Can't breathe, what's wrong with me?

[Markie9788]

Hi,

Another day of suffering today so thought I would ask if everyone else has the same thing.

In short I can't breath, I used to smoke but my chest have gone so bad that I can't even imagine having a cigarette, so I quit not because I wanted to I still want a cigarette really badly but I feel like there is no way I would survive it. (I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just explaining how it feels) this is very day and all day I kind of learned to live with it now, but every so often I get so bad I am up all night trying to catchy breath, keep yawning etc. I would then catch it and get a relief but a few seconds later it starts all over again and I usually fall asleep 7 or 8 am from complete exhaustion. Once I'm asleep it doesn't wake me up. It used to go away if I went out and had a few drinks. I would be able to smoke and breathe completely normally after just a couple of drinks, but the next day it would be so much worse. I was in the hospital at the beginning of the year and they did CT scan and x-ray of my chest as It was so bad I was begging the doctors to put me on Coma because I was confident I was gonna stop breathing. My oxygen level was good, CT and x-ray came back clear. My breathing and general feeling was so bad when when I came out.of.hospital 2 months ago I completely stopped drinking alcohol, stopped smoking, eat healthy, excersizing and basically completely changed my lifestyle. But this breathing thing is still there and still as bad. Along with that I also get bad pressure in my head. That usually happens when I'm outside, when I'm in bed its not there, but I get a lot of crackling in my head.

I don't have any mood problems or bad thoughts. The only two problems I have is the head pressure which is making me feel dizzy and stopping me doing normal things in life like going to the shop and not.feel like I'm gonna pass out and this breathing thing that is always there and gets super bad at night, stopping me sleeping and is super scary and annoying.

I had CT scan and x-ray of my chest and full blood test and all came back fine. I don't know what to do, but I'm so disappointed that even with complete change in my lifestyle nothing is getting better.

Anyone has the same? Sorry for the long post

[Badbessie]

Well done for giving up smoking. Many in this group will tell you that once you have stopped smoking it takes time for your body to adjust. I felt worse for about 6 months after. Smoking can stop the Cillia working in the lungs and when they start working again it can give you a constant cough and it can make your chest feel tight like you cannot breath right. You have made many lifestyle changes very quickly. Unfortunately your body will not adjust to those changes at the same speed. In my case it was six to twelve months months before I felt the true benefits. Obviously any breathing problems can cause anxiety from my own experience I know I was very anxious at times. Your doctor's seem to have ruled out physical causes. I had a hard time accepting that some of my symptoms were due to anxiety but once physical causes are ruled out then common sense dictates that anxiety could be the cause. Personally I would go back to your doctor and ask if anxiety could be playing a role in your symptoms and go from there. There are thing you can do to help the situation.

[knitter]

I can sympathise , my O2 levels can be OK but I still struggle to breathe .

What inhalers have you been given , sometimes it takes a bit of time to find the right ones . Some suit me more than others.

Do you sleep propped up with a few pillows, that helps me .

Has your breathing pattern been observed by a health professional .....which part of your chest you are using, how fast your breathe , how many breaths a minute , mouth or nose breathing . What happens when you talk, when you have anxious thoughts to your breathing pattern . My friend was observed like this, and the gp noticed when she spoke about certain problems her breathing rate increased .

Easy to get into a cycle of breathlessness, anxiety , breathlessness . Your body will be adjusting to life changes too.

I would contact your GP again , ask for help with the anxiety , ask about breathing pattern monitoring, ask about medication. Tell them about your sleep problems . Perhaps write down before you ring . They can hear how you breathe and talk , wheeze etc over the phone at first .

Meanwhile , try and gentle nose breathe with a relaxed chest as much as you can , relaxed belly .

Have you tried pursed lip breathing ....it helps with some people . Breathe in gently through your nose , then gently out through your mouth with pursed lips for a slightly longer time . Repeat a couple of times .

Try putting one hand on your upper chest, one on your belly....breathe gently , through your nose .....the lower hand should move out more than your upper hand when you gently breathe in .

Try five finger breaths ....hold out your hand , run opposite hand finger slowly up and down your fingers, coordinated with your breath .......check it out on you tube with Jud Brewer.

Over breathing can make me feel dizzy sometimes , gentle gentle breaths help . Yawning and sighing may be a sign of over breathing , but I guess you are tired as well.

But I would ring for professional help from your gp , and the BLF have a website and a helpline for UK residents open during the working week, on 03000 030 555.

Have you checked out the smoking websites too ?

Best wishes .

[Marlsboy]

I would ask for other health checks. I was much the same and mine turned out to be heart failure due to Atril Fibrillation. It had been neglected for so long as the problem just kept getting blamed on COPD that I am now having to have surgical procedures to hopefully correct it. We seem to get the label COPD and thereafter everything is automatically put down to it. Worth asking for checks on other organs.

[Hidden]

If your CT scan and chest xray came back fine you are unlikely to have any lung issue, (you may want to ask for a copy of your CT scan report for further understanding and to establish your lungs are ok for your own peace of mind)

Answers to your query you may receive here, may not relate to you at all, as replies here will be coming from people who have been diagnosed with a lung issue (many diagnosed through CT Scan which is very precise in identifying the lung damage) so the info won't be the same as you.

For breathing issues I can only suggest from a non medical professional viewpoint,

1) you ask your doctor to check through spirometry and peak flow for asthma

2) check for other health related issues that result in breathing problems.;

Heart, anxiety, being overweight and many more - a list here:

nhsinform.scot/illnesses-an...

You need to continue discussing your current symptoms with your GP.

Hope you find the cause of your symptoms and the appropriate treatment to help.

Congratulations on stopping smoking, be proud of that achievement, a great step forward in taking good care of yourself.

Best wishes BK

[Snackjack]

I also have breathing problems like many of us on this site, whilst I have had my upper right lobe removed due to cancer and I have emphasima after lots of tests my breathing problems are due to my ischaemic heart disease with LV impairment, so whilst we may think that breathing problems relate to our lungs there can be other causes. Perhaps go back to your GP and ask for further investigations as to what is causing your breathing problems. Best wishes xx

[Ergendl]

Do ask your lung doctor or nurse to refer you to Pulmonary Rehab when it starts back. I was often breathless through overbreathing, and the course helped me identify and control that as well as improving my general fitness.

[Kristicats]

Do you suffer from Stomach acid / heartburn ulcer etc?

[Markie9788]

Hi all, thank you so much for your responses. I have been diagnosed with Anxiety and have been working n medication for many years and now I don't have anything apart from those two physical symptoms. The breathing thing and the head pressure and dizziness. Emotionally I am happy, I feel motivated and ready to keep getting healthier , but those two things Are stopping me as sometimes I don't sleep till the next day as and I can't go anywhere because of the head and dizziness. Its really difficult to believe this is all part of the anxiety as it's such a physical symptom.

I actually had a heart scan too and that came back clear and also was tested for asthma (breathing into the tube and in the closed box) not sure what it's called.