I am twenty years of age. For as long as I can remember, I have always hated exercising. This is because I have always struggled to breathe properly, when exercising. As a young child, I quickly grew to despise going on family walks, because of this. It was suspected I could have asthma at about the age of seven, but this was quickly forgotten about and dismissed by my GP at the time.
When I was 12 years old, I started Secondary school. Walking up the stairs with my school bag on my back, would make me nearly pass out. I greatly struggled with walking from class to class. Teachers would snap at me for breathing so heavy when walking to class, They thought I was pretending to breathe so heavy. This would in turn, cause other pupils to laugh. In conclusion, walking around my school was hell on earth because of my breathlessness. Even now, I only realise just how loud my breathing is, when others point it out.
During PE class I would cringe. As I just accepted my breathlessness, I did participate. I had no proper medical diagnosis to let me opt out. Any time when I had to run I would nearly pass out. I would always be the last to finish the course and people would laugh. I apologised if this is too tmi, but I would nearly choke on my own mucus. One time, when I was 13, this mucus in my throat after my embarrassing attempt at the run was so bad that I was still terribly caught up when I came home from school. My dad, a diagnosed asthmatic, gave me a puff or two of his blue inhaler, in an attempt to help. It did help a little bit. I still had a terrible dry pain in my chest, however.
It wasn’t until I was 15 when I had another bad experience with breathlessness. I was in the shower one morning and I got a really tight sensation in my chest. My chest really hurt and I struggled to breath. I thought I was going to pass out. I basically had to drag myself out of the shower and lie down. My dad took me to a GP and he listened to my chest. Straight away he said I had asthma. He prescribed me with a blue inhaler and sent me on my way.
The asthma medication did not do anything for me. I attended an appointment with an asthma nurse a couple of weeks after my asthma diagnosis. A couple of tests were carried out involving me having to breath in a tube. I also had my peak flow carried out. As my results were well above average for my age, height and race etc. I was not given any stronger medication.
At the age of 16, I went to a doctor at my health centre, She specialised in asthma. I explained to her that I couldn’t even walk down the hall without feeling like I was going to pass out. She did my peak flow again and increased my dosage of medicine a little bit. She said my peak flow was still above average for my age. I ended up going back to this same GP a year later. I again emphasised how my breathing still had not improved and she put me on montelukulast tablets and different inhalers. These also did not work.
My mental health was badly affected at the age of 16. I had my GCSEs that I couldn’t cope with and various undiagnosed mental illnesses. I also experienced severe bullying at school: all of which caused me to put my health on hold.
I didn’t see the use of speaking with any GP/asthma nurse. I felt that they thought I was exaggerating about my asthma. I couldn’t comprehend how those with severe asthma (with occasional hospital stays) were able to take two puffs of their inhaler and then jog for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, walking up the stairs or showering made me feel dizzy and completely breathless.
I planned to sort out my breathing problems once and for all, when I finished sixth form. As well all know, Covid then came into play and GPs and respiratory specialists were spread extremely thin in terms of dealing with breathing complications. I decided to delay getting my breathing checked until January 2021.
As a young child, I quickly piled on weight. My parents believed I was being lazy, because I despised any physical activity SO MUCH. I too, believed this. In reality, I’ve just never been able to breathe with ease. I’ve always felt nearly..winded, if you get what I mean. I feel like I can’t get air properly into my body. Over the years, I have become more conscious about what I eat. I am now at a healthy BMI and have been like this for quite a few years. I wanted to exercise to the Joe Wicks videos on YouTube during Covid. I lasted about 20 seconds (seriously...) before giving up and having to try something less fast paced. A 15 minute HIIT workout with built-in breaks would take me about 1hr and a half to complete. This is because I had to take so many breaks. I have to put my fan on full blast when exercising and drink lots of cold water to cool down. I also have large amounts of mucus which I nearly choke on, when exercising. I feel dizzy and lightheaded. I would use inhalers well over 200 times when I would exercise (which I now know is extremely dangerous...). Again, the inhalers would do nothing.
My inability to do HIIT exercises during Covid meant I tied tai chi on YouTube. This was very gentle tai chi (6mins in length.) This was still too much to keep up with. I just want to be able to exercise like everyone else. I have a family wedding coming up. Everyone is toning up for this, by going to the gym. This unfortunately won’t be an option for me. I’ve tried going to the gym before Covid, for a couple of months. It was too mentally and physically draining with my breathing.
