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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
Lung Health | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (3422)Comment receiving replies
Hi everyone. I'm new on here as I just found this site today. I started having severe SOB daily since May, 2019. I have a history of asthma, however this is nothing like asthma. Albuterol has always helped with the asthma, but not this SOB. I've been to an allergist (nothing out of the ordinary for me), cardiologist (all tests were fine), CT Scan, chest xray, many bloods tests for everything imaginable which all came up fine. one pulmonolgist just plain gave up at my 2nd appt. and told me to go to the Mayo Clinic, my new pulmo put me on 10 days of doxycycline and switched me from Symbicort to Trelegy (which made it worse so I switched back to Symbicort - not that it helps but I just feel like I need to take something/anything. I've been to a nutritionist, acupuncturist, tried holistic IV therapy and nothing is helping. I eat healthy, and before this I had some anxiety and take meds for it, but this feels so different. Some days I feel like I won't wake up in the morning because I feel so bad and kind of surprised when I do. I just started going to yet another dr's office that does allopathic and holistic medicine. Not sure yet what they will come up with. I went to a gastro dr. who put me on Prilosec but I started getting tremors on it after 5 days so I stopped taking it. He didn't seem very concerned that I'm struggling to breathe, so I won't go back to him. I just don't know what is happening to my body. I was fine and then one day just woke up with this last May and have been suffering since then. I feel like my quality of life is down to about 10 percent. My chest hurts all the time and it's such a struggle to breathe. I have another appt. with the pulmo dr. in 2 weeks, I'll see what he suggests at that time.
Replies to "Hi everyone. I'm new on here as I just found this site today. I started having..."
@palmtrez123-Welcome to Mayo Connect. Please don't think that there isn't hope for you SOB. Right now I would take your doctor's advice and see when and how you can get an appointment at Mayo Clinic.Is there a Mayo Clinic near you? http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63
It is very frightening to think that you are just going about your business and suddenly you can't breathe. When you sleep most of your muscles around your lungs relax and you are able to breathe so I think that waking up won't be a problem. Do you exercise a lot? Did you start a new medicine around the time that you started getting tremors after you began Prilosec? Tremors are not one of the more severe side effects of Prilosec. I'm thinking that it might have been synergistic with another medicine that you are taking.
@palmtrez123 You may want to consider if a physical problem that could be interfering with breathing mechanics. I know this because I do this myself and start using my neck and upper chest muscles to breathe when I'm having trouble. I have thoracic outlet syndrome which affects my breathing and also allergies and asthma. Breathing like this causes anxiety.
You might want to have a physical therapy evaluation, and I would recommend a PT who also has the John Barnes myofascial release training. All the ribs and muscles need to be able to expand properly which creates a vacuum that allows the lungs to expand fully. If anything impairs movement of the rib cage, it can impair breathing. I do have asthma and thoracic outlet syndrome which causes neck and chest tightness under the collar bone where the nerves are passing on their way to the lungs. There are different nerves involved in breathing for the upper and lower parts of the lungs. I am also a cervical spine surgery patient, so I have some scar tissue near this area that will tighten if I don't keep working on it. I know I have a habit of sleeping on my right side, and my body is too tight on the left, so I have been reversing this to try to stretch out my tight left side. I think our habits can contribute to things like this. Physical therapy and MFR has helped me resolve some of these problems.
Thoracic outlet syndrome is more common than doctors think it is, and most doctors don't understand it because it isn't covered well in medical schools. Sometimes they don't consider a physical problem and how that might cause symptoms. It is worth asking a physical therapist about it, and tests for it will be Doppler imaging to see if the blood supply to the arms is cut off by raising the arm or with a change of head and neck position. Neurologists can diagnose it. Usually physical therapy is recommended for TOS. Doctors who understand it are usually at interdisciplinary medical centers like Mayo and it will be listed as a condition they treat. You might find that physical therapy will help even if you don't go through a lot of diagnosis. MFR works on tight muscle and tissue all over the body and once you learn how it works, you will be able to do a lot on your own at home. The therapist will be able to feel the tight pathways through your body.
Here are some links that may be of interest. I have also included our discussion on Myofascial Release that has a lot of information on where to find information and MFR therapists.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/myofascial-release-therapy-mfr-for-treating-compression-and-pain/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/thoracic-outlet-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20353988
https://www.painscience.com/articles/respiration-connection.php
https://trainingandrehabilitation.com/how-truly-treat-thoracic-outlet-syndrome/
Hi @palmtrez123, hang in there. I know how it feels. It's quite terrible, but don't ever give up looking for answers! Check out the Buteyko breathing method; http://learnbuteykoonline.com/. It's helped my symptoms greatly. It takes persistence and learning, but well worth it. It's totally natural since it's just breathing exercises, but I think it will help you manage your symptoms.
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Hi palmtrez123, I have posted about my sob a week ago as well. I also have severe asthma and gerd (which they initially said it was Barretts and I still think it is). Anyway, I have had endoscopies, ct scans, I've been prescribed everything under the sun with my asthma (as my pft show moderately severe obstruction) to no avail. None of my asthma meds work with improving my breathing. Anyway, yesterday I went to see an ENT and he scoped my throat because I was concerned that it may have something to do with trachea stenosis or possibly a tumor. After scoping my throat, he said that I have chronic fungal laryngitis most likely as a result of taking all of my asthma meds (the inhalers I'm talking about). He told me to make sure and not only rinse my mouth (which I had been doing) but also gargle my mouth out with water thoroughly after each use of any inhaler. He also put me on Fluconazole 100mg (generic for Diflucan) taking two pills the first day and one pill for the next nine days. I took my first dose last night, and fill a little better. I hope this works but I encourage you to see an ENT and have your throat scoped. I have learned that inhalers can reek havoc on our throats. (Catch 22- we are darned if we use them and darned if we don't). God bless and don't give up.