Mystery Air Hunger
Posted , 5 users are following.
I have been dealing with this issue for going on 2 years now. It has come and gone the entire time with no real reason. Sometimes it lasts a month and other times It's gone away almost completely for 2-3 months.
I am 30 years old, overweight and have high blood pressure for some background information.
When trying to breathe in it feels like I'm only getting half the oxygen I should be getting. It feels like half of it stops at the bottom of my throat leaving each breath very unsatisfying and feeling like I need to take deep breathes. I sometimes get a tightness feeling in my throat or chest when this is happening but I can find no pattern to why it happens sometimes and not others. I have found no pattern to any part of this issue or found any way to find any relief. It's all very random which makes this even more frustrating. Just recently I discovered when swimming (ocean/lake/pool) If I go in the water up to my shoulders my chest gets tight and it becomes hard to breathe. It alleviates almost instantly if I get out of the water.
Here are the things I've tried:
*Anxiety/Depression Medication (8 different kinds with no effect)
*PFT (Normal results, no sign of asthma)
*Chest X-ray (Normal Results)
*Chest and Neck CT ( Showed signs of enlarged lymph nodes)
*Biopsy of swollen Lymph Node (Came back with abnormal cells but was told it was nothing)
*Endoscopy and Barium Swallow (Stomach and Esophagus looked normal)
*ENT visit with camera down throat checking the throat and vocal cords (Everything was normal)
*Tried a generic allergy medication (Unsure of name but no effect)
*Started exercising (Most times I breathe fine through it but it gets worse after getting done and sitting down. Can sometimes be worse for an hour or more after working out)
I'm sure there is more but this is what I remember off the top of my head.
My Dr Has basically given up. After all of this he wanted to send me to a psychiatrist to circle back to anxiety. I do have anxiety but the root of this issue is not that. I do have some minor anxiety attack type things happen but that's only when I'm really struggling to breathe and the panic sets in.
Any advice, ideas, etc... would be greatly appreciated. I'm glad to answer any questions or clarify things if any more information is needed. Thank you all for listening.
0 likes, 8 replies
ptolemy Dan_1989
Posted
I hate to say it but in my opinion it does sound like anxiety, although I am not a doctor and could easily be wrong.
Dan_1989 ptolemy
Posted
I thought that at first but there is just no way.
When this happens it will sometimes be an all day thing. I dont feel anxious and I my heart rate is normal. The only time I am getting real anxiety is when I can't breathe and I start to panic thinking im going to suffocate.
amber_58780 Dan_1989
Posted
I also suffer with this
jesse71370 Dan_1989
Posted
i dont think i have exactly what you have, but its similar. basically just a constant chest tightness feeling and only once every couple minutes im able to get a satisfying breath into my lungs. really strange whats going on. Whats also strange is that this seems to becoming more and more common i keep seeing new people posting about mysterious shortness of breath
. i honestly think that maybe its a new reaction to maybe some sort of chemical thats being mass produced in some sort of product. theres just so much unregulated stuff being produced im sure there are some people that react badly to something out there. i think this is a new phenomenon thats why i believe this is a possibilty.
or maybe its just realy bad anxiety and our bodies just arent able to breath normally. who knows at this point. i just wish the medical industry could be more helpful because they no NOTHING ABOUT what we are going through. sad
Dan_1989 jesse71370
Posted
Yeah it could very well be something like that. We'll never know for sure.
and yes doctors don't seem to be able to help with anything these days. All I know it I am tired of telling them my problems and having them act like I'm crazy. Even a couple specialists have had that reaction.
amkoffee Dan_1989
Posted
I know you had your stomach looked at but could it be GERDS? It's common with GERDS to feel like you can't breath. And you can have a spell of GERDS and it goes away for a time. A lot depends on what you eat.
During these times that you don't feel like you're getting a full breath, can you talk? If the answer is yes then you are getting enough oxygen which means it's not lung related.
jesse71370 amkoffee
Posted
@amkoffee thats my biggest problem i literally run out of breath every time i talk. but i saw a pulmonologist and they saw nothing wrong. do you have any suggestion where to look? i dont get heart burn but i have heard of silent reflux where you dont necessarily need to have heartburn to have it.
Dan_1989 amkoffee
Posted
Yes I have been diagnosed with GERD and have had acid reflux in the past. Ive been on an antacid for a couple years now. Yes I can talk just fine, I do feel a bit winded if I end up talking a ton. I have had my o2 checked each time Ive been to the doctor and my oxygen has always been 98-100.
It's very random and in the last almost 2 years I haven't found a pattern. Sometimes I wake up and the second I put my feet on the ground It starts. Othertimes I go weeks with no issue.
I'm gonna try giving up caffeine. Maybe between that and my high blood pressure it could be causing issues. I really am trying everything my DR tells me or anything I can think of myself.