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Mysterious symptoms causing shortness of breath, body aches + dry/wet cough with mucus - asthma?

Argidiot profile image
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I'm a19 year old female with no previous history of any major illnesses except an episode of myocarditis last year which I've recovered from. I'm lactose intolerant. 163 cm, 51-52 kg.

Current illness/symptoms: 2 weeks ago I got really sick. I had the flu (and this years flu in my country made a lot of people sick and got them in intensive care apparently, also a lot of cases with swine flu). I couldn't do anything except lay in bed for 4-5 days and eat soup. I had fever at night and was extremely sweaty. I recovered but then some days after I noticed I was feeling out of breath again. I was feeling like something was stuck in my throat/chest. I had this symptoms in january as well when I catched a cold. I went to the ER because I was afraid it was inflammation of the heart muscle again (the symptoms are very alike). They ran all tests but couldn't find anything. So when these symptoms showed up this time, I went to my primary care doctor yesterday and told him about my symtoms and he listened to my lungs and hearts and said he didn't hear anything abnormal. He also took a blood test and ECG and ruled out anything was wrong with my heart or lungs. He also did a spirometer test and it came out normal.

TLDR current symptoms;

- Feel constantly out of breath

- When taking a deep breath it feels like the air doesn't reach the lungs the whole way down

-It feels like something is blocking my airways

- A couple of days ago there were a lot of mucus in my throat but I couldn't cough it up. It's less now

- Dry cough/wet cough with a rassling sound

A-  coldness in my throat, like someone has been putting ice on it

- Body aches everywhere! Mostly in muscles but also wrists, upper arms, ribs, just beneath the chest. It's temporary and goes away after a few minutes but never felt body aches on my whole body like I do now

- First night of these symptoms I had a pain breathing, but went away the day after

- The mucus is white clear, but today I've found 2-3 small dots of red in it, nothing major (what's that though?)

- No fever

- Only warm tea helps to ease the symptoms and "clear" the throat, or shower under warm water

Just a rerun from previous illnesses: last year I noticed how out of breath I was after catching a cold. It felt like breathing through a straw and like the air couldn't travel deep into my lungs because something was blocking it. At the same time I developed a heart muscle inflammation, unfortunately, which made my symptoms more severe. I was in and out of hospital for 2 weeks and they couldn't find anything wrong. Was sent home with anti histamine and cortisol. Also got an inhaler. Nothing of this helped. Came back one week later with chest pains and feeling pain while breathing and they suddenly found tropotinin T in my blood much over the limit and the ECG was abnormal. Confirmed myocarditis. Took three months to recover.

I recovered three months afterwards, and a month after that I catched a virus infection/cold again. I then felt the same symtoms again (although more mild) with feeling out of breath, like something was stuck in throat/chest etc. But it went away after one week and I was at the hospital but they confirmed it was only a chest cold so no myocarditis that time.

Please help me figure out what is wrong. I feel like the doctors have no idea. I'm a very healthy 19 year old, and these last 7 months have hit me hard with illness. First myocarditis and then breathing problems after every cold/infection. I did not use to get sick this easy so something is not right with my immune system. I was vaccinated against Hepatit B in may 2015 but was sick during that period and after that my health has slowly become worse.

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Argidiot
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ChrissieMons profile image
ChrissieMons

I'm afraid I'm not medically qualified but it doesn't look like asthma to me, esp if your lung function is good and inhalers didn't help. It looks more as if it is to do with your heart condition; in this case you need to see a specialist.  When you get there, be sure to have written down all your symptoms and questions and insist on further tests so you can be well again. Don't give up - there will be an answer for you, but getting it may take some time and persistence.  Go on keeping a diary of your symptoms in the meantime.  Best of luck!

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