Strange, metallic smoulder. What might be causing it?

[Bnar]

I have this... Sensation in my lungs, and around my chest. It has been there for a while, but it is hard to describe because it is unlike anything I have ever felt or heard about.

It smoulders like a shot of strong alcohol, or when you push yourself to run for too long. It is uncomfortable, not painful.

It sits behind the solar plexus, and when I inhale deeply or exhale fully it radiates up, behind the sternum, and across the upper chest like a gradient. It makes the air I breathe feel... Light, like there is something filtering my oxygen; giving off a metallic sensation.

I do not smoke, nor keep myself in environments with air pollutants. I do not suspect GERD since it is constant, eating or lying down does not make it worse, there is no foul taste in my mouth, there is no sore throat, and there is no regurgitation of food, for example.

I do not have a cough, there is no wheezing, or obstruction of my airways (at least to my knowledge), my blood-work levels were within the normal range, and the CRP showed no sign of bacterial infection. The only thing I have had, on a few occasions, is exercise-induced asthma, and that was during hyper-intense HIIT training.

However, as a type 1 diabetic, I am more exposed to illnesses and infections due to the elevated levels of sugar in my body. So if it is viral, or fungal, it might not have shown up on the tests.

(The sensation somewhat mimics what high blood glucose levels feel like; a fruity breath, stiffness, and dehydration. But my glucose levels are fine, and my hb1ac has been stable at 6.3-6.7 for the past ten years.)

All that, combined with lethargy, fever-like symptoms, stiffness of joints, and a lasting malaise, makes me sure that something is not as it should be. I have taken this up with my GP a few times, but I do not feel like I can explain the symptoms well enough to be taken seriously.

Does anyone have a clue what it might be? Is it a cause, or an effect? How can I talk to my doctor about this? Should I ask for a bronchoscopy, or something else?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[2greys]

After a long time, it appears that someone else has this strange experience. I likened it to being a dragon who's fire had gone out and could only belch out hot cinders instead. So you are not alone with this. I have found, that with time, the experience either subsides or you get used to it, unless of course you consciously think about it. I have severe emphysema (COPD) and experienced this 3 years ago when first diagnosed for the first year.

[Bnar in reply to 2greys]

Appreciate your reply. Being diabetic, I'm already hyper-aware of how my body feels; so it probably does not help that I'm consciously thinking about it, no. There aren't any other lung issues for me (no coughing, shortness of breath, or wheezing, for example) so it is difficult to pinpoint what the cause might be. Hell, it might be anxiety. But, with the other symptoms described, I doubt it; I guess I need to rule things out.