Refreshing this thread after a long while... honestly, nothing has changed. I finally saw a psychiatrist, but they didn't have any answers either. They actually told me I shouldn't bother coming back because apparently, "it isn't a mental issue." Then I got my stomach results back, which show things aren't working quite right, but even that doesn't matter because doctors say it’s all just stress-induced. So, that's that. There's no fix in sight. I can barely focus, let alone handle any physical activity—I'm pretty much done with sports. Who am I supposed to turn to? What am I even supposed to do? I can feel the tension deep inside; I know exactly where the root of the problem lies, but what's the point? I guess I'll just have to comfort myself. XD Thanks to everyone for all the advice you've given me, but what's done is done. If nothing else, at least I can tell my kids the truth. I was young and reckless, and it cost me everything. 🤷
Just a quick update 🙂 so I've been on Feburina for about two or three weeks now... absolutely zero changes... except that I'm not feeling like total crap because of it, hahaha 🙂 My breathing is still the same and my digestion hasn't budged either... I even changed up my diet... but nothing's moving. Maybe just a tiny bit? Let's hope so 🙂 🤷
Hey everyone! 🙂 Just wanted to give you all an update. After doing a ton of digging, I finally sat down with a psychiatrist. Her verdict? My body basically went on strike because of this massive fear of failure. Even when everything was going smoothly, I was constantly obsessing over whether I’d actually perform well on the field—you know, playing soccer. It turns out my body just found a way to shut down to protect me from the possibility of failing. I’ve been prescribed Faverin, which she says should start helping my autonomic nervous system in about eight days. We'll see how it goes. I’m really crossing my fingers that this is the fix. If it works, it's going to be huge. Thanks to everyone here for all the posts and support... 👍
Man, I don't know... I really wish I didn't have these issues 🙂 I honestly have no clue what's going on because I've been through the ringer with this. My chiropractor was actually hopeful after looking at my MRI—he thought maybe one of my discs was shaped like a banana or something. He showed me the scans; all the others look perfectly straight, but there's this one weirdly curved one. It's tied to my ribs, which is why they keep popping. But then again, he isn't even sure if that's the actual cause. I've done two sessions already and haven't felt a single bit of difference... I'm starting to seriously consider just hanging up the gym shoes for good 😢( If a muscle is damaged or split and a nerve gets pinched, everything goes haywire—your breathing, your digestion, you name it. I don't even know anymore. I'm just stuck, not knowing whether to keep pushing or just call it quits. 😢
rowdypuma79 said:Well, I guess I’m officially joining the club too... I’ve been dealing with breathing and digestion issues for four months now. I’ve gone through all sorts of tests, but nothing seems to change...
I'm convinced the issue is definitely physical—specifically with the diaphragm muscle separating the chest and abdomen—but nobody can figure out why... If I could just solve it right now, wouldn't that be great? hhh🙂
Hey everyone... hey there! So, I can happily report that absolutely nothing has changed yet. XD... I just had an MRI done, and looking at the images, there aren't any breaks, no issues, nothing... which wasn't a huge surprise since I'm not in any pain. I saw a chiropractor who worked on my lumbar spine, but he didn't touch my rib cage at all... so I'm heading back tomorrow to get that sorted out. Basically, everything is status quo. The only thing I've figured out so far is that it’s likely just muscle strain, which we already suspected, especially since there's no actual structural damage. Stress isn't the culprit either; I talked it over with my sister, who—let's just say—is a total pro when it comes to this stuff after finishing her law degree. :P All in all, I'm still just playing the waiting game. 😢 🤷
First off, I’m really sorry for being so quiet lately... I just haven't been checking the forum at all, and honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything. 🙂 It’s been seven months now... So, I finally figured out what's going on, though it's not 100% pinpointed yet. It looks like a pinched nerve or some kind of rib misalignment. Since the area isn't moving properly, it's causing all those digestive issues (basically due to abdominal pressure). Everything feels exactly the same right now, but I should be getting an MRI on my ribs and that part of my chest next week to get a definitive answer. I actually discovered this when my orthopedist applied pressure to my rib cage and I was suddenly able to take a full, deep breath! There's some movement there, but it honestly blows my mind. How can these high-powered doctors have no clue how a little bit of pressure could mess with digestion? They kept insisting it was just simple pressure and not some underlying disease or something "all in my head." I was seriously losing my mind with those kinds of dismissals. In the end, it was actually my sister—who’s a physical therapist specializing in nerve issues and injuries like this—who suggested what I should look into.
