please help, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath...

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hunterhass

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hello everyone this is my first post. i am not usually into this kind of stuff but yeah, i have had acid reflex/gerd for pretty much the past 6 years, and its really getting out of hand. i a year ago it got so bad i just couldnt stand it anymore, and my dad took me to a alergy doctor. and i told him i had shortness of breath/ trouble breathing extremely bad..and it was getting unbearable and i told him i would feel sick in the mornings when i ate food...and a bunch of other pointless stuff, and he pretty much said i had acid reflex because a lot of the males in my family tend to get acid reflex. so he perscribed prevacid...i took that for about 4 months and it worked pretty good...and then it started dying off and i got the shortness of breath symptoms back...then i took nexium...and it helped for a couple of months, then the same thing happend..the medicine started dying off and the symptoms kept comming back. and i went back to the doctor a week ago cuz i had the difficulty breathing symptoms again, and he said to try amping up the dosage of nexium..so i took it like 2 to 4 times a day..and amazingly still! nothing helped it!!!! so i am sitting here pretty much every day feeling like i want to kill my self because i can barly breath half the time. its really depressing feeling like this. and it pretty much only happens badly righjt after i eat food..but anyways i need some tips or advice or something, or just let me know if you have had the same feeling as me..and please tell me what to do....and along with the difficulty breahting thing,, comes this really big pressure in my chest and stomache.....this happens every day and im trying to make an end to this. please help!!!!!!! btw im geting an endoscopy or whatever you call it..in 4 days
 
I am posting for the first time as well. I am at my wits end. This started about 8 weeks ago for me. I too am on Nexium. First it was difficulty swallowing - now it is difficulty breathing when I lay down. Burning in my chest and a desert like throat. I can relate to your frustration. I dred night time. Sometimes using saline helps. I am getting the hot flashes after taking the medicine as well. Elevating my head with pillows does not work. Going to try the Enzymes tomorrow and sleeping in another room where I can elevate the bed. Thanks for sharing.
 
Read licorice will CURE Acid Reflux. I just purchase a bottle today. Called DGL chewable licorice extract. Hope it works for me and you!
 
Hi,

I do hae the same symptoms. It started 3 years back. I had tightness in tight and i felt that i was not able to breathe fully. I got scared to rushed to hospital. Tried Neblulizer but of no use. My ECG, Peack Flow, X-Ray....everything was normal.This continued for 3-4 days. For the whole day i was struggling to breathe. It was becoming worst at night. Not able to sleep and spent 2 days sitting against my couch. I would have the feeling that something got stuck i my throat and i am choking. Once after lunch i had to trush the ER where they did Endoscopy and the report was normal There after one month of agony for the first time my Gastroentrologist gave me Parit 20mg(PPI). It did magic fro me and i started getting well very fast. Breathing Trouble, Half Yawning..... everything got cured. I would rarely have the burning sensation but yes a lot of burping. Doctors said it's silent Acid Reflux. The culprit for this was my fooding habit in those days. I would spend my days on Coffee and would have eggs in dinner.

Now after 3 years the problem started again. I was in Gulf for 4 months and my food routine was irregular. I started feeling Cough (especially in morning and then continue for the whole day),Hoarsenes, and most troublesome of them is Tightness in chest and breathing trouble. I visited the doctors again and they changed the medicine. They gave me Nexpro Fast40 mg. In 10 days i was feeling better and Hoarseness disappeared. But the Breathing trouble is still there. But this time it is different kind of Breathing Trouble. Earlier ias feeling the Chest Tightness on either side and not in the middle of the chest. When i would take deep breathe from my nose at lease i wiuld feel thta something is going/filling in the middle of the chest. But now i feel that my breath is not filling aither in the middle or on either side of the chest. I feel like suffocated. It accompanies with cough. I keep on coughing non stop. These coughs are half and small like whopping cough. This is new to me and started last week only.

I am not able to concentrate or do my normal work due to this breathing problem. I do not go out alone fearing that anytime my breathing will stop. One thing which helps me is a glass of hot water. Whenever i take a glass of Hot Water with Azwaine (Indian Spice) during this BReathing Trouble it gives me relieves in 5-10 ins time.
 
benzos - My breathing trouble felt exactly as you've described it - it was as though I just could not get a deep breath, and I was yawning ALOT. This was when my chest pain was also at its worst, so I wasn't (and still am not) sure if the breathing trouble was directly related to the reflux or indirectly related to the anxiety I was having at the time. In any case, I had the breathing difficulty for a period of about 2 weeks and then it subsided.
 
