I have been trying to figure this issue out for 3 years. It feels like I physically can't take a deep breath, all the time - 24/7, no matter what I am doing. This issue started when I turned 19, my sophomore year in college. I have had a chest x-ray, an EKG, an ECHO. I have had my hormones and thyroid levels checked. I have gone to an asthma-allergy doctor. I have seen a psychiatrist and tried 9 different medications for anxiety. I have seen a counselor for a year and a half and have not found anything that helps or any answers. I do not identify with Generalized anxiety due to the simple fact that this issue persists all of the time, even when I am (or should be) at my most relaxed. I have been told that it seems like my brain has been re-wired and almost stuck in "fight mode" (fight-or-flight) which I could see as a possibility. I am currently trying biofeedback/ neurofeedback, which I am optimistic about. I just want to see if anyone has had a similar issue or has any suggestions.
Kenzi, I would urge your physician to order a Methacholine challenge test. It's more diagnostic than your standard pft. I was diagnosed with asthma after having numerous normal pft's. Finally one of my physicians wised up and ordered it for me and it found my asthma. Don't give up!!
I am suffering from this same thing for 5 long months now. I have had all the tests done and everything come back normal. I’ve tried 2 antidepressants and had HORRIBLE side effects, so I stopped them. I find that my need for a deep breath is worse when I am active, but that also could be my mind telling me I’m going to be out of breath. It’s completely thrown off my breathing and it makes me so dizzy and exhausted by the end of the day.
I feel like I have also become very obsessed with my breathing because of all of this, which makes the whole situation worse.
Do you find you get out of breath and need that deep breath just talking and walking? It’s the worst when I can’t get it. It throws me into a state of panic.
I just made an appointment for a biofeedback session, so I’m hoping that helps. I just want my life back.
It is so frustrating.. I totally understand. I think the most frustrating thing is not knowing... asking yourself WHY cant I control this??? Also not knowing WHY you feel like you cant breath can cause anxiety in an of itself. My counselor once told me that breathing is a basic bodily function... one that we never think about which is why it brings us to a state of panic when we become consciously aware of it or it becomes "labored". I feel that way doing anything really.. even if I am laying in bed watching Netflix and just trying to relax. 
I would try the biofeedback and see if they can give you any valuable information.. I am only on my 3rd session so I cant say much about the process just yet/results but the guy that does my biofeedback has connected with me and it feels nice to talk to someone who "gets it". He feels very confident that we can figure this issue out. He actually used biofeedback to heal someone of hyperthyroid (to the point where she was going to have to have her thyroid removed.. he balanced out all of her hormone levels and now she only takes 1 pill/day). I have been to doctors that made me feel like I was crazy and just told me it is anxiety or that I am out of shape (which I am not)...
Im sure you have read online.. but another thing you could try in the mean time is deep "belly" breathing... Lay on your back, inhale through your nose for 7 seconds, hold it for 4, exhale slowly with pursed lips for 9 seconds.. Do this for 7 minutes, 1-3 times a day, at the same time every day. The idea of this exercise according to my counselor was to try to "reset" my breathing pattern. Personally, it did not work for me but its worth a shot.
You could also look into getting your hormone levels tested. If you do this - make sure you find a doctor that will treat you based on your symptoms and not just the numbers on paper. Often, "normal" hormone levels are calculated in such a wide range, what is "normal" for someone might not be normal for you. For example, my testosterone level was "normal," in the middle of "average" for a female my age.. But the range was like 25-60! My Dr. explained it to me like... what if before this issue your testosterone level was 60 and now is 35... that is a HUGE difference in your body. Testosterone can control many other hormone levels.. it is very important.
Research taking a magnesium supplement..
Research adrenal fatigue and see if you connect with that..
Try testing for asthma or allergies..
Essential oils such as lavender or peace and calming (I buy Young Living)
In the mean time.. see if your dr. or psychiatrist will prescribe you a benzodiazepine. This is NOT a long term solution but it does help on days when your breathing is unbearable. I take .5 of lorazepam (Ativan) as a last resort when I feel like I am about to lose my mind.
Lastly, I don't know if you have a spiritual life but I am a Christian. I have read the book 'Faith Releases Praise,' by Terry Law. This book emphasizes the importance of finding scripture in the Bible that applies to your personal situation.. and speaking it over yourself out loud, every day until God's PROMISE for healing manifests or "comes to be" in your body. I wish I would have started doing this long ago but it gives me hope, piece of mind and confidence for healing for an issue that other doctors (and myself) have not been able to solve.
