Breathing and muscle failure

[Bob W]

Hello,

I don't know where to turn to now. I have had a problem with my breathing for about 12months. During this time I have experienced a feeling of shortness of breath whereby I was needing to take big deep breathes all the time (from when I wake to when I go to sleep). I have been tested for nearly everything with the following tests done:
Diabeties, Thyroid, Anaemia, Chest X-Ray (multiple), ECG (multiple), chest echo, upper-abdomen echo, Gastroscopy, pulse-ox (99%), and Head CT Scan. All have been normal.

My Doctor believed it was anxiety - but I was only experiencing anxiety because my breathing wasn't right. He prescribed Xanax (.25mcg 1-3 a day) which didn't do to much for me.

I had the Gastroscopy as the muscles under my lower rib cage all around to my back and spine feel fatigued, but only when I wake in the morning (this lasts for about 3 hours). It doesn't feel very sore, more just like I have over used them (I sit at a desk but take regular breaks every 30 minutes). Is there anything else I should be tested for? My breathing feels like its getting worse, I feel like the muscles controlling my breathing are getting weaker every day.

Thanks!

[spicer]

Well, thank goodness you're finally getting better.  But I have to tell you, if taking the prednisone has helped, then it could very likely be asthma.  Prednisone is an oral steriod that is given to people who are having an asthma attack that is not responding to inhalers, or like Jerry Lewis, if you've seen him recently, who has pulmonary fibrosis.  The prednisone is I believe for the inflammation.  Many lung conditions will respond to it, and then once you have your problem under control, the advair should keep it there.  Advair is called a 'contoller' as that's what it does - controls your symptoms so they don't act up.  Albuterol is a rescue inhaler that is used when you're having an actual attack.  Did your doctor tell you to rinse your mouth out well after using these, especially the Advair?  Be sure you do, rinse it out and gargle with water several times and be sure to spit it out, don't swallow it.  Make sure you do this very well and after each use.
If you get better and stay that way, you may not feel the need to see a pulmonary doctor, even though that's who I think you should be seeing for this.  Pulmonologists are trained in lung and breathing problems and will know more than other doctors.  And a breathing test would help immensely and be able to tell him what is going on.
Let me know how you are doing and again, I'm so happy you are finally getting better........

[NanaRose]

I too have the very same symptoms but I have bad chest and upper back pain which makes me more anxious and more difficult to breathe.  Advair does little nor do other inhalers. I have no pain when laying down at night but I awaken
to the sameo stuff.  I at times get waves of quick
dizziness.

I went to the Er room and they "thought"  CostroChronditis and or pleurisy which  is an inflammation of the muscles/sternum.  Not sure if they even know.  

There is some predisone here and i am going to try this for short term and taper accordingly and see if I get some relief.  The ER doc gave me a shot of torodol and this seemed to help the pain and breahting some but came back the next day.

I do have GERD and Reflux and am on meds for that.

Good Luck.

[BrianW]

Okay, here is the update.  My doctor gave me a couple of things.  First, he gave me advair and an inhalor called albuterol.  Neither of them have worked in the week's time that I took them.  So, today, I told my doctor they weren't working and he gave me, Prednisone, a steroid that I took today (eight little pills, and then eight tomorrow, four and then four, two and then two, and then one, etc...) I have to take it for like seven days.  And let me tell you, it has WORKED!!! I have a little bit of the symptoms, can't get full breath, but for the most part, I am doing SO Much better.  I just hope that it will stay like this.  I will continue to stay on the Advair and Albuterol after the steroids, but hopefully that will keep it away.  Thank you SO much again for the info, I too looked it up on the internet and found information.  I will probably end up going to a Pulmonologist at some time, b/c this will probably not go away? Right?  Please respond whenever applicable.  And thank you again.

Brian

[BrianW]

Shana-

I just read your comments on anxiety, breathing, etc...and the problems that face us.  I have had anxiety for about four years now, which has been a chaotic mess for me but has been controled by medication and therephy over the years.  HOWEVER, I was just diagnosed with this Reactive Airway Disease, and wow, it sucks.  They gave me an inhaler, which I use, but its not working.  I didn't go into details with my doctor about it, but what exactly is it?  I mean, I got it about a half a year ago, maybe b/c of stress, over exercise.  After a while it went away, and now, I have it again, and I notice that I get it when I EXERCISE TOO MUCH and when its LATE at night and I am just lying in bed.  So, my questions, as you can already tell, are plenty. Can this be fatal?  Is there any medications to relieve my symptoms?  PLEASE HELP, anybody, I have enough trouble with anxiety as it as, and I really want to feel normal again.  Even though it may go away with exercise, I cannot stop running.  Please respond or e-mail me at ***@****

Thank you,
Brian Weems

[spicer]

