Can't get a deep breath / Difficulty Breathing

[Baltmaa]

Hi - I've been having difficulty breathing for at least the last 9-10 years...and it's a daily thing.  I am 31 years old, am healthy (exercise almost daily, eat healthily, am not overweight, do not smoke, and only drink socially), and yet I always feel like my breathing is extremely laboured.  I constantly yawn to try to catch a satisfying breath.  There are some periods throughout the day where it's not laboured and I feel as if I breathe normally, but then it creeps up on me and I have to start yawning again.  My nose feels very clogged all the time and my chest, stomach, and back muscles feel very constricted when breathing.  It's especially noticeable when I am working out...especially running and lifting weights.  I have to stop every once in a while just to yawn (frustrating) to stop from getting dizzy.  It's also noticeable as I am trying to go to sleep and/or when I've had a glass or 2 of wine.  I was "diagnosed" with exercise-induced asthma 9-10 years ago, but I think this was a mis-diagnosis as the inhalers never work (I've tried all sorts) and they usually end up making me feel worse.  After using the inhaler I always end up coughing up fluid and my breathing sounds gurgle-ly  (so I don't take them any more unless I feel I really need to...note that I have never had a full blown asthma attack).  I'm worried that it could be something else (was exposed to TB as a teenager, but took the "horse pills" for 6 months and was told I was fine), but none of my doctors will really listen to me.  They see that I am slim and active, and they dismiss me - I live in the UK (free socialised healthcare - so not a lot of time to spend with patients).  Has anyone else experienced this?  I see lots of threads on here with the same topic, but they all have to do with taking medications, being overweight, being a current/past smoker, being depressed/having anxiety, etc.  Please help - I'm tired of living like this.  I'm worried that I could be living with something undiagnosed that could rear it's ugly head one day.

[Vic688]

I have this same problem.  I've had it for over a year and have every test 3 time and even had reflux (fundo) surgery.  Nothing has helped.  I read some other entries on MedHelp from 2004 and 2006 from people who have the same thing.  I'm wondering if they were helped or if anyone has been treated for this. I am going to the cleveland clinic in a month, but a month seems like a year and not being able to breathe is driving me crazy!!
Please email at ***@****  (my girlfriends address).  Please Help.

[mudgins]

I have exactly the same symptoms.  I am 44 years old and have been dealing with this on and off for at least 10 years...it seems to occur more often as I get older.  I went to the doctor and was told it was GERD and then was given acid reflux medication.  The doctors also seem to dismiss my symptoms because I am overall very heathy.  I did have a problem with hives about 2 years ago and as weird as it seems it almost feels like I have some type of inflamation (inflammation) (like hives) in my lungs that makes it impossible to breath deeply.  It will suddenly disappear then return again.  I have tried cutting out alcohol, artificial sweetners, all allergy medication, diet soda, etc....and I can't get a direct link to anything that I'm injesting.  I plan on purchasing a air purifier to see if that helps....have you tried that?

[pickyfeet]

hi everyone...i have been unable to breath satisfyingly(if thats a word) for about 15 years now. I have been though just about every lung/cardio test out there.  I was diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and was told that my shortness of breathe had nothing to with this diagnosis but have read that some people do experience shortness of breathe, so ruling out mitral valve prolaspe(MVP) might be something you want to try. I would discribe my shortness of breathe as trying to suck in air and being stopped half way and being full when it is at its worst..  Its with me everyday and some days its worse.  It seems to get worse a week or so before my menstrual cycle.  I quit smoking at the on set of this symptom, i too have tried different to relief this feeling. I hope this may be helpful to some of you...also if you find a way to relief this feeling of breathlessness, please let me know.  

[cajohnson]

Hello all, I just turned 33 last month and am suffering from the same problem. I dont know where it came from, I wasnt nor had I been sick when it started..  For me it seems to come and go with out warning and when its happening I find that I become very light headed from trying to constantly take in a deep breath, its driving me crazy and the Dr's cant seem to find anything wrong. Im going in for more testing next week, I will post my findings, if any..

[JKsouth]

My problems started ten years ago at age 30 when I suddenly felt myself getting out of breath while playing basketball. It seemed that any intense physical exertion would bring on feelings of breathlessness and it began to effect my play and my life psychologically. I became afraid of running and walking up more than one flight of stairs. Also, the fact that it came out of nowhere really freaked me out and I started having anxiety about diseases I might have and avoided most physical activity.

I went to my doctor and was diagnosed with having GERD and given Prevacid. I tried this and then tried Nexium and my acid reflux and coughing at night disappeared but the medicine did nothing to help my shortness of breath. I was then diagnosed as having exercise induced asthma and given an inhaler. It didn't work. I was then sent to a pulmonologist and run through a series of breathing tests and even an echogram of my chest and x-ray of my lungs. They found nothing and prescribed a different inhaler which didn't show any sign of helping even while I was taking the tests. For some reason they gave it to me anyway and I went away frustrated. Next I was sent to the cardiologist and he ran me through an EKG, stress test on the treadmill, echocardiogram before and after
exertion. All results came back as negative with an excellent ejection fraction. They did find some PVCs but said they were nothing to worry about. I went away feeling better about my heart but still had the episodes of shortness of breath.

