Short of breath

[Min75]

I don't know what's wrong with me. I am in my late forties. I feel short of breath often, sometimes daily. This started a couple of years ago, but has got much more frequent in the last couple of months. I am perimenopausal. I also have endometriosis and adenomyosis. I take the progesterone only pill to help my endometriosis.
Apart from this my iron level is 20, which is normal, but the lower end of normal, my B12 is also the lower end of normal at 220 (lower limit is 197). I had cardiology tests like holter monitor, Echocardiogram and stress Echocardiogram a couple of years ago when this shortness of breath started and everything came back normal, so I was discharged from Cardiology.
I do suffer from anxiety at times, but I am not sure if the shortness of breath is linked to that or something else as I have this symptom even when I am not particularly anxious about anything. I feel like I can't get enough air and keep having to yawn multiple times in order to breathe properly. It feels awful and makes me feel lightheaded.
I have also become sensitive to certain food. I can no longer tolerate spicy foods, raw onions or acidic foods. I used to be able to tolerate these, but cannot anymore as it would add to the shortness of breath, plus those foods can give me heartburn.
I am so worried about all of this. My other bloods came back normal, my chest x-ray was normal, sitting to standing blood pressure was also normal and oxygen saturation was also 99-100 per cent. What could this be? Without a definite diagnosis, I can't get the right treatment and I am stuck with his uncomfortable breathing pattern.If anyone has been through this or has some knowledge about this, please help. Many thanks in advance.

Acid reflux can do this. Late onset asthma. Both linked to menopause. OH joy

Has anyone suggested or discounted asthma? It can come on as an adult. The feeling like you can't get enough air is how my uncontrolled asthma felt. I would feel worse after drinking, or in high or low temperatures.

Do any of your older relatives have breathing problems? There's a genetic thing called Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency. It affects liver and lungs so drinking can make your lungs feel worse. It causes me digestive problems as I think I have less bile. I have problems digesting onions, spices, fat, insoluable fibre. It is rare though. I think one in 25 carry the gene. It originates from vikings.

There's a difference between problems breathing in and breathing out. I have problems breathing out with COPD.

I am waiting to have a spirometry test. However, I was told that it is unlikely to be asthma, as there is no wheezing.The shortness of breath is much worse in the heat and the only relief is a fan. I have resorted to wearing a neck fan whilst at work and I am spending a lot of time In front of my tower fan at home, so I definitely feel that the shortness of breath is exacerbated by the hot weather.

None of my older relatives or anyone in my family has breathing problems.

Hopefully the spirometry will shed some light. I know thyroid problems can cause it and some auto immune conditions. Have you tried taking an anti histamine? There is a lot of pollen at the moment.

I have the yawning thing too ( sometimes I feel like I need an oxygen mask) and find an antihistamine helps.
Mine is usually associated with migraines.

I didn't have wheezing. A friend of mine was diagnosed without it too. If you can try an inhaler out and it helps, that would suggest to me that asthma may be the problem.

I have never wheezed but my spirometry test showed asthma. I'm worse in the summer, allergies so take fenofexadine. Another late oneet affliction. I have a twice a day preventer and a blue one for shortness of breath.

I'm also sensitive to our latest dog. That might be because she brings in pollen or maybe her dander

Onions, garlic, tomatoes, gluten, milk, bio washing powder. Sensitive to all these days.

When we've been abroad in the heat I'm fine asthma wise. Wales is damp and verdant.

Scented candles, plug ins. Forget it. I've had to step out of people's houses when those are lit or running.

I had this recently and believe it was a combination of health anxiety (I was waiting on biopsy results) and acid reflux.

I kept being aware of my breathing and felt like I was short of breath and not getting deep enough breaths. The more I thought about it, the worse. There were days where it bothered me for the majority of the day.

Once I got good news from the biopsy, I was way less anxious and the episodes became less frequent. The less attention I gave them, the less I experienced them.

