What Could This Be?

[danikali]

Hi guys,

Well, last night for like 5 hours, my chest was REALLY REALLY REALLY tight and I had to take very little, frequent breaths. I didn't really notice a difference sitting or standing, but laying on my side helped a little. Enough so I could finally go to sleep. Today, I woke up, and it's still there, but not AS bad. It's not an asthma attack or anything because I CAN get air, but it's just weird.

When I was a junior in high school, this happened to me, along with a weird rash all of my knees and calves that were like pimples or something. They couldn't find anything wrong with me, but they told me I had plurisy and had to live like this for about 5 months!

What do you guys think? I'm going through so many symptoms already these days, I don't want to live with this problem too! Have any of you experienced this? Help!

[jenvan]

Dani-

How were you feeling last night? Uptight, anxious? Think about it hard...sometimes you can be anxious even if you don't realize it. I just wondered b/c I know you've been thinking a lot lately and trying to figure out what's going on with your body, which can be stressful. Anxiety or panic attacks can present themselves as chest tightness, shaking, even rashes... Just wanted to throw that out as an idea.

[danikali]

Yeah, thanks for the suggestion, but I'm pretty sure that's not what it is. I'm actually pretty relaxed because tomorrow I'm going on vacation. And I always think a lot, and rethink and overthink! haha, also, I've had panic attacks before, but it's not that. I know I made it worse when I was stressing about it, but it's there regardless. My chest is just tight.

Also, I just looked at Rachels thread on salicylatyes and researched a little, and every food in the BAD zone has foods that I know bother me........plus, yesterday I had a lot of pepto bismol because of stomach problems from something else, and when I read the back this morning, it said "DO NOT TAKE IF YOU HAVE ALLERGY TO SALICYLATYES". The only thing is that I'm not really bothered by smells and perfumes.........

[danikali]

  jenvan said:

Dani-

How were you feeling last night? Uptight, anxious? Think about it hard...sometimes you can be anxious even if you don't realize it. I just wondered b/c I know you've been thinking a lot lately and trying to figure out what's going on with your body, which can be stressful. Anxiety or panic attacks can present themselves as chest tightness, shaking, even rashes... Just wanted to throw that out as an idea.

Actually, maybe you're right..............

[CMCM]

  danikali said:

Hi guys,

Well, last night for like 5 hours, my chest was REALLY REALLY REALLY tight and I had to take very little, frequent breaths. I didn't really notice a difference sitting or standing, but laying on my side helped a little. Enough so I could finally go to sleep. Today, I woke up, and it's still there, but not AS bad. It's not an asthma attack or anything because I CAN get air, but it's just weird.

When I was a junior in high school, this happened to me, along with a weird rash all of my knees and calves that were like pimples or something. They couldn't find anything wrong with me, but they told me I had plurisy and had to live like this for about 5 months!

What do you guys think? I'm going through so many symptoms already these days, I don't want to live with this problem too! Have any of you experienced this? Help!

This has been an ongoing problem for me for a good 20 years. It comes and goes, and I've never quite been able to figure out what triggers it. I'll be fine one day, then the next wake up with this and sometimes it has lasted for weeks or even months, although at its worst it's usually a shorter time frame. Because it went away within a couple of days of starting a gluten-free diet, and my chronic cough and asthma like symptoms also disappeared, I'm concluding it is connected somehow with wheat. Or perhaps wheat and dairy. I had every asthma test known to man to try to figure out the source of my symptoms, but no one could ever figure it out and doctors claimed it was NOT asthma because despite all the asthma like symptoms, I still had strong lung function and not a restricted air flow. So it was obviously something else. Right now I'm waiting on my Enterolab tests and "testing" foods so see what reactions I get after this period of being better for 6 weeks or so. I had seen huge improvements since 11/25 when I went gluten-free, and then the last week or so I've had bread/pizza/pasta several times, and suddenly my cough, wheeziness, tight chest is back with a vengeance.

