Constant Shortness of Breath/Gerd/LPR Always clearing Throat

[zambrotta19]

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?

[natural_common_sense]

Hi,

Approx 30 years ago I had all the same symptoms listed above.  I went to 4 different doctors in the Boston area.  All wanted to put me on anti-depressants or some kind of anti-anxiety drug.

I told them all that it was biochemical and I refused to take psych drugs.

The 5 doctor fixed it and it was cheap, easy and quick.  I felt almost immediate relief and in 4 weeks it was cured.

I had reflux action that was irritating my esophagus and causing me to hyperventilate.  The symptoms of reflux were heart burn, burping, gas etc.  The symptoms of hyperventilation were shortness of breath, cold sweats, feeling anxious, dizzy, like I was going to pass out, pains in my chest and ones passing down my left arm....

The cure was simple and required discipline for approx 2-4 weeks:

1) Read the "Relaxation Response" by a Harvard MD about biofeedback and controlling your stress (stress = higher acid = reflux= hyperventilation)

2) practice the de-stressing exercises in the book.

3) Use Mylanta II or other liquid heavy duty antacids after meals to limit some of the acids.

4) Eat only green leafy veggies or steamed veggies, no salt, no oil, no spices, maybe only apple cider vinegar.  You have to experiment to see which veggies help or makes it worse.

5) Eat seared and steamed chicken breast with no spices, no onions, no oil, no anything.

6) Do not eat rice, bread, crackers, nuts, beef, junk food, chips, no dairy, no beer, no soda, no smoking, no booze, no coffee, no red bull.  No fruit either for a couple of weeks until it gets under control.

7) Drink lots of water, always have rolaids or tums with you, always have a paper bag with you.

8) After 2 weeks of only green leafy veg, chicken breast, and water, I reduced the liquid antacid to only 1 a day at night, and then a week later I eliminated it all together.

9) For months I did the following:  Slowly added in one food item at a time and all healthy ones first, continued my stress reducing biofeedback, and used rolaids and tums with the first signs of heartburn.  Water also helped the heartburn and breathed into a paper bag for a few minutes every time I felt I could not get a deep breath.

10) This worked because the biofeedback taught me that the "fight or flight" response naturally increases acid and increases chances for hyperventilation.   By re-connecting with my body, I was able to catch the acid response almost immediately and use rolaids or tums or water to fix it before it got really bad.  The better connection allowed me to reduce the time of response to zero and eliminate the acid response.  Also, by removing the acid response, I was able to eliminate the esophagus irritation and hyperventilation.  I could breathe again.  By using a bag when I had a shortness of breath, it proved to me that it was hyperventilation.

11) Some people recommend acid blockers for these problems, but I found out the following: If you use acid blockers for a long time, even rolaids or tums, your body has a "rebound response" which naturally cranks up the acid production to compensate for the neutralizers.  You need more of them to get the same relief over time.  So you get completely dependent on ant-acids.  The best thing to do is get short term relief and fix the root of the problem.....stress.....combined with bad diet....booze...beer....smoking....

12) There is hope....After I fixed the problem, only about 4-6 weeks I kept ant-acids around just in case, but within less than a year, I was completely cured.  Stress and stomach acid nearly completely dis-connected...no more issues...and the freedom to eat or drink as good or as bad as I wished....beer...booze ...anything.  But to get here, you have to fix the root, not give in to the "little purple pill" or some long term medicines.  This is not a disease, it is a condition brought on by the American life style and stress.

good luck and contact me with any questions......

[skbab]

Hi.  I just read your blog.  I have been feeling the exact same way.  I am wondering if you have found a diagnosis yet?  I did see one dr who wants me tested for pulmonary hypertension.  A terrible test to diagnose a terrible, fatal illness.  The 2nd pulmonologist that I have been seeing says that it is reflux and asthma, and I don't need the test done for pulmonary hypertension, but, like you, I am so nervous and anxious all of the time, that I just need to have the test done and rule out the worst stuff so I can relax a little.  I am married to a doctor and he is stumped and tired of listening to me complain.  This started 15 months for me during a time that I was very stressed out, but something just seems off to me.  I am just so nervous to have the test done to rule out pulmonary hypertension, but I know i need to.  Have you had that done? ( That is where you go to a hospital and they put a line in your artery up to near your heart then have you run on a treadmill to see what happens to your lungs during exertion.) I have hope after reading your symptoms that perhaps I am dealing with lph, and gerd, like my 2nd dr says.   I have had my stomach scoped and it has been determined that I do have a lot of reflux.  I have been on meds for months for this, and it is not resolving.  I am on many inhalers for asthma, and am getting scared and feeling hopeless.  Please let me know if you have gotten a good diagnosis and treatment yet.  Best of luck