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[cal]

I seem to have just come to terms with all the awful symptoms I have had the last year that come and go and now I have more really scary ones!!

About two weeks ago I started having problems breathing, it is like I cant take a really deep breath sometimes or get enough oxygen ( I would imagine it is like someone with asthma feels) It isnt all the time. When I wake up it is fine and then it comes and goes throughout the day. I went to the docs yesterday and my bp was 117/75 oxygen 99%, pulse 80, temp 75 she also listened to my chest thoroughly front and back and she said everything was perfect. I have gone today for a xray which she said is to be on the safe side and then I will have my annual blood test for thyroid and they will check for anemia.

i am really scared, over the last 12 months I have imagined i have had every type of cancer, throat, thyrod, lymphs, breast, womb...........now Im scared I have lung cancer

Im so anxious all the time, tired, aching all over, feel like my feet will break around the ankles when I get out of bed in the morning.

Im just sitting here going out of my mind and am beside myself

Anyone else had this breathing problem??

[honeybun]

Yes, and its anxiety.
Chest feels tight and I feel as if I can't take a deep enough breath. Horrid.

I had the tests too and all was fine. I also had the lump in the throat thing....also anxiety.

Breathing exercises really help. As does a glass of wine in the evening. I have it mostly under control now.


Honeyb
x

[Witches Cat]

Hello Cal,  don't panic, I'm the same, I wake up in the morning and think how good I feel (if I'm lucky) and then everything sets in.. The aches and pains, shakes, and then it's sort of "after 3... Panic !!! "...This last few days it's like I've had a band around under my boobs (even tried wire-less bra's cuz I thought they were the cause, but they weren't) it's like I can't breath to get the air in, sort of like my diaphragm isn't moving. I get dizzy and tingly,  But then later if I sit quiet, the yawning starts, can't open my mouth wide enough to get the air in fast enough, so it's one after another then my eyes stream... god knows what's going on these days but I hate it. I'm putting it down to stress, yesterday I thought my throat was closing up, when I swallowed it was like a lump in there on one side half way down to my collar bone. It's gone today thank heavens.  As for thinking I've got something bad... been there, done that, got the tee-shirt in every size and colour. I've had everything scanned except my womb, and that's being done next week.... I think that's why I'm so edgy now...  I do hope you feel better soon,  for me this time of life is not fun, and there was me wishing my period years away cuz they were awful too, and I thought things would be better when it had all finished.      Just seen your post while I was typing Honeybun,  agree totally.

[Taz2]

Hi Cal - you have described exactly what happens to my chest and breathing in the moments before I get a hot flush/sweat and I seem to remember having similar a few months before I began flushing. I always feel as if I want to fling my arms wide to try to get enough air in. Not sure if that helps as I don't know how far into meno you are and whether you are experiencing hot sweats anyway at other times.

Taz x

[Joyce]

It's an anxiety thing. However, always best to have checked out. Only consolation is, you're not alone. It's unpleasant & scary though. Try some deep  breaths until it passes.

[cal]

Hi Ladies,
Thank you so much for the replies, it is so calming to know I'm not the only one experiencing these problems !!

I started down this road last year in April with the throat problem, had camera down a couple of times, scan on thyroid and around my neck and everything was fine, but I still suffer with my throat now. It was only after coming back from Caribbean last october that it clicked It was menopause related because the hot sweats started, that was really a relief to say the least and also I found this site which has been so so helpful.

I have had the hot flushes on and of and mild sweats but mainly all these obscure symptoms that are just so scary, this latest breathing one is really scaring me. My periods are all over the place, last one was end of May. I am now at the stage I don't know where I am in my cycle to be able to monitor fluctuating hormones even though I keep a diary of dates etc since it all started last year.

I started doing Yoga earlier this year and meditation and breathing exercises but at the moment nothing seems to be helping, in fact I was wondering if I had pulled a muscle in my shoulder blades that was perhaps affecting my breathing??

Witches Cat,
I am exactly the same, cant stop yawning which I assume is the bodies way of getting the oxygen it needs, and even then last night I noticed some times I cant even yawn properly

I also get the band around the boobs feeling and also I get a pain under my right boob where the wire sits from the middle to the inner curve. I have had this on and off for 12 months and thought originally maybe the wire was causing it, ruled that out eventually but in May I went on holiday and had been spotting for 6 weeks so the doc gave me some tablets to take which was just progesterone to stop the bleeding whilst away and it also stopped the pain !! It stayed away for ages but now it comes and goes again. Sunday was awful even when I moved my arm but it has eased over the coarse of this week.
I have now got to wait probably 2 weeks to get the result of this xray and just feel I'm going out of my mind. I just don't feel like I'm looking forward to anything, or can be bothered with anything as I'm so exhausted ! Doc did say it could be anaemia which she will check when the xray is back. OOOOOOhh I'm just so sick of it

I go to the Caribbean again in two weeks and i am dreading it because I am so anxious I don't want to get on the plane, it will be that hot that when I come back I will not sleep for months and have the hot flushes again because my body is adjusting to the change in temperature. I really need to chill but i just don't seem to be able to.

Sorry for waffling !!!

