Hello everyone
I get very bloated sometimes and it affects my breathing and makes the area around my ribs feel very tight. . Does anyone else suffer with this? I do suffer from shortness of breath sometimes and heavy breathing but so much worse when bloated. Is this normal? I’m having tests on my heart and if they’re ok they will look at COPD as I’m an ex smoker. Thanks
I get this a lot. I find massaging just below the rib cage helps. Also resting belly first on a pillow can help relax it. I had a respiratory physio said to press fingers up under the rib cage to relax the diaphragm. I hope this helps.
Yes all the time this is very recent for me and I have constant pain in my back and chest when I breathe aswell x hope your ok I know how painful that can be.
Sorry to read that, not nice for you. Mine isn’t that bad luckily
It's awfull feeling bloated and it can make you short off breath it's uncomfortable I have copd and mine is caused through probly inhalers I can go weeks then it happens bloating short breath tightness in chest and also across from shoulders it's not nice I hope you find some relief take care
Hi there, I have a few illnesses to go along with my asthma now. I noticed that as my kidney function got lower I was encouraged to drink lots. When I did this, I found that I felt like I was going to burst out my skin from feeling so bloated. So uncomfortable and when i tried to do dishes or go out to feed the birds, i couldnt take anything but shallow breaths. It was always in the evening.
I read that if you have any bowel disorders, I have irritable bowel, you can get swelling in your bowel which can push on your diaphragm, the muscular band that separates your intestines,liver and the other organs from your chest cavity.
Meaning that the diaphragm cant move as well as usual to allow your 🫁 lungs to expand as much as they need to. So you feel short of breath.
It made sense to me. I found that I have to really watch what I eat and not to eat or drink too much.
When I felt really bloated, the best thing to do was to sit or lie very still for an hour or so till the bloating subsides. I would spend the time being calm and going over what I have eaten or drank recently.
If I tried to push through the discomfort I felt like I was slowly suffocating.. straining sooo hard to get enough air into my body.
It's a pretty awful feeling. I found that dairy, eggs, some beans and vegetables had to be avoided.
I am only saying what works for me though. I was a nurse for over 20 years, plus, Google search and I are very close!😁.
I only take information from reputable sites.
I hope that this helps a little. Its best to talk to your dr first though, your bloating could be caused by something totally different to mine.
I seem to be managing my diet and rest a bit better now. I did tell the doctors a few times. They didn't say anything but my acid reflux med was increased from once to twice a day.
That probably helped too.
But see your dr.
Take care Ann Marie🤗
I do have mild diverticulosis which causes constipation sometimes and when this happens my breathing is far worse and my stomach looks huge. I also have a lactose intolerance which also causes bad bloating. I wasn’t sure if breathing problems were normal when I’m bloated but I can see by all the replies it’s common! And what you said made sense, thank you. Like you I also have to avoid some vegetables and beans.
You hit the nail right on the head. After the dog attack my breathing has gone haywire (still). I have to keep taking my bra off because of my rib pain, bloated, very out of breath, headache, nausea. But according to my doctor everything sounds fine. Now and again I cough something small up and spit down the sink but it's clear. I give up to be honest with you. Wondering if the doctor can tell just from listening it's not pneumonia? With normal copd it is normal to bloat so I've been told. 😉
I have to take my bra off as well! Don’t get headaches or nausea thankfully. I think mine in linked more to my diet so I’m going to have to be more careful and see how I feel. Didn’t know copd can cause bloating.
Yes, they advise small meals more often. Sod that for a game of soldiers, nothing will stop me having a big madras. Gave up smoking what more do they want 🤣🤣🤣
I love a curry! Just can’t eat as much as I used to but it’s always good having leftovers for the next day. Mines a Chicken Dansak 😋 no more smoking for me either x
yep get this as well, the muscles under and between the ribs feel like there squeezing and the diaphragm won’t release when I try to exhale .I don’t think enough attention is paid to the muscles in respiratory they seem to be half the problem for me. It appears lots of us have same issue maybe it’s the inhalers. Muscle relaxers make a big difference to my breathing.
Yes I think muscles can cause problems as well. I do try to breath normally but I can feel my muscles are tight in my stomach and diaphragm area which I think affects my breathing.
Hi there Yoga2011.I had the same bloated feeling for about 3 months. Too bloated to eat and move about, some times I could not climb the stairs as it was too uncomfortable. The thing that changed for me was when i decided to stop using the Ensure drinks that I was taking at the time.
Within 24 hours of stopping the bloated feeling and the pain had gone and I was back to eating 3 meals a day, and finally putting weight back on. It seemed something in the Ensure drink was triggering something in my stomach. Needless to say I no longer use these drinks and cannot remember the last time I felt bloated .
Glad you were able to find the cause of your problem and sorted it 👍
Hi Yoga, I have Bronchiectasis not COPD but get a lot of bloating after eating. I also get pains under my ribs but these are worse for me first thing in the morning and on moving about during the day. I use a heat pad (or hot water bottle) under my ribs and give myself a gentle massage with that (on my stomach side). That, for me anyway, is very comforting. I hope you get some relief 🤞🙂xxxx
Nula2 I don’t get pain but maybe a hot water bottle will help my stomach feel a bit better. Thanks x
If your COPD is not being controlled properly the lungs become inflamed this brings pressure.It can affect your digestive system making for pressure on the diaphragm and finding difficulty in keeping food down during a meal…according to my GP a while ago
it could be too much dairy products . I went on lacto free milk/ products and it seemed to help. Worth a try ?
Also bicuspan for ibs sometimes helps . Stomach gases are renowned to bring on breathlessness . So worth noting and getting any tummy issues or reflux issues addressed? Just a thought Christi x
I do have lacto free milk as I’m intolerant to lactose although it’s hard not having some lactose in food but I try. I’ve been very gassy the past week and been taking wind relief capsules but I think it’s because I’m constipated and that causes gas and bloating which has affected my breathing. Trying senokot tonight! No reflux. Thanks x
Dysfunctional breathing.
Quite worried there's something seriously wrong.
Recovering from Pneumonia 
peak flow is okay but struggling to breathe 
Long Covid & Pleurisy 
