I am wondering if any of you ladies are having shortness of breath?It comes out of no where I do not have to be doing anything and it hits me. I have to then take in deep breathes. I feel panicky right afterward it freaks me out. I have had headaches with this also mostly in the back of my head ...Doc says he cant find any problem with me.I am 44 and definatly in perimenopause.

There are so many symptoms I am having but this one is new.

ANYBODY UNDERSTAND?
Thanks

Out of the blue I will feel breathless and then I think all sorts of negative things. Even yawning, at times, won't put me on the right track. Shallow breathing = increased anxiety = panic attack. "Slow" down, and try to take only six in and out breaths per minute. In x3, out x6. This seems to work for me.

I have been having a feeling of something like a spasm in my throat. It is very abrupt and ends the same. I found mine, after a few mo. of having it, can triggered by certain things such as belching, caughing hard, nasal drip which is almost constant. When I get it It seems like when I try to breath in is when I feel it the most, like something in my throat is quivering or spazzing or breathing through a flap of some kind. It feels as if I can't get a good breath and I get this wave of heat and anxiety...I am suddenly( the past year)allergic to dust and dust mites and it has really kept me stuffed up and am now wondering if this is not a bit of asthma because of the allergy. The allergist said I was very, very allergic to dust. My husband and I are trying now to allergy proof the house, this is some work. HUGS MIkki

Hi Pink! Yes, definitely, I understand perfectly! I have had this too. Mine has been more of a "smothering" feeling, where I feel like there is no air to breathe! I don't relate this to any activity that I am doing, in fact when I am active, I never notice it-- isn't that strange? It has to be a part of this menopause thing and is definitely related to anxiety. I have really have to work on breathing properly and that has helped. I have had heart tests and was even tested for asthma, but all tests were normal. I have headaches in my neck area and it is caused from anxiety, tension, and improper posture and it all just rolls along together on the meno wagon! I hope this helps you feel better and don't worry-- it too shall pass. Take care and I hope you feel better soon!

Mary Jo

Hi Pink , yes i do get the shortness of breathe kinda freaks me out! my ears and congested my nose is stuffy all the time some kinda of allergies i believe. sometime my throat feels tight and tense its hard to swallow that freaks me out too. I also been getting backaches that hurt and hit the spot in stomach area where its hard to take deepo breathes too. Hopefully its peri and wil go away soon .Good luck liz

Thanks girls for your replys....This site is a God send...I wish I would of found it a year ago.

It helps to know others can feel what your going threw , and it is not in our heads when the Docs have no answers.

I have only been a member for 3 days and I am amazed at what I am learning. And truly touched by the support available. There is so much encouragement.

From the bottom of my heart,Thanks

Sweet Blessings,
Pamela

hi,

oh yes, I get shortness of breath plenty! and yes, this is definatley a symptom of peri. Actually, that was one of the first symptoms to really hit me about 9 mos. ago. It started one day, and got worse and worse over a week, until one day, I went to the ER out of sheer panic, and after a few tests, they told me, ANXIETY! He gave me xanax, and it really really helped. It does hit me out of the blue too, I'll be watching TV or whatever, and WHAM! so, you're not alone with this, and as far as trying to relax....lol...yeah, i know, i've tried.....it seems like once it's happening, you can't stop it. That's why I take the xanax!

ok, just do the best you can with this, because this symptom IS scary, i know.

Sincerely, MyDarling

This can definitely be a symptom of peri...I have had it off an on lately...if you look at the list below, which I found on the internet, you will see that shortness of breath is listed as a symptom of either low estrogen or low progesterone.


LACK OF ESTROGEN

* Hot flashes
* shortness of breath
* night sweats
* sleep disorders
* vaginal shrinkage
* painful intercourse
* vaginal dryness
* dry skin
* anxiety
* mood swings
* headache
* depression
* Memory Loss
* Heart palpitaions
* yeast infections
* inability to reach orgasm


LACK OF PROGESTERONE

* Headache
* Hot flashes
* Low Libido
* Anxiety Night Sweats
* Swollen Breasts Painful breast
* Sleep Disorder
* Shortness of breath
* Moodiness
* vaginal shrinkage
* Fuzzy thinking
* Painful intercourse
* Depression
* vaginal Dryness
* Food Cravings
* Dry skin
* Anxiety
* irritability
* Insomnia
* Mood swing
* Memory Loss
* Weight gain
* Heart Palpitations
* Bloating
* Yeast Infections
* Inability to concentrate
* Inability to reach orgasm
* Painful joints
* Asthma

Hi Tina,

Wow....Thanks for taking the time to list all these symptoms.I see myself in so many....I dont understand why more women in my family and friends do not talk about these issues..I have been on a roller coaster for 1 1/2 years, and I am learning it is going to be a LONG ride..WHEWWW....

Women are quick to talk about pregnacy and childbirth, relationships, even PMS.. But not perimenopause or menopause.WHY?

I have learned and feel more supported from this website from all you awesome women... This is a journey and women need each other .I understand we have really good male doctors in this world, but only a woman can really understand how a woman feels.