After Christmas, I reached out to my health centre. After a couple of weeks of contact, a pharmacist was put in touch, for phone consultations. He wanted to hear all about my symptoms. For about four months, he tried me on a range of different inhalers/acid reflux medications. Unfortunately, none of these helped. He then told me that he really doesn’t know if I do have asthma anymore. I was surprised by this, but just glad that someone was listening to me. I told him about my symptoms:
- Extreme breathlessness. Can’t tie my shoes or get dressed. Brushing my hair is even too much. If I’m watching tv in the evening and drop the remote on the ground, picking it up makes me dizzy and breathless.
-I have to sleep downstairs which is a little bit cooler from the upstairs of my house. I sleep with a fan on full blast, even in the winter when it is snowing outside. Otherwise I sweat like nothing normal. My house is not terribly warm, in general.
- I get dizzy when standing up. This is accompanied by my difficulty breathing. I have started to faint a lot more recently. This is something that never happened to me often.
- I always cough when I eat or drink anything.
-I always have mucus in the back of my throat.
Not sure if this is relevant but:
- I always look very bloated.
- I have always had swollen neck glands.
- I always have to go to the bathroom. Especially at night. Even if I do not drink much.
-I had low iron but this has been treated.
-I have EXTREME fatigue. I basically live to sleep. I try to have a structured routine but I am always so exhausted and can’t follow it through.
I didn’t hear back from the pharmacist for a couple of months. He put me on a four day trial of prednisone and this helped a little bit. Emphasis on a little bit. I felt that although this helped my breathing slightly, the medication didn’t go ALL THE WAY DOWN into my chest. This was the last I heard from the pharmacist for quite a few weeks.
Two months ago, I was staying with my grandmother, at her house. I had forgotten five days of my montelukulast (asthma) tablets at home. I am supposed to take one at night. However, as they have never worked for me anyway and I forgot them at home , I thought it would be okay to not take them. The second night of not taking my medication, I woke up at about 4am. I had an extreme pain in my chest. I have never felt pain like this in my life, I thought I was dying lol. Suddenly, I had lots of mucus in my throat, which I began to choke on. I don’t think I have ever had mucus quite so bad as this. I honestly felt like I needed to go to hospital. Only problem is my grandmother lives well into the countryside. I took two strong painkillers, but this did not help. I also took a lansoprazole of my sister’s (to try and help the heartburn pain). I have had heartburn only once before, but not quite like this. None of the medication worked. Later in the day, I was able to get some general medication for heartburn, but again this did nothing. The rest of the day when eating, I could feel every sip of water or food move down my throat, into my stomach. It felt terrible. I was kind of better the following day. This exact same thing happened two days later, however. Again, I have never felt pain quite like these two nights.
A few weeks after staying with my grandmother, I made an appointment with the pharmacist I had called before. I saw him last week, in person. He wanted me to bring my medications with me.
When I went into the room, the pharmacist tested my pulse and peak flow. He also took my oxygen (97). He then got me to take two puffs of my blue inhaler. As he knew how out of breath I got with minimal exertion, he got me to walk up and down a set of stairs for a total of five times. By the time I was done, he tested my pulse. He was surprised by how high it got. He knew that I had severe anxiety and was on sertraline so this may have been a contributor. He still thought my pulse was very strange, given it was such minimal exertion, Ten minutes after taking two puffs of the inhaler, I redid my peak flow. The pharmacist told me that if I did, in fact, have Asthma, my peak flow would increase with the use of the medication. There was no difference. This further contributed towards his belief that I am not an asthmatic.
I also told the pharmacist about what happened when I stayed with my grandmother. He believed that because the heart and lungs are so heavily connected, that stopping my asthma tablets impacted the rest of my breathing greatly.
The pharmacist asked me if I had any heart problems in my family. I explained that in my mother’s side, there has always been heart problems and teenage deaths. I explained that this was mostly years ago, when the heart wasn’t as understood as it is now. I told him my grandmother had rheumatic fever as a young girl, which resulted in a heart arrhythmia. The pharmacist found this interesting and has referred me for an ECG and Chest scan at the hospital. I have never had this done before. The pharmacist booked me in for another appointment (which took place this week). This time, my appointment would be with a new asthma nurse. He also told me to stop taking all of my asthma medication, but to withdraw slowly, over the next few days.