Carole

[danikali]

Hmm...that's interesting. I wonder if mine is actually from dairy, could that be possible? I just started adding milk into my diet once a day because I thought that would help me, but then this happened and now I'm off of dairy again.....

When are you supposed to get your tests back? I've never been tested for asthma, but I don't think that's what it is anyway because yeah, I can get air through my lungs, it just feels weird. Also, it's not like an attack, it's just being short of breath, a tight chest feeling, and I little bit of pain in the chest. Weird.

Sometimes I feel like everything that I have is not very common and doctors never know what to tell me for anything I have.

Anyway, we'll see what happens, I hope this goes away soon.

[Jenn2005]

Hi Dani. My husband (Shane) is the Celiac in our family and I have been reading alot of your post lately and feel like you are writing about him. He had chest pain last night also. He was having some terrible stomach pains and I gave him 2 pepto chewables and then he woke up this morning with a black tounge (I found out this was from the pepto) but his chest pains were gone anyway. He had been having some chest pain for several months off and on - on the left side but last night it was on the right side. This is one crazy disease. He has been gluten free now for just a little under 3 months and has eliminated casein and soy from his diet also. Hope your feeling better soon.

Jennifer

[danikali]

Wow! Yeah, it does sound like a lot of what he's going through is happening to me too! And I've been gluten free since November, so that's about 2 months or a little over, so I'm sorry to hear that he's going through this too, but I'm glad you shared with me because that means I'm not completely off track!

I'm feeling a little better today but I think it's because yesterday and today all I have eaten is apples, bananas, applesauce, cucumber sushi and rice cakes (plain-just brown rice). I also started a food journal yesterday because I believe I have more intolerances than I thought. I've taken out dairy and soy as well, but now I'm almost 100% positive I can't have nuts. Also, I'm staying away from pepto bismol for a while. This disease really is exhausting on the mind and body. Sometimes I get scared I'm going to live like this forever, since Celiac Disease is forever....... But I have to keep hopeful!

[jenvan]

I will say there are many different kinds of chest pains.... There are chest pains like stabbing ones when you are trying to expand your chest and breathe, and there are ones that feel like they are coming from your heart. Some are anxiety caused, as I mentioned, muscle spasms, or related to GI issues and the vagus nerve.... ie. my dad had GI issues that made him think his chest pains were heart attack related, when they were really due to the vegas nerve. When GI symptoms are exacerbated, the vagus nerve can cause 'heart attack-like" symptoms or chest pains, b/c of its connection and relationship to different organ systems. Open Original Shared Link So, just a thought...simliar seeming chest pains can have very different causes. I have had them due to anxiety before...and not anything like a panic attack...so anxiety can be sneaky. (Not that I am saying that what's the issues here are necessary related to)...just some more info

[Jenn2005]

Anxiety can do many things to a persons body. I swore I was having a heart attack a few months ago and went to the emergency room and they said it was a painc attack. I'm assuming I got myself so worked up worring about Shane that I gave my self the attack, and it is totally out of your control.

Dani - Since you seem to be following along the same path as Shane feel free to email me sometime and we can compare horror stories. My email address is flmx88@comcast.net.

Jennifer

[danikali]

Yeah, I'm thinking that some sort of anxious thing was happening because I was getting frustrated that my chest hurt when I breathed in, so maybe that was making the shortness of breath. But right now for example, I don't have shortness of breath, but when I take a deep breath, I have a pain in my chest, like just above my heart, around my breastbone. And it brings back identical memories of when I had 'pluerusy' in high school. Maybe it just gets worse at night because when you are laying down, it's harder, naturally (at least for me) to get a good, deep breath, so when your chest cramps up when you try to get that air you want, it's scary and distracting. Therefore, my mind starts racing and all of a sudden, I can't breath!

Okay Jennifer, I'll e-mail you sometime soon. Maybe you can help me and I can help you help your husband!

