Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?

Posted by Gabe, Volunteer Mentor @gabrielm, May 31, 2018

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.

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

yessir321 | @yessir321 | Dec 26, 2023

In reply to @marcuscurypko "Yes, please message me." + (show)

Check messages on this website

Gabe, Volunteer Mentor | @gabrielm | Dec 26, 2023

In reply to @jasullivan3 "Not at bad idea. I’m pretty desperate at this point and will to try anything I’ve..." + (show)

No problem and let me know how things go. Also let me know if you have any questions on the breathing exercises or any pointers I can give you. I stuck with it for a few weeks and it did wonders for me, so I'm hoping you see results soon.

Gabe, Volunteer Mentor | @gabrielm | Dec 26, 2023

In reply to @marcuscurypko "Hi Gabe, I have just enrolled in a Buteyko breathing re-training course after reading your feedback...." + (show)

Please do let me know how it goes and if there's anything I can do to help.

Gabe, Volunteer Mentor | @gabrielm | Dec 26, 2023

In reply to @yessir321 "Marcus I could’ve saved you the time and the money. You don’t accept it’s anxiety cause..." + (show)

@yessir321

Marcus I could’ve saved you the time and the money. You don’t accept it’s anxiety cause it feels so real. It is real, your brain is feeling like it’s suffocating like it can’t breathe properly etc. but the CAUSE is not real. The cause is adrenaline/cortisol in your body built up and pumped out everyday in the form of this symptom. The more you resist/care/try to rid your brain thinks huh this is a threat let’s make more fight/flight hormones and that’s how theres a loop that’s how you feel it 24/7 365 days. The only way it burns itself out is if you treat it unimportantly and live fully with it, your brain DOESN’T think it’s a threat so it doesn’t make more fight/flight hormones. Marcus you sound just like me. I gave buteyko 6 months of my time paid for lessons did calls. It doesn’t fix this it makes it worse. Like please everyone here who backs buteyko ask yourself this, as human beings hundreds of years ago who also experienced similar symptoms. Do you think they did buteyko to fix it? Do you think they reduced their sugars whatever whatever. No they did nothing. They accepted it sucked and lived on. That’s how you recover. This is a paradox people the more you try the worse you’ll get. You need to be brave let it hit you. Wish it worse and you’ll see it’s all false. You have to take responsibility that you’ve gone however much time with this not living fully wasting time and money. That’s why so many hold onto buteyko as their tool. They want to feel like they know the solution yet it’s a solution that wastes hour a day and they still have symptoms. If anyone doesn’t believe me please spare the little money buy this book “At Last a Life: Anxiety and Panic Free” and read it it’s not long. And you will have the biggest “ah” moment where you finally realise your struggle was due to your choice to struggle your actions to try rid. It’s the problem not the suffocation feelings. Marcus same offer for you if you want my help I can message you on Instagram to answer questions.

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Once again @yessir321, I will re-iterate what I said to you some weeks ago, for the benefit of those reading through the comments. You are certain everyone is suffering from the exact cause, while dismissing everything else as potential tools for people to be able to help themselves.

I never, nor would I ever, tell someone or push for what might be the cause of air hunger or any other symptoms people are dealing with. Breathing is such a complex function, and many possible issues that cause breathing symptoms. When someone reaches out for help, I want to provide any suggestions that I can.

By the way, the Buteyko method is just one breathing method out of many. The premise is similar to many other breathing exercises including those dealing with anxiety; that is- it aims to slow the breathing and return breathing function to a normal rate and re-establish better breathing habits, in turn possibly helping anxiety.

Anxiety is also one of many things that can cause a variety of symptoms. Not every symptom stems from anxiety, nor does anxiety cause all symptoms. Some people's health issues cause anxiety while others begin with anxiety that causes health issues. There are many ways to deal with anxiety, not every way is fit for everyone. And not everyone has anxiety as the cause of symptoms. Therefore, we as "lay people" in this forum can guide people to do research, talk to various professionals, and offer suggestions of what people can use as tools in their toolbox. Health and well-being is a life-long journey with ups and downs. While many find the smoking gun, it's not that easy for others, which is apparent in reading this forum.