The asthma nurse worked in the respiratory unit of a hospital for 17 years, before being hired by the GP surgery and so is very qualified. When I spoke to her yesterday, she checked my blood pressure. She told me it was good. She also listened to my chest like the pharmacist. She too, picked up on no wheezing. I then told her that it is suspected I no longer have asthma and could possibly have heart problems instead? She brought up my asthma breathing test results from a few years back. The nurse believed that I could still potentially have mild asthma. That was, until, when looking at each individual result she was surprised. She said that the breathing results of my lungs were above average and that it wasn’t even worth further investigating the possibility of me having asthma. She told me that it was good I had stopped taking my asthma medication and that it would be best if I just continued waiting for my hospital referral that the pharmacist had made for me, last week.
Since withdrawing from my asthma medication, my symptoms have gotten worse. I have finally caved and gotten a stool to sit on, for the shower. I also try to avoid going upstairs if this can be avoided. I have noticed that when sitting down, the left part of my chest hurts. Sometimes this spreads to the rest of my chest. My heart also does somersaults quite often. I have a placement in a nursery school, starting in September. I honestly don’t know how I will be able to keep up with the young children there. I am sorry if this sounds like an exaggeration, but my breathlessness has always felt like such a disability for me. It continues to make me feel so limited and restricted in my everyday life.
Thank you for taking the time to read my very long “essay” lol. I could be waiting a while to get my ECG and chest scan because of the Covid backlog. In the meantime, any advice/information from those who have heart conditions or know people with conditions and can help, would be wonderful.😊😊
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daphneblake11
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Lol Na never rush me I would implode if I rush lol but drs told me stuff that simply is not true like I be dead soon not true am still ere but don’t believe everything that your told lol dr asked me if I had a drink problem lol 😂 I said no got lots in my shed
Don’t listen to kid I just get smashed to cope lol 😂
He thought I was serious lol I was it’s full cap Morgan lol 😂
Plus don’ worry sometimes we can woo that much it runs ya life believe me not worth it my motto is be good 😌 or be careful lol life’s for living hope everything turns out good for ya
Ps I live in a blur my way of coping with everything lol 😂 sorry
Just read bit more kid there’s lots different inhaler s out there and anxiety can seem like being suffocated I feel like am being suffocated every time I wake up but it anxiety 😟 and as for bully s send them to me 👊 hate them would gladly destroy them for ya as you can tell my mental health not good but I care about ppl and won’t take crap of anyone so chin up ok 👍
Wow stu, thank you so much. I greatly appreciate the brilliant advice you have given me. It will definitely be useful, moving forward.
You seem to be a very kind and generous individual. Thanks again for taking the time to reach out and respond to my “essay” lol. 😉😂I will be sure to take all of what you have said to me, on board. You do have more valuable life experience than me, after all!! And wow are you lucky.
I really like your motto! It definitely resonates with me. It’s very true. I will be sure to remember this.
It appears that you have been through so much in your own life, in relation to both your mental and physical health. You are extremely resilient and determined. I hope you continue to live the longest and healthiest life, possible!
Please know that if you ever need anyone to talk to stu, in relation to how you are feeling, please reach out and message me.
You have definitely given me a boost of positivity this evening!! 😊
Haha people think am a nutter lol 😂 am not I just stopped worrying and thought what can I do I only had defibrillator fitted stop my lads moaning at me lol 😂
Oh I was also sent to see dr shaw for heart transplant but told him flat out not for me that give it to someone who would look after it me am a wheak edd
Ya no ur young kid get better advice of professional ppl and at end my life lol 😂 at young age but I do the can can to bad manners lol 😂 of it lol 😂 not a sesable guy me lol 😝
I see watt ur saying but think you need better freind s to talk to friends who understand mental stuff my mates no my heads gone and love me still and for that am truly grateful ppl bum u off if u act strange but I tell ppl truth if don’t like it tell um jog on or else lol 😂
Hi there and welcome to the board. I can see from your post that you've had some significant problems for some time.its good you have kept a log of the things you have been experiencing.
Firstly to say we are not doctors here, just people with heart problems. Many of us are probably a bit older and got our heart problems in mid life.
Doctors and heart specialists are the only people who can tell you for sure what is happening with you.
There are many simple tests that can be done to check things out with your heart. One of these is an echocardiogram or echo. This is an ultrasound examination of your heart that checks it is the right shape and size and that the little valves inside are working fine. Another test is an electrocardiogram or ECG. which measures the electrical activity that causes the 4 parts of your heart to contract and expand as it pumps blood to your lungs and the rest of your body.
