Lung Problems with No Cough

[mkraquelalv]

Hi,
I am a 21 r old female smoker. I smoke almost 1-1.5 packs of cigarettes a day. Earlier this week out of the blue I experienced something that felt like heart palpitations and shortness of breath. I went to the doctor and in the waiting area it continued about every five minutes or so for some time. I explained to the doctor about my shortness of breath, my tight chest, the heart palpitations and the sharp pain i get in the left side of my chest and a sharp pain mirrored in my back. Sometimes I can feel two sharp pains in my back and my chest at the same time. Sometimes the pain will be in my shoulder. The pain is could deal with, the most uncomfortable part is the trouble breathing. The breathing trouble causes many problems for me. Sometimes I will give myself an anxiety attack when my breathing gets really short and I freak out for atleast 5 minutes. Sometimes the sudden rush of palpitations and shortness of breath is completely random and was not triggered by any thought of mine at all. Most of the time even as I am sitting here it feels like my lungs are deflated and it is a very uncomfortable feeling. When I breathe it does not feel like the breath travels all the way down to lungs. This has never been normal for me and I do not wish for it to be the norm. Not only do I get these random attacks but I have a lingering sunken in feeling in my chest accompanied by pain. It is a feeling that can only be describe as if my lungs were balloons and someone stuck a needle in each and I have to sit here and feel them deflating 24/7. It feels almost as if they are crushed or crushing. This is constant and no amount of anything has alleviated this.
The first doctor told me I needed to wear a sports bra. I could have choked him with his tie. The second doctor on the other hand diagnosed me with Costochondritis, which I call "Attentionitis" because I think he considered me a hypochondriac and just wanted to diagnose me with something so I could leave. He said I could take over the counter medicine for pain but what the heck do I do about the feeling that my lungs are completely deflated? I fear I have COPD or I am feeling the onset of Asthma. I need a 3rd opinion because I just don't feel safe anymore. Can someone please give me a logical explanation of whats going on?

[345543]

I think your condition might be caused by a bacterial infection. Try doing some chest x rays or scans. Or have a sputum/ mucous culture done to check for bacterial or viral infections. If they are negative, then your smoking might be the cause, most especially if you have allergies. If you can't get a scan or x ray done, and no doctor is willing to listen to you, then just buy an antibiotic that works for bronchitis and take it.

[mkraquelalv]

Also I was diagnosed with a sinus infection in early October but all of those horrible symptoms have since then passed. Could my problem now be a result of my sinus infection?