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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
I will try to make this as short as possible, but this has been going on for over 5 years, so it might be farily long.
Beginning in summer of 2012, I began having shortness of breath (SOB) with no other symptoms. I felt a constant need to yawn, and every few breaths wouldn't satisfy the SOB. I would take a deep breath, and felt like it would get "stuck" before satisfying the air hunger feeling. About every 3-5 deep breaths would satisfy it, only for it to return a minute later.
I got an endoscopy and other tests done, which revealed that I had some esophageal erosion due to acid reflux and a slight hiatal hernia and was diagnosed with GERD. I had always have bad heartburn, so I was prescribed with Prilosec, which I have been taking daily since them. I've tried stopping it a few times but the reflux always comes back a lot worse.
Lung tests and x-rays were normal. Heart tests normal. Blood test revealed a slight anemia but otherwise pretty normal.
I did some research reading forums where someone suggested taking vitamin B-12. Strangely, I took it and the SOB disappeared almost instantly. However, it only lasted a few days for it to return just as bad. I then started taking an iron supplement, which again made the SOB disappear quickly- same thing; symptom returned days later.
After further research, I came across a breathing exercise method called the Buteyko method. Essentially you do a lot of breath holding to build up CO2 and reduce breathing as the theory is that I had chronic hyperventilation causing too much CO2 to exit my body. After applying the method and reducing my breathing, the SOB disappeared after only 2 days and I felt completely normal. I continued the method a few more days then no longer felt the need to pursue the exercises. I was normal for a whole year when the SOB once again returned with some chest tightness. I applied the method again and the symptom went away, this time with a little more effort; after about 3 weeks. I included physical exercise which also helped with my breathing.
After that, I was normal for about 2 years. I mistakenly stopped or at least slowed down exercise and the SOB returned once again. I applied the method and began running for exercise but the SOB kept getting worse. It got so bad, I had multiple panic attacks and the feeling of completely empty lungs with the inability to satisfy it with deep breaths. I had to stop exercise altogether, apply the Buteyko method and do breathing exercises very carefully with very light and slow exercise. This helped, but it took many weeks for the SOB to improve. Then, it was almost normal when over a year ago as I was running, I couldn't get a deep breath to satisfy exercise-induced SOB. I have had SOB continuously since then (a year and a half).
I once again started doing breathing exercises and slowly building up physical exercise, but I can't do any prolonged cardio activity because the SOB gets to a point where deep breathing will not satisfy it. While the breathing exercises have helped, they have had very little effect compared to previous efforts. It seems that every time the symptom returned, greater effort yields few results.
I suspect there is something, some underlying cause that is causing the SOB that has alluded me this entire time.
So for the past few months to a year, the SOB is worse on some days, better on others, but never gone. There's no rhyme or reason or pattern for it. It's just there, sometimes affecting my sleep. I sometimes can't get a deep breath to satisfy it every now and then, but for the most part, a big gulp of air will satisfy it. But it returns seconds to minutes later. It's as though every breath doesn't deliver what it's supposed to, the SOB builds up, and then I have to take a big gulp of air to get rid of the feeling, pattern repeats. My breathing pattern is normal, however. I don't feel like anything physical is happening, but sometimes it feels like my airways and nostrils are slightly inflamed due to allergies, but when I don't feel inflammation the SOB is still there.
Recent lung function tests show normal- I don't have asthma, or any other problems with my lungs. Heart tests are normal though I did have about a two week bout of heart palpitations which came and went. Haven't had any for a while- it just mysteriously started happening then stopped. Blood tests are normal, though tests always show a slight elevation of biliruben which my doc thinks is Gilbert's disease.
I don't have sleep apnea (normal test), bloody oxygenation is normal, heart rate normal.
I recently saw local naturopath (since mainstream docs aren't able to help) who immediately suspected a liver problem when I described my SOB, possibly liver inflammation. He used an electrodermal testing machine to test his theory which did seem to show a problem with my liver and gallbladder. He gave me digestive enzymes and a gallbladder formula to help clear a bile duct clog, thus reducing liver inflammation. He also determined with the machine that I have an egg sensitivity so I've been avoiding eggs.
Been taking this and avoiding eggs for a couple of months, but there has been no noticeable improvement. Everything else is normal. Emotionally I'm normal- no anxiety, depression, etc. The SOB seems to be the only symptom of something, but always comes back worse, until a year and half ago when it came back and has remained since. I feel like I shouldn't have to do breath holding exercises every day just to maintain my breathing well enough to do every day things.
Does anyone have any idea of a possible underlying cause?
2021/2022 UPDATE:
Since my original post about 3-1/2 years ago, a lot has happened, so I’d like to update the post to share with others who come across this what I’ve done since then.
I have maintained a weekly Buteyko method breathing exercise regimen where I do a few of these breathing exercises 3-4 times a week in the morning. This, in combination with daily light to moderate exercise (specifically weight lifting, with 1 or 2 days a week of walking and light jogging), I feel has kept the air hunger symptoms tolerable and manageable. I have mostly good days with some not-so-good days, but doing a breathing exercise and knowing that it’ll get better again helps me get through those times.
I also have sinus inflammation which can exacerbate the symptoms, but I’ve also managed this, which in turn reduces the severity of the air hunger symptoms.
So, while I haven’t found a cure nor is the problem completely gone, I have been able to maintain normalcy in daily life and manage the symptoms through the strategies I described.
This discussion remains active, alive and well through the comments section where others who have similar symptoms have shared what has helped them as well as suggestions for possible solutions to explore.
