There are lots of reasons for shortness of breath. I hope the stress test will give you some clues.

I have Chron's Disease and I find myself sighing and taking deep breaths a lot when my B12 falls below normal.

I don't know, Susan, but I'm glad you are following up on it with the doctor. Let us know what you find out.

Being Hypothyroid can cause shortness of breath too.

Susan, I am sure, you will find out more after the test. Ask questions! All the questions you can think of. Better yet, write them down. Jot down answers, or bring a recorder. Sometimes we just don't remember it all.

Only shortness of breath I ever have, is when I get to higher elevations.

I know, that has nothing to do with your problem... but that is all I know.

I wish you luck for the test, and hope the results shed light on the problem.

Moni

I have had shortness of breath for a long time. When I went for test they always gave me oxygen. Then your not short of breathe. They came to the house and put me on an overnight test. The next day they came with a concentrator and tanks. I have been on oxygen 24/7 ever since.IT IS Ccalled COPD. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. You might ask doctors about it.

Susan, could you be anemic? This is also a cause of shortness of breath. I hope all will be okay. Let us know.
Lu

Have you been tested for allergies?

That can do it too.

Thanks for the responses!

I have several allergies, but this doesn't feel like an allergic response. (But what do I know?)

I've wondered about the thyroid connection. I have a tendency toward hypothyroid, so that probably should be checked.

Lulie, funny you should mention anemia. Two or three years ago, two separate psychics told me I was anemic. I ignored them. :-)

I'm glad to hear you're having tests done...I've had shortness of breath for years, have had quite a few stress tests and just had the 2nd catheterization done the past Monday. With mine, I do have blockage and a leaky valve, but not to the point of surgery, thank goodness...
With your stress test, he'll be able to advise you what's next and if you do need the heart cath, believe me, it's a piece of cake...Please let us know....Sending good thoughts and special prayers.....

As Tally said, there are lots of reasons for shortness of breath. But when I experienced it a few years ago I was actually quite surprised to find that I had suddenly developed asthma. Doc said that some women develop it during menopause and may "outgrow" it several years later.

Best to follow up with the doctor, though.

how's your weight?

My weight is 10-12 lb. higher than it was a few years ago, but it's not terrible. I'm a size 12 for most things, including OKwriter's "traveling pants." :-)

My only experience with shortness of breath has been caused by asthma. I hope your test goes well and you get an answer to your problem.

LMBO!! (That's "laughing my britches off")
:-)

When it's very hot and humid out OR when it's very cold and dry out, I sometimes feel as if I can't get a good, deep breath. Aside from that, my breathing issues are related to lifestyle.

Hope you get some relief!

YES! I DO suffer from SOB. But for me it is caused by sarcoidosis in my lungs. I'm sure you do not have that, pft & chest x-ray would have indicated such. PFT would also show asthma through the breathing pattern that is created during the test. A pft would also indicate anemia through a lower than expected oxygen exchange rate.

It's good that you are having tests. SOB is not fun and there is always a reason for it. Ask for a thyroid screen and make sure your test results are read by someone who knows the thyroid. Listen to your Dr and do as she says. I'm sorry that you have to go through this but your body is telling you somehting and you need to listen. Good luck and let us know how it goes. You are on the right path.

sooey

Mine was caused from my thyroid, after being on meds
for a short time shortness of breath went away.
Good luck, hoping it's just something simple.

Yes, but I have asthma. I hope they get to the bottom of your problem.

Yes...and in my case it's due to the early stages of COPD... which I've managed to arrest in its tracks. There is no cure for it...but one can successfully stop its progression through education, care, exercise and learning to breathe correctly.

Learning to breathe correctly is something that most of us give very little thought or attention to. However...it's mandatory for good health and so easy to do if you understand the rudiments.

Put your hand lightly on your stomach. Close your mouth and breathe in. Did your stomach distend? It should. Open your mouth and slowly breathe out...or release your inhaled breath. Your stomach should return to its natural position. Practice makes perfect in this case. Correct breathing will become a habit if you concentrate on this exercise. And...in cases where you feel you can't catch your breath...no matter how often or deeply you inhale...calming yourself at that very moment, then practicing the above breathing exercise will more than likely give you the breathing satisfaction you need.

