Anyone had shortness of breath/shallow breathing for weeks?

[OutInOutIn]

NC. Went to GP nearly 3 weeks ago as had woken in the night with shallow breathing and felt out of breath and had not been able to properly 'catch' my breath. She said if it didn't improve in 48 hours I should get a chest Xray. It did improve and I felt almost normal so didn't go but it's really been off and on since then so I finally went for an Xray but I won't see the results for another week.

In the meantime I'm starting to worry - would love to know if anyone else has had these symptoms? I had a cough/cold before so thought it was due to that but I'm always getting colds (and feel tired, unfit and sluggish) but never had this shortness of breath.

Usually in the mornings I'm out of breath until I've gotten ready then it settles down but comes and goes. I still don't feel completely normal but enough that I can forget about my breathing, whereas when I feel out of breath I concentrate on it and really notice it. I can't even rock my toddler and sing to him without getting out of breath with each line.

I'm late 30s, am fairly healthy generally (don't smoke, hardly drink) although don't get anywhere near enough exercise and have a belly still from my kids. I don't think it's anxiety although I may be now anxious about all this!!
I'm starting to worry it's a heart/lung condition (DH had a serious heart issue which they said would have been diagnosed when he started to get out of breath going upstairs etc). I don't have tightness in my chest or anything, just don't feel like my normal breathing is giving me enough air, iyswim!

If it was really serious would they call me?

asthma is usually diagnosed by symptoms. often also by measuring peak air flow.

but in any way, the treatment for breathing issues is usually the same: a fast acting reliever inhaler (usually salbutamol) and if that's not enough a steroid (inhaler or tablets).

ime allergies can 'move' from face/throat to chest. it is really important to treat allergies. ideally by preventing exposure (rehoming pets, deep clean of home etc) and taking antihistamines if that's not possible.

I've had mild hayfever all my life and when my daughter got indoor rabbits and so there was hay in the house that suddenly went through the roof and I also got out of breathe and wheezing sometimes with it. I never went to doctor (moved the rabbits downstairs and lots of hoovering and its stopped) by wondered if that might be allergic asthma. I have asthma on both sides of family.

When I have a cold its different to allergy - its more a runny nose, maybe sore throat and headache whereas when it's allergies its eyes watering, itchy skin, nose occasionally running but very mild. The breathing bit was triggered when the hay was touching me. I'm getting allergy type symptoms now and trying to work out what is causing it and no idea.

Ask the hospital to X-ray you and check for blood clots in your chest. This can cause the symptoms you mention too.

I have exactly the same symptoms @OutInOutIn , have had it on and off for several years. I'm convinced it's anxiety related ( I can bring it on thinking about it?!) but often wonder if low iron causes it too

I had asthma diagnosed in my 30s. With hindsight I did have it as a child but never diagnosed.

I never wheeze, only cough. Have hayfever, allergies and ezcema.

It coming on after a cold would be classic - I generally need steroids after after cold I have.

So it's entirely possible to be asthma. However it did take a while to get diagnosed and when I deteriorate every doctor listens for a wheeze and I have to point out 'I never wheeze' as they are all obsessed with wheezing.

If you are worse at night, that would be typical of asthma.

I've always had asthma but have been inhaler free for years. I started with a cough a few weeks ago and increasing shortness of breath, long story short I have exacerbation of asthma and atypical pneumonia that I've been on 2 types of antibiotics, ongoing steroids and 2 inhalers for. I'm recovering relatively quickly but it's been a shocker! I wonder if this year is particuarly bad for chests if others are suffering too?

I checked in with the GP today and the xray results are fine, 'no further action' so presumably show nothing out of the ordinary.
I'm waking in the night now, not sweaty or anything, just awake for no reason and find it very difficult to get back to sleep (hard not to concentrate on your breathing in the middle of the night!)

I'll book an appt to see what else they can test...

Have you had heavy periods or any other type of blood loss? Recently gone veggie/vegan? I was very breathless when I was anaemic.

No periods as I'm on the mini pill, and I'm a carnivore :)

Air hunger is common with anaemia.