Everyone here is free to share what has helped them, whether that be certain supplements, breathing exercises, getting certain tests done, diet/nutrition, exercise, etc. People can then take this information and do what they want with it fit for their situation.

Food for thought my friend. If I can offer a suggestion, help people to consider researching anxiety or getting checked for it. We don't know the ins and outs of everyone's medical life so it's prudent not to offer a certain cause and cure while dismissing the suggestion of others.

yessir321 | @yessir321 | Dec 27, 2023

In reply to @gabrielm "Once again @yessir321, I will re-iterate what I said to you some weeks ago, for the..." + (show)

@gabrielm

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I always said pseudo dyspnea has two causes. Acid reflux or anxiety as I was told by doctors. Acid reflux would be after meals mostly and would improve with acid reducers. If not that then it is anxiety.
The people who talk about pinched nerves in spine or something, we’ll those people had dyspnea real shortness of breath. The way you tell the difference is by it gets better/not worse by exercise also there’s lung tests to test your oxygen and C02 etc. Look I’m not talking to them they have real dyspnea. I only say it’s anxiety after doctors give all clear to heart lungs stomach etc.
But to say buteyko is a genuine tool or solution in my opinion is a joke. You were all(pseudo dyspnea people) tested by a respiratory doctor your blood had the right amounts of oxygen and C02. So buteyko makes no sense you have a built in mechanism that will breathe when C02 levels are too high in blood to lower it back down. You shouldn’t try to do a better job than this cause you can’t all you’ll do is focus more on the symptom and most likely feel it more. People who back buteyko for this, why don’t you wake up in the night all the time out of breath. You’re in such discomfort during the day that you need to do buteyko. But when you’re asleep you sleep soundly. Is it because when you let your body do it there’s no issue? Yes. This is why buteyko is not a genuine solution for me.
Look I respect the solutions to anxiety for this. You drink tea or supplements or meditation that helps fine. I’m just telling people there’s an option of being their old selves and not have to do anything to keep this away anymore.
There’s many avenues to keep you paying money for buteyko, Alexander technique, supplements etc. Doctors are king. I know many of you have lost faith due to your suffering. But modern medicine and modern psychotherapy is the norm for a reason. Buteyko helps people with hyperventialion syndrome(panic attack level of breathing)and that’s all I’ll give it credit for in my opinion.

whitneymay20224 | @whitneymay20224 | Jan 4 3:49am

I want to cry because this is my story. I want to try this breathing method. My quality of life feels so poor even though I have beautiful children and love my life. I often think that there is no way I can live without feeling like I’m suffocating every single day. Nothing helps me andit has become so constant that people ask me all the time if I’m ok . I’m sorry you suffer with this. It’s ruining my life and has been for the last couple years. Prayers to you ash thank you for sharing something that has helped! ♥️

lgroh | @lgroh | Jan 4 11:55am

In reply to @felicityr "Hi Abidaisi, This is a good question and an important thing to try and nail down...." + (show)