Based on what you said it would seem to me that you might benefit from an echo to check your heart structure and a cardiac stress test. This involves walking on a treadmill (exercise) while your heart is monitored using an ecg (wires connected to sticky pads on your chest). The test gradually increases your exercise and is designed to find out problems that can't be seen with a normal ecg taken while stationary. I would suggest you go to your GP and ask if you might be referred for these tests to give you peace of mind given that from your post you say you are on anti anxiety medicine. Both tests are non invasive and take just a few minutes. With the state of the NHS after covid it might take a while to get seen but at least afterwards you would be assured either that there wasn't a problem or that if something was found then you could get appropriate treatment. Good luck.
Hi firstlight, thanks so much for taking the time to read my long post and replying with such a detailed and helpful answer.
It's been very interesting to hear about the first-hand experiences of those with a variety of heart conditions. I didn't expect many people at all, to reply to my post. So many wonderful people, including yourself, have taken time out of their day to offer me some really great advice. I have accepted I could me waiting quite some time for my hospital referral and so, learning as much as possible about my symptoms and people who have similar experiences to me and have actual diagnosis, has been priceless.
While, I do hope that the ECG I get, will catch any issues with my heart that may be present, I can't help but completely agree with what you say about the echo and cardiac stress test-especially because I do get so out of breath, upon minimal exertion.
I like how you have suggested requesting to be referred for the other tests, by my GP. I think that this is most definitely the way forward, in order to get to the bottom of what is really going on.
Thanks again and I will be sure to keep you updated 😊😉
I suffer with asthma and heart problems, I have always found exercise hard, but just persevered. My heart problems (mitral and tricuspid damage) was only diagnosed when my asthma nurse was attempting to cure my breathlessness with various inhalers, this was after a dose of some virus or another. I had a lot of swelling from fluid at the time. The asthma nurse decided that, in her words " something else was going on" and did an ECG and my heart problems were diagnosed. I am now on various medications for both heart and asthma.
What I am pointing out is that both asthma and heart problems can and do co-exist. You may have to be a bit assertive and ask for an ECG, this can be done at the GPs often by a nurse, but don't be fobbed off, it is a simple test and in your case it is important that it is carried out, ( in my humble opinion as a non medical person). Even if nothing is found you will have "peace of mind".
My medications for both heart and asthma keep things under control but it did take a bit of time to get it right.
Hi Motorman and thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my post. It's really good that your asthma nurse was able to find out that something wasn't right. It's really good to hear that your health is now properly managed. Would you have always had your heart problems and then they were just diagnosed late, or were your heart problems something that developed with time? It's interesting to hear that you had a lot of swelling from fluid at the time. I do think I could have this too!! (As well as the whole difficulty with exercise thing!!).
I am now determined to get to the bottom of what I have, starting with getting an ECG carried out. Thank you for emphasising the importance of this. At least, as you say, if there is nothing going on in relation to the heart, I will know for sure after the ECG.
I will keep you updated on how things work out for me. I hope you continue to manage your asthma and heart problems well. It must have been very challenging for you to not know why all of a sudden your asthma medication wasn't helping with all your breathing issues. I hope you stay as healthy as you can possibly be. Thank you again.😊😀
I am so sorry to hear what you have been through you will have to wait for your appointment but if you ever get those chest pains again call for an ambulance it looks to me like you have been misdiagnosed all your life a GP is only that a general practitioner unfortunately you have to get them to agree that this isn’t asthma to get to see the correct specialist there are so many bad ones out there I know I had one who told me after having a total hysterectomy where my ovaries where removed that they were still there and I should stop moaning about feeling not right especially the hot flushes which I have suffered for over 32 years . Chest always needs investigation no matter where you are they can get to the country side. Take care and please let us know how you get on.
Hi Annemarie, thank you for the great advice! If I'm ever in as much pain as I was in those two nights, I will not hesitate to call an ambulance. I like that you emphasised how now I know I have been misdiagnosed, I should not stop until I find out what I do actually have.
I'm sorry to hear you have been through so much, in relation to your own health. Unfortunately GPs can be a great hit or miss. I know that the GP who diagnosed me with asthma at a young age is not the best... but it's my fault for not persisting that my medication didn't work right.
