Have any of you experienced shortness of breath

[fcombs]

After years of fatigue that is so great I can hardly get showered and dressed and out of the house, I am finding that one of my most severe problems related to this fatigue problem is shortness of breath. I had a complete physical last week, and some interesting things are turning up. I am having a stress test this week to see if my breath problems are heart related. However, several things have occurred to me. If whatever attacked my bladder and caused damage (and I believe this disease is systemic), why couldn't it attack another organ that is very similar. That would certainly be the lungs as they have an interstitial lining. I found a website and matched my symptoms up here, and my symptoms were most like symptoms related to interstitial lung disease. You can imagine how that word "interstitial" popped off the page.

Now, I'm not saying that's what is wrong, but to find out after all these years that my fatigue may be related to my lungs is quite an eye-opener. I took a breath test last week and did miserably on it.

I wanted to post this to make you aware that it might not just be "chronic fatigue" that is keeping you down. Nobody was more surprised than me at the revelation that I may have a pulmonary problem. I don't smoke. So, please, I would love to hear from you if you have shortness of breath and have been thinking it's from your IC and fatigue. You may want to have it checked out if you haven't already done so. And I would also love to hear from any IC patients who also have COPD. It has taken me a very long time to find a doctor who tuned in to this problem.

[ICNDonna]

I'm glad you are getting some medical attention for your breathing problem. Anyone who is experiencing shortness of breath should contact a doctor immediately and go to emergency room if you can't reach your doctor.

Donna

[waterflow]

I started having this a few years ago along with chest pains but mine I'm pretty sure is due to the fact that over the years the pain and fatigue got so big that I stopped exercising. When I was doing physical therapy part was walking every day and the out of breath wasn't as bad. I've tried to keep up with it so it comes and goes now. Some might be due to pills too.

[maryla]

WOW. that is quite interesting. I do have shortness of breath too sometimes. I just figured that it's from lack of exercise because of all my diseases. I have CF too and I hate being sooo exhausted all the time.

I hope you find some answers, and by all means, PLEASE keep us posted!

God bless,

[mlzippy7]

This is interesting. I have been having a lot of shortness of breath lately but blamed it on not being active because of all my pain.
Mary

[Silverfox]

Hey all, I also used to suffer with shortness of breath. It reached a point where I could not exercise or do any aerobics.

No chest pains. Doctors tested and tested, lungs ok, heart also ok and I did try asthma meds and that did not help.

I had to sleep with my head propped up on two deep pillows so I could sleep.

My kids were so annoyed that I would often have to take a deep sighing breath because I felt short of oxygen. They thought I was doing that deliberately. I was not. So, I tried for years to solve my breathing problems.

I saw many many Doctors over this time and none of them helped my painful bladder and severe frequency and so many other related conditions.

I had become so frightened of the Doctors as they deliberately tried to shame me and told my family that my problem was all mental problems and they all forced me into mental health treatments that never helped. I learned after years of such bad treatment to hide all my terrible health problems and go back to dealing with it alone. This was all before the computers in the home.

I felt like I was being suffocated and sometimes I would try to hike with my family on trips and vacations and get into trouble and then I would be at a high altitude and suddenly could not breathe and would have to be rescued by the park rangers or the parametics. I was so embarrassed and it scared me.

I wanted to be well and no one would help me. Everyone just turned their backs on me when I was so ill. It was systemic. I did not have a lung or heart problem and not mental either.

Finally, with the help of a relative far away I learned that I had the symptoms of low thyroid and I was tested and then began treatment. I began to slowly feel less tired and more energy.

I kept quiet and never told my Doctors about my shortness of breath and that was because I was so scared of Doctors and their power over my very life.

Finally, I saw a old Doctor at a teaching hospital for another related problem when I had to have surgery. At first, I told him nothing about all my other problems. On a return visit for something very simple, for some reason I just blurted out my entire story and he ended up talking for two hours to me. He explained that I was not taking enough thyroid hormone and increased it several times. It wasn't so long and I began to breathe better and better. I finally began to try my exercise aerobic classes and I could do them now without any problems.

Now I can do two hours of water exercise in a row and I try to go 3 to 4 times a week. When the weather gets better I want to start adding some walking outside so I can breathe in all the wonderful fresh air and sunshine and enjoy nature we are blessed with.

I am not suffocating anymore, and I am so thankful for being able to breathe in the wonderful air that is full of oxygen that the body needs to have. I am also very thankful to that wonderful Doctor who finally helped me return to breathing and for the wonderful thyroid hormone that I must take daily.

Now I can run after my new little Grandaughter and do things with her that I never could do with my own kids cause I was so sick. People never were sympathtic and now they cannot understand my joy in just breathing, simple life giving breathing.

Last summer I hiked with my daughter for 3 miles around a lake in Canada, and then we went swiming out to the dock, we sat in the warm sunshine and I just enjoyed being able to participate in something I had not been able to do for years. It was nearly 20 years that I had to avoid aerobic exercise and I missed so much with my kids.

Now, simple breathing is a real miracle to me!

Migraines are now gone!....where did they go?......I am thankful they are gone now, haven't had a headache for nearly a year!

Hey, I'm not getting older, but I am getting better!!!....I do praise God for it!!!......

Sincerely Silverfox

[mlzippy7]

Silverfox WOW that is amazing! I am so glad you finally found a doctor to listen. I know what you mean about keeping it inside. I gave up on doctors for awhile because they couldn't find anything wrong until I got really sick and was in the hospital for too long. Then the long list began!
I actually just had my blood drawn today for my thyroid. It will be interesting to see how it comes back.
Thanks for sharing.

[Silverfox]

Hey Zippy,

I had about half of your symptoms you have listed.(and a real long list of problems you do not have listed) I hope you can find something out and get to the bottom of your health problems.

What is so remarkable about my experience is that I have boxes of meds for so many problems and in the end I now take only about 3 simple medications for my health, plus vitamins. Thyroid, Miralax, and neurontin for my nerve damage. It's taken a bit of patience but it so much better. It is cheaper too, now I spend less money on prescriptions and other misc. health products.

When you get the results of your thyroid tests post back and share here, we are interested, and perhaps make some suggestions for you.

Good nite, God Bless, Silverfox

[PlainJane]

so many things can cause shortness of breath but yes i have had this problem in the past and my doctor treated me for an infection called babesia and the shortness of breath went away. also babesia can cause fatigue too.

[Mel53H]

I have COPD and asthma and have had shortness of breath. I use oxygen at night when I sleep. I take 3 different meds for my lungs.

It is very scary not being able to breathe. The meds help and I try to stay away from my triggers which is any kind of smoke, extreme weather, and some scents.

[donnadb40]

I also have shortness of breath... I have MAJOR problems with hot baths b/c they exacerbate the issue in a HUGE way! After a hot bath, I have to lie down and rest b/c my pulse rate and breathing is so high!!! Also, climbing my 13 stairs in my house is a huge chore, especially if I am carrying something like a load of laundry, laptop, etc..