After all of this, I finally decided to take control of the situation myself. I began an intense cardio workout program and lost weight. I changed my diet and did everything I could think of to become more healthy. At first I struggled with the conditioning and my own anxiety of losing my breath. The shortness of breath over the years had almost developed into a phobia of hard exercise. I hyperventilated many times in the beginning but after a few weeks I felt stronger and better. After a few months I was able to play basketball again and run like I used to without getting too winded. I had to rebuild my confidence as well as my fitness but everything seemed to be going OK. The only problem was that I still occasionally got the sensation of shortness of breath even though I was well conditioned and frequently became light headed as well. I became frustrated one day and did a work out even while feeling short of breath and seemed to feel better once I got moving. This got me wondering so I went to the pulmonologist while having another shortness of breath attack and my blood oxygen levels tested. They came back normal even though I felt like I wasn't getting enough air.

Today, three years later, I'm even more confused than ever. I'm left wondering if I am really short of breath or is anxiety causing me to feel that way? I also wonder if the skipped beats of my heart (PVCs) have anything to do with the breathlessness sensations. I feel better than I did before beginning my conditioning but I still don't feel like I could just up and run at full speed without grabbing my knees. I also don't feel like I've solved the problem completely - only masked it by getting in better shape. If anyone has any answers, please pass them along. I've read many posts and the common thread seems to be that the problem begins in most around the age of 30. What's up with that I wonder?

[lawisfun]

I'm 23 and have been having the same problem for years.  I can be sitting calmly studying (not stressing) and suddenly can't breathe, or running and just can't get enough air.  It's not the out-of-shape gasping, it's that no matter how deeply or often I take a breath my lungs just won't take enough oxygen out of it.  If it happens on the treadmill I check my heart rate and it's relatively normal. If anyone sees a doctor who does anything other than prescribe an inhaler (which also does nothing but give me a wet cough) please let me know what they said!

[angiehas5]

I have recently been having the same problem. My doc thinks they are panic attacks. But it seems to last all day long. Good luck everyone!

[srd34]

Do doctors ever answer the questions asked?

[Teacher26]

I am 26. I have just recently been dealing with the same problem. The problem started during allergy season, which for me is late April - early May.

I thought at first that it was due to a sinus infection. I am going to try and take some antibiotics because the heavy breathing started after I had a bacterial infection in my nose. I am interested to see if antibiotics will work.

I have also been taking an allergy medication called Chlorpheniramine. I have noticed that this particular over-the-counter medication works the best for me and is better than any other allergy medicines I have used. It really helps relieve the symptoms associated with having trouble breathing. If I take one in the morning, about 7:00am or 8:00am, I am usually good (no problems with heavy breathing) until 4:00pm or 5:00pm in the afternoon. At this time, the heavy breathing starts and it seems to continue, until I take another Chlorpheniramine. I usually take 2 Chorpheniramine a day. I know this might sound like a lot of medication for some, but it is not that much.

As for panic attacks, I have been known to experience these too. I am sure that a panic attack, associated with worrying obsessively about not being able to get a hearty breath of air, doesn't help make it easier to breathe.  

Here is some information on Chlorpheniramine (If you want it. I am not a doctor or a pharmacist, so please don't take my word on it. I know it has worked for me and after you read more about it, one day it might work for you. I hope this helps.):
      Chlorpheniramine relieves red, itchy, watery eyes; sneezing; itchy nose or throat; and runny nose caused by allergies, hay fever, and the common cold in adults and children over age 2. Chlorpheniramine should not be given to children younger than 2 years old because it may cause serious or life-threatening side effects in young children. Chlorpheniramine should not be given to children older than 2 years old but younger than 6 years old unless prescribed by a doctor. Chlorpheniramine tablets, capsules, chewable tablets and liquid should be used carefully in children who are 6-11 years old; the extended-release tablets and extended-release capsules should not be given to children in this age group unless prescribed by a doctor. Chlorpheniramine will only relieve the symptoms of cold or allergies but will not treat the cause of the symptoms or speed recovery. Chlorpheniramine is in a class of medications called antihistamines. It works by blocking the action of histamine, a substance in the body that causes allergic symptoms.

[savebernards]

I've started having this problem.  I cant seem to get enough air to really fill my lungs.  I am yawning constantly to try to get a full breath, it feels good to yawn really big, and the feeling of not enough air comes right back.  Sometimes its better than others.  I think I am making the problem worse by concentrating on it also.  Its very uncomfortable.

I recently lost weight, I exercise rigorously 6 days a week.  I do have hypertension, and hypothyroid, but both are controlled by medication.

[philipm]

I wish someone had an idea of what it might be. I am 27 and I do the same things you all do to try and cope with it. It is pretty bad during allergy season, but I really don't think that's all it could be. My doctor at one point said it's because I'm focusing on it, and it's partially habit. Along with yawning to get a good, deep breath, I've also noticed a tend to burp a lot more as of late as well. Even when I drink, the way I swallow seems to be different from how it used to be.

I hope we all get an answer soon.

[DYLANESQ]

Some thoughts... not answers.