Hi,

I had this endoscopy 3 years. Nothing came out. Should i go for it again? From symptoms it is clear that it's related to Acidity only. Thye only thing i need to find out that it is not affecting my Lungs.
 
Hi Hunter! Thanks for sharing your story. Don't worry you aren't alone. I am sorry you feel so bad. I am so glad you are getting the Endoscopy. That will really help you to find out what is going on in there. You will get the help you need. I had my first Endoscopy exactly a week ago. I was pretty scared but it ended up being way easier than I thought. You don't feel a thing and it's over quickly. I have trouble breathing with my reflux trouble too. It is frightening and depressing. Mine is tied in with my allergies. I really changed the way I was eating too and it really helps. It is a day by day thing and you will get it figured out and feel better. Just hang on there... ok?!:angel:
 
hey thanks for responding to my post, so what did they find out when you did your endoscopy? and you should inform me about the whole dieting thing..ive been seeing a lot of that stuff on the internet for people with acid reflex but it seems like every sort of food pretty much gives me problems. what are some good fooRAB people with acid reflex should eat? and what should i avoid..other than alcohol/spicy fooRAB/ and sugary fooRAB...
 
I have started Homepathic medicine for last 3 weeks and felling much better now. It's not completely cured but my Doc is saying that it will be completely and permanently cured in 3 months time.

I'm feelin' better.
 
Raj, I used to drink hot cocoa, and it helped my throat too, think I'd leave off the spices though. If you have an opportunity for another endo, I would go for it, things may have changed internally since your last one.
 
This is my biggest fear and my biggest acid related symptom. I dont know how they are going to test but my doctor thinks my breathing problems may be acid related and its got very bad and permanant.

Edit: Can anyone explain what this breathing problem feels like?
For me if I try I can consciously take a deep breath. If its not conscious it feels like my breathing is extremely shallow and if I exert myself it gets worse so I am forced to take a deep breath to continue. Mine is NOT anxiety, I meditate daily and mostly feel relaxed. When I breathe in I feel as though there is a wedge in my upper chest and something stopping my diaphrgam from working properly. I have a hiatus hernia but its less than 2 cms and dont think its that.

Benzos
 
Hi All,

Firstly Its kinda reassuring to know I'm not the only person in the world suffering with breathing problems. In my case I've been treated for ashthma for the last 15 years but it got a lot worse last summer and since then I have been constantly unable to breathe properly which has seriously affected my life. My asthma meRAB no longer work and I'm now on the max medication for Asthma. My doctor thinks its something called Neutrophillic Asthma and he's put me on antibiotics full time but that hasn't worked either. Anyways, having read this string I'm convinced I have GERD and that it is at least playing a role part in my breathing difficulties. I totally relate to benzos breathing patterns. I used to get terrible burning in the stomach and have been taking a tablet called lansoprazole for nearly 5 years now which stops the buring in my stomach but doesn't stop the reflux, which I've been having for years. I'm definately going to the doctor armed with all this information and will try some of the remedies you've mentioned in the meantime so thanks to everybody.
To the original post. I totally hear you and know your pain. I too have often wondered what's the point in living if it has to be like this, but over the course of the last 2 years I've had ups and downs. Its a war not a battle so make sure you win the war! I'm determined to.
 
Hi guys i have never done this either but i have been reading all your stories. I have trouble breathing as well from time to time. There was a stage where i thought i was having a heart attack and was raced to hospital. All tests came in positive and i had heart tests breathing tests etc. The cause they believe was anxiety . I have been very good for a long time now nearly 1 year . I was on aropax and tried to do more exercise. I went to a shrink who helped me with my breathing and relaxation techniques. I am not a panicky person and very calm. I like others still believe its not anxiety and many people that know me dont believe it either. i have come to the relisation that its something that i need to deasl with. When you have anxiety the first step is admitting you have it then its treatable. Dont get me wrong i do have a stressfull job and am not suicidle in any way. Maybe some psycological help and breathing techniques if its not something medical could help? let me know your thoughts. My next step is to see about my sinusis
 
Take digestive enzymes with everything you eat, for a couple of months, and see if that helps. I bet it will. Take proteases with protein, lypase with fats, amylase with carbs. etc.
A good blend will include all.
Oh, and bromelain enzyme is great for sinus trouble, if you take enough of it. Try it, you'll like it. Well, not the taste maybe. Capsules are best. If they are vegetable, (the capsule itself), wait 20 minutes before eating. If it's a gelatin capsule, you can take them immediately before eating. This goes for all digestive enzyme capsules, not just bromelain.
If you are allergic to pineapple, avoid the bromelain.

