Help I can’t breathe!

[3mma35]

Don’t panic - I have been seen in A&E and told nothing serious.

Sorry for the long post

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to cope?

Out of the blue I’ve not been able to breathe properly since Thursday evening:

• short of breath
• faster heart rate
• wake up gasping for air a few times at night
• burping
• drinking and peeing more
• worsens if I talk, eat or move

GP surgery sent me straight to A&E (think I worried the receptionist by not going there in the first place!)

I was given a chest x-ray, blood tests and ECH at A&E, results showed nothing serious, so Dr said likely asthma and gave
me an inhaler, inhaler makes things worse. I had mild asthma as a child (20+ years ago), this doesn’t feel like an asthma attack as it’s been continuous for days.

After DH nagging went to the GP after the weekend , GP saw me within 20 minutes and sent me straight back to the hospital and phoned ahead. I was put on a ward, had more blood tests, monitoring, ECG, and asthma tests. ACP discharged me as they couldn’t find anything wrong, they did offer talking therapies, although I’ve got no symptoms of anxiety or depression so I declined the referral.

Trying to soldier on but just going up and down the stairs leaves me worn out and panting like I’ve sprinted down the street.

Anyone any ideas on how to cope
with life not being able to breathe. I’m trying to sit still, not eat and not talk, so now I’m bored!!

if anyone reads all this - THANK YOU!

The blue Salbutamol one. I haven’t taken it for the last 2 days, taking it also made things worse for a bit after taking it.

Thank you, I’m sorry to hear that but glad you are better now.

Try the butyeko (sp?) technique

Buteyko

Thank you, I’m trying some of the breathing exercises, it feels like things are stiff and sore (not painful), so guess breathing wrongly. Like I’m gasping for breath at night as it just won’t go in, then after a few minutes or longer, I’ll suddenly be able to take a deep breath as if something has moved although my chest and throat stay tight!

I have had a couple of Covid tests, as I did feel similar after Covid and I’ve had it 3 times in 12 months but recovered my stamina again in about a month.

Hope you are doing okay - long Covid is awful for the people I know.

Thank you I will Google!

Agree with Cattyisbatty.
Could be reflux.
You could try a trial of Nexium ( Omeprazole).
You can get them OTC.

1. It's worse at night ( caused by lying down)
2. Air hunger
3. Burping Try it for a week then stop and see how things go. Sounds horrible, but reasurring CXR, ECG and bloods all OK. Good luck OP

Oh, I don't think it sounds like asthma, either but good if you're getting lung function tests, they should do a FeNo test ( Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide). X

You’re not taking any beta-blockers are you? (Inc topical ones).

Same. It's my worst and most debilitating symptom.

So I think it could be an electrolyte imbalance, as can be a side effect of long term (prescribed) laxatives and would make sense that the inhaler was making it worse. Would also explain why I was so thirsty and peeing so much, why they struggled to take blood and the fast heart rate and that I was a bit bloated.

I didn’t intentionally stop taking it but was so tired I fell asleep a few nights in a row before taking it and stopped the inhaler around the same time and I’ve improved a lot over the last few days.

Doesn’t explain the burping but I guess that could be because of the way I was breathing 🤷🏻‍♀️

Will double check with the doctors though as could just be a coincidence and I would think the hospital will have checked my electrolyte levels as they said they’d ruled
out anything serious.

The breathing exercise link was really helpful, thank you.