Well, I’ve been feeling sorta better lately, and yesterday I happened onto a possible piece of the puzzle.
Eating crappy greasy food-bloating, can’t breathe.
Eating raw veggies-no bloating, breathing eased somewhat.
Hrm…
I had an ulcer when I was about 12. Similar things would occur, although it was more along the lines of violent vomiting if I ate the wrong things. So I stayed away from anything good for a few months, stress levels died down, and we were good.
I still can’t get into my doctor for a few weeks, and I’m not sure what this is, but eating less crap can’t hurt me. But at the same time, eating almost anything still causes it to happen, so what do I know?
ARGH. I hope you feel better soon.
Are you eating too fast? I get the same thing when I wolf down my food, regardless what it is.
not a scarfer, not usually. Plus, this lasts all day, not just for the time it takes to digest.
I’m not really wanting to stop eating everything I eat. Not fond of that option.
If it’s just greasy foods, it may be a gall bladder thing.
If it’s grainy carbs–how do you do with rice and pasta? You may want to consider getting tested for celiac disease. Gluten allergies can sprout up willy-nilly at any age, and make you feel like absolute crap. Most of the time though, people just feel crappy for a long time because doctors (although much better now!) still don’t always consider or even think of a gluten allergy.
Either way, I hope you feel better soon.
feeling bloated after eating fatty foods is not uncommon, but the breathing? hummmm … your bloated stomach may be pressing on your thoracic diaphragm, causing you difficulties in breathing. i’ve never heard that, but i guess it would be possible.
could you try to rule out single foods by leaving them out? i guess just leaving anything fatty, crappy or starchy out doesn’t leave you with much options. try starting with a few especially crappy things, maybe you can reach a stage you can live with until you see your doc. maybe you just need an enzyme supplement to aid your digestion to break those hard-to-digest things down.
hope this passes soon. not being able to breathe right sucks.
babe, an ulcer at 12? that makes me want to cry.
Yeah Jen….nothing like a little repressed anger and grief to rot out your gut. Things had been stressful around then. The barium swallow was the worst part. I REALLY hope I don’t need to do one of those.
But mostly, I’m beginning to believe I’ve always had issues, which haven’t been helped by a raging cola habit, and a lazy detour towards crappy food. Most of that started around that age. Something is going on with mah belleh….
It’s not just greasy food-it’s all food it seems. I’m fine in the morning until I eat. The zantac however doesn’t help. So I don’t know. I do know that it got worse when drinking coffee today.
I would go to an after hours clinic to see if they can refer you to someone in the meantime….
hahahaha. Last time I did she listened to me breathing and said “go to the ER”.
It’s not terrible at this point-annoying, but if I stay clear of weirdness, it’s ok. Anything not involving nearly having panic attacks is ok by me.
Um. When I was having hernia issues, I was also having breathing issues. Basically because my stomach had herniated into my chest, it was crowding out my lungs, which made it very hard to breathe. For me, I threw up a lot, as it felt like the food was stuck part way down in my chest, and a balloon was blowing up there. However, there were times when there was just pressure in my chest and it was hard to breathe.
At first, they thought it was gallbladder, then they did a barium swallow and found 80% of my stomach in my chest cavity.
Oh, and everyone has different reactions to a hiatal hernia. Some people get major heartburn, I didn’t. Most people didn’t throw up. I did. I’m speshial.
yes. You are.
I’m hoping it’s nothing more than being over weight. But since I’ve only gained maybe 5 pounds from the Lithium after being the same weight for the last 2 years, I doubt it.
I’m not a doctor – disclaimer.
It could be acid reflux – I go through scary pain/breathing difficulty after eating absolute crap, and that’s what it is. You’d still need to get tested. But basically, eat less crap, eat less pop, have less reflux.
yeah DI, we’re coming to the same conclusion. Which SUCKS.
Still sounds like gall bladder to me.
I have almost no abdominal pain though. I remember Nat having problems with hers, and she’s be in HUGE amounts of pain, for no explicable reason.
We’ll see what happens.
I have this same problem!!! i actually just ate mcdonalds and am having trouble breathing im not overweight at all..it has to be all the crap in the mcdolands and bad food thats causing it (DOnT ASK me why i eat it lol)
I have the same difficulties as described above. In the morning I’m fine, but as soon as I drink or eat something I have difficulty swallowing as though my mouth were very dry. I also get the sensation something is either lodged in my throat or chest. I recently had an upper endoscipy where they found a small nodule in the lower part of my stomach, but I find it hard to believe that this could be the problem.
I too felt that consuming a lot of diet coke may be the root of the difficulties I’m having, but I have laid off the beverage for just over a year now and I’m still having the same problems.
What’s the procrdure used to identify if you have a hernia? And how would the gallbladder have any affect on breathing and swallowing as mentioned? If anyone has any solutions to this problem, your suggestions are GREATLY appreciated.