It works for me. I hope it will for you.

Anne

Good to know the anemia would have shown up in the PFT.

Anne, I agree with you about proper breathing. I learned to breathe many years ago at the Himalayan Institute (they put bags of rice on my abdomen), and it was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I'm naturally a shallow breather with a tendency to hold my breath, but learning to breathe made me aware of that and periodically correct it. It also helped me a lot as a singer.

I have enjoyed my good lung capacity (I could ace those birthday candles!), so this present situation is very bothersome to me. But I'm sure it would be to anyone. Breathing is pretty important. :-)

Thanks, everyone!

I wnet through this when going through menopause. It was off and on for about a year, and then I realized one day, it was no more.

Something to consider anyway.

Trin

I just came back from the doctor with a diagnosis of bronchitis and asthma when all I thought I had was a sinus infection. Do have it checked out very soon.

"I'm naturally a shallow breather with a tendency to hold my breath,..."

Susan...I have the very same breathing habit. If I'm deeply engrossed in a project or reading...I've had it brought to my attention that I stop breathing altogether. I'm sure it's not the case...but I seem to appear that way to others. I've actually had people come shake my shoulder to make sure I'm still alive...which is a tad disconcerting if I'm in a literary trance. ;-)

In any case...perhaps our mutual breathing pattern has something to do with this current problem. Mine just surfaced within the last couple of years and at first I credited an impossibly stressful life...which still may be part of my problem. Then I was provided with the COPD diagnosis. Personally...I lean more towards the stress than the COPD...but renewing my good breathing habits hasn't done me any harm.

I wish you all the best with the stress test. I've had them all...having other health history similarities...and I've always been given a clean bill of health. I hope the same for you.

Anne

Didn't see where anyone mentioned CHF, Congestive Heart Failure.
They can do a blood test and test for BNP in the blood.
I have all the symtoms of CHF but only once have I tested
positive for the BNP test. That was when I was last in the hospital.
Do you have any swelling of the feet and ankles.
That would indicate fluid retention. Fluid can build up
around your heart and lungs making it very hard to breath.
I have to take water pills (diuretics) to get rid of the fluid.

Pooh Bear

Trin, I regret to say that I went through menopause more than a decade ago. On second thought, maybe I don't regret to say that. :-)

Pooh Bear, my ankles were one of the first things the doctor looked at. (He's obviously a leg man.) No swelling.

Anne, I agree that our breathing pattern could be a factor. And stress, too. I've been under far worse stress at other times in my life without getting shortness of breath, but things can change as we age. My symptoms began last month in the middle of an emotional rollercoaster involving a very sick cat (a beloved member of the family for 12 years) who later died. It wasn't just that he was terminally ill, which would have been bad enough, but it was complicated by differing diagnoses, a lot of guilt I was feeling about not getting him the appropriate medical treatment (which turned out to be not true), and some real cleaning challenges as a result of his symptoms.

So at first I thought stress might be the cause. But after all this time, even when I'm doing something relaxed and enjoyable my breathing isn't normal. It's as though I still remember how to breathe, but my body has forgotten.

Well, I just hope I can stay relaxed anyway, and ace the test tomorrow.

Thanks, all.

Susan

alisande, this is the first time to post here but
I do know about shortness of breath.
My first experience was on a trip abroad. I came home, was getting ready for a big 4th of July party and while bleaching a deck I was very short of breath and had a pressure in my chest.
I told myself to suck it up and continued bleaching until
a little thought popped into my head that my friends might be coming to a funeral instead of a party.

I went to the hospital and had a heart cath the next day and ended up with 2 stents.
Since then I've had shortness of breath on a couple of occasions. I have to tell you that the symptoms were exactly the same as before but when a cath was done, no blockage. It was stress related.

A stress test is a valuable tool in the medical profession
but it isn't 100 percent.
You may end up having a heart cath. A cath while more invasive is the only way for certain to tell if there is a blockage.

Take care and good luck tomorrow.

