Since early 2015 I have experienced a feeling I would describe as a sensation of smothering or lack of air that comes and goes, sometimes gone for 6 months or longer. I don't cough much of need to take heaving breaths or have racing heart, it's more a feeling I cannot take deep enough breaths in. Excercise does not seem to be any issue at all and can even alleviate it. Usually worse in winter, often wakes me at night. . I excercise regularly, mostly long walks, cycling and swimming (precovid) and resistance train regularly and can do a 10mile bike ride up and down muddy hills and am okay (yes that's always hard work but my breathing is okay)
I have had Lung function tests. bloods, Spiro, echocardiograms, xray, ecg, ecg 48 hour monitor, even an implant in my chest for a year to monitor my heart for any abnormal rhythms that uploaded every night to the hospital. Also seen an ENT who did allergy tests and had a camera up my nose and camera down throat to check for Gerd (told mild acid reflux and took lanzoprasol for a year and no notable reduction in symptoms) All normal. Fed up so paying privately now in 2021 to see a well regarded respitory specialist and have a whatever scans/ tests deemed appropriate. I will update you.
Part of the reason for the tests on heart is that I had an ablation for AF in 2014. But one NHS and two private cardiologists having reviewed all tests said heart if now fine and nothing showing on tests at all warranting further investigations. I will admit I found the ablation traumatic, 3 hours awake on a table while my heart was a lated was very painful and not fun. The breathing issues came on follow g the ablation but again loads of tests and both the hospital and I dependents saying its not this
Keep being told its anxiety, wanting to rule out physical causes by having more and probably some repeat tests. And yes, I feel anxious, but I am anxious because because I wake at night feeling suffocated, don't sleep well, usually 5 to 6 hours and have the same suffocating feeling at times during day, and excercise seems to improve it!! The only things fou d was fatty liver which was classed as mild after firborscan, ultrasound and bloods (which had now normalised after dropping 3 stone) acid reflux which is controlled (I think). I also had thyroid test and told I was 12.1 on a scale of 12 to 24 so close to hypo but told this is still OK. Wondering if anyone else has similar and can shed any light on this.