[Witches Cat]

You waffle all you like, everyone on here loves a good waffle, and what's nice is that there are some really knowledgeable ladies on here (I'm not one of them) and their replies really help. Just knowing other women are having the same problems is a help too.  You mentioned the heat, I hate it when it's hot, but I love the winter and snow and frost... but at the same time I hate my white fingers and toes when I go out in it... Couldn't go to a hot country I'd curl up and melt.   My family think I'm bonkers,  love the dark nights, curtains closed, gas fire on, born in November you see, 1st November all saints day, if my mother had got herself in gear it would have been Halloween... always thought I should have been a witch !!! More in common with them...
                                                                                                         

[cal]

I just wanted to update my post. I had the results of my X ray 2 weeks ago and everything was fine when the doc told me I just started crying with relief. We agreed maybe the shortness of breath is being caused by anxiety and as I was of on my hols the following day I would just monitor how I went.
well I came back from holiday yesterday and I have to say my breathing was even worse than before !! It was starting to feel better before I went but it was so bad some days whilst away it was like the pipes in my neck were going to break and couldn't carry oxygen to my lungs, relly horrible and scary !! I am wondering if the tropical heat made it worse and perhaps I have developed asma  ?? It feels a bit easier now I'm home but still not right
I have also been really tired whilst away and I can't put it down to being overworked and so relaxing because I took redundancy the beginning of this year sold having a work free year (attempt to reduce the stress, which I think has worked a bit )

I don't want to go back to docs as I feel so stupid!! Although I do have blood tests booked for next week
also I ache all over, when I get up in the morning I can hardly walk my ankles feel like they will break. When I have walked around a bit they are on but the last few days my back and hip are killing me
I just don't know what to do about anything anymore

[Claireylou]

You have my sympathies Cal. I get this shortness of breath and it is awful and very frightening.

My sister in law started having this in her mid forties too. Like you everything had been scanned and probed and scanned again. All normal. In the end her doctor diagnosed asthma, gave her an inhaler and it's really helped.

I find it very interesting reading these posts. I wonder if there is a link between fluctuating hormones and breathing problems, or if it is just the anxiety part of meno

[deborah]

My sympathies too!  I'm having these symptoms at the moment too - tight chest, feeling like I can't get a full breath, palpitations.  Notice it more when I get in bed trying to sleep but I think everything feels worse at night and i just get more worked up then which makes it worse - vicious circle! 

[rebecca]

Cal- I agree with the other ladies that it is meno symptoms. I have been experiencing this and regularly have to gasp to get more air through my mouth, which is difficult whilst you drink anything....also found that when I was on a walk the other day, it happened as well - quite frightening...
I initially thought it was because I was overweight and needed to lose weight.

Hubby started noticing this and ask me why I was sighing all the time!
I am starting swimming next week and planning to do pilates at home to see if it helps.

Hope you find what works for you.

Rebecca

[Cassie]

Def anxiety are you on HRT?

[cal]

Thanks for the replies ladies it helps knowing I'm not the only one !
cassIe ,  no I don't take hot currentlying,  I have just tried managing symptoms as they arise, I just can't understsnd how this can be anxiety as I wasn't anxious on holiday apart from feeling anxious if my breathing went bad I have also wondered if it's my heart

To be honest I'm sick of wondering and thinking everything is wrong bup it is very scary I just don't know what to do !!

[CLKD]

My breathing used to be harder when my period was due.  I would get bloated with fluids which had a knock on effect, I couldn't take a deep breath - then I would try more often and it got so that I focussed on not being able to breath.

As soon as I read this thread for example, I tried a deep breath and found I can't  so I will lean over the sink later and do some deep breathing.

[Dandelion]

I seem to have just come to terms with all the awful symptoms I have had the last year that come and go and now I have more really scary ones!!

About two weeks ago I started having problems breathing, it is like I cant take a really deep breath sometimes or get enough oxygen ( I would imagine it is like someone with asthma feels) It isnt all the time. When I wake up it is fine and then it comes and goes throughout the day. I went to the docs yesterday and my bp was 117/75 oxygen 99%, pulse 80, temp 75 she also listened to my chest thoroughly front and back and she said everything was perfect. I have gone today for a xray which she said is to be on the safe side and then I will have my annual blood test for thyroid and they will check for anemia.

i am really scared, over the last 12 months I have imagined i have had every type of cancer, throat, thyrod, lymphs, breast, womb...........now Im scared I have lung cancer

Im so anxious all the time, tired, aching all over, feel like my feet will break around the ankles when I get out of bed in the morning.

Im just sitting here going out of my mind and am beside myself

Anyone else had this breathing problem??

Aww bless your heart, without sounding patronising you wanna take a look at the anxiety thread on here, it really helped me.
I have anxiety about things in my fflat breaking, but it's similar to body anxiety. I worry about my water tank leaking and the damage to the plaster around the windows from the massive amounts of condensation on them.

I'm trying to find the right hrt for me.
I start a patch on Monday and I hope it works better than the pills.
Although Femoston is good, I don't absorb it, I think its because my bowel is not working properly, (possibly due to meno and insufficient oestrogen)
I bought evorel 50 privatly cos my doc has only given me evorel 25, and I am concerned it is not enough.
I am not prepared to spend any more time in this state.
I am going mental as well as soaking my clothes with flushes.

When my mum was meno she had fears about cancer and I remember her getting biopsies etc
She thought some of her lichen planus went cancerous but it didnt.
It is really convincing anxiety, but it is meno based.
Do  you smoke?
I've got COPD but I noticed when I get anxious I also get breathless and have a puff on my inhaler.

Don't feel stupid, lots of women have these issues.
I think it is because our bodies start producing much less oestrogen and we get all these symptoms.
We don't have a HRT success stories thread on here, but some women really love it.
Maybe I will start one.