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@jasparhunter
I’m really sorry you’re dealing with this. That “everything looks normal but I still can’t breathe right” situation is incredibly frustrating, especially after years of tests and trips to places like OHSU and Stanford. Many of us here know that feeling all too well.
The fact that your oxygen levels are always good and that oxygen, inhalers, and steroids don’t help is something I hear often with air hunger. That was my experience too, and it’s confusing when the numbers look great but the sensation is anything but.
The possible long-COVID link is interesting, especially with the timing you mentioned. Did your breathing symptoms start pretty suddenly after that illness, or did they come on more gradually? And have you noticed anything that reliably makes things better or worse, like stress, posture, or gentle exercise?
Thanks for sharing your story. You’re definitely not alone here, even though it can feel that way.
jasparhunter - I have the very same story as you. It's been many years and now getting worse. I wonder if body type (I'm quite thin) is part of the problem. At one point I was told I have 'big' lungs whatever that means.
@stew80 after a couple of years fighting with doctors on why I have a shortage of breath finally a doctor did a drug induced stress test. What was found was durning normal everyday routines everything was great, as soon as my heart became under stress stairs, carring groceries, cold weather lots of other situations my heart ejection fraction went from 55 percent down to 42 to 44 percent and that's why I have shortage of breath. Nothing they can because of heart attacks and open heart surgery heart muscle is basically dead. Hope that helps.
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2 Reactions@gabrielm
Thank you for the kind reply!
Seems like i keep diving down rabbit holes searching for something, something responsible for this. My latest dig was into beta blockers, which can cause SOB. I am taking them regularly. My Dr doesn't think the meds are the cause. I will be seeing him next month and will ask about an alternative.
I read your post about the breathing exercise and walking. That exercise didn't seem to help.
I do swim laps regularly and am finding that my periods of huffing and puffing after a length of the pool to be getting longer. I still thrive on my laps - they seem to be good for what's between my ears also 🙂
@stew80
Thank you for your reply. What a dilemma, huh?
I am of normal stature and have never been told that i have 'big lungs' So we do not share those things - the air hunger, we do.
My best to You and hope we can find a solution!
@jasparhunter, Thanks for the update. I really relate to the “rabbit holes” comment. When something affects your breathing, it’s almost impossible not to keep searching for the one missing piece that explains it all. Beta blockers are a reasonable thing to question, especially since SOB is listed as a possible side effect. Even if your doctor doesn’t think they’re the cause, it seems very fair to at least explore alternatives and see if anything changes.
It’s great that you’re swimming regularly. I’ve found the same thing with walking and lifting. Sometimes the biggest benefit is what it does for your head, even if the breathing sensation doesn’t fully cooperate. The fact that you can still swim and “thrive” there is actually an important data point, even if the recovery between laps feels tougher lately.
One small clarification on the breathing exercises I mentioned. For me, Buteyko wasn’t a quick fix or a bandaid at all. It was more about slowly retraining my breathing pattern and, just as importantly, my mindset around breathing. Getting out of that constant checking, trying, and chasing the perfect breath. It didn’t make the sensation vanish, but over time it took a lot of the edge off and reduced the panic feedback loop that keeps things stuck.
Out of curiosity, do you notice the air hunger more at rest than during activity, or is it fairly constant? And after swimming, once you’ve recovered, does your breathing settle at all or does the sensation linger?
I appreciate you sharing more. These kinds of details often help others connect the dots too.
@stew80 You’re definitely not alone in wondering about body type and anatomy. I’ve heard the “big lungs” comment before too, and frustratingly, it’s usually said without much explanation about what it actually means or whether it matters. Being thin or having a larger lung volume doesn’t seem to give doctors a clear answer, but a lot of people here with very different body types report the same air hunger sensation, which makes it even more puzzling.
I’m curious, have you noticed whether your symptoms are more pronounced at rest versus during activity? And when you were told you had “big” lungs, was that based on pulmonary function testing, or just an offhand comment? Sometimes those little details help connect patterns across stories.
Thanks for chiming in. The more people speak up, the clearer it becomes that this is a real, shared experience, even if medicine hasn’t caught up yet.
@gabrielm - My sob symptoms are with me at rest and worse in bed. The 'big lungs' comment came after pulmonary function testing.
So, it's a mystery and it may be a condition I take to the end.
Thanks for your response.
@stew80 , The pattern you describe, being worse at rest and especially in bed, is something I relate with. I tend to notice it more when I'm resting or lying down. Often times I have to sleep at an incline which reduces the air hunger sensation.
One thing I really want to emphasize, especially since you mentioned the possibility of carrying this long term, is that even if it doesn’t fully go away, it doesn’t have to control your life. For me, distraction genuinely helps. When my mind is engaged, whether that’s walking, light projects, or just being mentally absorbed in something, the breathing sensation often fades into the background. That was a big clue for me that the mind–body connection plays a real role here.
Buteyko excercises helped me not as a quick fix, but as a way to gradually retrain my breathing pattern and my mindset around breathing. It helped me step out of the constant monitoring and trying to force a full breath, and over time that took a lot of the edge off the air hunger. Might be something you look into as something to try.
Another thing that’s helped me a great deal is mild to moderate weight lifting. I can’t fully explain why, but I’m convinced it’s made a difference, whether through improved oxygen utilization, better muscle engagement, posture, or some other mechanism. I always stay well within what my breathing allows, but overall it’s been a net positive for my symptoms.
You may be right that this is something you carry, but there are real ways to manage it and live a pretty normal, full life alongside it.
@gabrielm Very helpful read. Thanks for sharing. I haven't really tried the Buteyko breathing method but I will. I think you're right. Manage what we can and enjoy life despite of this uncomfortable sensation. The body has a way of adaptation.
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