[DonnaD]

In our family at least Milk=Asthma (we actually cough a lot and only weeze when really ill) None of us need our inhalers now!

Milk is 'mucus forming' , I just didn't realise that Dairy intolerance was linked to Gluten until I found this site and started researching symptoms after my daughter was dx with celiac disease.

Donna

[Rachel--24]

I used to get shortness of breath and chest pain/tightness...but that was back when I was real sick and on disablility. I dont notice it anymore since I changed my diet back in April. I have no idea what caused it since I went from a normal diet to eating only meat and veggies (all organic) basically overnight. Since I excluded everything at once I have no idea what caused it. Even though I had tons of anxiety from not having a diagnosis and being off work for 2 years I dont think it was caused by anxiety since the problem resolved itself when I changed my diet. It could have been anything though....gluten, dairy, chemicals, something else? Who knows? Its just gone now.

[nikki-uk]

Rachel's story of chest pain is very similar to what happened to my husband.

Before diagnosis,my husband was very ill.

3 times we rushed to the hospital because of the chest pains.

I was really scared he was having a heart attack.

Docs could never explain the cause.

I might add my husband suffers from 'panic attacks'-but these were different.

I should also mention that when my hubbie was dx by biopsy,it was discovered that he had a hiatus hernia.

This is quite common in coeliacs.

This is where the stomach pushes through to the chest cavity.

My husband also suffered from over acidity and reflux.

My theory is that these abnormalities somehow caused the chest pain-not very scientific I know

[tarnalberry]

  danikali said:

Well, last night for like 5 hours, my chest was REALLY REALLY REALLY tight and I had to take very little, frequent breaths. I didn't really notice a difference sitting or standing, but laying on my side helped a little. Enough so I could finally go to sleep. Today, I woke up, and it's still there, but not AS bad. It's not an asthma attack or anything because I CAN get air, but it's just weird.

That could still absolutely be an asthma attack. You don't have to be completely unable to breath for it not to be asthma. Classic signs of asthma attacks are *shortness of breath* not inability to breath. If you have asthma, there's a good chance that's what it was - but talk to your doctor of course. The characteristics of your asthma can change over the years. Either way, do talk to your doctor about it. There are many things it could be - as have been mentioned, but not something to take lightly.

[sdore]

Could be mitrovalve-prolapse. I am sorry, I have NO idea how to spell that.

The reason I say this is because I went to the Dr. and he thought he heard a click in my heart and I had to do a stress test. Well I was ok, but he told me some symptoms to look out for. He said to watch for tight feeling in the chest and out of breath. He said that this can happen for no reason and that the greatest athelete can get this and go out of breath for no reason.

Hope this helps.

[Guest MyKidsMom]

I, too, sometimes get this and have no idea why...it always seems bizzare and no rhyme or reason. On the other hand my chest pains are relieved by drinking aloe vera juice I buy at GNC. It's an acquired taste and I buy the wild berry flavor. On sale it is under $7.

Oh, by the way, I have a hiatel hernia, too. The docs think from my pregnancies. My pain is right below by breastbone and feels like an elephant is sitting on me.

Hope this helps someone!

[minibabe]

I have been complaining about these symptomes for about a year now. I feel like I can never breath and I have shortness of breath. The chest pain that I have, my doctor told me that it was the cartlidge in my chest becoming inflammed, and causing pain and she said to take some motrin and if it got really bad, use a warm compress.

I just went to the doctor the other day for this shortness of breath thing and they want me to go and see a cardiologist to rule out my heart to make sure that I am not having any complications with it, and if that comes back normal, I have to go and see a lung specialist.

Having this is very uncomfortable, and I know in my case that it is not an asthma attack because I have asthma and I have tryed using an inhaler and also a Nebuliser (breathing machine that you take with albutural) and it does not cure the symptomes. I will keep everyone posted when I go and see the cardiologist. Good Luck and I know how you feel

Amanda NY

[tarnalberry]

  minibabe said:

I have been complaining about these symptomes for about a year now. I feel like I can never breath and I have shortness of breath. The chest pain that I have, my doctor told me that it was the cartlidge in my chest becoming inflammed, and causing pain and she said to take some motrin and if it got really bad, use a warm compress.