Thanks again to everyone for caring, for the advice, and for all the help... and truly, sorry for leaving you guys hanging. Once I get this sorted out, I'll let you know exactly what the diagnosis is. 🙂 🙏
hahahaha... man, you have no idea how many times I’ve thought about doing that... but look... those guys would have me figured out in a heartbeat. They’d bring me in, run every single test under the sun for a few days, and boom—case closed. What really kills me is that not one doctor has actually told me what's causing this shortness of breath. Everyone just gives me the runaround. "It’s a little bit of this," or "that's not quite right," or "your levels are slightly off"... nothing concrete! And then, once they hit a wall and don't know what else to do? It's always the same old line: "It's probably just stress, go home."
Honestly, I really want to thank you all for putting in the effort and helping me out so much... at the very least, you guys actually listen to me instead of just brushing me off like everyone else does. People around me think my constant worrying and urge to get this sorted immediately is just some side effect of stress... but trust me, it isn't. If it were, it would manifest in a totally different way—I mean, I did study psychology, after all! hehehe 🙂 Thanks again, everyone
Oh, no way... I’m definitely not forcing it... and I don't go running to the bathroom after every single meal... hahaha! That just came out wrong. I was just describing how it hit me right then and there. But honestly, when I actually *have* to go, I don't get that intense pressure from my upper GI anymore. It's like, once the urge hits, it just happens... but that heavy, pressurized feeling in my upper stomach? That's totally gone. 🙂
Hey everyone, I just finished off some Goldfish crackers... dry, and washed them down with some Muscle Milk... It’s been about two or three hours now and it's slowly moving through my system, but man, my stomach is acting up. I was over at the local urgent care for a bit earlier, and I can't get away from this constant bloating. There is this massive pressure in my abdomen—I mean, it feels huge, like everything is being squeezed from the sides. It happens every single time, seriously, every time. 😢
Jeremy Watson16- Honestly, it doesn't matter what I eat... even if I fast for a few days, nothing changes. As for my bowel movements... they seem normal, I guess? It’s not like I haven’t gone in 2 or 3 days... I just can't force it. I have to wait and wait until it finally happens on its own. Regarding that hernia, I asked my doctor about it. She thinks it could be causing the heartburn and all that... although my endoscopy showed some esophageal damage, she said that wouldn't be the reason for my breathing issues. AS FOR THE REFLUX, I asked her about that too, and she mentioned it might cause coughing or pain... but I really suspect it's something with my gut or intestines instead. Today at the gym, we were doing 4x4 minute intervals—30-meter sprints, over and over. I just had to stop because that pressure in my chest makes it impossible to catch my breath. And it feels like it's all coming from my gut... because when I'm full and my food is digesting incredibly slowly, if I tighten my stomach, it hurts. It's definitely not the lining, since I took Nexium and it didn't help one bit. I even did a stool test and everything came back clear. And please, I'm begging you, stop telling me it's all in my head. I am being completely sincere here... I know exactly when this started and why, and I know precisely where I feel it. I just don't know the direct cause or how to fix it. I've already started spiraling and overthinking everything because I keep repeating myself. 🙂 thanks again, everyone 🙏
I haven't hit the gym in three months... right from when this whole thing started... and honestly, nothing has changed. I don't have any issues with my stomach lining since there's no pain, and I'll say it again: it's not coming in waves. It's just constant. And as for using the restroom? I'm sitting there straining, but nothing happens. It really should be moving along, especially because I know exactly how things used to work before this. 😢
Man, I am seriously grateful to everyone who’s actually taking the time to read this and offer advice... but I feel like I'm missing the mark somehow. Like, you guys just aren't seeing the full picture. So, here’s the deal: my endoscopy showed some damage to my esophagus—grade one peptic changes. It says specifically that my corpus is inflamed. But then the internist at the same hospital tells me it’s basically nothing? He says the only symptom should be heartburn, which I don't have at all. And stress? Absolutely not. I can rule that out completely because these symptoms don't just strike randomly... they are there from the moment I wake up. Even when I'm on Normabell (I've been testing), it's the same thing. It's constant. My main symptoms are these: when I'm trying to go to the bathroom, nothing happens, even though I'm putting in the effort and there's clearly material there. Then there's the burping and vomiting sensation—it feels blocked, so out of six attempts, I only manage to burp once. I get this pressure in my chest when I breathe, air escaping during abdominal exercises or core stability work, and even during intense running. I mean, if I push myself at 80% capacity for 30 minutes, I can breathe, but what am I missing? Because when I do