Shortness of breath and what I called little twinges when I walked up hill. I continued to walk 18 holes of golf but
was tired when I got home. I attributed the tiredness to getting older but knew the twinges shouldn't be. I too have a family history of heart disease so my doctor ordered a nuclear stress test. Next came an angiogram......one artery 90 percent blocked one 80 percent and a third just beginning to be blocked. I was lucky, it was corrected with stents. I'm so glad you are having the test done. Do not be afraid of what they may find, be thankful that they find it and treat it!

I experience SOB a lot! In my case it is a multitude of reasons...According to my Oncologist it is partially from the two rounds of chemo, radiation, thyroid condition, mitral valve prolapse, palpitations and of course surgical menopause in 1987.

It is very annoying and sometimes scary. I take medication for my thyroid, (never can remember if it's hypo/hyper)the palpitations along with Lasix for fluid retention.

I will keep you in my thoughts and send positive vibes your way! Good luck on your testing.

I remember reading about your cat, Susan...and...at the time...I reached down and gave mine an extra love filled pat knowing exactly how you must be feeling. It's easy to tell you not to feel guilt...but I hope you've resolved that with the understanding that you did everything you possibly could. Over my years...through one experience after another involving humanity and the animal kingdom... I've become an avid believer in predestination.

I've always felt that I was in control of myself...if nothing else...and could deal with whatever came my way...having been tested several times throughout my years.
However...having dealt with my husband's pancreatic cancer 24/7 for 18 months...then unexpectedly losing him last Spring to kidney failure as the result of MRSA...and having to spend months trying to secure my own life after his death...I never stopped long enough to realize what all of those months and occurrences were doing to me. Stress is silent and sneaky. I'm just beginning to realize how much so. If "we" don't pay attention to one sign...it'll throw out another and another until we do. I'm learning to respectfully listen...and take notes. The most difficult thing I've ever had to learn to do is to "chill".

I hope that's the only thing you'll have to learn after your test.

Anne

I've had what you describe when my stomach isn't happy. It's been awhile, but I remember the feeling that it seemed like I had to THINK about breathing-- so odd. Also, gas bubbles in my upper abdomen also make my chest hurt sometimes when I walk fast. Here's hoping it's nothing too serious.

Thyroid problems either way (hypo or hyper) can cause shortness of breath. The stress test will be able to rule in or out any problem with your heart. If it is heart related, you have caught any problem early, before you've even begun to experience angina.

Susan, how did your stress test turn out?? I hope you will update.

Yes Susan, we are waiting to hear how your test went???

*tapping fingers on desk*

Well? We're waiting....

Hi guys, thanks for asking!

I'm waiting, too. I haven't a clue about the outcome of the test. Usually, if a test looks fine, the technician will at least give me a hint. But this one, who seemed to be in a rather irritated mood even before the test, said, "That's for your doctor to tell you. We're not allowed."

So all I know is that I couldn't have done any better with it. During the treadmill part I focused on pleasant, relaxing thoughts to eliminate the possibility of tension skewing the results. (The author Norman Cousins taught me to do this many years ago.) The guy manning the treadmill and EKG readouts (or whatever they were) said, "You did awesome." Now I can only hope my doctor says the same thing.

I appreciate you thinking of me!

Susan

I was wondring about you today. I'm glad you checked in to let us know that you 'did awesome' - did they tell you how long until you get the official results?

mcmann - who's own treadmill has a seizure disorder.

She said to allow two business days, but she added that the pictures are read every night. So I'm guessing I might be able to find out something if I call Monday afternoon.

By "awesome," he probably meant that I didn't fall off the treadmill. Or maybe that I saw the test through to the end and didn't beg for mercy. (I didn't beg; I asked politely.)

Afterward, when I was majorly huffing and puffing, he told me to breathe through my nose, not my mouth. Do you suppose that was a comment on my breath? :-)

Still no word on the results. I tell myself that if my heart health were precarious, they'd surely have gotten word to me sooner.

Maybe.

Can you give them a call?

I did. They suggested Thursday. Maybe I'll compromise on Wednesday afternoon.