Sorry for the long post, but I hope that helps a little! These are all things that I have tried.. maybe something will work for you.
Just wanted to respond to this because I had this issue 24/7 for 9 hideous months and finally figured it out. I also remember reading forums like this one and desperately searching for an answer to this bizarre and awful feeling. Mine was so bad at times I had a hard time talking, and was unrelenting. I was tested by my doctor for everything and all came back normal. Tried antidepressants - did nothing other than give me weird side effects. On a whim (because I just couldn’t give up trying to make this feeling go away and get my life back!), I saw a physiotherapist who referred me to a colleague who specialized in ribs. In my case, it ended up being a very complicated rib issue, and not all physios know how to deal with it (I saw two others before that who both told me I was fine and to learn to relax). I can still remember sitting in that physio’s office and her pushing on my ribs right under my armpits and how bad it hurt...and also the blessed sweet relief because I could breathe! Of course it wasn’t that simple and it came back as soon as she stopped pushing there, but at last I had something I could do when it drove me crazy to give a moments peace. When she told me she knew what was wrong, and could help, I actually cried in her office. It’s taken about 6 months of physio, plus some very slow strength training when I was ready, and I still see her one a month, but I’m basically cured, though I still do stretching and exercises every day to prevent it from coming back. Anyway, just wanted to come back and pass this along as a possibility because I remember reading forums like this and wishing people would come back when they solved their problem, because doctors look at you like you’re crazy. Try find a physio that specializes in ribs and see if that’s the issue for you too if everything else comes back normal and you’re not thinking it’s anxiety. Good luck! I know how frigging terrible this problem is and I hope this post helps someone out there.
I am SO relieved to find a forum where I’m not alone on this! I have had this breathing thing for ages however it never happened often and eventually o would take a deep breath or even a yawn would alleviate it. Now however for the last 5 days I just can’t shake it. First thing in the morning it’s ok and then gradually gets worse through the day. Again, yawning alleviates it for a second and I feel the air go down! All the tests at the doctors came back ok though!
The only way to describe it is almost feels as though when I breathe in it doesn’t go past mid throat - like there is padding or it’s ‘foggy’ and can’t get down. I just can’t explain! And my chest feels thick.
How was your neurofeeback out of curiosity? I’ve been told to try yoga and Pilates or swimming to try and focus on regulating my breathing...
I have noticed over the last 5 years that every so often my son, while sitting relaxed, would take a very deep and deliberate in hale/breath. When I asked him about it he didn’t even seem to realize he had done it. He is 22now and found this forum and has passed it on to me. Thank you for sharing all your information.
The neurofeedback has been really cool.. He uses a system called SCIO. Every person that administers biofeedback does it with a different machine/program and they all work differently. But this particular method has given him a lot of insight into my neurotransmitters, hormones, emotions, digestion, etc. He is able to run "tests" on me, essentially using "energetic medicine" or sending energy to certain places in my body that are unbalanced or dysfunctional. Personally, I haven't noticed a difference in my breathing YET but he says that my body is doing a lot better internally. I should be noticing results after every session from now on. Do a little research on SCIO biofeedback because it sounded like a bunch of BS to me at first (energetic medicine) or that someone could see that much information about your body from a band on your head but after researching and asking questions I am seeing that it is legit.
My symptoms first started when I woke up from surgery (scar tissue revision) with a slight cough that turned into not being capable of getting a deep breath and craving one. Also a continual need to yawn. On my follow up check with surgeon, I was told a viral issue had been going around, that my problems were a viral infection and was sent to GP. GP made numerous checks, all came back clear, CT scans, xrays, blood tests all clear. On one occation l could not get any breath as in no air, could not breath. It was a foggy winter night approx 3 AM I ran outside into cold fog and got the tiniest bit of breath, then a bit more, and a bit more. It was almost lights out. Doctor said the cold caused lung swelling to be slightly relieved.
Went to ER, symptoms got better (on there own), was prescribed, inhaler and antibiotics, it did nothing, tryed different longer term antibiotics symptoms subsided, then was totally fine (after6 months of problems.) 6 months later I'm starting to have symptoms again but not as severe yet. Never before have had asthma, but have 2 inhalers that I use but don't seem to do much. Not ever been an anxious or nervous person. No issues that would cause stress to blame this on. No reason to "forget" how to breath, or be differently conscious about my breathing. No doctors have been able to diagnose or effectively treat my conditions or symptoms. I have been to 4 different doctors.... I've tried the suggested treatment "retraining breathing," not working for me. Anyone have anything new?
