think my stress came from the fact that I couldn't breath properly, not from the other way around.
Hope this helps. As you can see it might be several different things. But taking heartburn medication for a couple days isn't too hard compared to a complete physical workup.
posted by aetg at 9:06 PM on November 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
It may very well be something like stress or anxiety for you. I was also told for years that it might be stress. I think the trouble here is whether the breathing is a chicken or egg factor for you. I think my stress came from the fact that I couldn't breath properly, not from the other way around.
Hope this helps. As you can see it might be several different things. But taking heartburn medication for a couple days isn't too hard compared to a complete physical workup.
posted by aetg at 9:06 PM on November 28, 2011 [2 favorites]
I think elquien might be referring to costochrondritis above.
posted by tristeza at 9:24 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by tristeza at 9:24 PM on November 28, 2011
I'm going to suggest something completely different. Your description is exactly how I feel if I consume any dairy, which I am allergic to. (And FWIW, I was completely unaware I had any allergies at all until I was about 39 or 40.) So it's worth keeping in mind if nothing else turns up.
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:47 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:47 PM on November 28, 2011
I had this for *years*, and various GPs and nurses told me that it was just anxiety, and that I was in a stressful situation. It finally got to the point where it was happening all the time, and I went to yet another doctor. This time, it got diagnosed correctly as asthma. Once it got treated, I started to feel better.
This is exactly what I came in here to say. For years I had various doctors poohpooh my "are you sure it's not asthma, it runs in my family?" questions. Finally I said "I can't live like this anymore" and booked an appointment directly with a pulmonologist. He did a few tests and diagnosed it right away. Since going on Advair and a sinus spray, my quality of life has improved tremendously. Two years later, I still can't believe the night and day difference - it took just two hours after the first puff of my medicine to see that it was working, and I haven't looked back since.
That's anecdotal, though. Only a doctor can make a final determination. I hope you get it figured out soon.
posted by gemmy at 9:58 PM on November 28, 2011
This is exactly what I came in here to say. For years I had various doctors poohpooh my "are you sure it's not asthma, it runs in my family?" questions. Finally I said "I can't live like this anymore" and booked an appointment directly with a pulmonologist. He did a few tests and diagnosed it right away. Since going on Advair and a sinus spray, my quality of life has improved tremendously. Two years later, I still can't believe the night and day difference - it took just two hours after the first puff of my medicine to see that it was working, and I haven't looked back since.
That's anecdotal, though. Only a doctor can make a final determination. I hope you get it figured out soon.
posted by gemmy at 9:58 PM on November 28, 2011
You have described my allergy induced asthma. I take singulair now and it's made a world of difference. Really sit down and think about when this started and what you may have started doing differently at the time. Even something simple like changing shampoos can trigger and allergy. Don't rule out food intolerances as a possible trigger. They can develop at any time.
posted by myselfasme at 10:44 PM on November 28, 2011
posted by myselfasme at 10:44 PM on November 28, 2011
You mention being healthy, but have you had any problems with acid reflux? My bf sometimes gets that "not able to get a deep breath" feeling and after an endoscopy it turned out he had a hiatal hernia combined with serious acid reflex. Coughing can also be a sign of acid reflux. Your issue is probably something more like what people are describing above, but just thought I'd toss this out there just in case!
posted by Wuggie Norple at 4:17 AM on November 29, 2011
posted by Wuggie Norple at 4:17 AM on November 29, 2011
I have this problem too and also sometimes have problems at the gym - when I am using a cardio machine if I put the resistance level up too high, but then when I take it down I can get a breath. Drinking more water helps too. I don't have a problem while doing anything like lifting weights.
I think mine is related to anxiety or allergies. Usually I find that having a glass of wine helps(I don't have a glass of wine because I am anxious, I've just noticed that when I have a glass it is easier to breathe.) Also is easier when I take my allergy meds.
I used to have this problem when I would lay down to go to sleep. I also felt like I was having to think about breathing otherwise I just wouldn't take a breath for who knows how long. I have plenty of reasons to be anxious right now and this has been going on for years so I haven't specifically asked a doctor because I don't usually think of it when I'm in the office.
posted by fromageball at 7:01 AM on November 29, 2011
I think mine is related to anxiety or allergies. Usually I find that having a glass of wine helps(I don't have a glass of wine because I am anxious, I've just noticed that when I have a glass it is easier to breathe.) Also is easier when I take my allergy meds.
I used to have this problem when I would lay down to go to sleep. I also felt like I was having to think about breathing otherwise I just wouldn't take a breath for who knows how long. I have plenty of reasons to be anxious right now and this has been going on for years so I haven't specifically asked a doctor because I don't usually think of it when I'm in the office.
posted by fromageball at 7:01 AM on November 29, 2011
> I use bleach when I do dishes (in the rinse sink)
Do you wear a mask while doing this? Is the sink used for anything else? What does the drain smell like before use?
posted by jwells at 7:52 AM on November 29, 2011
Do you wear a mask while doing this? Is the sink used for anything else? What does the drain smell like before use?
posted by jwells at 7:52 AM on November 29, 2011
I, too, have something very similar, though it doesn't seem like my version derails my life as much as yours does. I attribute it to getting pneumonia twice in a two year span as a kid, and that I clearly remember this issue starting up after I had gotten sick the first time. A doctor told my mother that the fact I had had pneumonia twice when so young might have permanently affected my lungs and breath capacity, and it is true that I've never seemed to do physical exercise as much as other people because I simply lose my breath easier. This continues to this day, and I'm not grossly out of shape or anything.
I've also been told for years that it might be in my mind, that nobody could detect anything. I wish I had answer for you.
posted by Emms at 8:00 AM on November 29, 2011
I've also been told for years that it might be in my mind, that nobody could detect anything. I wish I had answer for you.
posted by Emms at 8:00 AM on November 29, 2011
For what it's worth, I had the EXACT same symptoms years ago. My doctor was unable to find any problem, and chalked it up to anxiety. I did not feel anxious at the time but it did clear up on its own a month or so later.
posted by vodkaboots at 8:11 AM on November 29, 2011
posted by vodkaboots at 8:11 AM on November 29, 2011
I had been experiencing this for a long time. When I went to see a physical therapist about a shoulder injury she actually asked me if I ever had trouble taking deep breaths after observing my posture for a while. She said to sit up straight, chest out, shoulders back and down, breathe from the diaphragm, not from the chest. Your belly should puff way out. That completely solved the problem for me.
posted by lindseyg at 8:43 AM on November 29, 2011
posted by lindseyg at 8:43 AM on November 29, 2011
I know everyone's trying to be helpful here but there is only one real answer. Keep getting medical attention until you get a diagnosis. If it helps, maybe bring someone with you to the doctor to ask the questions you forget to ask.
posted by chairface at 11:44 AM on November 29, 2011
posted by chairface at 11:44 AM on November 29, 2011
Look up Chronic Hyperventilation Syndrome. It sounds ridiculous but I was diagnosed with it after a bunch of time and money spent. It's still an annoying problem I have, but it's otherwise pretty harmless and manageable. Good luck!
posted by Katine at 12:56 PM on November 29, 2011
posted by Katine at 12:56 PM on November 29, 2011
Response by poster: Thank you everyone for the answers. I am going to try eliminating different foods (gluten, dairy) while getting tests and etc. done. May try the antacids. All great suggestions.
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:05 PM on November 29, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 5:05 PM on November 29, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by 4ster at 7:45 PM on November 28, 2011 [8 favorites]