Look into sleep apnea.
Excess weight on stomach compresses lungs.
Do you spend a lot of time in a recliner ?
Alcohol use ?
Eating too late in the pm ?


Personal experience : If I suddenly try to run for a bus (I'm 66) or up  a few stairs I can get seriously out of breath, dragging air in as if I'm about to die.

My GP recenly set me up to have a stress test ( on a sloped treadmill) but after describing to the  the above (bus & stairs) the stress folks aid that a stress test would not be suitable as they needed me to get up a good 'head of steam' in order to get useful data from my heart under stress and they recommended a pulmenary ( lung) test.

Before the appointment came around I was at a local alternative café's music fest and ended up, after a few beers, jumping up and down in the front row of the crowded café right in front of the band, dancing my merry heart out, just like the 'old days'.

The next day, somewhat worn out from my fun night, I suddenly realised "Hell..there can't be much wrong with my lungs if I could do that !" as I recall sucking in air pretty powerfully without much problem as I boogied, and I concluded that "It must be 'cos I'm so out of shape and overweight (210 lbs).

NB: I WAS dancing upright and not leaning over as I would be when going up stairs or hurrying to catch the bus.

So I've cancelled the test for now and will be working on losing weight and exercizing.

I'm fairly sure that I do have pretty serious sleep apnea* too where breathing stops many times during the night. My pillow is a mess from drooling  I toss and turn a lot too. I suffer from anxiety too.

I also drink quite a bit of wine in the evening which is not good and disturbs my sleep. I also think I spend too much time in my recliner.

Dylan (***@****)

*I was tested 7 years ago with 'inconclusive' results as I had , unfortunately, gotten hyped up at my daughter's championship ice hockey game that evening and could not sleep for the test. I've had to postpone retesting this year as there is a $400 copay I cannot afford right now.

[tlaket]

I am having the same problem and i am very frustrated. I am now beginning to wonder if it is allergies.

Im 26. i have been an athlete my whole life through college and am still very active in sports and running, not overweight, weight is not around my mid section, etc. Here are my symptoms:

earlier this summer i was having difficulty breathing...only occured at night though. i couldnt lay down. i would have to sleep propped up on 2 or three pillows. I felt like there was something squeezing my neck and throat. I went away to the mountains...i slept next to a window and caught a pretty bad cold...lost my voice, coughing a lot.
After the cold went away, i began to have even more difficulty breathing. i am training for a 1/2 marathon and noticed it during my work out---which was new, so this is when i decided to get it checked out. so i went to see my doctor who referred me to a cardiologist who referred me to a pulmonologist.

i had echo done on my heart--normal
chest xray--normal
blood tests--normal
(still waiting for the results of the allergy test though)
so like the other post said...i feel better about my heart, and my health but i still cant breathe.
Pulmonary function tests where the doctor said "it could be asthma, very mild though" he prescribed singulair and an albuterol inhaler for before i run. sometimes taking the inhaler can make me lightheaded. so i dont like using it.

the inhaler and singular definitely helped with the tightness i was feeling in my lower neck and upper chest, but not with the breathing!
and some days its better than others. and i actually do feel a little better after i do some mild cardio...but who wants to work out when they cant breathe???!!!! But it honestly is better on days i work out than on days i dont.

oh, also a did experience a bit of heartburn...and i think i had a panic attack (which was self induced i believe cuz i was so worried about not breathing) which led me to go to urgent care one time. the doctor gave me some stuff for heartburn and acid relux and so then i thought i had GERD...which can also induce asthma...so i dealt with that and now my heartburn is gone...but breathing is still not normal.

could be VCD? but i hear that VCD usually happens mostly in the morning...im am a singer and i can sing fine in the morning. my vocal coach hasnt noticed any changes in my voice...but she did notice me clearing my throat a lot which led her to suspect allergies.
so i am going to wait for the allergy test results...and pray that its allergies and some sort of antihistamine will clear it up.

I am suppose to go for a follow up doctor's appointment next week and will post again with the doctors findings.

oh yea...im suppose to get a CT scan of my chest and throat, just waiting for the insurance to approve that.

[spaced]

I know how you all feel. I had this problem, and no, the doctors don't know what it is, because if it's not in their text books they can't figure it out, but I did. This may not be everybody's cause, but it is worth checking into.
Do you guys consume any form of aspartame, sucralose, etc, you know the low sugar diet drinks and many processed foods with MSG?
This was my problem; I discovered that aspartame is a toxin, and it wreaks havoc on people. It is converted to formaldehyde once it breaks down in the body. Formaldehyde by the way is the substance used to embalm dead people.
If you have anything that contains any of these artificial sweetners, eliminate them immediately; and yes, your neighbor, or best friend may have been drinking them for years without this problem, but not to worry, their symptoms of a different nature will creep up on them, there are a slew of symptoms that have been reported to the Fda regarding this toxin. And please don't tell me that it was 'approved' by the FDA. The FDA is not to be trusted with your health.

The first step is to immediately stop using these products and then do some sort of toxin cleanse.

