Low level breathlessness for 12 months. Any ideas?
Discussion
For over 12 months now i've had a low level breathlessness. Doesn't have a huge impact on my life (e.g. i can go for a jog/bike ride a couple of times a week no issues). I just notice it a lot (e.g. and it often makes me cough. Sometimes it is worse than other for a day or two. The wife is convinced it is a bit worse after i exercise for a day or so.
Been to the docs and bloods, chest x-ray, poo sample all came back fine.
I think I had covid in Mar-19 but obviously wasn't tested so dont know for sure.
I'm thinking maybe long covid (of which nobody seems to know how to diagnose or treat). or exercise induced asthma (doc mentioned they might do some breath flow volume tests next).
Any other suggestions on what this might be?
Push GP to refer you onto an appropriate specialist.
One curious one is have you tried taking a long lasting antihistamine for a week or so?
Only say as I have experience of exercise induced asthma but it comes from underlying allergies to tree pollen. A prescription antihistamine given for nasal allergy symptoms virtually eradicated my asthma symptoms. I just take it during that period where tree pollen is in high volume.
One curious one is have you tried taking a long lasting antihistamine for a week or so?
Only say as I have experience of exercise induced asthma but it comes from underlying allergies to tree pollen. A prescription antihistamine given for nasal allergy symptoms virtually eradicated my asthma symptoms. I just take it during that period where tree pollen is in high volume.
I don't know your age, but I had similar, along with elevated resting pulse, gradually worsening.
Docs missed it for quite some time, turned out to be a leaky heart valve (minor)
A nurse found it with a stephoscope , she said she could hear it clearly and was confused that no one had spotted it.
Just something to rule out.
Symptoms were slight for many years.
Docs missed it for quite some time, turned out to be a leaky heart valve (minor)
A nurse found it with a stephoscope , she said she could hear it clearly and was confused that no one had spotted it.
Just something to rule out.
Symptoms were slight for many years.
boombang said:
One curious one is have you tried taking a long lasting antihistamine for a week or so?
Hadn't really considered allergies tbh. While i wait for the doc to consider would taking a benedryl a day perhaps do similar? Though thinking about it while it does flare up I've had it for >12 months now including over winter which would indicate it is less likely to be pollen related...Trevor555 said:
I don't know your age, but I had similar, along with elevated resting pulse, gradually worsening.
Ripe of age of 43. Btw forgot to mention int he original post that while i'm sat at my desk all day for work I'm reasonably fit. Like to go running 2-3 times a week on average. I could do with shifting 5kg to get to my ideal weight so i'd consider myself in reasonable shape.
ramblo93 said:
or exercise induced asthma (doc mentioned they might do some breath flow volume tests next).
If they just give you a peak flow meter at the GP, then compare your score to a chart and say you’ve not got asthma, then be prepared to argue with them! My own experience has been I can ‘beat” the score I am ‘supposed” to achieve, and apparently therefore don’t have anything to complain about whilst still coughing and wheezing like a heavy smoker (which I am not!!).21TonyK said:
OP, is it a case of not being able to breathe deeply/fully or you feel out of breath without what you would consider to be "normal" exertion for you?
Generally (like this morning sat at my PC) it's like I am not breathing particularly deeply. When I breathe out it regularly prompts me to do a like cough. It kinda feels like i've got a constant tickle in my lungs/chest that causes a cough every 1-3 mins or so (sometimes a lot less regularly though). Seems a bit worse today for some reason.When I do something reasonably innocuous like lifting something heavy or jog up the stairs again i notice some breathlessness that i wouldn't have done 12 months ago. Again nothing major...it's not bad enough to stop me from doing things...more something i notice and is an annoyance.
My running has slowed somewhat compared to a year ago. I was running at ~5min/km before whereas now i'm at ~5:45min/km. That said i'm running a lot less this year (1/3 of the volume) due to work, family stuff etc so maybe the comparison is not fair However I feel when i am running that previously my legs were the limiting factor to more speed whereas now it seems more my lungs.
So to summarise it's not like some of the long covid stories i've read of people not being able to walk to the bathroom without getting out of breath. Just a low level annoyance that causes regular tickly coughs.
johnpsanderson said:
If they just give you a peak flow meter at the GP, then compare your score to a chart and say you’ve not got asthma, then be prepared to argue with them! My own experience has been I can ‘beat” the score I am ‘supposed” to achieve, and apparently therefore don’t have anything to complain about whilst still coughing and wheezing like a heavy smoker (which I am not!!).
I've done some flow test in the past so i'll definitely dig out the results before I go!ramblo93 said:
Hadn't really considered allergies tbh. While i wait for the doc to consider would taking a benedryl a day perhaps do similar? Though thinking about it while it does flare up I've had it for >12 months now including over winter which would indicate it is less likely to be pollen related...
Plenty of allergens in winter and indeed all year round, it isn't just pollen that can trigger this sort of thing - spores, animals, dust etc. If there is a pattern it can help with treatment if it is asthma, that's a big if, hence push for referral to get checked. If you can take antihistames it is something you can at least explore yourself.I'd reluctantly say go back to the GP too.
But if you want another angle there's a long covid physio account on Twitter. It's international and I think primarily targets physios rather than their patients, but they might be able to point you to a UK respiratory physio with an interest in covid.