Obviously this won't be the case for everyone, but it was psychosomatic in my case. The brain is incredibly powerful and I'd not discount anxiety.

I had very similar last year and still get it occasionally now. Had various tests and upshot was it was likely to be linked to acid reflux. You can have ‘silent’ reflux which doesn’t always cause classic symptoms but can include breathlessness (something to do with the acid particles getting into airways). I too have anxiety which definitely made it worse so I think it’s a tricky combo …

the fact certain foods make it worse would support the hypothesis of it being reflux related. Do you ever get random discomfort in your throat/ feeling of having to constantly clear your throat?

Agree it could be reflux and, in any case, would always try the cure for more straightforward conditions before rushing to obscure types of heart failure, etc.

Get some 20mg omeprazole or esomeprazole from the chemist or supermarket, take one daily and see if your symptoms show improvement in a week to ten days.

Also recommend a one-a-day antihistamine.

Min75, while iron and B12 are normal, you write that they are at the lower end. It may be that you need to increase your levels for these. I found myself struggling when my values were at the low end of normal. B12, I used delayed release tablets; iron, I used a bisglycinate formula every other day with a meal (sensitive gut otherwise). It might help, it might not but probably no harm in raising the values. With both, at the low end, I was struggling with light exercise, stairs and eventually walks of 10-15 minutes.

It could be your iron levels. The NHS guidelines for ferritin are not great - we should be aiming for frrritin to be around 100, and you can get some very nasty symptoms if it’s under 50, including feeling short of breath. Even if it turns out not to be due to that, try to up your iron with supplements and food sources as it may help.

@Min75 can I ask how you're feeling now? I've had shortness of breath for almost 12 months now. Bloods including iron, thyroid, b12, ferritin all normal. Had all the heart tests like you, also normal. Someday worse than others, someday I don't feel it at all.
43 so wondering if it's peri. Also noticed lower blood pressure (105/60) and heart palpitations, especially after eating.

Sounds like you’ve got reflux to me - mainly if the ‘silent’ type or LPR.

Yes my reflux is bad, palpitations caused by trapped wind I think after eating. My son is suffering too. He's eating porridge with Manukau honey the expensive one and says it is really helping.

I've bought some folic acid. The GP prescribed it a couple of years ago. Since then our surgery has crashed, nurses left can't get a blood test so I'm self diagnosing now.

People should say if they have a medical qualification if they are handing out medical advice.

Well if people could get to see a GP I'm sure they would.

@Min75 Did you get to the bottom of this? I could have written your post. I'm 42, heavy periods but not anemic as I take iron, ferritin 55, b12 350, Hb 12. Cardiology all checked out. Also feel like I can't get a full breath and need to yawn a lot. I can feel like this daily, but some days not noticeable. I don't have anxiety and haven't noticed any acid reflux.
GP mentioned PoTs but haven't been tested for that.

Anyone else in same boat?

Ferritin really needs to be over 100

A ferritin of 20 could definitely contribute to feeling short of breath.

It's also worth looking into Breathing Paterrn Disorders- the yawning is a classic sign

i get this with low iron - air hunger. Recommend taking an iron supplement and see if things improve. 20 is def too low.

My iron and ferritin are all good after taking ferrous fumerate for months but my symptoms are the same. I'm currently supplementing folate as my results back in the summer was folate 5, not sure if that was causing the issue.
I can't seem to get to the bottom of my daily air hunger

@Min75 how are you feeling now?

Hi everyone,

Apologies for the delay in replying. I had a bereavement and haven't been on Mumsnet much until now. I still have the same problem, I am still waiting for the spirometry test (long waiting times on the NHS), I am seeing a respiratory physiotherapist and doing some breathing exercises. I have good days and bad days. I think anxiety is a factor because I noticed my symptoms were much worse in January when I had a bereavement and I was particularly short of breath at the funeral. I have also noticed it is worse with certain foods. I have eliminated a lot of junk foods and this seems to help too. How are you all getting on?