Don't waste your time going to the doctor on this one, they have no clue.Most of our illnesses come from a poor diet and fixing that fixes most of them.
Do yourself a favor and eat toxin free.
Best of luck to you all.
If you want to talk about this further, email me at ***@****

[nightpuppy101]

hi im only 16 and im having these poblems and it's driving me crazy iv'e been expieriencing these symptoms for 2 years now and i have no idea what to do ive gotten so many tests done and the doctors all say im fine, honestly this kind of scares me. i am a healthy weight and im very active. so i dont think that its because im unhealthy. i can just sit here and its like i cant take in enough air and ill have to brace myself to take a deep breath or like do a really big yawn. i have no idea whats wrong and latley its been getting worse espcecially at night it takes forever to fall asleep. i really dont want to put up with this forever i really wanna know what is wrong

[Breathless123]

I had this very same problem.  For no apparent reason I had these bouts of not being able to take a deep breath.  My troubles with breathing went from occasional, to... constant.  My answer for why this was happening came when I saw a chiropractor.  I knew that back muscles are an issue when experiencing some types of breathing problems, so, long story short... I went to a chiropractor for a consult and was told that certain spots, if misaligned, may result in trouble breathing.  There is actually an area, if misaligned, that will cause breathing problems during exercise that may present symptoms similar to exercise induced asthma.   I had nothing to lose, so I started with treatment.  An X-ray, and weekly (x3 to start with) "adjustments".  Within 2 adjustments I had noticed I could breath "normally".  No kidding.  

I had visited forums like this one a TON of times, trying to figure out WHY I couldn't take a deep breath.  It was so unnerving to me.  It had me antsy and frustrated... I just started my treatments/(adjustments) a couple of weeks ago and I'm so relieved that I'm touring the boards I sought help on to spread the word about how I found an answer to my problem.  Maybe it can help others.  I had visited my physician about this problem a couple of times, but never once was this angle approached.  

Anyway, I hope this helps someone.  

About me - I'm a mid 30's female.  Pretty healthy.  Normal height and weight for my age.  Active... no health problems, really...

[mamaP5]

I am going to try cutting out the toxins and a chiropractic adjustment to see if it helps.  I'm tired of living like this too.  Good luck to everyone above.  Hope you get this issue resolved soon.  It is a very frustrating feeling to have.

[Lori303]

Okay, had to go somewhere looking for an answer.  also have the deep breath problem, now for about a month, last fall for about 6 weeks.  It went away and now is back.  I am 52, female, slim,  very healthy, runner, swimmer, healthy foods, occassional red wine, plenty of sleep, good blood work, low blood pressure, etc, picture of health.  Have been this way forever.  Went to Dr. in fall, they said I was healthy and would not even order a stress test.  Same symptoms as others describe, can't get air all the way  into lungs without straining or yawning.  Now is constant, whether sitting at desk or running 5 miles.   Kind of thinking allergy related, but not sure how to test?  Don't take any medications and don't really want to just start allergy meds if that isn't it.   And I have never been allergic to anything before. Very maddening at this point.  
Anybody have this problem associated with allergies?

[danny450]

Do any of you people suffering form this constantly hold your stomach in because of a belly/gut?  I am thinking this could be an issue.

[rachel3891]

Im 23 years old and I've been having this same problem as most of you for at least 10 years. I've been to the doctor many years ago and was diagnosed with a mild form of asthma related to allergies (although I do not have allergies). I was given an albuterol (sp?) inhaler and singular (perscription allergy/asthma meds). They didn't seem to help any.
         I also have anxiety problems and panic attacks which don't help with the breathing. So its hard for me to determine whether the "not being able to get a deep breath" is from a medical condition or anxiety.
        I just went to the doctor yesterday and they tested to see if I had asthma or not... it turned up to be very mild so they weren't sure if this is what was causing the problem. I also have Mitro Valve Prolapse (heart murmmer). My doctor said this could be a symptom of this and if it is it could cause problems in the future (so if any of you guys also have this I would get it checked out by getting an ECHO test done) I am getting this test done next week. My doctor said if it isn't this then it may just be anxiety. If anyone finds anything out let me know please!

[VoyagerB]

I am 27 years old. This, as you name it 'condition', is making my life hell for over 4 years now. First time it happened, I was still jogging every night. It just stroke me one day and it destroyed my whole summer. I was suffering a lot those days, grasping for the air, dreaming for that one, deep precious breath that will change everything. And then I saw so many doctors. And it turned out - NOTHING. I am realizing now that this comes suddenly but it usually has long history behind (anxiety is not always the case,you may be under some sort of psycho-physical pressure). In my case it starts with mental extortion (my studies for example)... In the first stage of the 'condition' I usually go through panic attacks which are the worst of all, then I slowly develop serious breathing problems. For example this spring it started with two weeks panic attacks, I would be always almost fainting, really scary. But with the time I understood that nothing will happen to me and panic episodes vanished. But breathing issue remained to bother me and it developed other, even more disturbing health problems. Trying to cope with my breathing, I started to swallow air which caused reflux (my eating is horror now, I am burping all the time). Sometimes I even feel that my lungs are so run out and irritated....that they can not fight with this anymore. So heavy and tired...And just one month ago everything was perfectly fine.

[gmichael66]

Xanax, chiropractor, vitamins, large doses of vitamins, prayer, patience and faith.

