IBS AND Breathlessness

[Gideonsway]

Does anyone else have the problem of feeling breathless when not at rest. I know I am reasonably fit but I find that it almost feels as if my bloating is compressing the space my lungs need for me to breath properly.

[lbknox04]

Yes! Quite often! I do think it’s gas pushing up. I feel like I can’t get a good satisfying breath in sometimes. It’s a very uncomfortable feeling.

[Gideonsway in reply to lbknox04]

I very occasionally meet friends in the evening and never drink more than two pints of beer. But on way home can feel beer rolling around and pressing on my diaphragm. This is usually followed by urgent need toilet!

[Lulububs in reply to Gideonsway]

Beer can b the yeast it not good for ibs. I have had to give up with it...

[Will1234]

Might even be stress related , I think that getting stressed can produce that feeling of not getting air in -,breathlessness.

Will1234

[Tialucas]

Hi I’ve been having the same problem ; at the same time I was getting up once or twice for a wee in the night ; went to see dr and for some reason I took a sample with me , I have a urine infection and there are also about half a dozen enzymes that shouldn’t be there so I’ve had a weeks course of antibiotics and got to have bloods done next week,that may not be what’s wrong with you but worth having a urine test just to rule it out, they can tell a lot by your urine,

[cj20uk]

Yes I get this too. I've had varioius tests and been on the FODMAP diet but nothing has worked yet

[MrsMouseSJ]

Sometimes I feel incredibly short of breath - indeed I can barely seem to breathe in; my lungs just don't want to expand. Then I tend to belch horrendously and it improves. I've been seen in A&E about it - an Xray showed that my diaphragm was pushed right up due to the amount of wind in my stomach and large intestine. It is extremely unpleasant, indeed frightening at times, but the doc assured me that I would still be able to breathe, even if it felt like I couldn't.

[Gideonsway in reply to MrsMouseSJ]

Thanks for reply. Must been really bad to need go A&E. I sort of know that I’m ok and that it’s not heart attack or something. Nevertheless it’s really difficult to deal with at the time it happens. Mine is usually followed by urgent need to poo.

[Sasical in reply to Gideonsway]

Gideonsway Ditto. Before pooping feel breathless, did you find ever find a solution?

[cj20uk in reply to MrsMouseSJ]

Its good to get reassurance that it is because of the wind, rather than anything more serious. Did the doctor do any further tests to find out WHY there was that ammount of wind causing the problem? I've been to doctors numerous times and it seems once they rule out definite conditions, they don't seem to take it any further, yet I believe there must be a reason why we get this, and other people don't.

[MrsMouseSJ in reply to cj20uk]

Ah, if only! No A&E doc merely stated that I would need to pursue the matter with my GP. I pushed to get a referral to a gastroenterologist and my GP did agree to do this. Only for gastro to write to the effect that I am not considered serious enough for them to see me! Basically, I think functional gut disorders are avoided like the plague - I guess there must be a handful of specialists out there with a real interest and knowledge but my sense, from this Forum and another to which I belong on HUnlocked is that they are like gold dust. So my trapped gas/wind and I continue as unhappy bedfellows....

[Gideonsway in reply to MrsMouseSJ]

I have heard about a trial for IBS called TRITON. I don’t know if you or anyone else has heard of it?

[MrsMouseSJ in reply to Gideonsway]

Just Googled it and I see it the Uni of Leeds and the trial is ongoing. My own IBS is mixed really. But it will interesting to see what comes out of it.

[cj20uk in reply to MrsMouseSJ]

Thats a shame. I did manage to see a gastroenterologist who did tests to rule out inflammation and coeliac disease, but when they came back normal, I was just told to try eliminating lactose for a while and see if that made a difference (it didn't).

I've seen on various forums that in the USA they do seem to have a lot more functional gut disorder specialists than in the UK. It seems we have to try various diets etc for ourselves.

[Gideonsway in reply to cj20uk]

I guess problem in US is if your medical insurance covers it. But seems either way we are left to cope on our own. Med Prof only seem interested if they “cure” you!

[MrsMouseSJ]

Well, sometimes that happens to me rather than the belching. I had never come across anyone else to whom this happens, so it makes me feel less alone to hear that others have it too!

[MyGutIsMysterio]

I know this was written quite a while ago, but I have noticed that I have this sort of thing happen (in fact it's happening at this very moment). It's currently 4 AM my time, and seems to as of recent happen late at night into early morning (I'm going to bed soon but was up doing stuff). Other times it can just happen whenever, alongside a host of other problems that just pop up sometimes. (i.e. dizziness, nausea, feeling like my eyes might possibly roll back which would throw me into an episode [I've never had that happen for the record, it just feels like that's what could happen], etc)

I'm seeing a GP soon about it. It seems like I have IBS-C, as that's what my APRN jotted it up as. I never had IBS before in my life until last year around my 21st birthday, was when I started noticing weird stuff happening, followed up by a trip to Urgent Care at first, then multiple doctor's visits. Hopefully I can get some more answers, although I must admit if they're gonna want a colonoscopy, knowing my track record with having to take stuff to go, it might get interesting. (I hope it doesn't, and that everything can go smoothly.)

I will also mention that I find that happens more when I'm either active or anxious about something. I used to be able to play Beat Saber with a VR Headset for a little while and eventually get out of breath, but it seems like recently all I can do is one Expert map and then I'm just really out of breath and gotta sit down, which eventually goes away. It's really weird as I would have never gotten that out of breath before, but over time seems like everything gets worse.

On a somewhat related note, I've also noticed that sometimes when I'm in the shower, I'll get a bit more bloated (which is already uncomfortable on its own) and then it follows up with being out of breath, sometimes lightheaded/dizziness. Very odd and it makes me have to try to rush quickly just to get out of there. It can subside somewhat if I'm still in there after a bit, sometimes not. It's always a guessing game.