But if you want another angle there's a long covid physio account on Twitter. It's international and I think primarily targets physios rather than their patients, but they might be able to point you to a UK respiratory physio with an interest in covid.
ramblo93 said:
For over 12 months now i've had a low level breathlessness. Doesn't have a huge impact on my life (e.g. i can go for a jog/bike ride a couple of times a week no issues). I just notice it a lot (e.g. and it often makes me cough. Sometimes it is worse than other for a day or two. The wife is convinced it is a bit worse after i exercise for a day or so.
Been to the docs and bloods, chest x-ray, poo sample all came back fine.
I think I had covid in Mar-19 but obviously wasn't tested so dont know for sure.
I'm thinking maybe long covid (of which nobody seems to know how to diagnose or treat). or exercise induced asthma (doc mentioned they might do some breath flow volume tests next).
Any other suggestions on what this might be?
Anxiety due to constant underlying stress?Been to the docs and bloods, chest x-ray, poo sample all came back fine.
I think I had covid in Mar-19 but obviously wasn't tested so dont know for sure.
I'm thinking maybe long covid (of which nobody seems to know how to diagnose or treat). or exercise induced asthma (doc mentioned they might do some breath flow volume tests next).
Any other suggestions on what this might be?
Do you take 'me' time on a regular basis? Or always on the go?
Do you drive quickly alot and get pissed if briefly held up?
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Anxiety due to constant underlying stress?
Do you take 'me' time on a regular basis? Or always on the go?
Do you drive quickly alot and get pissed if briefly held up?
I'm fairly chill/stoic tbh. Life is hectic (work/2 young kids/wife works/family are batsDo you take 'me' time on a regular basis? Or always on the go?
Do you drive quickly alot and get pissed if briefly held up?
t crazy etc) but i'd like to think i'm reasonably good at managing stress so I doubt this is the cause.Another one for the go back to GP and push it. I had a session with increasing breathlessness, life long non smoker. After going to the GP and the flow metertests it gradually got worse and was referred to a specialist physician.
At worst point it got down to 41% lung efficiency, it was explained to me that at 40% they stick you on the transplant list as it seems that if they wait longer by the time you get a match you're too ill to survive the op. Flying permit withdrawn, off work long time, got to stage where the docs were suggesting retire on ill health and draw pension. Couldn't let that happen, fought back,got myself better and did another ten years before stepping back to a much easier carry on.
Had many tests and examinations including stress test on treadmill, open lung biopsy. Prednisolone prescribed.
The thing which to me seemed to help the most, complete guess, was lung exercises. Real deep breathing, empty lungs as far as possible, then try and squeeze a bit more out, then try a bit more, then fill lungs till can't get any more in, and repeat half a dozen times, two or three times a day. But that was after they'd determined no other issues, such as heart / circulation, cancer, exposure to environmental conditions.
Never got a diagnosis other than idiopathic pneumonitis, which is basically a big fat dunno.
Good luck, it's no joke condition, catch it early, too long I put it down to getting older, level of fitness, need toget rid of some it's and so on. Should have pushed the GP harder.
At worst point it got down to 41% lung efficiency, it was explained to me that at 40% they stick you on the transplant list as it seems that if they wait longer by the time you get a match you're too ill to survive the op. Flying permit withdrawn, off work long time, got to stage where the docs were suggesting retire on ill health and draw pension. Couldn't let that happen, fought back,got myself better and did another ten years before stepping back to a much easier carry on.
Had many tests and examinations including stress test on treadmill, open lung biopsy. Prednisolone prescribed.
The thing which to me seemed to help the most, complete guess, was lung exercises. Real deep breathing, empty lungs as far as possible, then try and squeeze a bit more out, then try a bit more, then fill lungs till can't get any more in, and repeat half a dozen times, two or three times a day. But that was after they'd determined no other issues, such as heart / circulation, cancer, exposure to environmental conditions.
Never got a diagnosis other than idiopathic pneumonitis, which is basically a big fat dunno.
Good luck, it's no joke condition, catch it early, too long I put it down to getting older, level of fitness, need toget rid of some it's and so on. Should have pushed the GP harder.
ramblo93 said:
Hugo Stiglitz said:
Anxiety due to constant underlying stress?
Do you take 'me' time on a regular basis? Or always on the go?
Do you drive quickly alot and get pissed if briefly held up?
I'm fairly chill/stoic tbh. Life is hectic (work/2 young kids/wife works/family are batsDo you take 'me' time on a regular basis? Or always on the go?
Do you drive quickly alot and get pissed if briefly held up?
t crazy etc) but i'd like to think i'm reasonably good at managing stress so I doubt this is the cause.I don't wish to alarm you, but I have same lifestyle, age, job profile etc and one Friday a couple of years ago I walked downstairs found the living room full of kids toys so started tidying up but got ridiculously out of breath for little effort.
This was about a month after getting rid of a cold, after which I continued to be breathless when I did any kind of minor exertion, I had even joked with my wife that it was pneumonia. Turns out I was having a heart attack.
Has your GP checked for that? One assumes they have! I didn't have the classic chest pain with my STEMI heart attack, but I was feeling tired all the time in the build up, out of breath when doing exercise and formerly 'easy' tasks, but fortunately caught it in time. I had to have one stent fitted and lifetime meds but glad to be here having survived it.
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