About 2 yrs ago I started having trouble getting a deep breath and it got worse and worse. I had no heartburn, but occasionally got a cough and the feeling of something stuck in my throat. I went to the dr and she sent me for a chest xray, asthma specialist and for an upper GI. The asthma test showed "mild" asthma, yet none of the asthma medications made a difference. The upper GI showed some acid in my stomach so my dr put me on Prevacid, and it improved alot, but would come back on occasion especially if i drank a lot of coffee (caffeine?). In the meantime another asthma specialist told me to try advair, so i went off the prevacid and the advair also worked. I ended up going back on prevacid and stopping the advair as the symptons were still there to a slight degree with the advair.
I went to a gastro dr and he switched me to Nexium, which also worked, then he did the test when they put the probe in for 24 hrs (can't remember the name), but it came back normal, so he told me i didn't have acid refulx. I had stopped the prevacid for the test, but took advair for that time so I was feeling great when they did the test. I went to an ENT and she said it sounded like LPR and she told me to increase the Nexium to twice a day. About 1-2 months later I started having major problems with my breathing again, even though I am now taking the Nexium twice a day. I even tried doing the Advair as well but nothing seems to help. Now I don't know what to do. But I have discomfort with my breathing 24/7 and have had for the last 3 weeks. I just want to be rid of this for good, but no drs. seem to know much about what I am going through with the breathing. Has anyone got symptoms like me where the medication has stopped working??? I really don't know what to do and my MD doesn't know where to send me next. I am starting to feel like a hypocondriac. I am scheduled for a gastroscopy on Sept 15th but am afraid that nothing will show up.

what exactly do you mean by not being able to get a deep breath?
does it feel like you cannot get air into your lungs causing you to almosy hyperventilate? does it feel like your throat shallows and feels like it may close up, not letting air in?

Hi, I've had shortness of breath for about one month now. I don't have the lump in the throat feeling, but I do have reflux. But this is the first time I've had shortness of breath like this. And yes, mine seems to be with me 24/7. I've been taking Pepcidine tablets the whole time and it's made NO difference, whereas other times it has worked within days to settle things down.
I actually ended up in the ER on the weekend, because while I was grocery shopping, the breathing thing got so bad, I felt like I was suffocating. My whole chest got tighter and tighter, until I thought I would pass out. WHile I don't have the lump in throat feeing, I do get so tight around my whole throat area, that I feel like I'm being strangled. Put that with the suffocating chest thing, and it gets downright horrible.
The hospital put me on heart monitors etc for the day, and nothing showed with regard to my heart. The doctor thinks it is just the reflux but I'm to have a stress echo in 2 days, just to rule out angina.
My whole upper body is in a weird state. I feel like all the muscles have been put through the wringer.. almost like someone is giving me "chinese burns" from my lower ribs to my neck, front and back. Running crampy pains through my shoulder blades etc. I have heard that chronic costochondritis can feel like that.. (inflammation of the rib cage, in a nutshell), and it seems to go hand in hand with reflux.
ANother thing that it could be, is a hiatus hernia. I was diagnosed with a small one years ago, and from what I've researched, it can cause that shortness of breath syndrome. And it seems from what I've read, that if you have reflux you most likely have a hiatus hernia.
I could go on forever with all the symptoms I'm having at the moment. But if anything strikes a chord with you, I'm more than happy to "compare" notes and work this thing out. Believe me, I know how distressing it can be, especially when nothing works to ease it.
I've been living on brown rice, water, avocado, and millet porridge, and when it's been at its worst, I even just had baby food for tea.
I've been taking aloe vera juice, and slippery elm, which have been wonderful in the past, but aren't doing anything to touch it this time round. The doctor said to just keep taking the pepcidin, but they actually give me more acid fumes coming up I think
It's a case of the chicken and the egg. WHich comes first, the breathing problem or the tense muscles in the upper body. I imagine either one triggers the other. Coffee upsets my stomach worse than anything. I get careless when I feel well, and think I'm getting away with it. But for me it is a big reflux trigger when I'm not doing well with my health.
Have you tried drinking a lot of water and then doing some very mild sit-ups immediately. Often this releases a lot of air for me, and eases the whole thing, even the breathing for a bit. That used to work like magic for me, but this time, just "eases" it a bit.
Wish I could offer some helpful fix-it for you. Just knowing someone else has something similar helps a bit for me.
One other thing, I've been sitting at the computer for long periods, and am aware that I'm stressing my whole upper body area doing this. Just wondered if this can trigger this whole cycle too.

Sorry for the long post. Let me know how you go, or if you find a solution
Regards LIndy

Hi All,

I just wanted to let you know that I have the same problem with trying to take a deep breath and after so many doctors and specialists I was diagnosed with costochondritis. Do you have pain around your ribs and sternum? I also noticed that drinking coffee or anything with caffeine makes my breathing even more difficult. I stopped drinking coffee and it got better but the pain from the costochondritis is still there. It's been a little over a year. Please reply.

Feel Better
AC70

WHAT IS THAT COSTROCONGRITIS ANDwho gave you that diagnosis. I have the breathing problem for 1.5 years. It is driving me crazy. It is with me all day. I have been to almost every doc and still don't have an answer except some reflux. i am 34 year old women and feel like i am going fast.

I always have the constant need to yawn and take a deep breath. Never feels like I get enough. Could be anxiety could be gerd or Lpr thats what drs always tell me.

Chalupa, I too haven't found out what's causing my shortness of breath. Did you know that some medications cause these breathing problems? GERD does, too. So does hiatal hernia. Ditto for certain kidney diseases, vocal cord disorders, asthma (which I supposedly also have) and cardiological issues. Acid getting into the lungs will cause breathing problems also. Any of these causes of shortness of breath, or a combination, could be the reason for mine. Can you walk up the stairs if you take it easy? I can do it once, but not twice in a row. If I forget and go too fast, I get out of breath.

What is costochondritis? Sounds like some type of inflammation.

Hi flowergilrl2day,
I am out of breath all day even if i am laying on the couch. The 2 lung specialiast i went to told me i don't have asthma.. i don't think they no what they are talking about any more. why have i gone to so many docters and payed o much even out of pocket and they still can't figure this out. As for my haital hernia they tell me it is very small.?????

I will see if I can find some information about the muscle that controls breathing. I read about this not long ago but can't quite remember the details. All I remember is that I was surprised that something like that (damage to the muscle) could cause shortness of breath. If I find the information I'll post it.

Suziet,

Did anyone give you any inhalers? Did they help you breathe easier?

I've had similar problems and gone through similar tests..and the inhalers didn't do anything to *open up* my lungs. My symptoms weren't related to my bronchial tubes. Taking Advair actually relieved the chest tightness almost immediately. But other symptoms showed up....