I will be sure to let you know how I get on. I also hope you continue to be as healthy and happy as you possibly can. 😊😄
Daphne, I can only add what others have said. I am much older than you and have been asthmatic for over 40 years but very well controlled. I started having breathing issues a couple of years ago which my asthma nurse tried to treat with different inhalers and prednisolone. None of it worked and I did say it felt different to the breathlessness from asthma. 3 months in and I had a stroke, luckily it was treated successfully so my advice will be to get and ECG done or ask for a referral to a cardiologist who will have far more experience with various heart issues. Good luck sweetheart, you've struggled for so long, do let us know how you get on.
Silvasava thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my post. It's crazy to think that your breathing was so well controlled for many years because, as far as you knew, you just had asthma and then it just completely took a turn for the worse.
I can't believe that you ended up having a stroke!! I'm so sorry to hear that. It must have been so difficult to deal with and you must have been in so much pain...
Hopefully I don't have to wait too long to get my ECG done. I will definitely make it a priority of mine to get that carried out as soon as possible, now that you have mentioned it. Maybe the ECG will pick up issues that I could have and I could be connected with a cardiologist, then!
Again, thank you for your extremely kind words!! I will be sure to keep you updated with how things go. I hope you continue to be in as little pain possible with your own health. You are very admirable and brave!! ❤😊
Hello Daphne, I'm so sorry you have had such a rotten time. I remember as a small child getting tired easily and hating sport at school. When I was12 the government tried to eliminate TB by sending x-ray units round the schools, and I had to go to the local chest clinic for a repeat x-ray. I didn't have TB but a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Over the years it caused me acute epigastric pain sometimes on eating and as I reached early middle age I became breathless on exertion. Asthma was immediately diagnosed and I was given the famous blue inhaler which was useless, followed by the brown inhaler which was also useless. I lived with the breathlessness until I was 62 when it became so bad that I had an MRI scan which showed the extent of my hernia: my stomach and part of my large intestine were up in the left side of my chest pushing my heart over to the right and my left lung was compressed by all this so no wonder I was breathless. As the surgeon who operated on me said, in childhood the other lung will compensate, but as you age it can't do this so well. Surgery put everything back where it should be, my lung expanded and 20 years later I'm pretty fit for my age and no breathlessness.
I tell you this to point out that there are many other possible causes for your symptoms apart from the catch-all asthma, and your GP should be referring you to a specialist to sort you out. Don't accept the brush off and being left to a pharmacist or a nurse, no matter how competent they may be.
Good luck, and as others have said, let us know how you get on
Hi Mountwood and thank you so much for taking time out of your day to reply to my post! I find it very interesting that you have mentioned hating sports at school and feeling very tired all the time, just like myself.
I will be sure to read a little bit about congenital diaphragmatic hernias, to better understand them. It's shocking to hear that you were in so much pain and that your everyday life was so significantly impacted by your condition. I find it interesting how, as you got older, you were misdiagnosed with asthma, like myself. It's good to hear that you eventually had an MRI to get to the bottom of your breathlessness and the extent of your hernia was then finally recognised.
You must have been delighted once you had your surgery over and done with and were able to actually breathe properly and to not be in pain anymore. It's wonderful to hear that you made such a brilliant recovery and continue to be in good health.
You are not the only person who has mentioned the importance of being determined to get a proper diagnosis. In the past, I just accepted my state of health. Moving forward I will not give up, until I am correctly diagnosed.
I will be sure to keep you updated on how everything works out. Thanks again for your very kind words and helpful advice. 😊😊
I think you need to get a basic heart checkup. Firstly you need an ECG. Doctors and nurses can do this at their surgery. Secondly, a GP can get a 24 hour heart monitor fitted. Both these can tell you with some certainty if you have any serious heart issue.
Hi Richard, I couldn't agree more with you. At least if I were to get a heart checkup, then I would know for sure whether there was something more serious going on. I wonder if Covid is the reason why I can't get an ECG at my local surgery, as they usually do them there. It's annoying that I have to go to hospital for mine, but hopefully it won't be too long
I didn't know your GP could fit one of the heart monitors some people need to temporarily monitor their heart. I think the only reason I haven't had much done at my Gp surgery is because I never actually got to see a GP. Hopefully my hospital appointment will get things moving in the right direction.
Hi XmasEve and thanks so much for the reply!! I will be sure to call an ambulance next time this happens. I see why you, like so many others, have emphasised the importance of doing this! This is great advice. 😊😀
Hi there, I read this post with some interest and I’ll tell you why…
In 2006 I started experiencing shortness of breath walking up hill or bending over to tie shoe laces etc.
