Shortness of Breath - HELP!

[MRSHIFTY]

Age 35 - Female. Good shape, a little over weight. Excercise daily for 1 to 2 hours - at least 30 minutes of that is with my heart rate in the 140-160 range.

Started 3 weeks ago experiencing shortness of breath. Got worse and left side of my body tingled. Not worse during exercise. Three days ago, got really bad. Went to doc, blood pressure high (156/???) but pulse was 50. They admitted me to hospital. CT scan fine. Echo showed my right side of my heart slightly enlarged. Did heart cath and it showed everything fine but oxygen levels a little low on right side.

I have a low stress life - that said, I am feeling pretty stupid since they can't find anything - is this a panic attack? It is constant. They put me on Zanax? and I still had problems catching my breath. Blood oxygen level was always good though.

[kxa1971]

I'll briefly explain. It is caused by over breathing which messes up the balance of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Everyone on this post has chronic hyperventilation I am sure of it. Your blood HAS to have the proper amount of carbon dioxide to be able to deliver the oxygen to the cells including the brain cells. Over breathing blows off to much carbon dioxide and the oxygen just rides around in the blood but can't make the exchange to the cells due to the low carbon dioxide. The result you feel out of breath because you are. Your cells are not getting enough oxygen. It is a cycle that you get caught in and it is difficult to break because when you feel out of breath you want to breath more but actually you need to breath less so that your carbon dioxide will build back up. If you've been this way for a long time it could take months to fully recover but you will. When there is no proper balance in oxygen and carbon dioxide it is called respiratory alkalosis. Your cells are starving for oxygen that is why you feel the way you do!

Do this: Keep your mouth closed and always breath through your nose: first point. Next expel all of your breath from your lungs through your nose and hold your breath as long as you can with your lungs empty. When you can't hold any longer slowly draw in air through your nose. Pause then let it out slowly again and hold your breath again with your lungs empty. Do this for no less than twice a day for 30 minutes. It may be hard but you HAVE TO build up your carbon dioxide. I promise you the CO is totally to low from gasping for air all the time and your respiratory center in your brain has now been conditioned to NOT allow enough carbon dioxide. That is why you and everyone on this post is stuck! Breathing less is the ONLY way to reverse it!

The Buteyko exercises are the ONLY way out of this. Period! Ge the book from amazon called "Close your mouth" it will reverse this. After a desperate struggle with this it has been 100% reversed. God is good!

[starion]

I'd ask the doctor for a cardiac nuclear stress test to see whether there's anything that needs attention.  If that's fine, you can see if the doctor will order a lung funciton test to be sure your lungs are functioning properly.  Heart issues and lung issues are the two main reasons for shortness of breath.  Those tests should help the doc figure out whether more testing & treatment is needed.  EKGs and ultrasounds of your heart will not diagnose some heart issues as well as a cardiac nuclear stress test.
Good luck!
Starion