Sweet Blessings,
Pamela

I've had this on and off for years.....feeling like I can't take a deep breath. It was bad again 2 years ago and I went to the doctor who said it was anxiety and then, for more reassurance, I went to a pulmonary specialist and had a lung xray and a pulmonary function test (a test where you breath in a tube different ways). All was fine - he said it was anxiety too. I'm an ex smoker and thought it was best to check it out. Well, I've been pretty good for awhile until yesterday.....it started again a wee bit while walking on the treadmill and this morning while walking my puppy. Chest feels a bit tight too. I've had a lot of things happen this past week that might cause me to be anxious a bit, plus, my body's been trying to have a period for over 2 weeks now. Lot's of symptoms, a little spotting but not a full fledged period. Isn't this some much fun (NOT). I would like to suggest that you go and have this checked just for reassurance.

Perimenopause/menopause cause a lot of different bothersome symptoms however, not everything. I like to get off that fear/anxiety rollercoaster. I'm a firm believer in getting things checked out medically first before claiming it's hormonal. I totally understand how you feel and what your going through.

Hope you feel better soon and this subsides.

Hugs,
Karen

Ive got a lot of the first set of symptoms.

Wow, I'm glad to have found this thread! I've been having this for a while also, the feeling that I can't take in enough air, almost like I'm suffocating. I can be fine and then all of a sudden it hits me. And it often happens when I'm not doing anything physically active, like when I'm driving or sitting still...almost like it happens when my mind is not really occupied and I have time to think about it. Sometimes when it happens I will stand in front of a fan or air conditioner blowing directly in my face....it's like the cool air in my face helps me feel like I can breath better. Since I'm also overweight, I had convinced myself that I was in congestive heart failure or had lung cancer or some totally awful diagnosis....yet I haven't been able to force myself to go to a doctor....I didn't know how to explain that I felt like I couldn't breath. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone! This perimenopause stuff sure is no fun!!!

Every time I get stressed I have shortness of breath.I also get it right before a hot flash,or with the "crashing fatigue".Getting your mind on something else helps,also xanax helps me if it is really bad.Mostly praying,that helps everything.GODbless and hope you feel better.

Hello All,
I cannot believe I found this complaint!!! I am 44 almost 45 and have not had a period for 6 months now. About 4 months ago, I began feeling shortness of breath or more like I sometimes ran out of air while speaking. I do not feel any shortness of breath while exercising. I have been under alot of stress lately and thought that this symptom was anxiety induced. I also suffer from very bad allegies. When I am busy and my mind is not thinking of the shortness of breath, it is so much better. I suffer terribly from health anxiety, which went off the charts now that I am in peri, so I always think the worst - it's lung cancer or some other horrible disease.
It is so relieving to see that others have been expeiencing similar symptoms. I do believe my estrogen is quite low right now. I get lots of headaches and I am ALWAYS warm.

This peri-menopause is truly a roller coaster of symptoms - I am so tired of worrying about my health - I want to just relax and enjoy spending time with my famly - but those panic stricken thoughts seem to always find a way to seep in my mind.

I am glad to have found this Board!
Diane

Well girls, welcome to my world!

I have had asthma all my life and being short of breath is not the best, but far too often the way I breathe. (No medical insurance nor money for Advair. )

So when I started getting short of breath just walking up the stairs, in fact, just walking on the flat! Well, I first thought I just had bad asthma.

Once a year there is a health fair and all of use without insurance go and get a blood panel for $60. Before those results even came in I ran into a friend who was explaining her symptoms of being anemic....and they were all MY symptoms! Shortness of breath, pounding heart, pulsing in the ear especially at night, and being really, really tired all the time. The kicker was "chewing ice like it's FOOD." OH YES, I sure as heck was doing that one!

About seven years ago I became anemic. I was surprised because a) I cook in cast iron a lot and I always had had a good hematocrit. But my doctor at the time told me that women MENSTRUATE ALL THEIR IRON AWAY over the years! He said that I'd just run out and needed to replace it!

Back to the present, and since talking to my friend I went home and took some iron and by golly, if the shortness of breath and the heart pounding went away THAT quickly! So I took iron for a week and felt much better!

Sure enough, when my blood panel came back the only odd item on it was LOW IRON. Ha!

It's worth checking out if you are having these symptoms. Any woman can lose her iron over the years.

Well this explains everything by looking at the symptoms above i am short of both hormones having all the above, have tried the hrt estrogen gel but it actually made me worse. So i will have to try and go the natural route, or try nothing at all like other ladies are doing.

The shortness of breath thing is driving me nuts today...well, it's not really a shortness of breath, but the feeling like I can't take a deep breath when I want to....I had this most of last summer, it went away, and when this summer got here it came back....I also had a hysterectomy at the end of April which surely isn't helping any of my symptoms....and to add to it my husband is out of town and I am home alone....that makes my anxiety worse which in turn makes the breathing thing worse...My Ativan helps but doesn't completely get rid of the feeling...I know it's hormones but it still doesn't make it any easier to deal with.

Yeah get that alot it does freak me out even when my nose feels stuffy i get that way. I try to ignore it but its hard not to.I also get stuffy ears which drives me crazy. Goodluck Lizardlover

Smothery says it all.I feel that way either when under stress,or when I lay down at night as well.But when I lay down I usually start thinking about things I need to do-which leads to stress.I hate the feeling,but now that I know I am not alone I feel better.