I pray for us all
Geoffrey

[VoyagerB]

Yes, patience and belief is crucial...

[sash420]

I've been recently feeling like  i have trouble breathing, im only19 years old. I have to yawn every couple of seconds to make sure im not going to stop breathing. I'm also haveing trouble eating, when i eat something or drink something i get this pressure in my chest like i cant burp and its so painful it feels like i cant breath. I've been diagnosed with anxiety im on Xanax and two kinds of medication for that, but none of it seems to help my breathing. I dont understand where this came from i was doing great with the whole anxiety thing and then all of the sudden I have been trouble getting a deep breath.I'm not haveing the panic attacks anymore just this uncomfortable breathing. I'm finding it very hard to do my normal routine, i stopped exercising and smoking because i think i might die if i do either. Please if anyone else is haveing these type of symptoms let me know thank you
                                      Ashley

[Renee8962]

46 yrs old - very healthy - slim build - hard worker - raised with good value system.  I'm sitting here at work trying to sit straighter or taller or forward... something that would allow me to get that full breath with a deep yawn... when I decided to run a search on "can't get a deep breath".  I was directed to this site.  Amazing.  I wouldn't have believed it myself... but... as I started to read each and every post on this site - I was smiling to myself and even laughing out loud sometimes!  As I got to the last post - I realized I had been breathing normal throughout the entire "read".  I truly believe anxiety is the cause of my breathing problem - even when I don't feel like I am anxious.  I look at what is happening in my life... and even though I'm dealing with everything just fine.  I think my body is telling me that it isn't designed to multi-task quite so much!  My post is to "Thank" all of you for sharing.  Because just knowing I'm not the only one dealing with this - truly has helped me.  Thank you.  Renee

[rita743]

Ahhhh...To read these comments makes me feel like I am not losing my mind!  I had a sudden onset on feeling as if I could not catch my breath 6 weeks ago.  I ended up at uregent care and was treated for a flare up of asthma that I have not had problems with since I was a kid, and I am now 36.  I went to the Dr. and after Prednisone tapers, Zithromax,  and Levaquin and more steroids and inhalers, I am off the meds (which, now I believe that I felt worse on them than before I started them) and still having episodes of feeling as though I cannot get my breath which in turn make it worse because then anxiety kicks in!  I have been racking my brain to figure out what in the world brought all of this on.  I am 36 and a slim build.  I was always and athlete and very active but have not worked out much after having 3 childre in 4.5 years.  Anyway, I did recall having some back issues that seemed to have resolved, however the times that I was in discomfort were not long before all of this started.  I recently looked online and viewed chiropratic sites.  Anyway I decided to schedule an eval at an alternative healing chiropractor to see if this might help.  I am praying it does!  I also believe that panic is significantly related to diet and a lack of certain nutrients in my case, such as magnesium.  Oh well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and praying for all of you.  I just want to enjoy life again!
Prayers to all!
Rita

[peppermint73]

I hope this might help someone.  I have been suffering from similar symptoms for about 10 months.  I always felt like I had to yawn and couldn't get a satisfying breath.  My neck, back, & chest were always sore.  After tons of research and trying different things, I found something called "Chronic Hyperventilation Syndrome".  I didn't feel like I was hyperventilating, but when I looked up the symptoms, it was like a check list of everything I had been feeling.  There is a book called "Self Help for Hyperventilation Syndrome" written by Dinah Bradley.  I picked one up on Amazon for about $12.  She gives breathing excercises that retrain your body to breath from your diaphram.  I was totally shocked that within 1 week of doing the excercises my yawning was gone.  It has been 2 months now and no more frequent yawning.  I am still dealing with the tension in my neck & upper back, but she also recommends doing relaxation techniques to get rid of that.  I wish I could have found this information months earlier.  I hope this helps someone!

[RIZU]

hi. I SUGGEST u to go for a blood serology  and check ASO TITER and ESR. Myself also  find difficult to breath. my aso level is high. get  back to me the result

[Morhpboy]

Hi all.  I'm a 41 year old male and have had this problem since my early teens and like many of you, large chunks of my life have been made a misery with it affecting my social and even my sex life (who feels amarous when you can't even breathe?).  All the usual doctor visits and everything fine.  The only reason I am posting today is to give you all what I found to be a very helpful exercise which I think will give you some relief from the worst phase of the cycle.  I was driving from Dover to my home in North East England the other day going through 'worst phase' and found I had nothing better to do than look at the remaining miles on my sat nav.  So I started telling myself 'I will not take a deep breath for fifteen miles'.  Often I couldn't wait but either way after fifteen miles I would take the deep breath then breathe out slowly through pursed lips.  As the miles wore on I started increasing the allowed miles. I realised after a couple of hours that whilst I was now struggling not taking a deep breath for 30 miles the original fifteen mile target was easy to reach in otherwords I had partially regulated my breathing manually and when I got home I realised I was in the more easy to live with latter cycle of the problem.  I am now approaching normal breathing phase a good few days earlier than I normally would.  I hope this helps some of you but it sure does prove that if I can change the cycle manually then we can beat this thing or at least take control of it even if this particular method doesn't work for everyone.  Best wishes and easy breathing to you all.

