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Can Fibromyalgia cause shortness of breath?

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Posted 11/5/2008 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hello, everyone!  I'm visiting from the Crohn's board, but have been "lingering" on the Fibro board for a few weeks now.  I have an appointment with a Rheumatologist next week (Thank goodness!)  My GI thinks I may have Fibromyalgia.  I have explored your resources and posts, and have found them extremely helpful.

My question is, can Fibro cause shortness of breath?  I always seem to feel winded, even while relaxing. rolleyes   It is definately worse upon exertion.  I always feel like I am sighing, and just can't quite get enough air.

Thank you so much for your time! :-)

Blessings, Julie

Posted 11/5/2008 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
I get this from anxiety and panic disorder. . . than might be what you are going through now. Have you been really stressed out lately? You might want to start listening to some relaxation/mediation music and maybe going to a massage therapist. You just need to relax :) Hope you get to feeling better.
Posted 11/5/2008 5:51 PM (GMT 0)
Sam, thank you so much for your feedback. I have a history of anxiety attacks, which have been well-controlled. This feels different......
Posted 11/5/2008 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Julie~

I am new to this dreaded disease called fibro, too. I constantly have pain in my chest, like I have been kicked in the chest, and I have shortness in breath. When I walk across the room, turn over in bed, or just sitting doing nothing, I feel like I need to occasionally take a deep breath just to catch up! I feel tired ALL of the time. Do you have any chest pain that goes with the shortness of breath?

Posted 11/5/2008 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome, Julie, to the fibromyalgia forum.  People with fibro tend to breathe very shallow.  Try taking deep breaths, using your diaphram.  Your abdomen will move in and out...not your shoulders going up and down.

 

The chest pain could be costochondritis.  Ibuprofen usually helps with that. 

 

But, talk to your doctor about this.  Not everything is caused by fibro.  When my heart started skipping a beat and I was short of breath I saw my doctor and he ran a lot of tests to make sure my heart was fine.  Now I know my heart is strong and I can dismiss these symptoms to fibro.  But, please be checked out.

 

Sherrine

Posted 11/5/2008 7:24 PM (GMT 0)
I never really thought about it before. I've always had occasions, from childhood, where I would "forget" to breathe. This particularly happens to me in the shower because of the steam. Sometimes I'll get lightheaded and realize that I'd been so absorbed in something that I did actually stop breathing. I always feel really stupid when it happens. *shrug* Another thing to mention when I get a PCP.

Good luck with your rheumy, Julie! :)

-Sandi
Posted 11/5/2008 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to all of you for your replies! My Rheumy appointment is tomorrow. I've been waiting over a month for this appointment..... Blessings, Julie
Posted 11/6/2008 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
I have had that happen from anxiety too.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 11/6/2008 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
I start breathing really chaoticly(sp) when I'm experiencing an anxiety attack... it's like i can't get enough air or oxygen and I hyper-ventalate.

I haven't noticed any breathing problems since my diagnosis... except when I walk up stairs... then I'm out of breath.
Posted 11/7/2008 9:29 AM (GMT 0)
Shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, wheezing, lung congestion, tightness of your chest... These can all be signs of a heart attack in women. Remember, we experience different symptoms than men for heart attacks so always have these problems checked by your doctor. We have a member who complained of shoulder pain for a week and we all gave her ideas about how to help the pain... except she was having multiple heart attacks! When in doubt, call your doctor. Waiting isn't always the best idea.
Posted 11/7/2008 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
Great advice Jeannie. You are always the sobering expert!!

I have shortness of breath. but my fibro limits me from a lot of activity now a days, so I feel I am de-conditioned. At least that's what the doctor says. But it is annoying, isn't it??

Best of luck to you, Julie.

Lindaloo
Posted 11/8/2008 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
I have shortness of breath when walking. Since my walking is limited I swim for a couple of hours per day. Swimming is exhausting and it helps to improve my breathing patterns. However, I find that I still breathe shallowly so I have to concentrate on doing it correctly.