Hi Brian - No, it is not fatal.  And shame on your doctor for not spending more time with you explaining what you have and how to treat it.  Reactive Airway Disease is simply a term used to discribe several lung conditions, including asthma.  When I was first diagnosed with asthma, I had a doctor call it that.  I think it's when we see that word 'disease' that we think the worse.  Your doctor didn't really explain it to you because he probably doesn't really know himself.  Alot of doctors use the term Reactive Airway Disease when they're not really sure exactly what is wrong.  Have you been to a pulmonrary doctor for a breathing test?  It's very simple, you just breathe into tubes and it can tell the doctor alot about your breathing difficulties and if you do indeed simply have a mild form of asthma like mine.  It kind of sounds like you do if you're getting it when you exercise.  Almost everyone I know who has asthma either can't exercise like they used to, or they have to use an inhaler first to help with their breathing.  I myself use to walk on a treadmill for an hour a day at 3.5.  Since my asthma, I've had to slow down to 2.5 to keep my breathing from getting out of control.  
What inhaler did your doctor give you?  Because most people have to go through trial and error before they find one that works for them.  I tried several at the beginning and none of them worked.  Fortunately I don't have to use one at all now, I just use Advair morning and night, which is a controller that keeps the attacks from happening in the first place.  
I'm going to print some information below for you to read that will help explain it a little better.  You can research this online and find out so much more than you can learn from a doctor.
I hope the info below helps you some and puts your mind at ease.  The anxiety will make it worse so please try to relax and not worry, ok?  If there's anything else I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask.  You take care and have a wonderful Holiday.....

What is reactive airway disease?

The term reactive airway disease (RAD) refers to a group of conditions that involves inflammation of the airways and contraction of the tiny muscles that surround the airways (bronchospasm). Asthma is one example of RAD. But not all RAD is asthma. Many people who are chronically exposed to tobacco smoke have some mild bronchospasm on exposure to tobacco smoke but not at other times. In some people, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or sinusitis may be contributing factors.

Signs and symptoms of RAD may include:
Wheezing
Coughing
Shortness of breath
Sometimes coughing is the only symptom.

A doctor may confirm a diagnosis of RAD by special lung function tests, which measure how well the lungs take in and expel air and how efficiently they transfer oxygen into the blood. In general, RAD isn

[National Jewish]

I notice that you have not listed pulmonary function testing in your list of tests that have been done.  Other tests that may be helpful are an arterial blood gas to check on how the lungs are working and measurement of respiratory muscle strength and endurance.  A pulmonologist would be the kind of specialist to help you further.

If these are normal, please consider working with a mental health professional.  You may be helped by relaxation techniques and breathing retraining.

What you describe is a common symptom of anxiety, with or without panic attacks.  This can often happen without the person being aware of the anxiety or its cause(s).

[Bob W]

Thanks very much for your feedback, I'd be really interested in learning breathing exercises as well as knowing about hyperventilation. My email address is ***@****

[spicer]

I have what you have, same exact symptoms.  I've read everything I could get my hands on about it, researched it, and my symptoms match exactly Chronic Hyperventilation Syndrome.  I've had it off and on for many years, this last year being the worse because I was diagnosed with asthma which messed up my breathing pattern.  A few months back there were several people on here who had written in with your symptoms.  Some also complained of not being able to take a satisfying deep breath.  I emailed several of them the document I have here on Hyperventilation, and for many it hit it right on the head and they took it to their doctor.  
Most people, when you mention hyperventilation, think of Acute hyperventilation, which is the rapid breathing we're all familiar with.  Chronic Hyperventilation isn't readily noticed when looking at the patient as they will appear to be breathing normally.  But if you watch them, you will see them taking constant deep breaths, as many as two or three a minute.  When you do this, it keeps your body thinking you are always short of breath, so you do it again.  And again.  I have a book here on it that is very good.  She explains that we all have a breathing center in our brain which regulates our breathing pattern and tells us when to take a breath.  When this pattern is disrupted by something, whether it be asthma, anxiety, whatever, your brain accepts this as your normal way of breathing now, so even normal inhaling and exhaling will be perceived as air-hunger and will cause you to take that deep breath.  And every deep breath you take just enforces it so you end up in a cycle that you can't break.  
Most doctors don't know about this, but if all your tests are coming back normal, I'm going to guess that's what you have.  Maybe you can remember back to something happening a year ago that started it.  Could have been stress, a bad time in your life, a health problem, anything.  The one doctor who was probably the closest was the one who suggested anxiety.  Yes, you're feeling anxiety because of your breathing but it's the anxiety that's probably feeding it now and helping to keep it going.  I still get it, most of the time not as bad as you but I have, and if I do my breathing exercises twice a day, I can get it back under control in about a week.  I do have xanax that I don't take anymore, but when I first had this, I took it for awhile and it definitely helped.  Most people think it will work right away, but it won't.  It won't start to make you feel better for a couple of weeks until it gets into your system.  Honestly, that's what really helped me the most.  Now the breathing exercises are all I need to do.  
It's very frustrating as I will have no idea why all of a sudden one day, there it is again.  But like I said, the breathing exercises have been a Godsend, and sometimes I do them even when I feel ok just because they're so relaxing.
If you would like to post your email address, I will be more than happy to send you the document so you can read it.  You might want to try the xanax again, and this time give it a chance to work.  I was only taking 1-2 .25 pills a day, which is a very small dose, but it was enough to help me.  
If I can be of any more help, please let me know.....take care.