Thanks
i too have this problem every time i eat heavy i cant breathe i dont get im 27 and this never happened to me before this jsut started happening when i turned 22 this sucks boy it seems like the old you get the worse things be come
I got the same trouble. I get bloated after cooked meals, raw peppers, fizzy drinks, too much Coffee or tea. I don’t throw up or have any acid, no trouble at the other end, it seems to only be in breathing. I’ve been on Inhalers for years for Asthma and they can help a little bit but not a lot. The breathing can get me a little concerned on odd occasions as I might feel faint. I can go out, do some training on my Bicycle and the breathing improves as I go. Maybe the stomach empties slightly to give more room for my lungs but if it was Asthma then the breathing would get worse as I went along.
People are strange!!
-Jerry
Hey, jsut had something similar to what my sister and mum describe as an asthma attack after eating a couple of bacon sandwitches. I’m slowly getting my breath back by the way so Im ok! I’d say the bloatedness iss quite common and could be the result of many things. But the trouble breathing sounds like what I get. Since about this time last year iv notaced after eating/drinking certain foods such as meat, sugar, cheese and milk i get an excessive amount of mucus that blocks my throat this is also accompanied by a wheezy (sometimes painful) chest and alot of coughing. Never been to the doctors about it cause its so hard to get an appointment and its never been that bad that i feel unsafe, but I think after what I have just experienced now I will try get an appointment this week. Get it checked!
Ps. Oh and chocolate that sets it off badly!!
Pps. WATCH OUT FOR ASPERTAIN! Its found in diet coke etc and citric fruit juices such as Robinsons. It is well known to trigger asthma attacks etc.
Actually, im not sure if its aspertain… help anyone?
I’ve been having this problem for a long time. Every time I swallow, I clear my throat for a while. That’s just soup…solids catch, and I hack them up. I always feel dehydrated, and my saliva is very thick in the back of my throat. My stomach is worse…if I even drink water, I get heartburn. I can feel slightly better by “cracking” the area behind my sternum…sometimes. Strangely, I have no problem eating if I’ve had enough alcohol… I often feel bloated right under my ribcage, and have a tough time belching. I get the thick mucus, which even gave me anxiety attacks for awhile, but the attacks have lessened (the mucus has been slightly diminished by corticosteroids from an allergist.) I still hawk up about a half a soda can daily. Thoughts?
Wow, it looks like google returns this blog for a lot of searches, mine (for my girlfriend) was [after drinking coffee trouble breathing], because she claims to have trouble breathing after drinking coffee. Now I’ve come to a good conclusion: you all need to see your respective doctors. And so does she.
Hi
Im new and im scared cos Its happening to me right now. Ive been to the doctor so many times in the past few weeks i feel like moving in, ive had every blood test imaginable and urine samples they now say if it carries on Il have to have an endoscopy quite frightened cos Ive never even been in hospital before. my breathing is so bad at the moment but im in work trying to take my mind off it. I can eat ok but still feels like food is in my throat and chest about an hour after i eat. Im sorry you are going through so much trouble and I truly sympathise I hope that you can get it sorted, I hope we both can. x
Hey. I’ve had the same problems within the past year. I’ve gone to the doctors on numerous occasions and all they could draw up was panic attacks and anxiety. I have the same breathing problem after eating fatty foods, actually almost anything. The past few days have been pretty bad as I can’t breathe all day before and after I eat. It’s beginning to be a pain, and I’d rather not go to the doctor again with no health insurance to be told it’s panic attacks again.
I suffer from ibs c it seems the symptoms change all the time. the past week , same thing, so bloated underneath my sternum, i cant breathe and god forbid you suck your stomach in- out in public like most girls do, i have to catch my breath and pant as soon as the moment is over for which i did this, because meanwhile im shallow breathing. i wish i knew if this were just another chapter in my ibs journal of pain in the ass living or if i should look psychotic and ask doc for an upper gi. uggh I hear ya squawkin brothers and sisters!!!!!! Arent there any nosy g.i. docs online??? premed perhaps??
Wow Matt, it’s like you’re me typing up my “symptoms”. Anyway I decided to try a google search just for the hell of it to see what came up. I googled “trouble breathing after eating” and I was kind of expecting an answer to do with greasy deep fried foods causing the problem.
Anyway, I know it sucks to hear and it’s hard to accept, but some of the posters here (myself included) have to accept that it’s due to anxiety and panic. I’m sure you’ve gone to your doctor and they suggested the possibility of stress but you just shrugged it off like I did.
Like Matt said in his post, I too have no problems when I drink alcohol. I’m guess it’s because being drunk pretty much relieves stress, which sucks because it’s become my crutch for anxiety inducing situations.
My 2 cents…
I don’t know about anyone else, but the one thing I DON’T get when anxious is trouble like this. This latest episode has now last 6 days I think, and seems to have been triggered by something dairy.
And all the Ativan in the world doesn’t work. I’m willing to try anything to make it stop, anxiety or not, as many people are. Anxiety just isn’t always it.
Yeah, I’ve been having a lot of trouble breathing for the passed few months, myself. I googled the problem and came up with this page. Surprise, surprise, right?