Because I had plural plaques in both lungs from exposure to asbestos when I was in my teens they started checking my lungs.
Over the next ten years I went to specialist clinics in the hospital and was labelled as asthmatic.
Even though my peek flow was borderline. All asthmatic tests were borderline.
Because the specialists could not understand why my breathing was getting worse they started giving other explanations as to why, these included being over weight (my BMI was slightly high but to look at me you would not say I was over weight).
They said that because I get a lot of catarrh I should get my nose checked by another specialist. I did and payed private to have an operation in my nose to have the septum straightened. This helped for a short time with the catarrh but did nothing for my breathing.
They said I was suffering from reflux. X-rays proved that there was no evidence of this.
All through this ten year period they continually changed my inhalers because nothing was working.
I had steroids that gave me night cramps like you would not believe, five times a night I’d be waking in pain and then suffered the after effects all the next day.
My breathing got so bad that I could not walk uphill without stopping to breath. I had to literally put one foot immediately in front of the other to walk uphill, I mean heal to toe in front of the other. My wife would talk to me and I used to wave my hand to say I couldn’t talk.
My muscles in my legs were burning as if they wasn’t getting enough oxygen. They did tests and although the oxygen levels were low they wasn’t low enough to worry about.
The plural plaques wasn’t large enough to give me the sort of problems I was getting. I was put into closed glass boxes that measured breathing, chest expansion and goodness knows what else.
Then December 2016 on a cold frosty morning I was out walking with my dogs in the New Forest when I went up a 12 foot banking rather quickly.
Suddenly I felt faint, sick, sweating, could not breath, tight chest, strength went and I thought I was going to collapse.
Because everyone said for ten years I had asthma I thought I was having an asthma attack.
On my own in the forest I thought I needed to get back to civilisation and headed back to the car. Luckily my dogs followed me because I could not speak never mind shout for them.
Somehow I managed to shuffle around half a mile to a mile back to the car.
I knew if I sat down to rest I would not get back up.
Managed to open doors for me and my dogs and then rested for five minutes before driving the five minutes back to my house.
I managed to open the door for my dogs but didn’t have the strength to shut it again. I stumbled through the front door and collapsed onto the sofa.
My wife phoned the GP and I was told that it sounds like the event had passed but if it returned to phone 999.
An appointment was made the next day at the surgery.
There I was told by a practitioner nurse after an examination that she thought I had an asthma attack. And gave directions to take extra puffs of my inhaler before and during the next walk with the dogs.
She advised that I should see the asthma nurse for possible medication review.
Luckily one of the senior doctors was holding an asthma clinic two days later.
When I explained to him what happened he said "I think you’ve had a heart attack" and set into motion all the life saving things like GTN X-Rays etc.
Gave me instructions NOT to walk the dogs until we get tests done and if I do not to do it alone.
He immediately took me off some medication like Diclofenac and put me on some heart medication.
I had to use the GTN on numerous occasions which eased the angina symptoms that I had been having (not asthma).
March 2017 I had five stents.
Suddenly I could breath. I’m not sure how many weeks later it was but I could actually run up hills again.
By now I was attending cardio rehab and in order to get my heart rate up I was walking briskly uphills and pumping my arms up and down and not slowing at all. Not even need to rest at the top. I just kept walking.
It was like a new lease of life… amazing!
Unfortunately 8 to 10 months later the angina came back and started experiencing breathing problems again.
March 2019 I had a quintuple bypass surgery.
The point is… my father died of a heart attack when he was 53.
My brother died of a heart attack when he was 59.
And no one thought in the ten years that I was actually showing angina symptoms that it could be my heart.
If I had known then what I know now.
Others on here have suggested what they think you should consider doing. I have just given you my experience and hope that it can help.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post and to offer me some very useful advice!
I can't believe that it took so many years of you being in pain and not being able to breathe properly, until you finally were able able get to the bottom of what is going on. I couldn't imagine not being able to sleep 5 nights a week and being in complete agony because of steroids. That sounds like hell. You must have been very mentally strong to have gone through what you did.
The way you say about feeling as if you weren't getting enough oxygen in your legs.. I get that. In fact, I am going to add that to my list of personal symptoms as I completely forgot about that one!
