Good but bad

[mummyanxious]

So I'm still feeling fairly positive but I'm fairly worried about some symptoms. I'm not being all panicky weird about them all the moment. I'm more concerned and not sure how to get someone to take me seriously as they just obviously see HA on my notes and that's it.

So I keep getting short of breath. Last night I had tightness under my ribs where my bra band sits. It's gone mostly this morning. Thought it might just be tension. But I keep getting this feeling where my ribs part in the middle which is like a round ball of shortness of breath. It makes my mouth feel odd and I just don't feel right.

The dr said hyperventilation when I said but it happens when I'm not tense and sometimes when I'm talking its like something cramps up and it happens and I don't feel like my breathing is odd at all. I know it has been before now.

I'm 'concerned' not 'panicking' that it is my heart or lungs, like a blockage. It happens sometimes when I bend over and I can feel intensely sick with it. It's like something is getting cut off.

It's not the usual run of the mill shortness of breath you get with anxiety.

I'm obv going to discuss this at my dr app but does anyone have any suggestion?

---------- Post added at 10:55 ---------- Previous post was at 10:52 ----------

What I'm saying is something isn't quite right. It's not 'normal'. It's like anything that puts strain at my ribs is causing these sensations. Any bending, talking, even deep breathing.

[hanshan]

I'm no expert, so I did a quick web search for causes of shortness of breath - and one web page came back with about sixty different potential causes. You really need to ascertain a medical cause from your doctor that you are in agreement with. NMP posters can give advice on how to deal with conditions either diagnosed or undiagnosed, but it's your doctor who ultimately makes the diagnosis.

[mummyanxious]

Yes I know that I did say I was going to discuss it with my dr. I just can't understand why it's happening when I'm scrunched up or bent over etc :(

[Catherine S]

But last night you said you are fully aware that you have HA mummyA and that you're on board with it. I don't think you are fully accepting that the symptoms are HA if you still think after such a long time having them, that they are because of something sinister, and you keep wanting to ask your doctor about your symptoms. If you were truly accepting of HA then you would be asking for help with anxiety and panic symptoms and not constantly asking if your heart is damaged etc...if you get what I mean? So, if your doctor tells you again this time, that there is nothing wrong with your heart, will you believe him?

---------- Post added at 10:49 ---------- Previous post was at 10:45 ----------

Mummy...I forgot to mention that the feelings you get when bending over could be down to the Vagus nerve. This is the biggest nerve in our body and runs from the base of the brain to the groin, and meanders through various organs including the stomach and heart. If this nerve is irritated it can cause symptoms like a rapid, irregular heartbeat and this can be produced simply by bending over. I read that somewhere, and it has been proven to be true so could be something as simple as this with your problem too.

[mummyanxious]

ISB its very hard to explain what I mean. I know I have HA and I know that my other symptoms I experience are to do with that.
The problem lies in when do you know which is HA and what is an actual thing. That's why I said I know i get shortness of breath with anxiety but that feels different to this.
This happens when there is some pressure created into chest.

So the second part of your message is what I was trying to get out by posting this thread. Is there something that could be causing these sensations? If its the nerve then maybe that's right.

It's frustrating for both parties to adequately explain themselves in a forum I suppose. Your head knows what you're trying to say but you can't find the right words.

---------- Post added at 12:03 ---------- Previous post was at 12:00 ----------

Oh and I haven't had these symptoms for such a long time, only two weeks. It got worse when I took the sertraline but is still persisting after stopping taking them.

The other day I can't over to pick up washing, felt this ball of tightness and shortness of breath and then felt overwhelmingly like I was going to vomit. And this was long before my sickness bug. I'm confident its nothing to do with that.

[Catherine S]

Ah right, you're going back to the docs to ask why you still have these new symptoms, is that what you mean? I was confused sorry, as i thought you'd already been to ask him about these too. When is your appointment mummy?

[mummyanxious]

Its not till Friday :(
Yes I have spoken to them about it but because at the time i'd got so much going on and was such a mess they just sort of got brushed aside because you can only say so much in ten minutes can't you? That's when the hyperventilation was suggested because of the mouth symptoms.

I'm trying to reason that maybe my chest has been so tense that my diaphragm is so tight it's restricting my breathing etc. I don't know. I'm trying to not think the worse but these symptoms are quite nasty.

---------- Post added at 12:17 ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 ----------

Whatever it is is making me feel sick, and its not from the sickness bug because that's all gone now.

[Catherine S]

If only you knew how much sense you make about your own symptoms. You've cracked the nail on the head with that analysis mummy, because every part of us is affected by tension...even our eyes which is why people living with panic and fear often look like they're staring! But hyperventilation is definately a symptom of tension as is anything to do with the digestive system, heart and breathing. The diaphragm is situated above your stomach and below your lungs so its a prime candidate for affecting both...that's why pregnant women always feel nauseas and can't get a full breath. Now it sounds like its nervousness and tension causing the same symptoms for you....not very nice.

