Upper Chest Discomfort & Inhaling Difficulty

[joshuaainsworth]

Hello again,

For the past three days I've had this nagging sensation of fullness or perhaps air or gas at the top of my lungs where the sternum meets the rib cage, this has been accompanied pretty much constantly by a feeling of not inhaling properly 90% of the time, similiar to 'air hunger' I suppose, almost like it's harder to breathe in than out.

I'm not particularly concerned as my anxiety symptoms seem to change every few days or so just to keep me on my toes!

Still there's always a worry it's something nasty at the back of mind and it's especially annoying when I'm trying to go to sleep.

I've been to the doctors quite a bit lately after my bout of pneumonia 6 weeks ago and I've been told I have health anxiety and then told I may have asthma then I don't have asthma and now apparently I do, so I have a blue Salbutamol inhaler which I take some times when I feel a bit tight chested I'm pretty sure that I don't have asthma as I don't wheeze or cough, I think I've just become unfit after a month of not doing anything but coughing, lying down and watching crap T.V.

Anyone else get anything similiar?

Josh.

[Jimbo1189]

Sometimes i do get the feeling that i am not usin my lungs to their full potential but think of it as that really trying to use 100% of your lungs all the time is not good either because it means your aware your really grasping for air. Ideally it should be a smooth breath in and out without even thinking of your lungs, however i realise that it doesnt feel like it sometimes but i can assure you that you are using your lungs to what you need to use them. Anxiety can make it feel very laboured sometimes. However i am not a doctor and if this is concerning you unduly you should make a appointment at your GP and let them see, but i highly highly doubt that theres anything wrong at all my friend.:)

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi Joshua

I have upper chest discomfort & breathing difficulty a lot. My chest feels tight like I need to lift something off of it!

I expect yours maybe because you've had pneumonia. Do you feel any better when you've taken the inhaler?

Els

[joshuaainsworth]

Thank you for your kind replies.

It doesn't really get any better with the inhaler, and my doctor thinks that sending me for an ECG or a Chest X Ray wouldn't prove any benefit, he's probably right.

It is probably repercussions from the pneumonia.

Thanks :)

Josh.

[Welsh.Baz]

On the asthma front, when they said you got asthma did they do some kind of action plan with you to work alongside your peakflow findings?

[New Start]

Hello Josh, sorry you are feeling crappy. I have asthma,left over from a lung condition not too dissimilar from pneumonia,i had sarcoidosis,which scars the lungs too. My asthma has improved alot over the last 3yrs,since my all clear,so hopefully if you have asthma,yours will too.
As to the inhaler, if it does not make your chest better,i doubt it is asthma.The blue inhaler should give instant relief.I get similar breathing difficulties from my panic; ie,cant fill my lungs,feel like 'leaky bellows',breathless,constricted chest. [these can be the symptoms of hyperventalating]. I know it is panic,not asthema,if my inhaler doesnt help! However,taking too much inhaler can make you more panicy,so do you take more that 2 puffs?
When i want to know if it is asthma or panic, I take my peak flow. I know what it is when my asthma isnt playing up,so if it reads that,then it is panic.It is very reasuring to have the moniter with me.
Hope you get to the bottom of it, and feel better soon.

[joshuaainsworth]

I do the same thing with the peak flow meter, I carry it round and If I start to feel panicked about my breathing I give it three blows and 9 times out of 10 it's fine which is very reassuring! No I only take two puffs on the inhaler.

As for an action plan, no I was just given the blue inhaler and told to get on with it basically, still I do feel some comfort from having the inhaler on standby just in case.

[ANG3LIC]

feel like that often, now, i have asthma but this is different. :( x