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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
Lung Health | Last Active: May 27 5:58pm | Replies (3353)Comment receiving replies
Hi Gabriel! I came across your story online when I was researching the same problem, as I seem to do a lot these days. I literally have the exact same situation on and off for the last few years. I would say with me it started back in 2019 and I will experience very similar symptoms that you described and will go months without being able to breathe normally then all of a sudden one day wake up fine only for it to come back a few months later. I was told I had sighing dsypnea, because its like I am always gasping or sighing to try to breathe. I also always feel like I have to yawn. Like you, I have been to multiple doctors, who all tell me physically I am fine. My lungs are fine, my heart is fine, I am physically active and healthy, but there is no explanation for what is wrong with me. I do have slight allergies so I take cetirizine daily, so I don't believe it is allergy related or I think the allergy pills would relieve the symptoms. I even had a doctor tell me that being that they cannot find anything physical, I should consider counseling. I was told it must be anxiety or stress related, but I don't agree. What CAUSES me anxiety is the fact that I cant take a breath! It is frustrating, terrifying and annoying and I wish I could figure it out. I am going to try the breathing technique you mentioned and hopefully it can help me. I am sorry you have struggled with this but I am also relieved that I am not crazy and someone else has the same problems. I will try to continue to follow this page, even though it has been years, but maybe someone can suggest something that will make this go away.
Replies to "Hi Gabriel! I came across your story online when I was researching the same problem, as..."
Man, I was the exact same. I said the EXACT SAME line. It’s the symptom giving me the anxiety not the other way around. I had zero mental anxiety while I had the symptom, nothing. So yes I believed the same, can’t be anxiety. Notice how the symptom is on and off? Do you wonder why that has happened? Well I did too. I wondered if I ate something or drank more or less or something, I was convinced something caused it and it was about figuring it out to fix it. What made it go away personally for me was I was falling behind on work and everything was falling apart so I said to myself I’m not gonna let this thing derail me no matter how awful. And I woke up everyday with that determined can do attitude and worked. And the more I was focused the less I felt of it, until eventually I stopped feeling it but I barely noticed I was so focused again on my life.
Months later it came back and stayed and I hit my worst a few months later when I was determined to figure it out and fix it and ofc that made it more noticeable more prevelant and to the point I could not leave my house I’m not even joking. No idea it was anxiety and whenever I would hear that suggested by doctors I would dismiss it instantly.
This is my story. This is what it was for me and What I believe a lot of people here have.
It’s anxiety. If you can’t subscribe to that belief I could give you some fancy term (a lot of you love the term sighing dyspnea so I’ll give a fancy term) pseudodyspnea, somatic anxiety, physical anxiety,
It is not your fault but it’s your responsibility to accept what it is and start living your life again.
So what makes this go away. It’s basically by doing the opposite of what you’ve presumably try everytime you feel it. You try to fix and get rid and figure out and resist the feeling. Stop doing that. Allow it, let it be, ask for its worst. But letting it be is passive you don’t DO it. It happens when you don’t DO ANYTHING. You focus on life with all your being. Focus on living to the fullest. Going out more, seeing the world seeing your friends. Do it all. And you don’t live your life to the fullest for the sake of getting rid of this thing. You do it because your life is the prize not getting rid of the feeling. I haven’t felt it in years btw. But it wouldn’t matter to me if I did. This is why people feel it again after not feeling it for so long. It’s the caring that’s the issue. Stop caring. It literally is nothing to you if you choose it to be. Live life to the fullest.
This was addressed to you but also anyone reading. Don’t mean to be pushy just trying to tell you something I wish I had been told when I wasted precious years of my life on this symptom. I’m not a doctor or therapist. Doctor is in charge of your health not me. Good luck everyone
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Hi @lizbralish217, I'm sorry you've been dealing with this. I'm glad that you've found relief in this thread, knowing that you're not alone. I know it's somewhat comforting to know that others are dealing with similar symptoms so that you know you can at least look to those who've struggled for any solutions.
There are a lot of comments on this thread, but if you skimmed through at least a few pages, you may find some valuable information and possible things you can try to alleviate symptoms.
For the Buteyko method, there are online resources and books that teach various parts of the method. The most "traditional" method was a class I took through https://www.learnbuteykoonline.net/. That's just one resource, but definitely search around to see what you might find.
Have you gotten bloodwork done through the various doctors you've seen? Any deficiencies that any of them have noted?