Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?

I haven't handled it well. This is the first time I've used an AD to tackle it. I am now almost 6 weeks in and the breathing thing is 90% gone. I don't think about it and I found myself yawning last night because I was tired and wow, it was automatic!! Amazing!

So I encourage those suffering to try an OCD/anxiety targeted medication.

@qbug- Good morning. Do you have any idea what started your SOB? Was there any particular incident, or is it just the progression of OCD and most people wind up with it?

I've had it before. I had it in 2014 for about a month. Went to the ER and it was deemed anxiety. It went away on it's own. I also had it in January of this year from stress and it disappeared after Propranolol. This time I had a huge panic attack in April and that's where it stemmed from.

Hi guys!! New update and what i discovered.
The last time i posted on this issue, i stated that i took flagyl and got huge relief for one day and then it came back. The past few weeks have been hectic for me as it got worse. These are what I discovered:
First, my eating habit is very poor.
2, I was having chest heaviness especially after eating. It feela like I had a sore/wound in my osoephagus.
3. I have had 2 refluxes while sleeping in the past.
4. At a point when i drink water, it was like the water passed through my heart. Which means a wound in the throat.
I consulted people and went to the doctor. They all said it's ulcer. I agreed with them cos of my past experiences with refluxes and acidity.
In order to confirm my ulcer, i went to do blood test which confirmed I had H.pylori bacteria. I have started using the right antibiotics and I am getting huge relief. I also identified some food triggers like pepper, acidic food like oranges etc makes life worst. I have cut them off until my esophagus heals.
In summary, if you know you have a poor eating habit, then this mysterious shortness of breath is linked to GERD, Ulcer, reflux esophagitis and the other of its families.
Omeprazole/proton pump inhibitor also played huge role.
At the end i bought the complete ulsakit drug which contains omeprazole and other two antibiotics which works better than flagyl for matters regarding stomach and intestine.
I hope this helps someone outhere.

@joefocus, I appreciate getting the update and am really glad you found some answers. Surprisingly, a fellow member @ kidprodigy had a similar experience only a few days ago with getting an H. pylori infection diagnosis. You may wish to join the discussion and share experiences here:

- The Right Diagnosis: H. Pylori infection https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/the-right-diagnosis/

This will most certainly help someone out there. What changes have you made to your diet?

It started @ February. It was terrible. I would have fits of it that were so bad I could hardly do anything but focus on the fact I couldn't breath. Tears, no sleep, bag breathing, emergency room...where I was told I was in perfect health other than a slight potassium deficiency that wouldn't cause SOB. Primary care gave me a script for anxiety that I never took. I knew it wasn't caused by anxiety. I did have slightly low iron. I spent nights researching everything I could, determined to leave no stone unturned. If you read my previous posts, at times I'm sure I sounded like a mad scientist trying different things in order to figure it out. I came to the conclusion that my issue was tied to minerals/ electrolyte deficiency. I had struggled over the years with things that are related to acidity...heartburn, stinky underarm odor, morning stiffness etc. When you are acidic, your body burns through minerals. I tended to be high strung, constantly busy, couldn't shut my mind off at night (or during the day for that matter). If you read up on minerals, they provide a buffer for acids created by our lifestyle. I considered myself to have a decent diet beforehand but the little voice inside always knew I wasn't getting enough veggies. And now with our soil so depleted in minerals, it's bound to happen to a lot of us.

I started with a good plant based multivitamin. Vitamins can be acidic so you have to be careful with the ones you take. I like plant based ones better or ones with calcium and magnesium in sufficient quantities because those minerals are alkaline. I didn't drink alcohol or coffee so those weren't an issue for me. Then, I focused on getting sufficient quantities of potassium. I started eating more greens, vegetables and taking powder greens like wheatgrass, Kale powder etc. I drink carrot juice, eat potatoes....sweet and white...to maintain my potassium levels. I eat low fat, "healthier" potato chips. They're a good balance of sodium and potassium. I have a banana in my smoothie every morning that includes other healthy things. I drink low sugar orange juice for potassium and I also take one small dose of a potassium supplement per day. I choose to get it from food. Potassium is a very alkalizing mineral, but be careful with supplementation. If taken in large quantities it can cause heart arrhythmia for some people. I tested the limit and found out it's true, Lol. I had a few scary minutes.

Little by little I started switching to more of a plant based diet. As I read up on the Alkaline/ Acid in the body it resonated more and more with me. Now I try to juice daily, eat more salads, make veggie burgers and plant based meals. For example I boil a bag of frozen butternut squash, let it cool, throw it into a blender with almond milk, bone broth and a few cashews and some seasoning, blend it up, pour it into a bowl and voila, soup in minutes. I mash garbanzo beans, add in a tablespoon of spelt flour, a little quinoa, onions and fry it in a little oil for a tasty burger along with my soup. It's a lifestyle. I'll do anything to not have that wretched SOB come back. So far it's working! I make healthy/ alkaline deserts. My new fav are brown rice krispie treats.

Bicarbonates are also important when it comes to buffering acids. Fruits and vegetables help the body maintain bicarbonate levels. Mineral water also has bicarbonates. If all else fails there's plain old baking soda in water. I don't tolerate it very well. Neutralizes my stomach acid and gives me gas. Sigh. Some people take a pinch daily, some take it with lemon. I try to include more baked goods with baking soda in the recipe. When we were kids no one heard of acid reflux. I think it's because we ate more vegetables and fruit and more baked goods...they all contained a little baking soda. We also drank water out the tap and not man made water. Tap water contains minerals and bicarbonates. Just my theory anyway. I do still filter my water.

Lemon water is also alkalizing. I keep lemons in the kitchen. I cut back on my oatmeal consumption since oatmeal is slightly acidic. I replaced it with quinoa. Tastes just as good and is more alkaline.

Meat is acidic but some people need the protein. I still eat it here and there (no more than once per day. I do meatless Mondays and fish on Friday) but quite frankly haven't missed it that much. I'm starting to see food as medicine in a way. If it's going to turn on me, I'll try to pass or only indulge a little. I now only eat natural sugars...honey, agave, maple syrup. Sugar is highly acidic.

So yeah...it's a commitment but I'm getting used to it. Sliced cucumbers, onions and tomatoes sit on my plate now, just like they used to sit on my mom's and as a teen I'd think how gross...I'll be at the nearest fast food joint. Caught up with me big time.

So my advice to anyone dealing with SOB, find what works for YOU. It could be an issue with a pathogen, could be vitamin D levels or something else. But I say a solid eating foundation is a good place to start. It might seem overwhelming at first but just pick one thing and start there and see if you have any improvement. Best of luck to all of you.

Merry
Thank you for your post
I had reoccurring feeling of air leaving my chest and curling into a faint. Emergency room doc tested me. He said had a sodium deficiency. I told him every doc in my life said stay away from salt. For 20 yrs I ate no processed foods, no fast food, never touched a salt shaker, ate popcorn and corn on cob without salt.
He said cant do that. I said then docs should quantify their directives because some of us follow to the letter.
My question to you: I need th o know of there exists an electrolyte water WITHOUT SULFATES/SULFITES as I'm allergic. Water must have significant sodium level.
Nooooobody knows. Thank you. Pauli