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Ongoing shortness of breath, chest tightness and inflammatory chest
Hi all, I am reaching out to see if anybody has had a similar experience to my own and if anyone has found any resolution to my issue. I am a 25 year old male
I have suffered from shortness of breath, tightness in the chest and an inflammatory feeling in my chest that began in the beginning of 2022.
I am an ex smoker and vaper who did both for a period of 6 years full time at some points and on and off
One night after having some drinks and vaping, I was relaxing on the lounge when out of the blue I started to experience dyspnea. Panic set in immediately as this had never happened before and I ended up calling an ambulance. They did an ecg and measured 02 saturation and they came back normal.
From this point on I have had shortness of breath most of the time with minimal relief. Throughout the following years I have had 2 chest X-rays, multiple spirometries and pulmonary function tests, holter monitor, stress echo, ecg etc which have all come back perfect no COPD etc.
I have suffered a large hiatal hernia and reflux for 10 years which I had repaired 3 months ago with a hernia repair + partial fundoplication.
Oddly enough I have periods of time between 2-3 weeks where my symptoms improve greatly but this is short lived as they will return again every time. Quite obviously smoking and vaping seem to be a trigger of this shortness of breath which prompted me to give up cold turkey end of 2024.
Since my surgery my shortness of breath does appear to be a little more sporadic in nature. Certain seating positions appear to alleviate the symptoms slightly. Since this all began I have been able to take a satisfying breath roughly every 5-6 breaths. Some times I can get 2 or 3 good ones in a row.
It does not appear to get worse under physical exertion and I train in the gym light cardio and strength training on a regular basis.
Leading up to the period this began and also throughout the past few years I have suffered from sickness ie the flu, Covid, colds etc with some lengthened periods of time where I have had no sickness for months in between.
In 2018 I suffered pseudomonas which was a crippling superbug which cause me to lose a lot of weight and cough 24/7 until finally after getting repeatedly told it was asthma a really good doctor ordered a sputum test where I went on a harsh course of antibiotics to get rid of it. I have since been on antibiotics a lot of times for infections.
Going back to 2008 I was diagnosed with sport induced asthma which has been managed with ventolin although I’ve never really relied on it much. I also got pneumonia in 2012 but caught it early before it could develop into something serious.
I am now off PPI medication which I was on for 6+ years and my reflux has been relieved with only minor heartburn every now and again post surgery.
I have an appointment booked January next year with a pulmonologist so we will see how that goes.
At this point the only symptoms I have are dyspnea, tightness of the chest and an inflamed feeling of the chest which has been pretty consistent and not really gotten any worse or better in the last 3.5 years. I have suffered from a lot of anxiety and mental health problems over the years but given that I actually feel relaxed most of the time I don’t think this is the cause. I am starting to suspect chronic airway inflammation as I have rectified the hernia in my chest which I initially thought may have been the cause.
I am praying I have not done any irreparable damage but I understand due to vaping and smoking that this is a possibility. I am tempted to see if I can get a high resolution ct scan of the chest prior to my appointment but am not sure if this is the route I will take. I must say I am very nervous and afraid of the outcome.
I am wondering if due to my mum having auto immune issues my body could be signalling an immune system response which is causing the inflammation in my airways even in absense of triggers or infection. Left untreated I’m afraid of what would happen or what has already happened to my lungs. I have 2 young kids and I cant bear the thought of leaving them prematurely. I guess I should have taken better care of my health when I had the chance. I also can’t stand feeling this way 24/7 and I want my old life back.
Anyways thanks for listening, if anybody could help shed some light on my situation and what direction I should be heading with this that would be much appreciated. I am very much open to holistic/homeopathic methods also as I know with chronic lung conditions research and treatment options are very limited in western medicine. Thanks again.
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Try these steps:
1. Practice slow deep breathing. Fill your diaphragm and then lungs via your nose, exhale slowly via your mouth.
2. Cut down on carbs (bread, rice, pasta, pastries, etc.) Carbohydrates metabolize into carbon dioxide which can severely inhibit normal breathing.
3. Drink organic tart cherry juice, 4 oz. at breakfast.
4. Inhale aroma of thyme leaves before walking or exercising and as needed.
5. Drink 4 ounces of organic pomegranate juice after exercising.
6. Sleep with your head elevated.
7. Wear N95 mask during high pollen season. Milwaukee brand N95 is great.
8. Drink plenty of filtered water.
9. I start the day with magnesium glycinate, 29% of the RDA, Pure is the brand I use.
10. Avoid inhaling cleaning agent aromas, especially those containing chlorine. Also avoid chemicals in general.
Hope this helps!
Regards,
Sagan (81 years young)
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5 ReactionsHas your doctor ever mentioned Pleurisy? My lung and throat were inflamed. Got a shot for my chest and use an inhaler for my throat inflammation. I can eat a lot better now. And food doesn't hurt going down. I'm not afraid I'm gonna choke anymore.