[Kineticus]

Hello!

Like others have mentioned before, it is a relief to know that i'm not the only one with these symptoms. Although it is distressing to see that nobody has recieved "real" help from doctors, and if they have, decided not to post it.


I suffer from shortness of breath, yawning, and mild anxiety with shortness of breath.

-26 years old, great health, nothing wrong with me physically.
-Non-smoker, although occasionaly weed ( 1-2 times a month )



-I do deal with the public, high stress situations, large crowds (being a drummer) and I do worry about things excessively, although usually to myself.
-I work night shifts, alternating to weekend days :^(
-I also work at a computer frequently too.




My BEST advice:

Is to speak with yourself, calm down and control your breathing attacks, remember that your not alone with this affliction and that you are getting more than enough air into your lungs.
Slow your breathing down, relax and try meditation (NOT medication), backrubs, chiropractor, acupuncture, diet, vitamins, go on a vacation, become more physically active, laugh, enjoy life and finally DRINK MORE WATER, dehydration can cause many different things to your body.

I hope this helped, and REMEMBER....

You are most definetly NOT alone in this. You will be ok.


Take care.

[bren969]

I suffered with the sames problems as you all discribed, i could never get a full breath, yawning all the time, lightheadedness, it was constant for 7 years. i was sure there was something wrong with me but in the end i realised it was anxiety. After trying several meds it finially went. Although im still suffer anxiety i dont get short of breath anymore.
I think we become aware of our breathing which can make things worse. I used to find that deep breathing made it worse. I take small slow breaths making sure you breath out fully and hold it there for a while. The easiest thing to do is to ignore your breathing then you wont feel the need to take deep breaths.
This might not apply to everyone, but for me it was anxiety.

[MindPieces]

I was having this problem for about two weeks. I felt a constant need to take a deep breath or yawn, but wasn't able to get one in most of the time. After reading through these forums I decided to try taking a multivitamin, since certain vitamin deficiencies can lead to shortness of breath.

IT WORKED!

I took my first vitamin yesterday morning, and that afternoon my need to constantly take a deep breath or yawn disappeared. I would advise everyone to at least give this a try, though it may take more than a day to disappear for some people. I can't believe I rushed to the doctor for EKGs and chest X-rays when all I really needed was some vitamins.

[echilds3]

I was dealing with this for years, and it was pure torture! All the same symptoms you all are describing. I could never get a deep breath, whether  I was just sitting in class or working out. I would constantly be yawning or hunching over trying to get a good breath, but it rarely worked. I was prescribed x-rays, blood tests, pulmonary tests, and they all showed nothing. I've been on albuterol, prednisone, advair, and many other meds. No relief. I was getting so fed up with this annoying problem.
But....
About three weeks ago, I stopped drinking 'sugar free' things such as diet pop and sugar free flavored coffee. Anything containing aspartame. For about the past two weeks, I have been breathing FINE. No problems whatsoever. All the symptoms I was feeling before have disappeared. I sincerely believe it was the aspartame causing my breathing problems. I've been drinking diet soda since I was little, about one can a day. I also work at a coffee shop, and whenever I had a drink, I would use the sugar free flavors.
It feels so good to finally be able to breathe. I would definitely recommend cutting anything containing aspartame out of your diet. That stuff is pure poison..

[echop]

I have this problem too, and I have found minor relief using something I also use for my pollen allergies - budesonide inhaler. It's a cortisol-like steroid, and this problem might also be related to the adrenal gland.

I will try multivitamins, although I do take these once every 2-3 days I still sometimes suffer from mild SOB/yawning. Oh wow I also get a lot of aspartame, I bet it's dangerous!! I'm not a fan of the sugar either though, I guess I will try replacing more of my drinking with water.

[jumpin4jesus]

Hooray for not being alone! I'm 17, healthy weight albeit a little shorter than most, and i've been dealing with this for 3-5 years.  I don't work out probably as much as i should, but exercise really doesn't have any effect on my symptoms. Same as everyone else, it feels like I can't breathe enough unless i yawn or spend a significant amount of time trying to draw air into my lungs. this is also accompanied by heavy nasal symptoms for me, my nose is always stuffed and clogged. I've been to several doctors, who tested me for allergies and then after a negative result tried three times to give me allergy prescriptions, which naturally did nothing. My ENT told me I was imagining it (not going back to him). I don't drink anything that might have aspartame in it, but I might try the natural foods things. I play the oboe every day so it's not like my lungs aren't getting the exercise either (not much time to breathe with the oboe :) it's similar to the breathing exercises described above one could say) I don't know what's going on, and I haven't heard anything helpful from anyone, but if anyone hears anything I'd certainly like to know!

[nicky0918]

I am SOO GLAD I am not the only one dealing with this problem.  I am 22 years old, college student, normal weight (doctor thinks I could gain a few pounds, I disagree), about 5'2, could exercise more but I do get some and I am a panicker.  I do think the anxiety makes this problem worse but I think its in its own cateogry.  I have researched this and everything I can find relates it to "overbreathing' or hyperventilating.  I really do not think this is the problem.  I have noticed that when I focus and take a deap breath and breathe out through my mouth I feel better but it comes back.  

