Lifelong chronic respiratory & abdominal symptoms resolved by pressing abdomen

[nuclearpowerpants]

36 year old male, no medications.

For more than 30 years now I have suffered from chronic respiratory difficulty plus pain and discomfort in my abdomen.

Two months ago I discovered that if I pressed very, very hard into my upper left abdomen [here](https://i.imgur.com/R6882nJ.png) that all of my symptoms would suddenly disappear. I also feel a distinct movement of something in that area.

The symptoms go from 100% to 0% for 1-5 days before suddenly returning to 100%.

I’ve successfully repeated this method dozens of times, so I now live without symptoms about half of the time.

When the symptoms disappear it feels physically a lot easier to breathe - as if I need to use much less muscular effort to breathe in and out. Especially out.

When my symptoms are present they are so severe that I would rate my quality of life as 2/10. When they vanish my quality of life is 10/10. The difference is remarkable.

My sleep goes from horrible to great. Instead of waking up every morning feeling exhausted, with aching respiratory muscles, I wake up feeling refreshed, without discomfort.

My generalised abdominal pain and discomfort also vanishes.

I’m very interested to hear your theories about what could be going on here.

I’ve consulted with two gastroenterologists. A gastroscopy and colonoscopy were performed without findings. A laparoscopy is planned next.

One Dr thinks that the issue might be caused by gas bloating or by nerve compression, the other thinks it might be iatrogenic, caused by scar tissue adhesions from my pyloric stenosis surgery as a baby. My GP also thinks that it was caused by my pyloric surgery.

I want to build a solid list of different hypothesis for the abdominal surgeon to investigate in the laparoscopy if required. I don’t want to have to repeat the laproscopy!

During the first few days of relief from my symptoms I experienced an intense aching pain that spread across the left side of my back, at the level of my diaphragm. It was like an extreme “stitch”. It was so severe that I could not stand or walk. It gradually disappeared after 3 days.

It feels to me like my diaphragm is being pulled / pushed / blocked / restricted, or maybe that the nerve signals to my diaphragm are being interrupted. The “snap” sensation when I push on the area is very distinct. My Dr suggested that it could be fibrous adhesions snapping. I have to push extremely hard for it to successfully make my symptoms go away.

Extensive prior testing shows that I do not have asthma or COPD. Six years ago I had a nissen fundoplication to treat my severe reflux and to help with my respiratory symptoms. It didn't seem to affect the respiratory symptoms at all, though it did cure the reflux.

Thanks!

[ayl291]

Wow you case sounds as awful as mine.  We are zebras lol.

Did you have a sniff study done yet?

[nuclearpowerpants]

I am booked for a sniff test soon. I can't wait to find out the result.

What is your health condition?

What do you mean zebras?

Thanks!

[ayl291]

Not typical.

Hard to find what's wrong lol.

I used to be a clinician.

And now a patient for almost 4 years.

Awful.

I cant take a deep breath ever.  Always baby breaths and my right lung feels like a fist is pushing into it.

Me entire chest has so much pressure.

It started with pes with me and then we found an asd...
Closed that and still completely disabled.

So now we realize something is wrong with the diaphragm and not visible on ct so I'm lookin at a laparoscopy at well.

It's all so miserable!

[nuclearpowerpants]

Have you seen this procedure? Very interesting story: https://amillionbetterthings.com/2012/02/08/how-to-hack-your-health/

What is pes and asd?

Thanks

[ayl291]

Pe is a blood clot in your lung and asd is hole in your heart.

I was vomiting so much when I had the pes, pretty sure ripped a ligament or ruptured the diaphragm during.

Ugh I'm just so sick of it.  

Not being able to breath is like life altering!

I used to work in health care ( nurse)... it's weird being on the other side for almost 4 years now.

[nuclearpowerpants]

Could the central diaphragm tendon have been affected?

Can the surgeon visualise the full inferior surface of the diaphragm during your laparoscopy to look for any tears?

These are the same questions I'm going to be asking my surgeon at the first appointment.

It's a shame radiology isn't high resolution enough to see that stuff.

[ayl291]

Honestly, I'm ******* shocked at how ****** radiology seems to be.  Like what?  Exploritative surgery in 2018... so insane.  And I'm a nurse lol.

Hey you can just email me instead.  Would love to talk with someone about to go into the same surgery as me...

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