I have been doctoring for 7 months with a cough and inability to breathe. The cough started last June. I waited until July to see my family doctor. He gave me cough medicine with codeine, an inhaler, and put me on prednisone. When I went back the next week for a follow-up, the cough was worse and I was struggling to breathe. He gave me another round of prednisone and changed the inhaler. At my follow-up visit with his the next week, he threw up his hands and sent me to a lung specialist and a heart specialist. Loooooooooooooooong story short, after EKGs and a nuclear stress tests, the heart doctor said, Whatever is causing your airway constriction, it s not coming from your heart. The lung specialist sent me for x-rays of the upper chest and neck, CT scans of the upper chest and neck, breathing tests at a local hospital, etc., and finally said, Whatever is causing your breathing issues, it s not coming from your lungs. So I find myself 7 months down the road, stil unable to breathe. The cough is virtually gone. Some days are good - - no breathing issues. Some days are HORRIBLE. I feel like an elephant is sitting on my chest, I feel like I m breathing through a sponge, and my whole chest aches. Odd as it may seem, if I lift my breasts with my hands, I can breathe better. ANY IDEAS?
Hi, I have read your medical history and feel sorry for the situation you are in. I am also happy to know that you do not have any problems with your heart or lung. That is great news. At this point, to my judgement the problems of breathing you are having could be related to: - stomach problems (gastritis, HERD)- being anxious/stressed out/work overload-living/working in an area polluted (fumes) or with high humidity suggest to:- often eat, small portions and slowly-do not lay down immediately after eating-discuss with your doctor to take a course with omeprazole-do abdominal ultrasound and upper endoscopy to rule out gastric/abdominal problems-do examination of stool for ova/parasites Hope it was of help! Chat Doctor. 