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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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Also, when you felt the urge to take a deep breath in were you able to. I can most times but sometimes if I think about it I can't
Hi Gabe, Volunteer,
Thank you so much for that post. i was going insane because of this symptom. You really give me hope, i find some one has same issue. i have exact same symptoms and i have GERD as well. i believe i have anxiety but not sure. is the anxity caused this SOB symptoms or SOB symptoms caused the anxiety. i have some questions if you can support me in answering this:
1- Does yours associated as well with any tight neck or chest pain?
2-Do you have good days like its very mild and almost gone, and some days its aggressive like you feel hunger for air every 1 or 2 min?
3-Does this drive anxity to you , feeling you are hunger for air all time?
4- did you get used to it and living normal life , even its there?
5- does it happen to you like you used to it then suddenly after more that a year or so it comes back aggressive then it back to bearable state?
6- how much time the bad relapse lasts?
7- Does bad mod or angry/sadness activate it?
i know am asking many question, but i felt despite because i was feeling am recovering in almost 1.5 year then suddenly i felt am back to square 0 . and i need some hope in dealing with it as i felt down and i thought of getting anti-depressant to help
looking to hear from you. and thanks again
Hi. I can relate to this because I have the same feeling of not being able to take a satisfying deep breath. It is chronic - been going on a year for me. I do have gerd, but I also think it might be LDR. To answer your questions from my experience:
1 - I have pain on the left side of my neck. Like a kink. No chest pain.
2 - Yes good days and bad days. But it never really goes away.
3 - It doesn’t give me anxiety anymore since I’ve had a thorough workup with doctors.
4 - I’m used to it. But it’s annoying.
5 - not applicable
6 - not applicable
7 - sometimes it gets worse if I am stressed but otherwise it is random.
Thank you so much for quick reply and support. Really encouraging and gives hope such posts that support who is getting through this. It’s difficult conditions that hard to explain.
You said its gone for you for two years, correct? And then came back again . How much breathing exercise u do per week to manage this, can u share link if possible? I will definitely try it.
Also i think its kind of hyperventilating. Did u try any antidepressants?
By chance have you had any nasal surgeries?
Yes, I had surgery to repair a deviated septum about 6 years ago because I was getting chronic sinusitis. The sinusitis has gone away. But I do have post nasal drip. I may see an ENT as I wonder if this is impacting my breathing.
I totally understand what you mean. One thing you can learn to do is to try to get your body to breathe with your belly as opposed to using your chest. One of the first things that helped me in the beginning was to do this exercise where I would lay down, place one hand on my chest and one on my belly, and focus on making sure the hand on the belly was moving up and down rather than the hand on the chest and try to focus on belly breathing as much as possible throughout the day.
I also dealt with the deep breath issue where whenever I would take one in, it wouldn't always satisfy the "hunger" for air and leave me with an empty lungs feeling even though my heart rate and breathing rate were normal. The feeling isn't as bad now as it was then when it started as I've learned to manage the issue with breathing exercise and moderate physical exercise while belly and nasal breathing.
Have you thought of ways to deal with the potential anxiety and stress, such as any relaxation techniques?
I'm glad that you found that you're not alone! It's always good to learn about others having what you have and knowing you're not alone with your symptoms. It's always hard to tell if anxiety came first or the breathing issue causing the anxiety. But it never hurts to learn different ways to manage anxiety regardless since it won't hurt to do so, and perhaps the breathing issue will decrease or go away.
There was a time when I would feel some chest pain/tightness, but that went away some years ago as the breathing issue improved. I do have some not-so-good days mixed in with good days, where the not-so-good ones seem to correlate with sinus issues. If my sinuses are clear, my breathing is much improved. The air hunger feeling is pretty much mild and manageable, and when I am busy doing things like working, hobbies, talking to people, etc., I find that the feeling is pretty much non existent so long as I'm distracted (unless my sinuses are inflamed).
I have learned to manage it throughout the years as best as I can, especially reassuring myself mentally that I am fine, and while uncomfortable, it isn't life-threatening. This helped me with reducing the anxiety part of it. It's been bearable/low-level for a few years now and hasn't come back aggressively since about 2017.
The only emotion that seems to affect it much would be like if am very nervous or something that would cause breathing rate to increase. The air hunger it simply more frequent (same with exercise).
Hopefully that answers your questions and gives you hope.
Have you thought about ways to deal with anxiety? What sort of tests or examinations have you had done by doctors?
I read and feel your frustration and pain as I’ve experienced this and can sometimes keep it from happening. Mine seems positional … please everyone get a cervical spine X-ray and report results as it may be a pinched nerve. I was SOB on minimal exertion for 91/2 years; couldn’t do two steps without panting with no reason, said doctors from all over . Finally, my husband suggested checking my spine. I had an anterior cervical disckectomy with fusion at 5/6, and that was it! Healed of that; however, the other ‘trying to get a good breath’ that I had experienced also for a year got worse for awhile until it got a lot better now. I sometimes have it but seems to be from positioning and movement. Before all this happened, ten years ago, I was a healthy weight working out at the gym … maybe the weightlifting caused more compression on the spine and pinched a nerve ? Also, I was 63 ( now 73), and being a female, I’m already prime candidate for compression of the spine so these are my thoughts. If my problem of ‘trying to catch my breath’ as we all experience on this site continues, I will contact my neurosurgeon and check into possibly a problem with the disc above my surgery @ 4/5.
I had an x-ray that showed anterolisthesis of the C4. They did an EMG on some of the nerves affected by that area, but not the phrenic nerve. Of what they tested, they said there was no nerve impingement, but there was a lot of damage that had healed. I’m 35 and they said I had the nerves of a 60 yo. The phrenic nerve comes out at C4-5-6. My theory is it’s at least being irritated, now or in the past, causing diaphragm weakness/malfunction.
It’d be nice to have the nerve damage confirmed, but it’s not necessarily a concern of the medical system where I am because unless it’s being actively compressed, there’s no reason to operate.
I also think GERD and nasal issues cause inflammation that irritates the diaphragm.
I also think all of these breathing exercises, especially belly breathing and nasal breathing strengthen the diaphragm!
And I think it can be a spiralling circle if you give into the anxiety that is induced by the air hunger feeling (or anything else in your life) as you breathe shallow and quickly, weakening the diaphragm. As well, releasing stress hormones that can contribute to GERD, or vice versa, where eating poorly contributes to GERD, and subsequent irritation of the diaphragm, and the feeling again/worse.
Addressing allergies/upper respiratory illnesses I think would help with irritation and inflammation coming from that.
My plan is to adjust my diet to prevent GERD, work on posture exercises that will prevent the spondylolisthesis from worsening, strengthen my diaphragm with breathing exercises and whatever else I find, reduce stress where I can, embrace stress where I can’t, and come out a strong weathered tree. 🥰🌳
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