Ok so as for the above answers to this problem:

Vitamins - I take one everyday and it helps with anxiety actually but no luck on the breathing

Chiropractor - will definately try this out seeing as I have constant neck and back pain as it is

Aspartame - will cut this out of my diet and see if it helps

Yoga - this is a new one I am adding....I have heard it is great for people with anxiety and that it will teach you how to breath all over again so yet again will post on this as well

Hopefullly one or all of these will help and I can get over this but I am definately glad I am not the only one dealing with this it is a good feeling knowing you are not the odd man out....I will pray for everyone else and I hope I helped someone!!

[Ecologic]

Hello Ladies,

I was surprised to find this post, because me too I have had this SOB problem for years - too many years to count (I am 40).

In my case, it can be caused by several things:
- chemical, detergent, perfumes smells -  big time
- nitrites in food (so no ham or hot dog for me)
- no reason, though I now suspect that it's internal fatigue in my body that causes the SOB when I do nothing

I tried many things, chiropractor included, to no avail. The ONLY medication that helps me are corticosteroids, but this is a poison, I once gained 30 lbs with a 2 weeks burst of steroids. To be taken only as a last resort.

BUT in my opinion, the problem is hormone related. Namely thyroid and adrenal glands. I now know that I have hypothyroidism and am finally being treated for that. This is a very slow process, but after increasing my Armour Thyroid dosage, I started to have very good days last July with no SOB. Still far from being out of the woods because now Armour Thyroid cannot be found anymore, big shortage in the country, but I finally was prescribed a similar medication and hopefully we'll keep increasing my dose. We'll see if that really helps.
Adrenal glands: my lab results are not perfect and I am currently looking for a doctor that will help me with that and agrees to try some medications targeting the adrenals.

[SJANIACH]

I have had this for years too. I do have low iron quite frequently. The doctor said this is connected.

[tschock]

I'm in the same boat and I've been told it's everything from post-nasal drip to depression...ugh. I've taken all sorts of pills over the years because they've told me it's asthma,anxiety,panic attacks,etc. I quit using "fake sugar" years ago,I see chiropractors on a regular basis,etc.
The only thing that has ever helped to a degree was the chiropractor.
I'm tired of having to yawn to breathe and tired of feeling like I've just spent the last 24 hours crying...that's how mine kind of feels...my chest feels like it's been heaving from crying and when I yawn it's good for a few seconds.
This *****.

[jade81]

I am 28 years old, and have been smoking since I was 14. I have tried to quit smoking so many times, but then I get depressed or stressed out and  end up having a ciggarette. I think smoking is disgusting and i hate it. I feel like a very weak person for not being able to quit smoking so much earlier. But now I have been having trouble breathing and it is scaring me. For the past few weeks, I have constantly been taking deep breaths with the feeling of not getting enough oxygen. It feels like I am suffocating. It is keeping me up at night with the feeling of not being able to breathe. I smoke less than a pack every 2 days, but as I mentioned before I have been smoking for a long time now. I am wondering if anyone has any advice, I am so scared to go the doctor and be diagnosed with copd or some irreversible lung disease. I am trying despretely to quit smoking, and have succeeded in cutting back to just 3 ciggerettes a day. But does anyone have any suggestions of what this could be if I were lucky enough for this not being related to my smoking? Why are ciggerettes not banned? I will never understand why the most deadly and addictive drug there is is stiil legal. When I was 14 the advertisements for ciggarettes were not banned yet, and it was the cool thing to do. I wish I could go back in time and never of picked up that first cigg. My mom smoked then so it was easy to start that young. But besides COPD, ASTMA, or there any other possibilities that could be causing my feeling of suffocating at night, deep constant inspirations with the feeling of never getting enough oxygen? My worst fear is being diagnosed with copd at 28. And the worst part is knowing that I have done it to myself.

[femmesavante]

My daughter has this problem and I did as well as a young child.  I had many tests when I showed symptoms and everything was normal.  I basically had to live with it.  Now, I rarely have the issue, but as I said, my daughter who just turned six is experiencing it.  Now that I see her struggling to get a deep breath it breaks my heart.  I plan on taking her to the doctor, but would like to suggest some direction for him, as I did all the asthma tests (as many have) all to come up normal.  Are GERD and anxiety good places to start?  Ugh, this is so frustrating, isn't it??  

[doralve]

I just started having this problem and feeling tired... saw doctor and he is ordering a sleep test. Sleep apnea (although more prevalent in overweight people can occur in any age group even if not overweight) is suspected and I will let you know. But there is more interest in sleep apnea because they are finding that if left untreated, it can lead to very serious problems down the road. So if you are snoring... if people are complaining, don't ignore it. Be checked out.

