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Bloated, difficulty breathing, yawning

HELP!!! I feel like we are going round and round in circles!!!

This post is related to my 26yr old boyf, ex smoker of 3 years, generally fit and healthy, not a big drinker. He has eczema and hay fever (rated '17' on allergy test for pollen allergens).

Symptoms

He complains of not being able to take a good breath of air (like someone is holding him tight and he cant inhale)
He yawns a lot (im guessing its due to lack of oxygen in his blood which triggers a yawn)
He complains of being bloated in his stomach
He is lethargic (again, i am guessing this is due to him shallow breathing)

Investigations to date

Many many bloods test (dont know what these were, just all came back okay)
H Pylori - negative
Peak Flow - Normal
Inhaler for asthma made symptoms worse (???)
Spirometry - appt to see GP to discuss results.

He has been to GP about 8 times now, and we feel that we are just being fobbed off, in other words, they dont know what it is!!! ... can anyone suggest anything???? I have done lots of reading on the net and it all seems to point to anxiety, but i am pretty sure that his problems are not due to panic attacks........... HELP HELP HELP

Thanks

Jenny
3 Responses
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Avatar universal
I have had this problem since I was 20 (15 years now) I was overseas in Madagascar and I was extremely scared.  I could not get a satisfying breath until I yawned, and at times the yawning was very long and would wear me out.  I didn’t have the symptoms for years, but in the last few years have had it more regularly.  It seemed to get worse and worse.  I had tried many different things, I don’t have health problems, I have been in good shape nearly all my life.  I had childhood exercise induced asthma that is no longer a problem.  After talking with many Drs and many telling me it was stress, or asthma etc… I found a Dr who finally fixed me!    
Her veterinarian has the same problem and was good friends with her.  The Vet had many tests done and given lots of medicine, with LOTS of costs incurred.  I went to this vets Dr who recognized my symptoms and had me take a chest Xray.  What she noticed (that others have not) was tiny tiny dots on my lungs.  I don’t know all the technical terms and don’t pretend to have all the answers, but she did have the fix.  She said that what I have is a type of Viral infection!  It affects people like us and we get these dots on the alveoli that prevent the oxygen getting in our blood.  She first gave me a breathing treatment that barely helped (she wanted to increase the O2 levels first) and prescribed me a strong dose of steroids.   The name was Dexamethsone (1.5 mg dose pack) AND a steroid inhaler named Ventolin by GlaxoSmithKline.  

I am glad to say this worked!  Problem is that it isn’t a permanent fix.  Like any illness it may come back, but these meds worked for me.  I know how this horrible condition can affect your lives, I wanted to share with everyone how I got better. Please try this, if it works pass it on.  With help we can help everyone who battles this sickness.  

Scott  
  
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Avatar universal
t looks like a digestive problem. Even if H pylori was not present (not that tests are 100% sure) it could be acid reflux or gastritis or some othe rdigestive problem. More tests should be done in this direction.
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Avatar universal
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!
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