Anyway, I’m loathe to go into ER, but I wound up having my husband take me in anyway. When I went in, my heartrate was 165bpm. Now THAT was anxiety (coupled with the fact that I’d had radiation over my heart 7 years ago). I know what anxiety is and the breathing problems I went in for were not 100% due to anxiety. At any rate, they admitted me, gave me 1001 tests (they even tested my lungs THOROUGHLY) and still came up with anxiety. They said all tests were clear. However, now I’ve been waking up gasping every once in a while.
This cannot be anxiety. I have a feeling that whatever it is, it’s about 60% this mysterious ailment and 40% anxiety. However, anxiety meds do not seem to help.
Neither does liquor, btw. :-p
My breathing problems seem to be stimulated by the food I eat, as well. When I’ve not eaten, all is fine! However, I don’t feel any swelling. I’m also not overweight. Haven’t gained much at all in the passed few years, soo… wth is going on??
it is sort of a relief to know i am not alone . i have all the same symptoms and no clue what it is. i am very athletic and while engaged in physical activity i do not have any problems its when i want to relax after dinner or watching tv after linch or behind the wheel i start feeling the symptoms what is it???
I am having this problem for the last 10 years. following any meal, I will not be able to do anything, I feel that my lungs are closing and even feel like fainting unless I stop and stay still for a minute or so.
This issue started back in 1998 when I started to take medicine for high blood pressure (Bisoprolol fumirate 5 mg) I don’t know if it has anything to do with, but I suspect that. the Drs say No !!??
Consulting too many Dr, each one had different theory, I went to do ALL heart tests, including stress ECG, again the heart is good. OK, so why I can not do enything after a meal?? this last until all food are digested.
even if I speak fast I will suffer !!
The help from anyone is highly appreciated.
So, I too have been experiencing trouble breathing after eating and also some other weird seemingly unrelated symptoms and after doing much research I have found these two sites to be helpful. One that talks about Hypophosphatemia is this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypophosphatemia#Major_signs_and_symptoms
And the other that talks about hyperventilation syndrome is this.
http://www.erzo.org/kimberly/health/HVS/
Read the hyperventilation one first (that is where I found the other word as a symptom and looked it up later)
The hyperventilation is related to anxiety and panic attacks (which I have regularly) and the phosphate thing can be related to many things one of which is drinking alcohol (which I do too). I think I have self diagnosed my problem to be a mix of both, and I can now blame some of my anxiety on this too, although I’m sure sometimes the anxiety comes first. They both sound a bit strange at first and unrelated but keep reading and see if it helps. I hope it does!
I have this problem too- its probably your gallbladder. Do some research you’l fine most naturopaths urge against gallbladder removal and for good reason. Try a digestive enzyme called Betaine Hydrochloride, also you should comsume apple juice w/ of apple cider vinegar daily before each daily meal and before you go to sleep. I get immediate relief from the bloating and chest pressure w/ this regimen. This problem is a wakeup call ,steer clear of all the crap food out there, get off the crap food for a few weeks-then get yourself a wonder meal at one of the burgers joints fries pop all of it-you will feel like such S$#@ you will never ever let that c rap past your lips again-Swear!
hi ive suffered from massive problems with being able to breath docters all being useless the usual anxiety panic attacks blah blah blah it ended up that i made the connection with food and stopped eating to see if this would help which it did until i got an ulcer again no help with docters they decided i was anorexic in desperation i paid alot of money and saw an allergy doctor on the off chance, he was great within 5 minutes he said if the symptoms improve when you dont eat you have a food allery, by this time i knew i had also become allergic to face and body products aswell and had always had a congested nose anyway i envoked on a 4 day rotational stone age diet and guess what 99% improvement the only time i have short breath is before my period i have no idea why but i dont know how i coped with it on a daily basis 365 days a yr the diet took time as i was sensitised to lots of foods but slowly i healed go to an allery doc in the mean time no coffee fizzy sweets bread gluten milk products and nothing processed at all so nothing you havent made yourself no stock cubes or gravy no msg and no sulphates found in dried fruits lastly no tea as this contains one of the highests concentrations of nickle which lots of people are allergic to hope this helps
Glad to see this post going after almost a year! I too found this via a Google of my symptoms. Yes, everybody here is experiencing the same thing I have. And like everybody else it seems that 1) the issue is strongly linked to Anxiety and 2) I’m in denial over that fact. I’ve found that exercise helps; maybe because it relaxes me.
