Breathing and Digestion

So, I guess I’m officially joining the club too... I've been dealing with these breathing issues and digestion problems for about four months now. I've gone through all sorts of tests and doctors, but honestly? Everything just feels exactly the same.

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🙂

Is there actually a problem here?... How would you even diagnose something like this?... I don't get it... and then what? Even if we figure it out, what's the next move?

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. 😢

Digestion feels okay now... it’s just this abdominal pressure and my breathing... the whole inhale and exhale process...

Sean Brown86, I sent you a DM

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... 👍

Sean Brown86 said:Hey everyone 🙂 just an update. After all the digging, I finally saw a psychiatrist. She thinks my body basically went on strike because of performance anxiety—even though things were fine on paper. Apparently, obsessing over whether I’d play well in soccer caused my system to shut down to avoid potential failure... prescribed some Lexapro. It should hit the nervous system in about 8 days, so we'll see. Really hoping this is the fix... thanks for the support in these threads... 👍

They might help, but honestly? You're probably better off avoiding our local doctors whenever possible. Most of them are either totally clueless or just too lazy to dig deeper. If you can, go get diagnosed at a decent clinic in a major metro area. It's much easier for them to say "it's just stress" or "it's psychological" than to actually do the work required to find the real issue...

For instance, some high-and-mighty neurologist once told me I was depressed and needed a shrink, simply because she couldn't recognize the symptoms of a standard herniated disc. Don't even get me started on the rarer stuff. If I hadn't stumbled upon a competent orthopedic surgeon and a good massage therapist, I probably wouldn't be able to turn over in bed right now, let alone get out of it.

Sean Brown86 said:Hey everyone! 🙂 Just wanted to update you all that after doing every single test imaginable, I finally saw a psychiatrist. Her conclusion was that my body essentially went on strike due to a fear of failure—even though everything seemed fine on the surface. She mentioned that because I was constantly obsessing over whether I’d perform well (specifically regarding soccer), my body basically found an excuse to shut down to avoid potential failure. I've been prescribed Faverin, which she says should start affecting my autonomic nervous system in about eight days, so we'll see how it goes. I'm really hoping this is the answer... if it works out, thanks to everyone here for all the support and posts! 👍

So, it really was that? Fingers crossed for you.
Since you went through every single diagnostic test possible, it’s not like someone just brushed you off by saying "it's just stress." The mind is incredibly powerful; it can trigger more than just perceived symptoms—it can manifest actual, serious physical illnesses, or at the very least, intense anxiety symptoms. Either way, you should see some movement soon.

Just because some doctors have been wrong by blaming psychological factors doesn't mean others aren't wrong when they stubbornly hunt for a purely physical cause. At the end of the day, anxiety-driven symptoms can be treated, whereas many other physical ailments unfortunately cannot.

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 🙂 🤷

It’s just like that old joke you hear floating around!
A guy walks into his doctor's office complaining about having terrible diarrhea, even though he’s already tried everything else on the prescription list. Instead of more stomach meds, the doctor decides to prescribe him something specifically for anxiety to help him relax. His buddy asks him later, "Wait, isn't that for something else entirely? And does it actually work?"
"Oh, it works alright!" he says. "I'm still stuck on the toilet, but at least I couldn't care less anymore!"

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. 🤷

Check your PMs.

Just checking in here. I’ve been struggling with anxiety for years now... it feels like I'm constantly drowning. I try everything from yoga to meditation, but it honestly feels like a losing battle. No end in sight...