Anyone else feel like they cannot breathe? - Fibromyalgia Message Board

laura3377 · 08-30-2007, 11:41 AM

I have a constant feeling of shortness of breath. I also have horrible pain in my chest and entire upper body. I have had all heart tests except a cath as well as a chest CT scan and pulmonary function test. Everything is normal yet I feel anything but normal. The best way I can describe it is I feel like my body isn't getting enough oxygen. My Dr. is now referring me to a pulmonologist for further testing. This is so frustrating - I am so scared I have a heart or lung problem. I am totally unable to do exercise except some light yoga. I used to go to the gym for 2 hours a day now I can't hardly walk around the block.

GodsGirl4ever06 · 08-30-2007, 12:59 PM

Yes, I am always short of breath, and I have random bouts of not being able to breathe in for several seconds at a time, then I breathe in really quick when I have a second and it goes so quickly and I cannot breathe in again. Like, I am literally not able to breathe in, it is not possible. It's not as scary now as it was when it first started happening, because now I know it won't last for much longer than about 10 minutes. Sometimes it happens daily, but every now and then I will go a week or so without having the problem. It's weird but none of the doctors found anything wrong with me either. It's been happening so long now that I pretty much just go with the flow when it starts happening and I know that I will be okay. The always short of breath thing happens quite frequently as well, but found nothing to do with that either. I haven't tried going off all my medications, however, and, after looking up all possible side affects, they pretty much all COULD cause shortness of breath. Thing is . . . I need those meds! I refuse to go off a couple of them or I would seriously suffer greatly . . .

tweiler · 08-30-2007, 06:21 PM

For as long as I can remember, I have had problems breathing. Even as far back as being a little kid. For me it feels like something is wrapped around my chest preventing me from drawing a full breath. Reminds of one time I had some bruised ribs and had my chest wrapped with ace bandages. I've had drs try asthma stuff and not one of them did any good. Several yrs ago my then PCP sent me to a pulmonary dr and I had all kinds of tests. I remember doing a treadmill test, ultrasounds, and this one test where I sat in an enclosed "booth" and just followed instructions on breathing. Somehow they were measuring lung capacity. That test showed I was on the low end of normal ranges. Xrays had shown some kind of dark spots in the left lung which the dr decided was scar tissue. Most of my life I's get a really bad case of pneumonia every winter, no matter how careful I was. He also said it might be that when I was born a month early (a long time ago) that my lungs were damaged when I had my first bout with pnuemonia at 3 weeks old, I was in the hospital for 6 weeks, much of the time I was kept under O2. The ultrasound did show mild tricuspid valve and mitral valve regurgitation. He explained it that the valves between the upper and lower chambers on each side did not seal properly so I had some blood flowing backwards every time my heart pumped.Can't remember which one it was but he said on one side it just meant the blood got extra O2 and was of no concern. The other side needs to be rechecke dif I start to have noticeably more problems because it can end up needing surgery to replace the valve. I am not happy to think I might need heart surgery at some point in my life, that's a very scary thought. But, he also said it could take decades to get where I needed the valve replaced.

innocence · 09-01-2007, 04:04 PM

I have this EXACT problem!! Doctors say that everything is normal and I've had various tests..but I have the same problems as you described!

shabbyanne · 09-02-2007, 07:43 AM

Yes, since childhood. Turns out it was caused by anxiety, and once I was taught recently by a psychologist how to relax myself and force myself to breath slow and deeply the correct way, it has disappeared. Look up hyperventilation syndrome and you may find that this is your problem too.