I just came across this blog page and this is the first I have heard of someone you has had this same problem It started around a year ago and I cant figure out why. It just came one night and it hasnt went away since. At times I feel ok, but other times, mostly at night I seem to have trouble breathing. It feels like something is laying on my stomach. Whenever I eat alot I also have trouble breathing. As much as I breathe in, it doesnt feel like Im getting enough air in my lungs. I have went to the Docter twice and I have no logical answer. I was hoping for an update and any input to these issues I seem to be having.
hi just to touch on the stress factor stress doesnt have to be psychological if you have chronic allergy this will cause you to be massively stressed without an emotional reason ( exercise will help with any type of stress)stress to the body drains the adrenal system which then unbalances hormones which inturn cause allergies to worsen all these thing have shortness of breath as a symptom and your doctor will not be able to identify any of this because they work for the pharmacutical industry and if you dont show up on a test for which you can be prescribed a drug then they become close minded to anything else. Chronic allergy also leads to leaky gut and a whole host of auto immune diseases and thyroid problems all have shortness of breath as possible symptoms i have had this problem with breathing for 17 years it ruined large patches of my life if i didnt have children i would have killed myself, after lung ts and asthma tests i even had my head xrayed to check my nasal bones! ive had inhalers relaxation exercises breathing exercises homiopathic meds i tried everything doctors convinced me it was all in my head and i thought i was mad for a long time but i wasnt the fact that my health has improved so dramactically is proof that anyone reading this blog should see an allergy doctor or at least go on the stone age diet for 2 wks see how you feel if there is the smallest improvement carry on you dont have to be so strict for ever, after a while you will soon find out which foods or substances are a problem doctors dont know everything they are only human. You know yourself if you are an anxous panic stricken type or if your inability to breath is the only reason you may be stressed if you do not get relieve from your doctor then explore every other avenue untill you find a cure love to all
Heartburn is not normal. Believe me, I know – too late to do anything about it tho. I am an Esophageal Cancer Survivor. My cancer was caused by 2 factors. Being overweight and chronic heartburn. One of my symptoms was a problem breathing after eating, but it was nothing compared to what I feel now that my stomach or rather what is left of it, sits in my chest between my lungs. If I have scared you just a little – GOOD!. Please take a minute to have yourself checked out. EC, when caught early, as mine was can be cured. EC, when left untreated can be a killer. I am not trying to be a harbinger of bad news – I am dedicated to trying to make people aware of Esophageal Cancer and how it can be prevented. Take care of yourself. serendopeity.wordpress.com
man i am only twenty and i feel like death.. i wake up to to trouble breathing feel light headed hard to eat like throat is closing a lot through out the days but started only a few months ago what can i have?docter said its not asma or nothin showed up on xrays or blood test im guessing its a panic or anxiety attacks what do you think? what ever it is it is freakin brutal feels like death
These are all reactions of chemical intolerance to something you’ve eaten. Doesn’t show up on regular allergy tests. Common triggers are wheat, dairy, soy, corn, MSG, BHT, food color or preservatives, and caffeine. Oh never mind the label – food manufacturers have many hidden names for these. Try eating nothing but veggies for 2-3 days and you’ll see what I mean.
And forget the “but I never had a problem before” stuff. Foods are being tampered with in this country now whether or not you realize or believe it. It’s called profit, people.
I know mine is something to do with food, since I can narrow it down to certain things at certain places-like ice cream at McDicks-it flares up within minutes, faster than my lactose intolerance ever does…
Yup, same problem here with me!
Actually, i had a severe shock (emotionaly, and maybe something else) in a hospital when i was given electrolyte for dehydration. But before that i think they gave me a different drug such as an anti-psychotic, cause i was leterally scared. Just imagine, there i was on vacation with my dad and sister and im thousands of miles away from my home in this complete scary hospital i was rushed by some complete strangers. Arriving there the doctors didnt understand a word i said as everyone only talked their country language. I was freakin out.
By the time they injected me this thing in my arm and this misterious fluid going through my body. I started to get really anxious, and then all of a sudden my muscles behaved weird! It seemed that my muscles were contracting inward!! I was freaking out of my mind! I couldnt control them! they were moving by themselfs my fingers were curling in a tight fist! And by then my arms were bending inward, i saw my nails turning DEEP BLUE my whole body started shaking. I Screamed soo loud everyone must of heard it. GET IT OFF ME. I kept saying and saying again. The doctors took it off and i was shaking so voilently my sister was crying. It was my very first vacation i had and the worst aswell.
When there was about 2 days left before departure, i was ill like and fragile like a 90 year old. I had a full host of symptoms i never had before. lightheadedness, palpitations, pressure in head, vision problems, feeling of congestion in chest area, breathing problems, excersise intollerent, even to not being able to lie down on my back! Withought feeling breathless and full of “malaise” feelings.
When we finally got the chance to leave and get back home, everything seemed to be well for me. I ate a BIG plate of speghetti and chicken. The next day. Was probably as frightening to me as what had happened at the hospital. I caught some what of a bacteria and i (think) had tourista. My bowels were soo loose everything came out. It was to the point where only water was coming out of my body. i lost around 10 to 13 pounds of weight. And i was already very skinny for my age being 6 feet 3 at 135 pounds… i really hate taking meds. So i had to figure out another way to kill the bacteria. My grandma told me to drink the amidon from the cooked white rice. While my father bought me this high potent yoghurt formula. But i knew it wasent enough… I needed to get hydrated again i went to the pharma prix to get an electrolyte formula. Wich consists of a certain percent of water with orange juice and some salt. The pharmacist woman told me that i should go seek emergency, my eyes were caved in and i was a walking zombie with just bones holding me up. It was horrible.