I can't believe that even after what happened with your traumatic experience in the forest that it was still suspected you just had an asthma attack. You must have felt like you were going crazy! At least you were able to speak to the senior doctor and he was able fo advise you that what you were experiencing was far from normal. You clearly went through so much in relation to issues relating to your heart. A quintuple bypass surgery? Wow..
With you having such a strong family history of heart problems and there still being no red flags raised, in relation to your breathlessness and pain etc. that's unbelievable.
Every single comment I have received on this post has been more than helpful. Hearing the first hand experiences of people with a variety of issues in relation to their heart has really got me thinking. I'm glad that my post caught your attention so that I could hear about your personal experience as it has been invaluable.
I'll be sure to keep you updated on how things go and I wish you the best in relation to your own health, moving forward. Thanks again..007😄😀
Many thanks for your kind and useful comments Daphne, appreciated.
In truth I think myself very lucky. I know I went through ten years of nonsense (unbelievable) but when it came right down to it the NHS saved my life more than once. My dad and brother were not so lucky.
I have such a full life and such a loving family I consider myself very fortunate.
There is such a long list of fantastic things that has happened after surviving my heart attack like…
Seeing my son get married (my dad never saw my wedding).
Hearing my granddaughter call me granddad 😊
Having our daughter show us the "All Clear Letter" from the cancer specialists. 🥂
Wow 007, to hear your quality of life has so greatly improved after your heart problems were finally acknowledged, is amazing to hear. You seem to be extremely close to your family. I hope you continue to make so many more amazing memories with them. You have been through the most difficult parts. Now you can finally enjoy your life properly!
Thatwasunexpected, is correct, if you get those symptoms again call an ambulance. What you experienced sounds the same as I did and I did not go to the hospital until the 3rd time I experienced those symptoms. Had a minor HA, no HF, 2 stents and feel better now.
Wow it's really strange that you mention that runamok. If I'm being completely honest I don't quite believe what I had was"just heartburn." Neither do my family members, now looking back... I find it strange that I had such similar symptoms as you did and you had a minor HA!!
I will never not call an ambulance if this ever happens again. Thanks for your very helpful advice.
I'm so sorry to hear what you have had to go through, in relation to your own health. I hope you continue to recover and to be in as little pain as possible. 😉
Hi Daphne, It may be worthwhile asking for a referral to a Respitory Clinic. Your symptoms sound very similar to that of a Plural Effusion.
My Consultant suggested that I may have had minor effusions on and off for some time, but, if minor they can just go away.
I'd have thought it's something they've considered, but, it may be worth asking the question anyway.
Hi Heed. I have honestly never heard of a Plural Effusion before. This is why I am really happy I decided to make my post. I wanted to hear a couple of suggestions that people with actual breathing difficulties and heart conditions etc. had.
I am going to do a bit of reading on Plural Effusions now. I know I have to have tests done etc. before I can be diagnosed with something but it's useful to know what I could potentially have. Thank you for making me aware of this.
Hi Thatwasunexpeted and thank you so, so much for your absolutely brilliant reply!!
I agree with what you say about making sure I mention any information to consultants that I believe could be even a little bit relevant. As I have been reading through the replies, I have seen a couple more symptoms that I have which I have completely forgotten about. As I don't have the greatest memory, with future appointments, I will be sure to make a list of all of my symptoms, so that I can then, as you have suggested, make consultants aware of these symptoms.
It's very true when you say about GPs not knowing any different and thinking I had asthma. I definitely didn't push it as much as I should have, at the time. At least I now know that it is not asthma and I need to be determined to get to the bottom of what is going on with me. A few other people, like yourself, have also mentioned the importance of doing this.
It wasn't until I actually submitted my post and spoke to a couple of people that I realised that my symptoms really aren't normal at my age. I did a little bit of googling and I never would have guessed that heart problems were really not common in people in their early 20s. But as you say, why did so many young people in my mothers family have heart problems.. This is definitely worth further investigating as it is very peculiar!
I now understand just how important it is to call an ambulance if I ever get chest pain like that again. I won't question my decision to do so. Thank you, for emphasising this. A lot of others in this thread, have also made me realise the importance of doing this if I am ever in pain like that again.
Thank you for your very wise words of wisdom 😉😀. I will definitely keep youupdated on how things play out. The advice you have given me is priceless. I hope you continue to live the happiest and healthiest life possible!! 😊
Hi Alisbabas, I have had my thyroid checked a little while ago. I will be sure to look into air hunger, bloating (and heart problems) though. Thank you for the suggestions. This is especially useful because you've said we have many of the same symptoms. If you don't mind me asking, what have you been diagnosed with? Thank you 😄🙂
Thatwasunexpected, all I want is to get properly checked. If I do have a heart condition then I could get treated for it and this would mean I wouldn't be so out of breath on minimal exertion.