[mummyanxious]

See my post has done some good as you've given me a rational alternative until Friday!

---------- Post added at 12:36 ---------- Previous post was at 12:35 ----------

I know my breathing is an issue in part because I am a chest breather and I also hold my breath apparently. I don't realise I'm doing it.
Not sure how to retrain myself..

[Catherine S]

Now all you have to do is stop bending over until then lol! That's not as rude as it sounds :ohmy::D

[mummyanxious]

Hehehe
Trouble is my posture is do bad too that I'm sort of constantly bent at the middle. If I straighten up I have right old pain and trouble keeping my back straight :( Need to get back to the chiropractor!

[Catherine S]

Ahh, even more info there mummy. Posture and breathing goes hand-in-hand. I'm a bit of a slouchy person too..wonder how many of us bad-breathers are slouchy on here...interesting though, and if we aren't breathing right it affects our heart rate too.

[mummyanxious]

But does anyone get mouth sensations? It's very difficult to describe. It's kind of numb, cold, tingly, and sometimes goes up into my nose. It's odd to describe. That's why he said it was hyperventilation.
But why the intense nausea with it....

[Catherine S]

The nausea will be the diaphragm and stomach thing most probably mummyA. The mouth sensation? I havent personally experienced it sorry...everything else you describe I know, but not the mouth thing. But somebody else will have, as it all affects people in slightly different ways. Try to stay positive until the docs on friday.

[mummyanxious]

I am so much better than I was a few weeks ago but keep having moments when I am completely worried this is a narrowing in my coronary artery or problem with my aorta or something awful. I get words coming into my head I don't even know the symptoms of (as I don't google) and that worried me its that. I know I have age on my side but I've been under do much stress :(

---------- Post added at 19:37 ---------- Previous post was at 16:45 ----------

So I was thinking well ok this could be hyperventilation. So I go onto a fairly innocent source patient.co.uk (which my gp had referred me to in the past for helpful leaflets on anxiety etc) and it says amongst everything else hyperventilation can precipitate angina....ffs....cue my hard work yesterday down the drain...

[Catherine S]

And all my hard reasoning today lol!

[mummyanxious]

Yes indeed ISB. Just waiting to see the dr as I can't stand these symptoms till Friday worrying whether I'm going to drop down :( They all think I'm barking they really do but my mind is the clearest atm that its been in a long while.

[JustJules]

Ha just been on Patient uk looking up angina and angiograms as I think I have angina and it was terrifying!!! Just got myself so stressed out now .... Some people have had really bad experiences during the procedure ...really scared now..:weep:

[mummyanxious]

You think or the dr thinks Jules?

---------- Post added at 21:57 ---------- Previous post was at 21:55 ----------

I did mention this to the dr today, and he laughed and said well yes to those akin to that kind of thing. I thought, well.....not very reassurring... will mentioj it again at my normal app on Friday but I'll get nowhere with that Dr as she doesn't even listen to my chest or do any sats on me.

---------- Post added at 21:58 ---------- Previous post was at 21:57 ----------

I just couldn't get my point across about how it;s like the air in my body goes hot and tastes metalic when I have these episodes. It may well be hyperventilation and my muscles are then going nuts but it's very scary and like nothing I've ever had before.

[Marie36]

Mummy A..it took me a long time to get my head around this for myself but the reason a gp etc doesn't do certain tests is because based on your symptoms they don't need to. They don't mess about with hearts and if any of your symptoms raised alarm bells you would have further tests. Change your doc maybe but if the same happens with another you must trust them. It sounds like you have had many tests..my gp told me that anything too serious would show up on these tests. I have six ecgs at the gp and a & e..I figure they can't all be wrong!! It was only at this point I started to feel better..I was at a stage that I wanted to request every test for everything! As a nurse I know this will never happen...maybe I have got some rare heart condition that has been missed by every test but I cannot control this..its time to stop

Take Care x

[Lilharry]

I remember having something similar to this! I would get all sorts of weird breathing problems that are almost impossible to explain. I gave up on doctors because unless you have something diagnosible they can't help. I see a naturopath now and feel so much better in every way.

[mummyanxious]

It's back again this morning. I was absolutely fine going about stumbling around my room getting ready slowly. Been bending over for a while picking up stuff off the floor and diddly my breath is short again and my tongue feels numb, the the air in my mouth had changed taste again and I feel nauseous. Below my ribs feels cut off again like something is being strangled! My brain keeps thinking aorta but I don't have any knowledge so it feels out as I am clueless. Roll on tomorrow but as I say she'll almost laugh at me. That sounds harsh but I think its her way of getting me to accept stuff.
Oh and cramping in the hand. No pain just cramping. This of course could be down to the rib pain but its hard to know where one thing stops and the other starts....

---------- Post added at 08:09 ---------- Previous post was at 07:35 ----------

So being very naughty I've looked in Wikipedia at anatomy and come up with the inferior vena cava and everything points to some irregularity here. It's getting squashed or something and that's stoping to air in the top of my body. I really am going to not rest till tomorrow :(