So as time passed by i eventually and miraculously i got better and gained back some weight but still underweight.
So as of today (2009) i am here somewhat doing a lot better then before but know im plagued with this problem that hasent left me wich all comes down to Breathless.
when i wake up i feel ok but as soon as i eat, bam it can take 10 minutes to 5 hours after the problem starts. Sometimes it may not even be the food that triggers it. it seems that during the night the problem is more persistant and its harder for me. It has been already a year im living like this. My life quality sucks. i cant even keep a job, nor go to school full time. Im here at home. While everyone out there is living there life. Im going to see an allergist specialist as mentioned above. And hope i find something. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day. And best of luck to anyone out there going trough simalar problems.
Jesse P.
I have had the same symptoms for almost 2 years. I have been tested and xrayed for every possible thing by an allergist, pulmonologist, cardiologist, and I am about to go back to the gastroenterologist. I was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia 6 years ago, so maybe that is it. I eat healthy, I don’t eat any junk, all I eat is fresh fruit and veggies and whole grains. No soda or artificial sweeteners. It starts with the first bite of food, I don’t have to eat a full meal. I have tried anxiety meds, which don’t help, I don’t drink or take drugs. I am a competitive athlete so I am in great shape. In fact, all of the doctors comment on my great lung capacity. The only other symptom is that I feel lightheaded when I exercise.
When I am having the breathing problem, the only thing that helps me get air in is to bend forward. My internist said that is typical in cases of bronchospasm, but I never wheeze, and asthma and allergy meds have been no help. The only way to describe it is that it feels like my lungs do not have room to expand, and it is only when I bend forward that the pressure is relieved and I can take a deeper breath.
I also have episodes of extreme itching without hives. It feels like my skin is too tight, and it is worst where I have stretch marks from pregnancy. It also itches badly on my sides. I have to put tegaderm bandages on the stretch marks to protect myself from the scratching. It is torture. I notice that this happens if I gain any weight. even 2 pounds. I don’t know if this is related to the breathing problem. I thought I was having food allergies causing both symptoms, but the allergist tested me and said no.
Wow! I can’t believe how many people have this problem. I am also fine when I get up in the morning. As soon as I eat , I cannot breathe well and lately I have extreme internal itching! It’s inside my body! It is maddening and I am miserable. I went through a series of doctors and tests about 5 years ago and no one knew what was wrong with me. I did discover however through testing that I have an issue with wheat but I experience the breathlessness and itching even when I don’t eat wheat. It is getting so that I dread eating yet I am always hungry; starving!
I had the same problem for a long time. It was reflux. Treated the reflux and now it’s gone.
I’ve had trouble breathing off and on for ten years, particularly at night, and particularly if I eat before going to bed. Feels like mucous sitting on my vocal chords constructing my airway. It gets much worse if I’m anxious.
For me it turned out to be silent reflux. Google it and you will find it can present with no feeling of heartburn whatsoever, and can lead to apnea like symptoms, day or night. It is very common and often misundestood or not understood by doctors. It can cause anxiety, particularly as your body starts producing adrenaline when you have trouble breathing. I have found that anxiety does make the reflux worse also, but the acid is the root cause.
Antacids reduce symptoms a bit, elevated sleeping helps for some ( haven’t tried it yet), and a sleep study verified that all symptoms went away with a CPAP machine.
I don’t feel alone any more. I went to my pulmonologist yesterday because I felt like I couldn’t get enough air. I have chronic bronchitis and thought an episode might be coming on.
He asked me if I had any heartburn or reflux lately and I said that I didn’t……just the feeling of my chest feeling heavy and lack of gettng enough air. He checked my pulse oxygen level and it was 98 out of 100.
On the drive home from his office I remembered a severe episode that I had after eating green onion potato chips. I was up all night and miserable. I have a lot of stress going on in my life too with my father being extremely ill and my husband having a terminal illness.
After reading your many posts I am going to try to eat what a site I checked out listed when I Googled “foods to avoid when having acid reflux.” I wish I had the link to paste here. I have never drank much tea until lately and on the list of no no’s was decaffeinated or caffeinated teas and coffees. I was making and drinking a lot of decaf sweet tea. Not any more!
Good luck to everyone! This pressure is an awfully scary feeling.
Excuse me for the spelling errors! It was around 9pm today on the first. I took a friend to Buffalo wild wings ordered their burger and a few wings plus a coke. I have had asthma for my life as well as a lot of other people have stated, but anyway I came straight home feeling fine just tired. Went into my room undressed and went to sleep…..now mind you by the time I got home it was 11.30pm . After two and half hours of sleep, I wake up to a pressed breathing problem enough to wake me. I get up feeling like hell, stomach was hurting, chest was short on breath, and to top it off i to have had recent panic attacks due to other things. Hoping that it is just the food(cause really I hope it is) this is the first time I have ever felt this bad in my life after eating. Still feel bad as of now, but reading this makes me feel a bit better! I guess I should start to take it easy even if i’m only 21 right now
I really hope this subsides and I can go to sleep with no worries and the best of luck to everyone else.
