Feeling of suffocation when I see my girlfriend

[zenderol]

Hello dear Docs!

Every time I see my girlfriend I instantly get lightheadedness and shortness of breath (feels like I’m suffocating). It has been going on for 2 years now. Please help me. Any help will be rewarded!

I’m an athletic male, 27 Years old of age and 6.72 feet tall and 154 pounds in weight. The only medical conditions I have is constant back pain due to my height and a job as software developer.

We’ve been together for 3 years. After a year I started noticing that after I slept at her house I would feel Lightheadedness and shortness of breath for the whole day and also anxiety feelings. After a year of trying to find out what causes this I gave up and stopped sleeping at her house. I can rule out sexual intercourse and/or alcohol for being the reason for these symptoms.

As I no longer sleep at her place, every time we see each other, she sleeps at my place. The symptoms (Lightheadedness and Shortness of breath) I get are the same, but not as strong as when I sleep over at her place.

We’ve been on a vacation 2 times. We visited her Family in in some village in Poland. Strangely enough, I did not have the Lightheadedness and Shortness of breath. I think this has something to do with the completely fresh air over there.

I've never experienced such suffocation sensation in my whole life as I am very athletic.

To sum everything up (tldr;): When I’m at her place:

    Lightheadedness and shortness of breath starts immediately and stops after an hour after I leave her place
    If I sleep over at her place, the symptoms continue for the whole day after

When at my place:

    Same symptoms as at her place, but not as strong (but still very unpleasant)

Outside:

    Same symptoms, but they start only after an hour or so.

Any advice that would help my long time problem will be rewarded. (Bitcoin/Paypal)

[zenderol]

Next time when I see her, I'm going to try to take a antihistamin pill. If this doesnt work out, then I'm out of options.

[zenderol]

Hi evewisewoman,
I have pets of my own (2 cats + 1 dog), and she said she is using cosmetics that are allergy friendly. This would also explain why during the vacation I did not have any symptoms. I'm pretty desperate.
Thank you for trying to help me!

[zenderol]

Hy fredda40,
I have pets of my own (2 cats + 1 dog), and she said she is using cosmetics that are allergy friendly. This would also explain why during the vacation I did not have any symptoms. I'm pretty desperate.
Thank you for trying to help me!

[zenderol]

Hy skydnsr,
I have pets of my own (2 cats + 1 dog), and she said she is using cosmetics that are allergy friendly. This would also explain why during the vacation I did not have any symptoms. I'm pretty desperate.
Thank you for trying to help me!

[fredda40]

It sounds like an allergy. You should definitely get allergy testing. It may be your girlfriends perfume, shampoo, cosmetics or any cleaning item she using at her home or yours. I find that Benadryl helps a lot for allergic reactions. If it helps it is most likely a reaction to something. Also some people with anxiety tend to have more symptoms because they are always thinking about it. One main symptom of anxiety or panic attack is feeling like you can't breath. Good luck!

[evewisewoman]

Hello Zenderol,

Welcome to the allergy forum. I see you joined Med help this month.
Do you have any allergies as you posted in the allergy forum? If so,
what are your allergies?  If you have never been tested for allergies,
I would suggest that you have an allergy skin test. This can be arranged
through your family doctor probably just through a doctor's referral.
Does your girl friend have any pets ? If so, what kind of pets does
she have ? Your girlfriend could be wearing a perfume or personal
care product that you are allergic to.  There are now body sprays
that some women use. Does she use anything like that ?  If you
were sensitive or allergic to any of the chemicals in a perfume, body
spray, personal care product, that might account for the feeling of
light headedness and suffocation. I wish you both well and I hope
you can get to the bottom of what is making you feel ill.  No reward
necessary. Be well.  Eve

[skydnsr]

BTW, if anything I said turns out to be helpful, no reward is needed, expected, or wanted.  I would just like to see you get this figured out.  Again, good luck.

[skydnsr]

Could she be using some kind of cologne or personal care product that you are chemically sensitive to?  Or some kind of home cleaning or laundry product that tends to cling to her clothing?  Or, if she has pets, maybe you are allergic to the pets?  The level of pet dander would be greatest at her home, but a lesser level of pet dander would cling to her clothes, even when she left her place.  That's my shot in the dark, that there's something you are allergic to or chemically sensitive to that she has at home or that she uses on her person.  I hope you can figure this out.  Good luck.