Breathless

[jivemonkey1]

Hi guys

Casting a wide net and exploring a few avenues as trying to work out what's wrong as its driving me nuts.

Since 2015 I get periods of breathlessness. It was bad in part of 2017 then nothing at all in 2018. Since early Jan this year following a cold and lots of work stress I am breathless again, same feelings as before. Not sleeping. Lying flat seems to make it worse. I yawn a lot when feeling short of breath. It comes and goes throughout the day and it there roughly half the day.

The weird thing is that I can do aerobic excercise fine. Regularly swim cycle or cross train. Cycling off road up and down hills for 10 miles..no problem, I am fairly fit. If anything exercise makes me feel better when doing it and for a while after. I can however then get breathless lying on the sofa that evening and the breathlessness has been on off since Jan and we are now late March.

I had spriometry ecg echocardio and bloods when I had this in 2016..same symptoms and feelings and they found nothing wrong.

Since my cold in early Jan one nostril or the other has been constantly blocked and my nose is snotty and sometimes feels like it's running into the back of my throat so I often spit white sputum. Saw an ear nose thirst specialist and was told have deviated septum and ome nasal inflammation .. but not enough that it needs an operation

I will admit to being terrified this is copd. Mainly because of the lying down thing seeming to be a symptom I have googled (God i wish I never started googling health issues!!l...but then I don't understand why my exercising is fine and spiro was fine. Any thoughts appreciated.

[jivemonkey1]

Forgot to mention I saw the gp last week who listened to my chest a lot said it was fine and then gave me a steroid nasal spray and said I was anxious and chest xray spiro a tests b done before all fine with same symptoms so must be general anxiety.

[hypercat54]

Well if you had copd (which you don't coz the spirometry would have picked it up) there are many more symptoms than what you have described. Also it is generally but not always diagnosed after the age of 40 and usually after decades of smoking. I don't know how old you are or whether you are a smoker?

It could possibly be sinus problems - have you been tested for that too? These are common symptoms of anxiety though so why not join one of the anxiety sites on here and put this question in there as well? x

[HungryHufflepuff]

Hello! I can't give you any answers but as far as lying flat goes, it makes a lot of things worse. Personally I cannot lay flat at all and in fact sleep pretty much sitting upright. Experiencing breathing difficulties when you're lying flat could be indicative of any respiratory problem, not necessarily COPD. It might simply be that you breathe more easily sitting up. A while ago someone here explained why a person who struggles with simple tasks like showering or housework can go out and walk without getting breathless, which I think was to do with the lungs not being constricted. And anxiety does do terrible things to your breathing! It can manifest itself in horrible physical ways. Telling you to not worry would be pointless. It's not as if we worry deliberately! But, please try to worry less. A lot of people here have problems with lying flat but don't necessarily have COPD. You can find all kinds of things on Google but it doesn't necessarily mean it's correct.

[knitter]

Hi, I am just reading a book about anxiety, breathlessness and disordered breathing pattern , where people can over breathe at times.

Yawning and sighing are part of the pattern. It feels if you can't get enough air.

It recommended, practicing gentle nose breathing with good straight posture. Do you nose breathe when you are exercising....or through your mouth?

A GP monitored my friends breathing pattern when her chest was tightening , and noticed when she was stressed her breath pattern changed to faster upper chest breathing , rather than relaxed gentle nose breaths.

Have you tried relaxation and meditation as well as gentle breathing ?

[Hidden in reply to knitter]

Hope you don't mind me asking Hun, what's the book called ,would love to read it, as I think I am suffering with anxiety at the moment, I am end stage COPD ,on oxygen, but I'm having some "strange" experiences lately that are very scarry !!! Thank you xx

[Hacienda in reply to Hidden]

Same her Hun, will read anything to help with Breathing. Like you stage 4, valves not working as well. needing more 02 now. Stay Well as you can Hun. Love n Hugs xxxx

[jackdup in reply to Hacienda]

Really sorry to hear your valves are not working as well anymore. I suppose there is nothing they can do about that? Do they know why, or is it just that is the way it is?

[Hacienda in reply to jackdup]

Hi Hun, Waiting for CT Scan, to retrieve them , clean and re insert them, hopefully, will start Breathing better again. Fingers crossed. Xxx

[jackdup in reply to Hacienda]

Yes I pray that procedure will at least get you back to where you were shortly after they were initially put in.

[Hacienda in reply to jackdup]

Thank you Hun for your Concern. I am sure I will be back to being Better very soon. xxxx

[Phoenix713]

I experience this quite often (with laying down being much worse) and have had all sorts of tests from wearing a heart monitor, to having an echocardiogram to many breathing tests. When everything came back perfect my doctors came to the conclusion that it's my constant state of being very stressed that's causing my body these physical symptoms. Never has it made the symptoms any less alarming though. Hopefully you can find some peace with it

[jivemonkey1]

Thanks for your replies. In answer I was a heavy smoker 19 to 32. Stopped 11 years ago.

My wife comments i pause eating to breath through my mouth and when speaking at times.

When exercising I mouth breath mostly. I can swim the crawl on two/three breaths a 25 metre pool..but same day going to meet friends in a restaurant I am breathless walking slowly to meet them on the flat! Feeling pretty freaked by it all!

[Shaurene]

Hi Jivemonk

Sounds like you could have a bronchitis problem, like Cronic Broncitis. If I were you stop the steroids the doc gave you. They will do you more damage than anything. Sorry any docs reading this, stating it from experience. And you Docs know how bad steroids are.

You don't sound like you have a real concerning rob. Go on as you are. If you had a problem you would not be able to do the things you have been doing Mate.

[Trisha1960]

Silly as it may seem,do you wear glasses ,I find sometime mine slide down a bit and must pinch a bit, also when lying down you may be dropping your chin down thus obstructing you air flow

[jivemonkey1]

Thanks for replies...doc sending me for allergy tests as have one side or the other of nose continually blocked and ent said septum deviated but not so much that he thinks it needs an op

[Johnem]

It is worth being checked out for Asthma if this has not been done specifically. I have both COPD and Asthma and the Asthma started in a similar way to your description when I was 40 years old.

I hope it is neither, but get it checked to be sure.

[Yatzy in reply to Johnem]

You’re right, Johnem. All the symptoms could be late onset asthma....happened to me too.