I have the same symptoms too. I was told that it is due the the acid reflux that swells the esophagus. It squeezes the lungs that make you feel that you can breath properly. Fatty foods make your stomach to produce more acid.
Hi… I don’t know if mines related to eating as I feel like this constantly and I actually don’t eat a lot at all, but I feel awful
I’ve had a right pain below my right rib cage for about a month now. I’m used to having health problems but lately I’ve been unable to breathe, and it’s that feeling that scares me. I didn’t see a link between the two before, but after going to the doctor’s who told me the pains in my gall bladder, I realised that the two could be related. I ended up in A&E at the weekend and she said it’s not my asthma, something I already knew as it’s such a bizarre and unique feeling. I’m not breathing heavily like I do when I’m having an asthma attack. I actually feel like I’m not breathing and that I’ll just pass out and die! It’s very odd. I don’t ever stress about my health as I generally have something wrong, but I’ve been told that I could be stressed without knowing that I am and that it’s my body responding to it? I don’t know really, as I think there probably is a link between the pain in my gall bladder and the breathing, and the breathing definitely causes me stress. I’m currently studying abroad, so I’m without my family and friends, and I worry about having to go into hospital out here. I ignored the advice of the nurse to stay at home, and I flew back out here. I regret it now, as I’m going to have to spend yet another night trying to keep busy as I can’t sleep with this breathing problem 
I have to say that most people here have the same symptoms as me.
I think it is a blockage in my Gallbladder thats trapping gas and causing pressure high in the area of my upper abdomen and causing asthma like symptoms. For awhile I thought I had asthma. But I soon found out bending and stretching and forcing the movements of the gas through my body and releasing it instantly making my breathing alot better. When this first started I went hours with these asthma symtoms. And it was very worrisome. But really just some situps some bending made the gas move through. I am still going through this because im not insured. Im starting to pay more attention to the things I eat. Eating things that are healthy for my gallbladder.
I have lump in my stomache thats not very noticeable. maybe you do too.
Lay on your back lift your legs slighlty in the air and lift your head up like your doing a crunch and take one hand and look for a lump in the center of your stomache above your belly button.
Dont overlook the gallbladder. Also people who worry, plan, stress and have anxieties are more likely to have these gallbladder symptoms.
I have been having these symptoms too..and glad to hear I’m not alone.
I don’t have a gallbladder anymore though.
When I have gone to a doctor they run all the tests and see I’m not having a heart attack..duh.
Thanks for the posts.
Very similar symptoms as well, though wondering if anyone can help out here. I was diagnosed with LPR
or Laryngopharyngeal reflux, which the doctor said is causing my difficulty in breathing. I really have an apnea-like feeling where if feels as if the problem is around my throat as if my throat is consticted..always have difficulty breathing after drinking alcohol and after lifting objects above my head or even turning my neck or moving my body in certain ways, can’t play with my son.
Taking off my shirt in a specific way will induce the symptoms as well..I also have difficulty swallowing (10 years now) though these are my only symptoms..can anyone relate?
Thanks Much,
I’ve had this problem sometimes in the past, and only lasted a couple of days maximum. Now I’ve been having it for a week. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning I don’t feel bloated, but other times I do.
It all started when I caught a cold because of the air-condition. The next morning I could hardly breathe. From that time I was feeling like having a balloon inside my stomach every time after eating.
I noticed that venting gas really helps, but it seems more difficult to achieve with the bloating.
If you feel really suffocating try sitting down, bend your torso forward and try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Don’t worry, things will improve!
I’m having alot of the issues that are posted here. I’m just now relating it to when I eat. I was fine this morning, a customer came to our office, we went to lunch, he bought me a steak and now I feel like I can’t catch my breath. Constantly half-yawning and then a full yawn where I catch my breath. Pretty stressful…makes you think you are going to stop breathing all together which would not too good at all. I guess I need to see someone about it but I’m not real sure what kind of doctor to go to…suggestions?
Thanks!
Hi everyone,
I am glad I am not the only one who si having the same symptoms. Doctors have not helped me yet and say they do not know many people suffering from this. I have visited ER couple of times and was never helped yet was always told to come to see ER whenver I feel these symptoms. I have breathing difficulties during/after eating solid foods, spicy foods and cold foods/liquids. The same symptoms appear also after breathing cold air and singing for some time. From the experience, I gathered I can contribute with the following recommendations…
Go and see a doctor and make sure there is no swelling/obstruction in your airways that would require immediate treatment!