Now that you mention it, I know exactly what thread you are talking about. I didn't know it was you that posted if, however!! When I saw it, I couldn't believe it. I never would have thought winning the Olympics was possible after a HEART ATTACK. Fair play to her!!
As you have so greatly summed up, as overall ability to exercise will improve after your heart condition is spotted and treated, I think that's amazing. It really does make sense. In fairness, however, I relate to the whole difficulty-in -walking-up-4 flights-of-stairs-thing. It really is a struggle...🤣🤣
It's really cool that you are now so invested in exercise. At least now, your heart is working with you, rather than against you, which would be sure to help a little bit lol.
If I'm being completely honest with you, I cringe thinking about your workout routine, in preparation for your half marathon. How do you do it? 😱😅
Good luck with your run tomorrow and I hope your half marathon in September goes well for you too. You are more than inspirational. Who knows....maybe a year from now I'll be preparing for a half marathon too if I get my health sorted hahaha 🤣😉
I will be sure to give the couch to 5k program a shot. Funnily enough, I have actually looked at that program a couple of times before. I've then closed the tab and thought "Nope, no way I could do that." Thanks for reminding me about that. At least now I really have something to work towards 😎😎
Hi sorry to hear of the problems you are having I am not a medical professional but it sounds to me like you have a heart problem. I had a similar situation this year we’re I became breathless upon walking and waking up in the night with severe breathlessness and having to sleep sitting up to relieve my symptoms. At first I was convinced it was Covid but every test was negative when I finally went to my Gp I was sent to hospital my blood pressure was 190/140 heart rate 156 they admitted me and did lots Of tests including a cardiac MRI then diagnosed me with heart failure I am now on medication and doing much better. There was a history in my family of heart problems so I definitely think you should go to your GP and ask them to refer you to a cardiologist and pursue a heart problem diagnosis I hope you get the answers and the help you need.
Hi Floatingheart and thank you so much for your extremely informative response.
It's interesting to hear that you also suspect I could have heart issues. I honestly feel like I do too. For us to share so many of the same symptoms is strange. Also, for you to say about the history of heart problems in your family, (like mine) is very peculiar.
Now I am definitely determined to figure out why I feel the way that I do. I won't give up until I have a diagnosis!
It's amazing to hear that you are doing so much better now, with you own health. You must have been in so much pain before they finally found out what was going on with your heart.
I will be sure to keep you updated on my findings! 😊😉
Truthfully it only developed suddenly this year I started to become breathless when walking but when resting I was okay then it got worse we’re I couldn’t breathe had to sit up at night with lots of pillows the cardiologist did a cardiac MRI we’re they diagnosed heart failure which basically means my heart is not working to full capacity. The cardiologist told me I properly had this since birth but didn’t have symptoms I am 40 yrs old and was fit and well before this happened in February of this year but when I was reading your symptoms I immediately taught if heart problems and all the issues you had growing up I would definitely pursue an appointment with a cardiologist to get to the route of the issue
I find it very interesting to hear that you are likely to have had your condition since birth. I feel like this could be potentially what's going on for me. I can't believe your symptoms didn't come through until 30 years later!! I relate to so much of what you say. Thank you for making me aware of your experience. At least now you are able to get the treatment you need Floatingheart!! 😊😊
Absolutely I am thankful they told me it was dilated cardiomyopathy which resulted in my heart failing. I questioned it at the beginning but the consultant said sometimes these things happen and you can go through your life with no symptoms and all of a sudden it just happens. I really hope you get the answers go to your go and tell them you believe you have a genetic heart condition list the people in your family that have had heart problems and they can do genetic testing for heart conditions. This is what they are doing for me be assertive and insist they look into this at least this way you will know. Let me know how you get on
Wow dilated cardiomyopathy...I know I haven't even got my heart checked yet but I looked up the symptoms and I have all of them. I do have the symptoms of heart failure though so... AND Dilated cardiomyopathy is common between the ages of 20 and 60?! Hmm... Thanks for making me aware of this condition. It's scarily accurate!! I didn't know genetic testing was a thing either. The more you know! 🤔🧐
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