Shortness of breath

[bobbi41]

Hello, I am 15 years old and around November 15th I got a cold that was going around school. Not too many people got it but the ones who did are still suffering. It began like a normal cold, runny nose, sore throat, coughing up phlem. But by the 3rd day (November 18th) I started noticing this tight sensation in my throat. When I felt my throat, it was only an inch big and was as thin as a straw. It scared me, but I just ignored it and figured it would go away. The next morning, I woke up to find that it didn't get any better. When I layed down to go to sleep that night, I began to panic and thought I was dying. My mom took me to the ER and when they tested my oxygen levels, it was 102%! I felt weak and dizzy and thought I was going to pass out, but they told me to wait in the waiting room. 4 hours later, they finally got me back into a room. They swabbed my throat, took my blood and sent me back for chest X-Rays. All came back normal. They put me on this cough medicine called Tessalon Perls and after about 4 days, I began to feel better. I went on with my normal life. But about a week later, I began to have the same tight throat sensation. I went to my family doctor and she gave me Clariton, thinking it was allergies. It didn't help. So, right before Christmas, I went to the local MedExpress and they said I had strep throat and gave me my first antibiotic (not in my life, with this virus). It helped for a little while, but as soon as I got off of it, my semptoms came back. By now, I had developed a few new semptoms. I now have this fluttering/vibration felling in my lungs and I am having a lot of chest pain and pressure. I went back to my family doctor and she perscribed me a Z-Pack and an inhaler. That was the best I had felt in 2 months! But the Z-Pack only lasted for 5 days, so it wasn't long until I was back to feeling bad. My sister was feeling my back one day after I had been complaining of pain and she said something felt out of place, so i went to the chiropractor. After getting my back and neck realined, the preasure went away! My family doctor scheduled me another chest x-ray and a pulmanary function test. After inhaling the breathing treatment, I felt a little better. But the results came back normal! My family doctor set up an appointment for me at a lung specialists office, but I had to get another pft. When I finally went to see him, he taught me diaframic breathing(which helped for a while) and said he would see me in two weeks. When I went back, he said my lungs and throat are perfectly fine, and that he would see me in a month. SInce seeing him, the back of my throat has become swollen and has big blisters on the back of it. I have been gargling salt water and it seem to reduce the swelling and the pain. My throat hasn't really been tight like it was for about a month, but my lungs feel heavy and it is hard to breathe. I have a rib that tends to move under my other ribs, and it hurts me sometimes. Could this have something to do with my problems? Does anyone have these problems too? Could it be anxiety?Please get back at me? :)

[nickbunyun]

any updates?

[bobbi41]

Well I haven't been in my room for about 5 days now, and I am feeling quite better! :D
We have set plants in my room and opened up all of the windows to help obsorb the chemicals from my carpet! I also looked up the syptoms of an allergy to the formaldehyde found in carpet and the short term effects are flu like symptoms, and the long term effects are shortness of breath, chest pains or tightness, cough and weezing!! It all fits! I sure hope this is it because I want to get better before allergy season starts back up!! :)
-Bobbi

[RubyWitch]

It's entirely possible the new carpet is the culprit. It's pretty "coincedental" that many of your problems began the same time the new carpet was layed.
I think your mom is spot on about taking you to an allergist. It just makes so much sense. I'm also glad you'll be seeing a lung specialist because the difficulty breathing is worrisome. This will sound strange, but I hope it IS allergies related to that rug. Get rid of that and you'll be feeling like your old self soon.
Keep writing, OK? Let us know what you find out.
Hang in there, Toots.........there is an answer.
Peace
Greenlydia

[bobbi41]

Thanks for replying! I go back to my lung doctor on March 14, but my mom says if I'm still having problems by then, she's going to take me to an allergist to see if it could just be my allergies. Another thing that we have noticed is that at the begining of November we laid new carpet in my room and I sleep on a matress on the floor. Could me inhaling the fermaldahyde and the glue effect my resperatory system?? Also, the carpet sheds really bad, so I could be breathing in those particles as well. Please reply back :)
Bobbi

[RubyWitch]

You have seen a great many doctors and specialists for an incredible arrary of health issues but they have apparently not found any significant problems, yet your symptoms not only persist, some are getting worse and you continue to develope new ones.

Since nothing any of THESE practicioners has done has helped, I would suggest talking with your parents about getting a second opinion. If you are, indeed, finding it difficult to breath, then this condition needs to be addressed ASAP.

When you wrote, and I quote:
"My mom took me to the ER and when they tested my oxygen levels, it was 102%! I felt weak and dizzy and thought I was going to pass out....."

When they tested your oxygen levels, did they put a small clip-like object on one of your fingers? That is how we test blood oxygen levels at my hospital, also known as "SATS." (Which stands for saturation levels of oxygen in the blood)
100% is the highest this level can ever go. If you were "sating" at 100%, that is excellent. That is the very best and highest level anyone can reach.

But perhaps you are talking about some other test for oxygen levels that a Respiratory Therapist would conduct. Maybe they were testing the amount of oxygen currently in your lungs. I am not familiar with every single test that can be performed in the ER. I was just hoping to reassure you that a level of BLOOD oxygen of 100% is a very good thing.

Your last question was "could it be anxiety?" Yes, it could. But I would still urge you to get a second opinion before accepting a diagnosis of anxiety. If a second group of doctors and specialists rule out any medical cause for your problems, then it would be time to think about consulting a therapist regarding health anxiety.

Discuss this with your parents..........whether it's physical or mental, you need help.
Peace
Greenlydia