Where to go for Shortness of Breath?

An internal medicine doctor in a large, multi-disciplinary practice would be my choice, so Mayo would be a good choice. That way as diagnosis progresses, specialists can be brought in.
Sue

Thank you, Sue. I have considered that possibility. I believe finding the right one would be the key, though. Need to check the hospital site and determine which one would be the "lucky" one. Thank you, again, for taking the time to respond.

Hi @pedrito, I agree with @sueinmn that you're best served to go to a large medical center of excellence where your case can be reviewed by a multidisciplinary team. Here is the contact information for all of Mayo Clinic campuses http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63

By the way, I moved your discussion to the Lung Health group. You may be interested in reading these related discussions:
- False Shortness of Breath (SOB) or pseudo-dyspnea: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/false-shortness-of-breath/
- Shortness of breath.: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/shortness-of-breath-1/

How long have you shortness of breath? Do you have other health issues or accompanying symptoms?

Hello Colleen, Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and, also, for providing me with some very valuable information. These two years have been very stressful and frustrating. You go from doctor to doctor and from test to test looking for answers and there is not a single result that could dictate the way to proceed simply because nothing wrong has been found. However, the shortness of breath and a dry cough persist. I am currently trying to convince my wife to go to Mayo but she is hesitant in doing so given the time to be spent on the road and her frail condition. She thinks SHANDS is a more practical option given the fact that is much closer to home. As I said, shortness of breathe has last for about two years. She also has fibromyalgia and this she has experienced for many years. I have read about False Shortness of Breathe and she took several tests prescribed by a Gastro doctor (endoscopy and esophageal barium (?), among others and the diagnose was that there was nothing abnormal with her digestive tract. She often experiences heartburn, though. Needless to say that I thank you for having moved my discussion to the other forums where, probably, I will be able to get even more valuable information. Thanks a ton!

I've been experiencing false shortness of breathe for days now. I feel like i constantly have to take a deep breathe but I can’t take one. I had a panic attack last night because of this. I dont know what to do.

Hmm, from your posts it looks like this has been going on for quite a while. Being unable to get a satisfying breath can be really scary.
Have you seen a doctor to make sure there is no treatable underlying cause?
Sue

I hope that you don't mind me jumping in here. I used to do a lot of nasal sprays and they are one way to deaden sensations in your nose. It's very difficult to wean yourself off of them, but if you haven't yet I suggest that you do and, the sooner the better. You won't breathe well for a few days until the swelling goes down inside your nose. It's called a rebound effect: after using a drug for so long it actually turns around and does the actual opposite.

If there is no underlying medical cause then I would ask if there have been any changes in your life that would cause undo stress. In other words, has something changed?

This happened before months ago and stopped up until now. i’ve gone to the doctor and hospital multiple times before and they did run blood tests, did an endoscopy too. They’ve written it off as anxiety every single time in the end which it might be. I just don’t understand how my anxiety can cause me to have SOB 24/7.

I stopped using nasal sprays months ago and haven’t used them since. I do have large turbinates and a deviated septum. Which is definitely not the cause of my shortness of breathe because even when I breathe from my mouth it is no different. I’ve gotten blood tests, an endoscopy, been to the hospital and doctor where they have written it off as anxiety in the end. I thought they might have been right because its been a couple months since I started having this feeling again.

Have you tried any deep breathing (or belly breathing) exercises when you begin getting these episodes?
Sue