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3 ReactionsI am assuming you have had access to consulting a pulmonary specialist as well infectious disease specialists. If no please try.
Have you had a CT scan or MRI results.
There is a battery of blood testing for autoimmune lung diseases that can be
done for inflammatory interstitial lung disease. Inquire if you have had
ANA, anticardiolipin or lupus anticoagulant antibodies and ANCA.
There are some situations that require a tissue sample through a bronchoscope. Know all of your lab numbers and tests.
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3 ReactionsI have shortness of breath too and chest tightness. I have acid reflux and a hiatal hernia too. I am immunocompromised, I have CVID- Common Variable Immune Deficiency. I have never smoked, been around smokers growing up. I get lots of sinus/ear/upper respiratory infections. My antibodies are on permanent vacation, so I need to infuse and put other's antibodies thru Sub Q. If you haven't been checked by an Immunologist, I would suggest you get checked to see if you have anything else going on or Rheumatologist for Auto Immune, especially with your mom's situation. It might be hereditary. I would encourage to push for a CT Scan with your Dr. My shortness of breath started December of last year. My CT scan showed 2 nodules- very tiny and scarring on my lungs with Bronchiectasis. They said nodules were a result from previous times I have had pneumonia. I see a Lung Nodule Specialist once a year for those guys! I found taking Singulair helps me a lot with my shortness of breath. Otherwise, I use my nebulizer or Symbicort inhaler. I don't have shortness of breath every day, but the more physical I am, the more I get short of breath. I try to do deep breathing exercises. I wear a mask outside due to being allergic to a lot of things outdoors and it helps a lot. I also use an air purifier indoors and I have a great one, if you need any recommendations. Hope you can get to the root cause of what is going on.
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5 ReactionsI have shortness of breath, fatigue, and chest tightness that is unbearable
Heart is good, tests all good.
Just recently had an HRCT scan which showed Air Trapping
So I have been on 3 inhalers for a week now.
It has not helped the chest tightness I am praying it will
I have gone from very active to struggling 😪 just to do daily activities
Even had a pulmonologist yell at me saying nothing is wrong with my lungs all while viewing a test from 2, 3 years ago.
I recently had another PFT test & found out he will be reading the results
Now I am worried he will prevent me from getting the help I need
I don't know how bad this will become
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1 ReactionI went to three ENTs and found later it was a waste of time as I had Bronchiectasis and went undiagnosed for about five years. Not one of these ENTs told me the drainage I was coughing up was from my lungs. I just assumed it was from the nose since historically I did have allergies and used to cough up stuff from there. Pay close attention and see if you can figure out where it is coming from. The ENTs all asked me the color but never suggested a Pulmonologist. It took my cardiologist to do that after he listened to my chest.
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1 Reaction@babesmom
I seriously hope that you request that your family doctor refer you to another pulmonologist. The one that you are seeing sounds incompetent, unprofessional and definitely rude. You know your body better than anyone else. Do not accept anything less than respect and professionalism. It’s your right to get a copy of the radiology doctor’s report and also a cd disc copy of the imaging.
I do not see people mentioning that pseudomonas is terminal and that it flares up whenever it wants. If you are experiencing times of difficulty breathing, weariness, night sweats, coughing up sputum with any color other than light yellow, contact your dr. You need to have sputum cultures done every three months with full CF growth and sensitivity for the rest of your life. You need an appointment with a pulmonologist asap and not wait a year. Join our club. I have had pseudomonas now for 10 years. I still work out lightly, walk at least 5000 steps a day, and try to live a normal life while having breathing treatments myself at home three times a day and one of the meds is an inhaled antibiotic - tobramycin alternating with cayston. I do my clearing coughing violently after using my albuterol and double 7% saline and then the advair and before my inhaled antibiotic and then I boil all of the nebulizer cups for 10 minutes and then dry in a baby bottle sterilizer with UV. This is my life and why I am still alive and kicking. Full time job.
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1 Reaction@babesmom Definitely need a new pulmonologist, take the breathing tests, see if they recommend pulmonary rehab. THREE inhalers? Trapped air? Ask about the Apreo BREATHE-3 clinical trials, there may be one near you. It's about devices permanently inserted into your lungs to release the trapped air. I'm working through my pulmonary rehab now so that I can go for a screening.
@babesmom It is so frustrating not to have answers when we are feeling ill, especially when doctors don't seem to hear us. I am curious about your statement "Now I am worried he will prevent me from getting the help I need." Did you feel he was angry or upset with you? Doctors are professionals, and most are open to changing their opinion and approach when additional tests give them more information.
Do you have a diagnosis of asthma, COPD, or any other lung disorder?
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