I would be trying to breath in deeply but feel as though there was no oxygen in the air. The obviously was but my body couldn't use it.

thank you both, I'll ask if anaemia or asthma are possibilities. Plus any potential heart issues.

it's like my breathing just isn't 'satisfying' if you see what I mean.

I had that. (having to sigh and yawn) when there was a wrtehouse fire near where we lived.
I assumed that that triggered my asthma.

I found a useful (-looking) leaflet here
www.uhs.nhs.uk/Media/Controlleddocuments/Patientinformation/Respiratory/Breathing-pattern-disorders-patient-information.pdf

Hello, I was diagnosed with lymphangeioliomyomatosis (still can't spell the word).

It's highly unlikely to be that as it's very rare, but if it persists it's worth mentioning. You'd need a CT scan.

I had this (on and off). I swear the doctor thought I was malingering. I had x-rays (nothing), anti-histamines, asthma inhalers to see if they helped with the episodes (they didn't) and finally I was referred for spirometry. At which point they discovered I had impaired lung function. Why they did not send me for spirometry first I do not know. I had never heard of it or I would have asked.

Anyway, once the impaired lung function was discovered I was sent for further tests. Bottom line was I had narrowing of the airways and nobody knew why. I have no history of respiratory problems or infections as a child, though mother and grandmother both smoked like chimneys around me.

I was prescribed a preventer inhaler (Seretide) and monitored. The inhaler helped increase my lung function, as did losing weight and upping my exercise. I am off the inhaler now, and have been for a year or so. I am still monitored once a year and may go back on the inhaler for a while as the numbers are slipping a little.

walnut that looks scary. How is treatment going?

choc thanks for your post. I haven't heard of spirometry either

On Monday I was determined to make a GP appt after getting nothing on the xray. But then on Tuesday I was pretty much back to normal. It's hard to tell what's normal breathing because concentrating on breathing always feels weird, but before I constantly noticed being out of breath whereas I don't now.
I can't really make a GP appt if there's nothing wrong at the moment I guess, but I will keep an eye out and go straight there if I get it again.

I'm going to make more of an effort to increase my general fitness.

@OutInOutIn - well, this was the issue I had with the GP. My episodes were unpredictable and since it takes an age to get an appointment with our GP there was no guarantee whatsoever that I would be having the problems when sat in front of the doc. In fact, I never did. It was only because the episodes were alarming that I pushed the issue. I had no wheezing, just the hideous feeling that no matter how hard I tried to breathe in I was not getting enough oxygen. Of course I was, actually, as I never keeled over.

Anyway I would advise that you at least press for some lung function tests. If not now, then as soon as you get another episode (if you do). Our practice used to have a spirometry nurse, and they have fancier equipment, but every surgery will have at least some gadget you blow into to check your forced expiratory volume (FEV1 test), and that's a start.

Fine thank you. Just an annual checkup, if it progresses there is a tablet I can take for life.

Be aware some women report lung function varies depending on time of month.

@OutInOutIn I know this is very old but how are you now? I have the same thing.

@namechangenumber2 @Scbchl can I ask if you still have the same issues?

I am struggling with this problem for 18 months

Wow, I remember making this thread but really didn't remember it being so long ago and pre-Covid.
Basically I had this on and off and then with everything we learned about Covid (which I didn't get until about 2023) I assumed it was some sort of post-viral thing.

Since 2019 I've definitely made an effort to work out more and get fitter, but tbh high cardio still sets me off.

I do still get it in short bursts following exercise and had noticed something on Instagram talking about post-exercise asthma so thought maybe it was that.

Nothing terrible seems to have happened so at least I'm not too worried it's going to be something severe.

What I did do at the time was go to the GP and they said really we'll know it's asthma if you have another "attack", take an inhaler and use that, and if it's effective then that's what it is! So I got an inhaler on prescription then hardly ever had another bout of breathlessness and the few times I did I was worried I wouldn't use the inhaler properly. And now it's out of date.

So possibly worth going to GP and see what they say?

Sorry for rambling answer!