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Constant Shortness of Breath
Hi,im a 22 year old male and i've been dealing with this constant shortness of breath for over 6-7 years now. I written on a forum about this before but just hadd to write one again. Its hard to say but doctors have no idea what's wrong with me.I see so mnay people dealing with this problem and it seems like theres no diagnosis. It just strated outta the blue I went to take a deep breath and i couldnt get that last bit of hair to satisfy the breath and this whole vicious cycle started. After that for about 2 years i was constantly taking deep breaths and not able to get a satisfied breath. I WAS CONSTANTLY YAWNING>SIGNING AND TAKIN UNSATISFIED DEEP BREATH ALL DAY LONG. I had reached the point when i was staying home in my bed just hoping i would die so it would stop. After 2 years or so it seemed to just go away. It then came back right after i smoked a cigarette . Ever since then its been an ongoing struggle. I feel as if i have no control of my life, and im constantly thinking of my breathing. I feel hopeless and feel as if no one understands what im going through or that i have this disease that doctors cant detect. My doctor has put me on xanax for anxiety and it seemed to cut the edge off a lil but its still there. Its not as bad as when i first got it but it still disrupts my life. I can only work 2 days, i don't go to school and i don't have much of a happy life .I've gone to cardiologist, ent's, gi's, pulmonary doctors. I've gone through xrays, PFT, EKG, stress tests, endoscopy . Only thing i have is GERD/LPR with sinsation of lump in throat and a very small irregular heart beat. I also am constantly clearing my throat.I heard that can be because of the Gerd/LPR. I just took a new PFT test and my breathing is normal. i did have a deviated septum but got that fixed..My lung specialist says its just all in my head and that i have this because ive become aware of my breathing pattern. i've used advair, singular and breathing pumps for asthma with no results. when im sitting or laying down its seems to be fine but when i stand up or move it kicks in more. I'm losing hope on what's going on with me. Does anyone have this?If so can anyone recommend anything else i should look for? the only thing i really want to do is a MRI or CT scan but doctors say 99 percent sure nothing will show.Has anyone heard of chronic hyperventilation syndrome? or phrenic nerve damage? if anyone can be of help please email me or post a message?
sounds like an anxiety attack and focusing on it,,,,is there some chance a tramatic experience happened in your life? i know that my panic attacks, happen when i stress, and i started this at age 15, im now 58, but they can lay dormant for years.....and then they come back and u concentrate on it, its scary no matter what, and people dont understand, when its not them.,,,,not sure how ur life has changed with this.....at times mine changed dramatically... im sure therapy will help and a good family dr that understands too
I am having this exact same problem. I see this was posted 5 years ago, has anyone found resolution?
I see this post is old from 2009. Has anyone had relief, success or had this go away. Mine just started and its miserable. I am trying to find anywhere hope stories and people actually having it go away?
This is a copy of a post that fixed my breathing problems emmediately.
I tried everything - antidepressants, herbs, anti-anxiety meds, therapy(kind of working) and non of it works. The thing that worked for me is this:
This is old and I am sure the original people posting have found a new symptom to ruin their lives but I came across this in an internet search and wanted to give someone hope.
After about 2 years of high stress I started getting heartburn and suddenly I could not breathe. For that whole week I assumed anxiety and tried meditation and anxiety exercised to calm down. Well it didnt work and the heartburn got worse I got acid in my throat all the time. I saw my dr after inhalers didnt work, who then gave me steroids. when that didnt work, i started taking meds for the heartburn thinking it was the acid reaching my lungs. For months I suffered and you know what hell it is. Sometimes I felt like I had to force myself to breathe. Finally i started thinking about the fact that limiting my diet and taking acid medicines by my doctor and I still couldnt breathe, i panicked. Whats wrong with me and I cant live a life where I feel like i cant even perform a basic function necessary to being alive. Then like a lightbulb went on i considered my shortness of breath, despite how serious and constant it was, was maybe an anxiety response, within a week i was breathing 90 percent better. By the next week i am at 95 (this week).
Many of you have been already told its anxiety so why not give some of my methods a try. You know you cant just calm down, you have to trick yourself. Consciously breathe slow, and use your nose to take slow breaths. Dont breathe deeper than feels natural, fight the urge to do that and fight the urge to sigh. You do not realize this but you are hyperventilating, and breathing slow will stop the hyperventilation response. But you need to keep trying. Practice breathing from your stomach and not your chest. This will feel really bad at first but by the next day i noticed improvement, and each day after. Also, i had developed chest tightness and can feel my chest tighten. I would practice massage and stretching to become aware of the tightness and try to break the cycle. Another method which is great for all anxiety related physical symptoms is an amazing trick. Focus on a physical feeling you have that feels bad, and try to use your brainpower to make the feelings or pain more intense. You cant, its impossible. Try hard! This exercise causes your brain to actually relax its grip. Amazing. Remember, keep practicing its like exercise. You wont be ready for the playoffs in a day. And you might relapse but if you keep trying youll notice you bounce back faster each time.
We are all a work in progress, if its not the breathing its something else. Stay strong, youll beat this.
I tried everything - antidepressants, herbs, anti-anxiety meds, therapy(kind of working) and non of it works. The thing that worked for me is this:
This is old and I am sure the original people posting have found a new symptom to ruin their lives but I came across this in an internet search and wanted to give someone hope.
After about 2 years of high stress I started getting heartburn and suddenly I could not breathe. For that whole week I assumed anxiety and tried meditation and anxiety exercised to calm down. Well it didnt work and the heartburn got worse I got acid in my throat all the time. I saw my dr after inhalers didnt work, who then gave me steroids. when that didnt work, i started taking meds for the heartburn thinking it was the acid reaching my lungs. For months I suffered and you know what hell it is. Sometimes I felt like I had to force myself to breathe. Finally i started thinking about the fact that limiting my diet and taking acid medicines by my doctor and I still couldnt breathe, i panicked. Whats wrong with me and I cant live a life where I feel like i cant even perform a basic function necessary to being alive. Then like a lightbulb went on i considered my shortness of breath, despite how serious and constant it was, was maybe an anxiety response, within a week i was breathing 90 percent better. By the next week i am at 95 (this week).
Many of you have been already told its anxiety so why not give some of my methods a try. You know you cant just calm down, you have to trick yourself. Consciously breathe slow, and use your nose to take slow breaths. Dont breathe deeper than feels natural, fight the urge to do that and fight the urge to sigh. You do not realize this but you are hyperventilating, and breathing slow will stop the hyperventilation response. But you need to keep trying. Practice breathing from your stomach and not your chest. This will feel really bad at first but by the next day i noticed improvement, and each day after. Also, i had developed chest tightness and can feel my chest tighten. I would practice massage and stretching to become aware of the tightness and try to break the cycle. Another method which is great for all anxiety related physical symptoms is an amazing trick. Focus on a physical feeling you have that feels bad, and try to use your brainpower to make the feelings or pain more intense. You cant, its impossible. Try hard! This exercise causes your brain to actually relax its grip. Amazing. Remember, keep practicing its like exercise. You wont be ready for the playoffs in a day. And you might relapse but if you keep trying youll notice you bounce back faster each time.
We are all a work in progress, if its not the breathing its something else. Stay strong, youll beat this.
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