@felicityr

Hi Abidaisi,
This is a good question and an important thing to try and nail down.
When I think of my "shortness of breath", it's defining feature is that (even though I am at rest) I take a normal breath in but it doesn't feel like I have had "enough". I then try for a bigger breath. Sometimes this will "click over" my breathing - give me the feeling that my need for air has been satisfied and i can breathe out, but, sometimes, even a bigger breath can't satisfy the feeling of having 'enough". The drive to breathe is the most basic conscious drive we have. It kicks in the moment we are born (and we are even practicing in the womb before we are born) so when our alarm system tells us we are not getting a big enough breath it is pretty distressing.
I believe this is the moment lots of people with this condition get panicked and then get labelled with a primary panic or anxiety disorder.(I am not arguing that anxiety plays no part in the abnormal breathing patterns of some people, rather that I believe it is NOT the answer for all of them).
For me, when I get to this point I just feel resigned ("here it goes again") and I resort to the other "tricks" I have to try and get a satisfying breathe: wriggling my jaw to start a yawn is my usual first trial. Then I try sitting quietly and letting the feeling of suffocation build while telling myself I have been here many times before and I always come through it. It's a faulty alarm and despite its noise I know my oxygen level is ok. Often this leads eventually to an almost unstoppable large gasp which "clicks over" my breathing again. Occasionally I will lie down if I am standing - but always on my side not my back (because I have this belief that the problem has something to do with low blood pressure within my lung blood vessels). Sometimes I will just jump on the spot to trigger a deeper breathe through exercise.
I'm sorry this is so long winded but for me, the term "shortness of breath" doesn't capture the specifics of what I experience.
But the thing is, instantaneously when my breath "clicks over" relief floods through me and I have NO shortness of breath -maybe for minutes, maybe for hours, until the signal to take a deeper breath becomes evident again and I again feel a building "shortness of breath".
All in all, I have (usually) days to weeks where my breathing goes "off", as I have described above, coupled with periods when I can go for months with no problems at all - I have months where my breathing is essentially normal. Maybe the odd unsatisfying breath that is fixed with a bigger "gasp".
I suppose the key feature for me is the complete relief of any sense of "shortness of breath" the instant I click my breathing over.
Hope this is of some help.
Please if you do have shortness of breath though, don't assume it is this until you have been checked out by your doctor. And if you still don't think it is this, and you feel unwell, seek another medical opinion.
Warm regards (it's getting cold on this side of the world!!)

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I find that my issues are seasonal. The second December comes around I struggle. Once I am out in the sun again, it seems to go away. For this reason, I have always thought it might have something to do with Vitamin D levels too.

codygirl | @codygirl | Jan 5 4:03am

Hi team
I am kind of relieved to have found this thread because I thought I was going mad. Then of course the medical gaslighting..
Mine has been on & off for a year. It is like a valve closes when I take a few breaths & I just can’t seem to get air all the way in. It only opens when I yawn or force a yawn to get a deep breath in. Sometimes I can’t trick it with a forced yawn & that causes some distress.
I also have had GERD & really thought this was linked as I can kinda feel the inflammation via the restriction in my airway when I can’t breathe deep enough.
I’m clearly breathing but it’s almost like suffocation to an extent because you have to just wait it out for that big relieving breath!
It’s not anxiety.
Might be stress, but would be literal life stress nothing major.
Staying on this thread & grateful you guys are here.

budisnothome | @budisnothome | Jan 5 10:54am

Good morning . Had all of the above. PFT was normal. Eosinaphil esophagus. Also discovered I gave vocal cord disfunction. Long technical word. Started taking Fasenra. Stopped my sinus problems and got rid of many yeats ling cough. Vocal cords would close up on sucking in. I could blow but not suck. ENT pt doc helped me with breathing exercises to be a better sucker. May need to look into vocal cord problems. Mayo Rochester has great team just for this. Good luck.

nathank | @nathank | Jan 5 11:16am

There haven't been any replies for a while but I am going through this same exact thing and it is killing me. I am 17 years old and I have been vaping for 2.5 years. I quit about 3 weeks ago and am still having the issue. I have had chest x-rays, checked for asthma but it has gotten worse throughout the past few days. Maybe this has to do with anxiety and its withdrawals but I am not sure. I have been reading the replies and everything for the past hour trying to find something out. I had seen someone with a very similar situation that I have currently. @rigenadaku
was one of them and the other I found was almost exactly how I have been feeling was @katgts. I have been on the hunt trying to find out what this is because it's gotten worse and worse. I saw some people talking about their doctor putting them on an inhaler, I am getting one today and will see how/if it helps. The situation I am in to save people time trying to find it is when I try to breathe I can't take deep breaths. I get so close to getting that full breath in but I just can't get it. The only times I can is when I change how I am sitting which quickly stops working after that and also most of the time yawning will help as well. I have also seen things about allergies and their throat closing up which could cause this. After seeing that, I need to get an allergy test done. I will keep everyone updated I hope that someone finds something about this and helps everyone.