[AHappyBeing]

I am coming to the conclusion that the shortness of breath issue has something to do with the Pancreas, GERD, or the liver... aka Bile or Cholesterol. I am more inclined to think it is the Pancreas and glycogen ... then GERD. These seem to be the two main culprits that would just induce or have sustained breathing challenges! PLEASE test/check these two areas comprehensively. Doctors are incompetent... we know significantly more than they do... they just know how to write prescriptions because some kid walked in the door and sold him or her on writing toxins to facilitate an early exit from this universe. Go figure!!!  Get a Fasting Blood sugar done... check it out... completely. Go over that Pancreas with a fine tooth comb. Make sure it is NOT Insulin Resistance Related. Stay away from diary products unless you go to a farm and get it all raw. Do NOT eat or consume anything pasteurized... it is POISON!!! Do NOT! You MUST safeguard your health. These doctors are not interested in doing it for us... they are too busy keeping the pharmaceutical companies in business.
CHANGE your diet! Unfortunately, diet changes will STOP the breathing problems too. STAY away from anything that will turn into simple sugars... especially fructose.
Yes, you can eat eggs, and bacon, and ham... however, I recommend turkey. Do NOT cook with Olive Oil it is unstable. Use peanut oil or coconut oil they can withstand heat and not produce radicals as Olive Oil does. Yes, you can eat butter... however I recommend Ghee. NO NOT all cholesterol is bad. The body requires Cholesterol too. Cholesterol problems are due to too much sugar... NOT fat. Those dumb morons for doctors keep telling us it is fat... no it's NOT it is SUGAR those IDIOTS! Carbs... keep your Carbs low, low, low, and I mean low. For example only eat brown rice.. do NOT dear touch white rice. Whole grain pasta a hand-full. Do NOT eat white regular pasta. Do NOT, oh my God! Eat flax bread... or a very dark pumpernickel... very little of this stuff. Yes, eat organic peanut butter it is okay. Count your calories ladies and gentleman. STOP eating sugar... STOP it cold. NO, not even in fruits unless it is muscadine grapes or blueberries. If you must have some sugar use green leaf stevia. Fruits are NOT good either. I know I use to eat them like there is no tomorrow... however, they loaded with useless sugar...yes they are. The damage it does on the body is not worth the few moments of pleasure. If you MUST eat fruit... only eat those local to the area... as those will help you in the metabolizing.  Sugar will kill you faster than fats will ... believe me. However, fats in moderation... just do NOT go anywhere near sugar. Sugar would kill you faster than a cigarette and we all know how our surgeon general warns against smoking but those bastards are NOT stopping the obesity caused by SUGAR in our country!
Fruits included. Sugar, is sugar is sugar!!! I know I love chocolate cake... and dark chocolate... but it will induce a breathing challenge because the Pancreas will not allow it. NO, I am not Diabetic... thank God... however, my body is not willing to take on anymore toxins... SUGAR being the GREATEST destroyer of all time. Remember breathing requires energy... and if the lung is not getting enough energy source their will be challenges to breath! I'm not a doctor but I am able to deduce what could be happening! Just try it out guys and let me know. If any of you would like to visit my Website... let me know. No, it doesn't cost anything... it's like this Website however, I preach the gospel of living a LONG healthy life... in and effort to put the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry out of business. Those people do not care about a single life in this country or they would insist on natural products to stop cancer, diabetes, breathing issues, cholesterol challenges induced by too much sugar, prostate issues or human growth hormone and so on.

[soulstice]

I am 34 years old, and have been having breathing problem for 6 years.  When it first started it really scared me, but when I went to doctors and they told me I was fine, I had to calm down and tell myself, "Ok, I'm alive, this *****, but whatever it is isn't killing me."  I am lucky enough to have fantastic insurance, and have been on a 6 year crusade to figure out what this is.  I have seen specialists in every field, and have been tested for everything under the sun without ANY success.  Honestly, I have had every breathing test imaginable (several times), ultrasounds of my heart, and every organ in my abdominal, CT's and MRI's of brain and spinal chord, allergy testing, a visit with 2 different ear nose and throat specialists to check for vocal chord disfunction, chiropractor visits, massages, and adustments with a D.O., sleep study, not to mention trying meditation, yoga, Alexander technique, etc.  I was even referred to Cleveland Clinic to which I had to drive 700 miles, and he said, "Go home, stop wasting all of this insurance money, you're healthy."  Needless to say, I cried the entire 700 miles home.  Just about every doctor has mentioned that my problem is anxiety.  But, I've done all of the things (yoga, etc.) that would make me feel better for such a problem, and haven't had a problem with it in the past.  After 6 years of this shortness of breath, constant yawning, and tightness in my upper torso, I'm learning to COPE, but that is all due to me, not doctors.  And, if I've REALLY just banked on the idea that I'm going to have this forever (which I have) then that means my anxiety (if I ever had that) about it should be gone.  Which, in my opinion, means it was NEVER anxiety to begin with, if my breathing problem is still there but my worry about it is gone.
There really is something wrong.  And, our numbers have to count for something.  We should each print off this thread and show our different doctors how many people have this problem, and that we aren't crazy, healthy, extremely rare (as this thread should prove,) or making things up to get drugs or attention.
I wish you all the best of luck.  And, just remember, it ISN'T killing you.  So, try to stay calm.

[Amir1059]

hey
I'm 18, and going to recruit in about a week from now.
I've had this problem since I begun going to high school. it used to come and go but now it just stays! it's so frostrating since there's absolutely nothing I can do to make it go away.
knowing that so many people have this does comfort me but I do hope that a solution would be found to this problem soon. I can't go on living like this anymore..