Feel Like can't get a full breath

[Unregistered]

My husband, for a few months now, has been having a hard time breathing. He is 32 and it seems to get worse when exercising or lying or sitting. He has been told he has GERD and is being treated for that but the medicine has not help the breathing issue at all. The doc says there is nothing wrong they have done xrays and ct scans and from what they say all looks fine. But there has to be something that is causing this breathing problem??? He says it feels as if he can't get a full breath ever and it gets worse at night when he is laying down. Any ideas from anyone on what this may be or routes to check out with the docs would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

[jsruby]

Check your air quality - pollution and pollen - see if the breathing gets worse at high pollution times http://www.weather.com/maps/activity...ml?from=airqfl

Shortness of breath could be a sign of allergy, have you been exposed to anything different at work or home - cleaning products etc.. taken different medications, eating anything different?

[ralph]

I would suggest seeing a Chiropractic Doctor who has experience (and of course good results) adjusting ribs.

I have had a good number of patients that have had difficulty taking deep breaths due to one or more of their ribs not moving correctly when they breathe. The chest will not expand correctly when the rib movement is restricted. Call some local DCs to see if they have experience doing that.

[acuann]

I would also suggest trying acupuncture as it works wonderfully for all sorts of upper respiratory disorders. I have a mild case of adult onset asthma which is kept under control with occasional acupuncture and Chinese herbs. I have also treated many patients with similar symptoms your husband experiences. It really works and has been the main form of medicine in China for 3,000 years.

Visit www.acufinder.com for info and to find a practitioner near you.

Best wishes.
DOM

[kenn]

It depends a bit on what you mean by a hard time breathing. If he is gasping for air, then it is obviously respiratory. If it just feels like he can't breathe properly, then this could be caused by his digestive problems. By bet is this is what it might be.

[Unregistered]

THank you all for your responses! IT is a feeling of not getting a good breath I guess you could say. He just always feels kind of out of breath not gasping for air. I will pass your responses on to him.

[deadlysauce]

Yeah, the GERD will cause a tightness or heavy feeling that makes breathing feel less...hmm...satisfying? I got that a lot when I had bouts of acid reflux. It will just take time for his esophagus to heal up, and make sure he's taking any meds he's prescribed. Also, if you arent already, try propping the head end of your bed up, or have him sleep slightly propped. This helps keep acid out of the esophagus during sleep, which will cause the irritation that makes him feel this way.

Hope this helps!

[Unregistered]

Babesia (a tick borne infection) can cause air hunger.

Look at www.canlyme.com for more information.

[Unregistered]

I go through phases where I feel like I can't breath deep enough. It is very frustrating and the more frustrated I get, the worse it gets. My doctors say it was anxiety or depression. However, I disagree.

The symptoms first appeared after taking a prescription weight loss drug, Meridia. My lungs were only functioning at 78% so they took me off the meds. I never had a problem with my breathing prior to that, and I have had the problem every since. It has not gone away.

Had your husband been taking any new meds prior to his attack?

[student]

I' d like to suggest, tests for asthma, for instance lung function test, histaminetest. Your husband can ask the doctor for bronchodilator medication (ventolin) and peak flow meter.
@ unregistered, your lung function 78% is too low, has to be 80% or more. Ask your doctor about medication for astma and try to exclude everything that also causes lower lung function.
I've got allergic astma, when i'm not stable I feel like I can't breath enough, have problems with exercise, wake up during night with breathing problems. Usually I don't weeze, but the doctor told me that not every astmapatient weezes.
Hope you'll get diagnosed soon!