These symptoms may be connected to an underlying food or respir.allergy (gluten or other), gastro problem (GERD) or anxiety disorder (stress…). You can rule out resp.allergy (asthma) if symptoms do not improve after using antiasthma medication (bronchodilators/inhaled steroids). It is also good to try to exclude some food that may be the source of food allergy – most frequently being gluten and dairy products (at least for a month). You can also keep a diary to record your symptoms, food and life circumstences…to identify some pattern that can help you to see what triggers your symptoms. Secondly, you can undergo some tests to rule out GERD (X-rays with barium swallow test, gastroendoscopy) – those procedures are somewhat invasive and so it may be helpful to try to follow some diet to decrease the heartburn and try some medication(protoninhibitors or prokinetics) that reduces heartburn – after counselling your doctor. Such diet excludes spicy food, alcohol, coffein (coffee, chocolate, energy drinks..), white flour (white rolls, bread…), simple sugars (sweets, sweet drinks-coke…), heavy fats …and eating food in small portions five to six times a day. Thirdly, anxiety can also lead to an incread production of gastric acids…and heartburn. In that case, try to practice yoga, meditation, breathing excercises…and stress management techniques. If you are really suffering from true anxiety then you may have other symptoms present as well (agitation, increase heart beat, sweating, lump in your throat…breathing difficulty…) and you will probably experience breathing difficulty at other times than during eating…after eating.
In summary, consult your doctor and be active yourself as well by engaging yourself in healthy life style habits. Plus, symptoms are simply a reflection of some deeper issue that you need to address in your life – try to identify stress in your life and solve it.
Good luck and hope you are all well soon.
HEY EVERYONE, hope everyone is getting better… I have had the same problem as all of you!!! if not more, im only 27 years old…but mine started with stress i believe… stress can cause many many medical problems!! stress caused me to have acid reflux, which caused swallowing problems, which now has caused my breathing difficulties!! I smoke which doesnt help, but i havent been able to breath for aprox 6 months without yawing to help get a full breath! people always assume im tired because im always yawing!! Anyways.. i recently got a massage done and found my self very uncomfortable lying on my stomach, i was breaking out in a sweat because i needed to breath!! i have found that even when i wear tight pants as soon as i eat i feel like i need to get them off!! now im only a skinny person but all of a sudden i look 6 months pregnant!!! today i decided not to eat anything i could have a intolerance to, so no milk (no coffee
) no bread etc… and for the first time, i dont look pregnant, and i can breath better!! (not 100%) but 70% better!! I have seen every doctor but no help!! I would like to recommend something to all of you though… and i will write this in caps! WHEN I FIRST HAD MEDICAL PROBLEMS BUT NONE OF THESE SYMPTOMS, I DID 6 MONTHS OF INTENSIVE RESEARCH, I CAME ACROSS A WEBSITE CALLED DIAGNOSE ME… I PAID APROX 60 DOLLARS I THINK AND FILLED OUT A QUESTIONER TEST ABOUT MYSELF THAT WENT ON FOR WAT SEEMED A DAY!! I GOT A 75 PAGE REPORT BACK WHICH SUGGESTS ALOT OF THINGS I SHOULD GET TESTED FOR AND POSSIBILITIES OF THINGS I COULD HAVE FROM THE SYMPTOMS I HAVE SUGGESTED… IT IS LOOKED AT BY MANY DOCTORS AND SPECIALIST THEN THEY SEND THE REPORT… IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST MEDICAL REPORT I HAVE EVER SEEN… I WOULD HAVE GLADELY PAID THOUSANDS FOR IT!! I NOW LOOK BACK AT IT AND NOW MAKES ALOT OF SENSE DUE TO THE SYMPTOMS IM HAVING!!! PLEASE PLEASE FIND THE TIME TO DO THIS TEST AS NOT ONLY WILL IT GIVE YOU PIECE OF MIND BUT MAYBE SOME ANSWERS… IM NO DOCTOR BUT I KNOW FIRST HAND WAT IT FEELS LIKE TO WANT ANSWERS!! PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME IF YOU DO IT AS I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW YOU ALL ARE GOING… BEST OF LUCK EVERYONE 
my friend is having this problem and he used the inhaler for ashtma. it really helped.
Googled symptoms and here I am! Very stressed from divorce lasting one year and really missing husband. My little girl is with him every other week and I am super depressed. Acceptance setting in, but strange symptoms of trouble breathing after eating, stomach pain, anxiety… fatigue and then the most bizarre which has happened since I was a child, but forget until it happens again… Fall asleep and can’t breathe, can’t wake up but am still awake. Wow. Scary. I did have stomach problems as a result of my parents divorce when I was three that came on as a teenager. I hope everyone feels better.
Suffering from the same thing. I have done A LOT of research on this in the past few months and will take the time to tell you what I found, I really hope it will help the readers here.
I also think we should start a yahoo group or something to stay in touch and interact with information.
Basically in my case I can with 95% probability point this to a girl I had started dating. We kissed, had sex, etc.. After that everything went downhill. She was from Africa and I am pretty sure I got some kind of a gastrointestinal infection from her. I have been to ER a number of times now with the same symptoms everyone is describing but doctors don’t seem to have a clue what is causing it.
Now many doctors have told me too it was stress. I understand stress can cause these classical wheezing symptoms, as one doctor told me. However, in our case this is a easy way out for a doctor, we are obviously reacting to foods.
