Heart/Lung worries, please help calm me

[PoppyGreenDay126]

As the title says, I am worried there is something wrong with my heart or lungs, I don't expect a diagnosis as waiting for further tests, but would be good to know if anyone experienced anything similar.

For last year and a half, I've struggled with:
-Breathlessness/air hunger at rest
-Sometimes elevated HR at rest (95bpm), although normal resting pulse is 72bpm
-Low bp ( my normal was 117/70, now it's more like 100/65)

I've had ECG and blood all normal. A while back i had low ferritin at 15 which was brought up to 65 with iron tabs, but still had the same symptoms with ferritin of 65. B12 350. Hb 12. Thyroid etc all normal. Currently waiting on echo and chest Xray.

The air hunger bothers me the most. It's not like feeling breathless after a run, it's more like not being able to get a full satisfying breath.

I can still go up my 3 flights of stairs at home without feeling breathless but my legs do ache once at the top. I do floor exercises like sit ups ,weights etc no problem but on days when I feel more air hunger, it's harder for me to ride my apex bike.

I don't feel like this all the time. I might have a week of feeling fine and I can exercise on my bike vigoursly, but some weeks are harder ( like today).

I'm 43, female, slim, no known health issues.

I guess I'm looking for anyone with similar exercise while I wait as I have terrible HA

Thanks for reading

Hi Op. I'm not a doctor but it sounds like anxiety. I know it's hard to hear but I had the same experience for many years.

I got my ferritin up to 118 and fitted a mirena to stop bleeding. If you are still bleeding, you will still be losing ferritin stores so you could look into that.

Also look into deep relaxation yoga/breathing exercises.

I taught myself to breathe hard into my diaphragm, that stops any 'over breathing' in its tracks.

@Gardeningsideeffects thank you for responding. It definitely isn't anxiety as I noticed the air hunger coincides with the low bp. What I don't understand that is on somedays I will totally fine and then I won't. I don't know if it could be peri but I thought that was meant to raise bp...

@PoppyGreenDay126 I also have low BP. also found out during peri that I'm hypermobile. Being in peri made no difference to my BP.

But yes it used to come and go for me too.

You should try breathing exercises. Can't hurt.

I'm still not convinced it's anxiety as I don't feel anxious at all, although I will give the breathing technique a go..

Can anyone else relate to this?

No help as I’m also not a doctor but I wanted to say I do understand the description of air hunger. I’m experiencing that exact feeling. Usually for me it’s when I exercise, even just a light walk if I’ve eaten anything. I have to rest for at least an hour even after a sandwich or I get the air hunger and feel nauseous and if I push through I faint. My doctor suggested it’s something to do with a vaso-vagal reaction 🤷🏻‍♀️ but hasn’t suggested anything to help. Please come back and update us if you get a diagnosis.

@EveryKneeShallBow I will update.

I find the air hunger odd as its not like I'm breathless and panting, it's more like I can't get a satisfying breath. o2 sats are always at 98/99% when I feel like this (also tested when with GP).

@EveryKneeShallBow just to update, I had lots of tests including 7day holter ECG, 24-hour bp monitor, chest Xray and echocardiogram and more bloods. All normal except HR is high (av 95bpm) and BP low (average 100/60). Cardiologist seems happy with results, no cause found. Been given a drug to reduce HR.
I still feel episodes of breathlessness but is a bit better than in the summer. Still don't know why my BP is now consistently low. Wondering whether peri could be causing this as symptoms fluctuate so much, I could be doing fine for a week then suddenly have a bad day.

Thanks for updating. I’m sorry you haven’t found a complete solution but I hope the tests have helped you feel calmer. I still experience the air hunger occasionally but I stopped taking one of my BP meds and it seems to have reduced the symptoms. Best wishes.

I think hyperventilating can cause what you call air hunger. Again it's anxiety.
You can get into a habit of over breathing because you are worried about being out of breath.
Have you been given a beta blocker?

have you been tested for asthma?
many people don't wheeze, but just feel they can't get enough air in.
and not being able breathe properly affects heart rate/blood pressure.
medication helps. as do breathing exercises.

@beigetriangle yes I have and it's not that. Plus there's more a link with asthma and high bp, not low bp.

@EveryKneeShallBow thanks, I do feel calmer after serious heart issues we're ruled out. They also ruled of pulmonary hypertension which I was worried about.
Do you have high bp then?

@TheHouseofBamboo I'm on another drug that reduces HR without lowering bp, so not beta blocker. Anxiety does play a part but I don't think it's the cause.

Someone mentioned dysautonomia, although haven't had that looked into yet...

I’m going through a similar thing, the air hunger I hate but I only seem to get this when laying in bed and I do think it’s an anxiety loop, been getting heart palpitations since end of August, adrenaline dumps when trying to fall asleep. My resting HR is ok but it’s so up and down during the day, however I’m now obsessed with checking it on my Garmin which I know doesn’t help!

Have you had your folate level checked? I’ve experienced air hunger when either my b12 or folate are low. You mentioned your b12 was 350 which is the low-ish end of normal for NHS but considered low in other countries. I’d ask for folate to be checked and consider supplementing b12 if folate is fine.

I have asthma with fixed airway obstruction. It is diagnosed via spirometry and ideally a full lung function test. But spirometry will give an indication if there is obstruction there in which case an inhaler could help. I also get dynamic hyperinflation on (even very mild) exertion and this results in air hunger. Upright is worse than seated exercise. My blood pressure tends low. My heart rate spikes high on exercise relative to the work involved. Cold air can cause bronchoconstriction so I am also worse in cold weather than warm. My O2 sats are resolutely 97 or higher however difficult breathing is. It sounds as though lungs have not been given proper consideration and it is a simple thing to get the GP to address. And, I would say, obvious given the air hunger. My air hunger first started making itself known in my mid 40s. It is worth you researching how to do pursed lip breathing because that could help you get through air hunger. I cannot now exercise without doing it but back when first diagnosed I could force myself through. Lungs are less elastic now, though!

My blood pressure low, marmite helps, mines a Parkinson s things

LFT and spirometry done, it's not asthma. Also I feel worse in heat than cold. B12 and folate checked, all very good, b12 now 425.

@itwasntme2019 sorry to hear you have the air hunger. Do you have low bp too? Have you had any tests?

It’s been low (for me) a couple of times but I’m trying not to take it often as it’s usually elevated every other time. Had a 24 hour ECG mid September and an echo Wednesday so awaiting results for both. I had full bloods done in March and Ferratin was low, it was up to 35 in July which is still not great apparently but falls into ‘ok’ levels for the UK standards. I’m adamant I have POTS

@itwasntme2019 I hope you get some answers with your test results. I also wonder about POTs but my cardiologist didn't talk about that as a possibility.

What baffles me the most is why, over the past year, my BP, which used to be 117/72 is now, on average 100/65. Drs haven't given me any answers. I thought perimenopause was meant to cause high BP (I'm 44)

If you weren't anxious you wouldn't be tracking your statistics. When did this begin? Did it coincide with anything else going on in your life? Any family history of ill-health or heath anxiety?

Just a thought, have you looked at ilo - Inducible laryngeal obstruction? It is common among asthmatics but isn't exclusive to asthmatics and very easily treatable with breathing exercises if it is the cause of air hunger.

Did they check your DLCO in the lung function test? That rules out a range of non asthma related lung conditions, but not sure it is part of standard astham testing. I think its the first thing that declines (the ability of the lungs to convert the air you breathe into oxygen for your blood cells, mediated by having enough healthy and not damaged surface area of healthy lung tissue if that makes sense. So in lung diseases the surface area of the lung is damaged).