Is it anything like: Open Original Shared Link? I had that once, and at first I thought it was an asthma attack, but it started feeling more and more like I was wearing a spandex shirt about four sizes too small. There's additional treatment for that, besides "motrin". Better anti-inflammatories than motrin, for one, and using something like advair (the serevent is the most important part of the treatment, as I recall my allergist explaining on this one, but you shouldn't take serevent without an inhaled steroid as well). I think they also gave me a burst of pred. because it was pretty bad.

[minibabe]

I am on advair 250/50 and it has not helped one bit. Yeah, she said there better anti-inflammatories then motrin but I dont like taking medication so I try and limit it, usually I will just use the warm compress it seems to help. But I also have a problem breathing. I alawys feel like I cant breath, and I was just at my doctor and she said it has nothing to do with the asthma (and I have been on a nebulizer and it works for like 10 mins. and then it goes back) I feel like I am at such a loss, and I am only 20 and I just keep asking myself why, I am so young.

But I am really starting to think that it might be another food allergy. Did anyone else have the shortness of breath and not being able to breath, and then finding out that it was related to food?

[tarnalberry]

  minibabe said:

I am on advair 250/50 and it has not helped one bit. Yeah, she said there better anti-inflammatories then motrin but I dont like taking medication so I try and limit it, usually I will just use the warm compress it seems to help. But I also have a problem breathing. I alawys feel like I cant breath, and I was just at my doctor and she said it has nothing to do with the asthma (and I have been on a nebulizer and it works for like 10 mins. and then it goes back) I feel like I am at such a loss, and I am only 20 and I just keep asking myself why, I am so young.

But I am really starting to think that it might be another food allergy. Did anyone else have the shortness of breath and not being able to breath, and then finding out that it was related to food?

the pleurisy isn't to do with asthma at all, it's incidental that the same drugs are used to treat it. but it can get worse, so it's worth making sure that's not what it is. and yes, food allergies can cause difficulty breathing, but usually in a throat-closing sort of way.

[cgray]

Hi All,

I am new to the board, I usually just read it- it's always informative, but this post had me logging in. I have suffered similar pain and am baffled by it as I cannot figure out what triggers it. I went gluten-free last April after almost 20 years of on/off problems with my stomach. Like so many, after many expensive tests and frustration, removing the gluten from my diet changed everything. Within a week, the pain and associated GI problems were gone. I was estatic that I finally felt good.

I messed up over the Christmas holidays and glutened myself and have spent the last two weeks recovering. Now twice within the last week I have experienced these crushing chest pains-short in nature, but really painful. I am somewhat relieved to read that others experience something similar as my gastro just looked puzzled when I described earlier episodes to him. (It has occurred in the past, but not recently)

What I want to ask others who have experienced it is:

Do you almost feel like it is a 'spasm' of some sort? My pain comes on quickly, is intense and lasts anywhere from 3 minutes to 15 minutes. It feels like it starts just below my breastbone and it forces me to take short, shallow breaths. I can't talk and try not to move. The pain seems to radiate throughout my midsection and as it lessens, I always break out into a full body sweat and then feel drained. I usually just sit very still during it and concentrate on breathing. I wonder, could it be related to the recent glutening?

It's odd because it is such a different pain from the pain when one is glutened. For me, that pain is dull, irritating and uncomfortable, but not like the incapacitating pain from these episodes.

I'm really active and healthy otherwise, so I really don't believe it is heart related.

Thanks for your help!

[traveljunkie]

I had that as well. It's very scary. When it first started happening they checked my heart, which was fine. I found that it only happens when I eat a food I have trouble with. You could have allergies to additives. Try keeping a diary of what you ate, were doing...etc. when it occurs.