I have been checked by allergy and asthma specialists. The first one found that my throat was really constricted but that lungs “were fine”. That I guess ruled out asthma.
After I had contact with this girl for the first time a couple of weeks later I started getting a host of intestinal symptoms: any kind of sugars would get my intestine feeling hot and giving me lots of hot gas. That lasted for a week or two. Then I had a terrible fever for a couple of days and the wheezing/difficulty breathing after meals started. After just about anything I ate.
It is my understanding that I contracted some sort of a bacteria/virus/something by kissing or by sexual contact from her. I am 25 and as I see many people develop these symptoms in their 20s and I believe they pick it up from a partner. Thus I would suggest to all of you to try to recollect if at the time all this started if you were dating anyone new. This girl by the way despite being in perfect shape was for some odd reason always very serious about eating healthy. So anyway the doc told me people start to feel worse as they get old. I told him people don’t get old in one week. He sent me to get evaluated for stress and like 2 other docs, put me on acid-reducing PPI medication which didn’t do jack to help me. There are actually some studies suggesting they can damage your intestine.
Anyway what I believe happened was you pick up this bacteria (some bacteria can pass on by kissing someone, e.g. h.pylori which then in turn invade your intestines and cause ulcers). They don’t warn you about these “sexually transmitted diseases”. This is more prevalent in developing countries but is obviously going around in the developed world too to a certain extent. So this bacteria (could be h.pylori or something else) basically causes ulcers (sometimes too small to be visible through an endoscopy) and what happens then is INTESTINAL PERMEABILITY. Basically in my case I believe whenever I eat sugar it gives an easy source of energy to this culture and it starts producing excess acids that basically burn through your intestinal protective mucous layer and put holes in your intestine which like I said are not really visible through an endoscopy as I had one. I also started getting bloating that I had never had before.
When you have holes in your intestine and you eat anything, food particles (or undigested proteins that are not broken down into essential amino acids), bacteria, and what not can get directly into your bloodstream. Basically if it is an undigested food protein it gets to your liver and your liver say: “wait a minute, what are you doing here, I am supposed to be seeing a digested amino acid, not a whole food molecule”. Then you get an immune reaction: your body starts to fight food particles in your bloodstream. Basically when people with this condition eat it’s like chewing up food, putting it in a syringe and injecting it in your blood. Food particles (molecules) don’t get digested and cause an immune reaction, including DIFFICULTY BREATHING and some other symptoms like what people described above.
Allergy tests will not help you out here. You may not have food allergies. It’s just that food is not supposed to be in your bloodstream that’s causing the problem.
Look up a condition called “leaky gut” and go from there. I just joined a yahoo group called leaky gut
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/LeakyGut/
You should join too so we can discuss all this. Good luck
Oh yeah one thing I forgot to mention: I told the doc I thought I had intestinal permeability or damage to the intestine. He said “but when you get damage to your intestine you get a high fever”. I said “you mean how long?”. He said “temporarily”. So there you have it.
It is so refreshing to hear all of these posts because I have had very similar symptoms to all of you on this site…..and I have been miserable since July 2008 after the first symptoms. I feel like I shouldn’t be feeling this way when I am only 25 years old. My initial symptom was tightness in my throat and difficulty breathing after eating a few bites of a Subway sub (which I eat all the time with same ingredients)…lasted all afternoon, rest of the night, got no sleep, went to ER they told me I had some piece of food stuck in my throat (MORONS). Seemed to go away for a week then happened again except this time along with fatigue, muscle weakness, and general difficulty breathing, which was terrifying and did not go away all day until waking up the next day.
Gradually over time, I am now symptomatic every day, including light-headedness and EXTREEEME bloating and weird weird belching either right after eating lunch and dinner, or hours after, not usually in the morning.
Basically I have had every test under the sun, including cardio stress test with holter monitor, pulmonary function for asthma, prescribed anxiety meds, barium swallow, upper endoscopy/biopsy, stomach emptying test, pH probe test, pelvic/abdominal blah blah blah….no one can determine anything except that I have all these allergies (environmental and food allergies) that I didn’t know about. I get shots every week for the environmentals, and avoid all the foods (including milk protein so all dairy products, all nuts, oranges, chocolate).
I have a lot of symptoms immediately after drinking wine and now beer too…as well as hard cider I tried recently had immediate symptoms of difficulty breahting, felt like I was gonna pass out and lightheadedness and throat closing feelings, usually i take a benadryl and/or anxiety med cuz at least it calms me down and eventually it goes away. I am questioning a yeast intolerance, as it is in TONS of different foods, including all alcohols, ciders, anything fermented, breads, all condiments (vinegar) and anything containing sugar feeds yeast. My gastroenterologist doesnt agree, and states he doesn’t hear of much research to support it. Anyone know anything about this or have tried going yeast-free, or know anyone who found out they are yeast intolerant or allergic?? P.S. I was already tested for gluten intolerance/celiac disease…..everything negative.
I hope everyone else feels better, I feel all of your pain….it sucks not having answers and not having any doctors who can help