Also to be clear about the yawning. I feel desperate needs to yawn but can not complete the yawn. Very strange. And very uncomforatable.
Wow. I can totally relate even though this just transpired for me several days ago. I’m in the process of seeing the doctors to try to find out why it’s happening. My EKG, PFT, and chest x-ray were all normal. I’m supposed to have an echocardiogram this week. Prior to this happening my doctor suggested I might have sleep apnea and I was in denial but now I’m starting to think that maybe I do because I do wake up at night for no reason and then I’m awake because I can’t catch my breath and then it becomes mental so I can totally understand what I’m reading here. I just want answers as well because it’s the scariest thing. I catch my breath once every five tries.
Yeah... same for me! I feel shortness of breath 24×7 and i'll need to yawn or breath deeply to get air into my lungs.and sometimes even yawning cant get me much air into the lungs and leads me into panic attack! I am trying to control my mind.. be free and i often hear the word of god from Benny Hinn which gives me a relief.. im praying so that god will heal me 
.
I've not gone to college since i had this.
Hi I'm Ashraf, 22, from Malaysia. I have the same symptom like you since 13th July 2017(accurately at the midnight of my birthday). It happened all of sudden while I lay my back at the pillow, on my bed, and watching YouTube before go to sleep. I suddenly realized that I can't breath like usual and thought it was my Asthma(which last attacked when I'm 13 yrs old and can be considered gone after that), and grab my inhaler but doesn't work. So I went to nearest clinic to get nebulizer and took 2 doses, but realized it is not asthma. I can't really sleep that night. And the next morning, I went to a specialist hospital and get warded. I did all the heart and lung checkup including ECHO and CT scan, but it is not heart nor lung. A heart specialist then suddenly decided to make a thoracic operation on my sympathetic nerve after he shake my hand and felt it is wet of sweat. The operation was done and my wet hand was completely dry. But the feeling of can't breath fully is still not recovered. Then I've done a barium swallow and my oesophagus is okay. Until now, nothing was diagnosed and the can't breath fully symptom is still there. The only clue right now is whenever I swallow a solid food, the feeling is better and the ability to breath deeply only come sometime, and when I able to breath deeply I can't feel more relief and grateful. But I still don't know what causing it....
Hi ashraf did you find out any cause?
Did you by any chance notice any viral or flue cough sore neck symptomns before this?
I wrote a long post but realized it was never ending so will need to start again as i developed this problem 2 months ago and now since then my life is a living hell.
I had asthma but spent a lot of time in asia and malaysia as the heat cures it.
This winter i have been in scotland and expected to get some asthma altho i felt very little. Then like many posts i have read i seemed to have a cough and some viral type illnesses a few weeks before the first attack came on.
I noticed what i thought was asthma for a few days and ignored it then when i was in the bath i suddenly got an attack where i could not get any air into my lungs and assumed somehow i was having a asthma attack, perhaps i was allergic to the bath salts id been using as i dont usually take baths but had started awhile back when id caught a cold.
After this i jumped out the bath and adrenaline kicked in and i manged to gasp in air. Later on due to the chest tightness and suffocation i was feeling i called an ambulance.
As per procedure with chest pressure i had to have an ekg after that they listened to my chest and said it was totally clear and healthy and told me i must of had a cold and panicked thinking it was asthma and i didnt need any inhaler. Or it could be muscular again made little sense as i cycled miles and go uphill and exercised daily and this happened in the bath.
To cut a long story short i went to a doctor and told how id managed to sleep using paracetamol which seemed to help. He checked my oxygen and said its 100% and chest was clear.
Then tested peak flow which he said was good but i explained to him when i was well and checked before the reading was 100 higher and this time it might look ok but i had put in a lot of effort to do it which was not normal for me. So the doctor said it was probably viral and to keep taking paracetamol.
After this i improved a little and travellled to the london area and then i got more attacks. The problem became chronic and in desperation i went to the emergency department after the ekg the doctor agreed to give me an xray altho he thought my chest sounded totally clear to check for pneumothorax and found none.
After this the problem became chronic 24/7 i visited the emergency departmemt 4 times and got more x rays and blood tests after begging the doctors to try and find what was causing it.
I visited 3 different doctors and kept getting the same oximeter test and stethoscope and told peak flow was fine despite the effort i had to make to try and breathe deeply to blow it.
