Chronic shortness of breathe post car accident

Posted by caithenry98 @caithenry98, Feb 17 8:09am

Hi,

I am writing in here in desperation. I am a 27-year-old woman. I have been experiencing severe chronic lung symptoms after a car accident in June 2025. I experience severe shortness of breath, especially when exposed to noxious substances, perfume, harsh chemicals, etc. My other symptoms include exercise intolerance, severe neck pain, specifically in the occipital region, and jaw pain. I had other symptoms of chronic illness prior to the car accident which included early satiety, hiccuping after eating, frequent diarrhea, soft stool, regurgitation, bloating, very uncomfortable feeling of being full, aversion to certain foods (based on being afraid of being sick), urgency to go to the bathroom, grinding my teeth, severe anxiety, treatment resistant depression and OCD. I was previously in a doctoral program which I had to drop out of because my health issues got so bad specifically my mental health. I used to be very high functioning, but now I’m working part-time and I’m in pain every day and it’s so so tiring. I’m hoping that you guys can give me some insight.

I will tell you the doctors I’ve been to and the test I’ve had.
Doctors:
-primary care; my primary care doctor is a direct family medicine physician and he has been managing my case and sending me to numerous specialist. He is a great doctor and he does listen to me. He has done so much blood work, ran a fecal sample, sent me for numerous chest x-rays and a pulmonary function test, and he determined that he thinks I have asthma, I guess very severe asthma. He put me on meloxicam and a high dose steroid inhaler which slightly improved my pulmonary function, but not my symptoms or feeling out of breath. I think my peak flow is a decrease and the only thing he said that he hears is decreased airflow in my lungs. He measured my FEV with this tiny device and it came back at 220 (unsure the unit) and with the steroid inhaler, it was 330. He has exhausted his resources and is unsure where to go with my care. He is looking into referring me to the mayo clinic. Other important info is that I have spent significant time in anatomy labs and laboratories with many harsh and toxic substances. I was born three months early, and I am unsure if there was use of surfactant which at first made my doctor think of Alpha one anti-tripsone deficiency which my pulmonologist at this time does not recommend testing for because it requires genetic testing and there is so indicate for it. I also lived in a mold infested house for three years, and I worked in a PFAS laboratory.

-gastrointestinal; I’ve seen two G.I. doctors and they did numerous test, including a colonoscopy and endoscopy, a gastric emptying study, SIBO breath test, a sucrose intolerance test and I was supposed to do a frutosamine intolerance test, but I never got around to it because it was a mail in thing. I did get slight relief from a gluten-free diet. I was tested for celiac in the form of a blood test and a biopsy watch the via biopsy showed something like villa blunting and the first G.I. doctor. I saw interpreted that as signs of early celiac disease, which my second opinion of G.I. doctors did not agree. All other imaging and bloodwork and tests from G.I. were all normal. They did take out a polyp in my small intestines. I still experience urgency, diarrhea, some food, intolerance, and a new symptom of purging because I feel so full.
-pulmonology; did a lot of blood work, including an autoimmune workup and a CT of my lungs, which both came back normal. There was a value that came back abnormal. It was SRP Ab and it was 11. The pulmonologist had never seen this before so she sent me straight to a rheumatology for a stat appointment.
-rheumatology; did a very in-depth physical exam, did a lot of blood work, which all came back normal. Doctor did not think I had the disease associated with an elevated SRP Ab and he said that that antibody is usually in the hundreds to be diagnostic. He put me on pregabalin and did say I have fibromyalgia.
-dentist; I have had teeth issues since I was younger, and I have always grind my teeth and lately my jaws and ears are not feeling well at all. I do not have the best oral health. I had a two taken in the back of my mouth which is just a hole because I can’t afford to get an implant. When I grind my teeth more in the night, I get really severe neck and occipital region pain.

I think that’s all! But I’m young and I feel like my life and my body and health are in shambles. I am hoping someone feels for me and can point me in the right direction.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Lung Health Support Group.

Sending you love and hugs. I cant help with any medical suggestions...it sounds like you are being very thorough. It must be frustrating and worrying for you.
Try to keep calm, do some mindfulness work and send yourself love. Hoping there is some breakthrough soon. 🙏❤️

REPLY

Hi, I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this, it sounds really tough ;(

I was feeling shortness of breathe after a chlorine gas inhalation and I went to the pulmonologist and the ENT. The latter referred me to a Larybgologyst and Speech Pathologist, who diagnosed me with Vocal Cord Dysfunctikn and Myscle Tension Sysphinia brought on by the chemical exposure. I would recommend checking them out as working with the Speech Pathologist has improved my symptoms.

I would also recommend doing some allergy testing for mold and other things to see if that might be driving some symptoms. And Allergy and Asthma specialist might help.

REPLY
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