I should breathe deeply because I took voice lessons when I was a kid. However, the fibro wins sometimes

donnaeil
Posted 11/8/2008 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
I find I don't breathe as deeply as I should most times. That's why I love pilates so much, I do it mostly for hte breathing and stretching part! Jeannie had a thread a whiel back about taking the time to breathe, even a few times a day. Whiel you're visiting the forum let's say? But I always forget to. :P
Posted 11/8/2008 11:11 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks to all of you for the replies. My Rheumy said that some people with Fibro experience shortness of breath. I need to be more aware of doing some deep-breathing.....
Posted 1/26/2009 9:49 AM (GMT 0)
Hello all.  I was diagnosed with fibro over a year ago and have suffered with it approximately 5 years.  I also have sever anxiety accompanied with terrible panic attacks. The attacks I have feel exactly like the descriptions of having a heart attack.  Pressure in the chest wall, pain that continues down the left arm numbness in the left hand and shortness of breath severe at times.  As soon as I feel the panic attack beginning I put a medication called klonopin under my tongue let it dissolve and within 10-15 minutes I feel calm and relaxed and the chest pain is basically subsided.   I have tried several different approaches with managing panic attacks and have found that klonopin is the only thing that works.  The upside to this medication is that even if you find yourself in the middle of the attack you put it under your tongue and its over.  I don't know how severe some of your attacks are but if they are as bad as mine and you feel like calling 911 with a heart attack or like you're about to take your last breathe then you may want to talk to your doctor about that medication.  It is nearly a life saver.  Hope this helps some of you with severe attacks that are desperately seeking a solution as I have been there and wish you the best of luck in your journeys.
Posted 1/26/2009 10:02 AM (GMT 0)
Hmm.. I haven't had anxiety attacks in YEARS but I still have shallow breathing and find myself being out of breath sometimes, especially while walking, like Donnaeil has said. I think mine is NOT anxiety-related (who knows for sure though, I DO have 2 anxiety disorders).. And the people who are with me most though (my husband, parents, close friends) have noticed that I sigh very often. But yes, do that deep breathing, Julie, it helps me tremendously! Whenever I find myself having trouble breathing, my husband tells me, "take deep breaths" (they taught me to do that in an out-patient program I was in at a hospital) and sometimes if my shortness of breath is bad enough, my husband will breathe slowly and deeply with me... and it really works!!

I also get bad chest pains at times, mostly right in the center.

-Jenna :-)

_________________________________________________

21 years old

Fibromyalgia, Bipolar, OCD, Dependent Personality Disorder

"You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you." -Mary Tyler Moore


 

Posted 1/26/2009 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
I have shortness of breath too, but I have had asthma since 94. And I am new to fibro. I have started having chest pain, I have had my heart checked and everything is fine. My doctor monitors it regularly.
Posted 1/26/2009 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
julie,

 

Welcome to the fibro board!  I found your question very interesting, because I wanted to jump up and down (but I hurt too bad to do that rolleyes ) and say, "I have that, too!"  I noticed this about a month ago, and asked my RN mother what this could be.  Unfortunately, I was typically dismissed, so I don't have an answer for why this is happening.  I do have anxiety, but this is different than that.  I just can't breathe-there's no other way to describe it.

 

Anyway, I'm really sorry that I can't help you.  I just wanted you to know that you aren't alone and please let me know if you find any info.  I don't have a rheumy right now (due to lack of insurance), so I'm sort of stuck. sad

Posted 4/30/2014 3:18 PM (GMT 0)
Julie,
I too have breathing issues, cannot get enough air into my lungs and get out of breath when just walking to the bathroom or the kitchen. I have pain in my back and ribs when this happens, I have been through every heart and lung test known to man and I have no issues. Today I was searching online to see if my fibro would cause breathing issues and i came across this site and this question. I also found another site that sounds just like what I am going through so I want to let you know what I found, this is the site
http://www.fmnetnews.com/free-articles/article-samples/easing-chest-pain

I hope it helps you, I am gonna give it a try. I am using hot corn bags on my chest as i type this hoping it will help. I will also try the exercises they mentioned as well. On another note, I suffer from severe anxiety disorder, and depression which also can cause breathing issues. Hope this helps.
Posted 4/30/2014 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
Kelly71,
I suffer from anxiety, I have having my meds modified, i meet with an APRN tomorrow in fact. I have been having terrible anxiety the last couple of weeks. I take buspar and ativan, but i think i need more buspar. you might want to ask your doc about these two meds. the buspar has no side effects which is why it was chose for me cause i have anxiety about taking drugs, the ativan is an as needed med as it can be addictive, so when i am having bad anxiety or a panic attack i take it and within 15 minutes i am calm, cool and tired. LOL I have stopped drinking alcohol and quit smoking as you can not do either on these two meds. Good luck to all of you here on this thread. Sometimes i hate being me but God will get me through it.
Posted 5/1/2014 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, notablonde68.

Welcome to the forum.

I'm going to go ahead and lock this thread, since it's several years old, many of the people who posted on it are no longer around here...and that's just what we do after awhile.

It would be a good idea to start a new thread of your own, with something like, "I'm New," in the title. That way, people would know to greet you. I hope you'll stick around, so we can get to know you :)

Debbie
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