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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
Lung Health | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (3422)Comment receiving replies
Hey @lu2, welcome to the forum and no apology necessary! I like to hear about people's experiences because I believe that sharing experiences with each other helps everyone and gives us good ideas on how we can improve our health and try different things to help our condition.
One thing you mentioned that stood out to me was that you said you couldn't complete the breath test because you couldn't get a decent breath out. When I had a lung function test, they had me breathe out through a tube and measured the volume and velocity of air. People with obstructions or asthma will have a low volume of air come out and usually at low velocity than normal. Was that the sort of test you took, or something different? Nonetheless that could be telling of something because for me, even though I get the air hunger feeling, I was still able to pass the lung function test just fine.
Have you done a sleep study? If not, that might be worth a go.
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Thank you Gabe! Sounds like the "breathing test" I did was the same as the lung function test you described. I feel like I couldn't get out the needed air because I was in the thick of an hunger for breath "episode" as I call it. I feel these episodes happen for days (say 5-7) and then for MAYBE for 2 days it seems to ease up, then return randomly again. I might have forgot to mention, the pulmonary doctor I saw had me also take 2 kinds of inhalers alone with the oral lung steroid, which didn't provide relief as well.
And yes about the sleep study! I actually was a very sleepy child/student growing up (even with ADHD), and in my mid-twenties finally went for a sleep study because my sister also had one and was diagnosed with borderline narcolepsy. From the sleep study it was clear that I have hypersomnia and can fall into a deep sleep easily and quickly compared to others, and just overall sleepiness. The study didn't show any other type of sleep issues like sleep apnea besides excessive sleepiness (hypersomnia).
I honestly feel that my breathing is impacting my heart or the other way around and I really wish I could get down to the bottom of it. I had no issues with my breathing or heart before January. I am seeing another cardiologist in a few weeks thankfully for another opinion. I really hope to figure out what could be triggering this hunger for breath so I can go back to how I was a few months ago, I don't wish this feeling on anyone. Thank you again for your reply!