manage to take a breath, I get this pain around my solar plexus. Plus, if I press my abdomen just above my belly button, I feel this stinging sensation. It happens any time—morning, night, whether I'm full or starving. As for my heart, I have to wait until March 1st for those tests. There's another weird thing, too. Even before all this started a year ago, I’d have mornings where I couldn't go to the bathroom after eating late at night. This whole situation has been dragging on for six months now. Also, my spirometry results showed I'm at 90% of 115%, which the doctor tried to brush off as "anxiety." Give me a break. I've done a spirometry test before; I know exactly how to do it, and I gave it my absolute best this time. There isn't a doctor in the world who can tell me this is "all in my head" or psychological. It simply isn't. I don't have any major stressors; in fact, life was perfect when this first hit. So... yeah. Regarding working out, I only train so I don't pack on the pounds and just lose my edge. I also remembered another symptom that really points to an issue: when I used to run in the cold, I could feel the cold air rushing through my throat, but now that sensation is gone. Even when I'm just resting, the air doesn't seem to flow the way it should. I'm wondering, could this be something with my gut? Could undigested food sitting in my system overnight be causing this breathing struggle? 🤷
I’m heading in for a full cardiac workup tomorrow to make sure everything is running smoothly. Honestly, I've been feeling some shortness of breath lately, and my heart starts racing even when I'm just doing something minor, like walking up a flight of stairs. Don't get me wrong—my fitness levels are fine—but that pounding sensation is hard to ignore. If the doctors give me the all-clear on my heart, then it's onto the colonoscopy. I have to admit, I'm pretty nervous about that 😕
You’re definitely giving me something to chew on... but honestly? I don't spend my whole life obsessing over this. Especially not when I'm training. When I'm mid-workout, I don't have the mental bandwidth to wonder if my breathing is off—yet there I am, gasping for air anyway. The thing is, a lot of people I talk to just don't "get" it. They don't realize that this isn't something that comes and goes. It happens whether I'm sitting on the couch, out for a run, or just living my life. Even when I've had a few drinks (it was my birthday, after all), nothing changes. It's been six months of this. During intense runs where I should be focusing on deep belly breathing, my stomach just starts cramping up. One time during an exercise, my core seized up so hard I literally had to stop running. After a quick break, I tried to keep going, and while the belly stuff settled, I felt this sharp, stabbing sensation in my upper chest every time I inhaled. It wasn't agonizing, but it was definitely there. Look, I really do appreciate the psychological advice, but trust me, this isn't "all in my head." I'm not that kind of person. I don't carry around stress or hang-ups. I know exactly when this started and exactly where it hits. I even tried taking some Advil to see if it would help, but it made zero difference. I am telling you, it's not mental. It's tied to my running, my breathing technique, and my digestion. The weirdest part? Nothing actually hurts. But whether I'm resting or pushing myself, I just feel like something is fundamentally wrong. Every single second, for six months straight, regardless of what I'm doing.
REBOOTING! 🙂 Hey everyone, just got back from my endoscopy... turns out my lower esophagus is pretty banged up from acid reflux, even though I haven't actually felt any heartburn. My lungs seem fine on paper, but when it came to the spirometry test... well, that’s where things get weird. My inhalation was only at 90%, but it really should have been closer to 115% since my actual lung capacity is sitting at 6.5 liters. And of course, my doctor just laughs it off and tells me it’s probably just anxiety and muscle spasms... hahahaha! Seriously? This has been going on for six months now. There hasn't been much change, except maybe my digestion is slightly better, but that's only because I've been sticking to this strict diet for two months straight. So, I'm looking for some advice here... SHOULD I go ahead and get my heart checked out next? Maybe my spine too??!?!?! 🙏
Let me give you guys a quick update... I’m still waiting on another endoscopy... plus, I’ve noticed a new symptom. So, it was my birthday recently, and I had a few drinks. I felt like I needed to throw up, so I tried to force it by putting my fingers down my throat. There was definitely something there, but I just couldn't get it out. It felt like it started coming up from my stomach, but then it just got stuck somewhere, and man, did it hurt. I’m starting to wonder if it might be a hernia, even though my doctor told me a CT scan wouldn't pick that up.
First off, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the advice... Seriously, whether you believe me or not, you guys have been my only real support system outside of my family and my girlfriend... My buddies? They’re mostly just making jokes out of the whole thing. Anyway, I just got a referral for a cardiac stress test—you know, the treadmill kind. Now I just have to wait. I'll let you all know how it goes and what the doctors find once everything is wrapped up... Thanks again, everyone... 🙏