Enzy
 
I can't believe my journey to seek wellness started over a year ago. I like others have become my own advocate to find relief from this terrible state of existing. But you are worth the fight. Don't give in, continue to fight the battle. I have seen probably more than 8 doctors and countless tests and home remedies since my last post, including a couple of ER visits. After being diagnosed with GERD, LPR (acid reflux that affects the throat) and of late Gastropersis (spelling?) slow stomach emptying. My best results have been to eat smaller meals even though I feel hungry after eating and spread them out over the course of the day up to six times. Stop eating at least 3 hours before going to bed (that is a hard one). Cut out hard to digest fooRAB like tomato based (chilli, spaghetti, sausage, hot/spicy anything, fried, processed meats like hot dogs, dairy,) and cut way back on other hard to digest fooRAB like nuts and raw vegetables which I love. I sometimes make green smoothies (spinach, lettuce, frozen fruit, carrots etc). I sleep with the head of my bed elevated. Pillows do NOT work. Can use concrete blocks (the gray ones with the two holes in them), Walmart now sells the elevation blocks fairly cheaply. This has been the best results of all. Not sure this helped but I also had my vents proressionally cleaned and use a room air filter if my breathing seems like it is going back the other way. I consume mostly all natural and organic products - it gets expensive but is worth it. I can either pay money for medicine or eat healthier. That's my justification anyway. I am medicine free until I get off track i take nexium, to help, pray and then over time it works itself out. Of course I still go out to eat occasionally but really watch what and how much I eat. If I overeat, what is normal amounts for the average person my food starts to back up into my throat (lump), nose runs like allergies and I can not breathe well. It is a pattern that gets extremely worse when I lay down. I gasp for air. I do have the pain in the center of my chest, more so when I am experiencing the symptoms like a rib is broken and it is catching my skin. I did go to an allergist because the upper respiratory, sinus and throat problems were thought to come from allergies, only to find out it is common to those with gastropresis to have these sypmtoms. To my surprise I don't have any allergies at all. She referred me to a gastro doctor he ran a series of test some he had to run multiple times because my stomach was not emptying for hours at a time. The food was backing up into my esophecus (sp?). Wow - i have experienced so much relief, and hardly ever have the breathing problems as long as i stick to the plan. Be your own advocate - you may have to push your way through a series of doctors until you find the answer - it is out there somewhere. PS I found out that most of the medicine i was taking my stomach was not digesting any way. Talk with your doctor may need to sprinkle on food if capsule or crush using a pill crusher. Not all meRAB can be taken that way but if you can't maybe try getting it in liquid form. Oh and start journaling what you eat with dates and times, when your symptoms appear better or worse. It may take months but may find a pattern. Watch for two hours after you eat and document how you feel. Wellnesseeker
 
Wellnesseeker, thank you so much for that informative account of your condition. I am also a 'newbie' and like all other newbies looking for information on the internet as doctors are reluctant to give any. Just reading some of the postings on this site has helped me to realise what I've been suffering for months! I have been put on antibiotics for throat infections since Noveraber, which didn't work and felt such a hypochondriac for returning to my doctor with even worse symptoms. Finally..a diagnosis! Now I feel like I can actually DO something which in itself is a relief. I have just started taking medication so we shall see how that goes. I think your advice about the diet though, is excellent. Already I can tell which fooRAB are more aggresive with this condition and I will begin a strict regieme of not eating 4 hours before bedtime, that's good common sense advice! I must say, I never though oesophageal/acid reflux could be so painful :( It's great to have this site to see that I'm not alone. With regard to the breathing problems, I've had that too, but I think it was also probably due to some anxiety with feeling my throat restricted by this condition and that can be scary. I find it's helpful to breathe slowly through your nose if you can and just try to relax, knowing that it's highly unlikely that the airways will be blocked even though they feel that way. Thanks everyone. Coblanca :angel:
 
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