Then like many others i was accused more and more of being anxiouse and feeling symptomns that are not real.
That was ridiclouse as who wouldnt feel axiouse if they couldnt eat and sleep and could hardly breathe. I have been in very dangerouse situations and know exactly what anxiety is and it doesnt cause me 24/7 breathing problems.
Eventually i was put on steroids ,made me 10 times worse so i stoped them and also the inhalers and salbutamol i had kept taking as that was causing me to become more anxiouse and was not helping. I had been taking them out of desperation this was some kind of asthma attack.
After this i manged to give a sample of some rubbery mucus i occasionaly coughed up which was strange for me
A week later was told some bugs were found and got flucloaxacillin for a week
No help from that.
Then went back to scotland another hellish journey and tried the hospital again another x ray and usual tests and as id mentioned burping and pressure got a proton pump inhibitor to try.
3 days of that made my stomache a little odd so followed my intuition not to bother with it the burping did not return and again no help. I cant believe its a reflux problem either as when iv been sick badly and had a sorqe stomache and heartburn or food poisoning i did not become unable to breathe.
It seems there is some kind of problem or disease people are getting
And doctors go through the usual asthma meds stomache meds ect then it will be blamed on anxiety.
The worrying part is nobody seems to get any cause found for this.
I was going to try and get a ct or mri scan but i suspect it may be like others who got this and not show anything still.
My ribs have had cracking problems before after i injured them near the sternum yet they dont feel sore but i do have a bruised feeling under my arm pits when pushing there like the guy who mentioned this.
I think the only thing we can do is keep trying to find the cause then it could help others.
Its not possible this happens to healthy people with no reason.
Any news on this?
If this was panic attacks a few beers wld cure it. It always did to me when flying which i dont like.
I dont feel the need to yawn but when i do like you i just feel tightness and can no longer get much air in.
This is what I’ve been experiencing the last few weeks, but it used to be easier to control and happened less often. I get dizzy just sitting at my desk now. Did this ever go away for you? Did you determine the cause?
Are you outside of the USA? I’m searching for physiotherapists, but physical therapists are the only results I get from the search. The rib thing you explained made so much sense since this tight and difficult to breathe feeling is much more common when I am wearing a bra and extremely bad with a sports bra that is tighter at the top of the ribs for more support. I hope you’ve fully improved and I’m so glad that you found a solution .
Hi - I’m on about week 6 if these symptoms, where I am unable to take a deep breath, and 90% of the time I can’t “complete” a yawn. Allergist/asthma treatments and inhalers have not helped at all. I had a massage this week, and when she worked on my ride side, I felt crazy rib pain.
Was there a name for your diagnosis? I’ll see my GP doc next week, and would like to share as much as I can with him.
Appreciate your thoughts....
I totally understand you and all that have posted something here! I've been feeling the same symptoms for about 6 months now. At 18 I was diagnosed with
"bronchial hyperreactivity" due to allergies. I'm 29 now and every now and then I would get some difficult episodes that made it hard for me to breathe, but everytime my inhalers and antistaminics would relieve me in a period of 3 weeks tops. But 6 months ago my breathing symptoms started again but there has not been anything that can relieve them. I feel breathless almost 24/7 also, to the point it is hard for me to even talk. At the moment I'm trying the acid reflux treatment and also giving another shot to the nebulizations. I've also been told that is could be anxiety, but I was not feeling anxious when it started, today of course I'm feeling anxious but because of not getting the answer to this problem. I also have had 2 ecos and heart is apparently OK, lungs seem to be fine also. I'm reaching the point of desperation, because as someone in this blog said, you get obsessed with your breathing, just making it more difficult to relax and resolve the problem. Also as someone said here, I feel the need to yawn to get a little more air at times. I just wanted to share my experience also, because I understand how frustrating it gets. If anyone gets some answers to their situations please share them. Hugs to everyone.
Has any of you guys felt some kind of relief when swallowing food? I feel my breathing passage is somewhat widen up after swallowing food. I have done a barium swallow test to see if there's anything wrong with my esophagus, but nothing is wrong with it too. After doing some researches on where did the food and breathing passage meet, I think this has something to do with the organ that closes the breathing passage while we eat, which is called EPIGLOTTIS, and the symptom may be EPIGLOTTITIS. Has not go to the doctor yet. I think I'll go on Monday. BTW I'm in military academy, and whenever I do exercise, it didn't actually bother me though 😅. Maybe it go away when we need a lot of air to breath..idk..
Sorry for bad English, I'm a Malay.