Breathing problem...?

[Zuerst]

Lately I noticed that (ok more like starting from last year after a "party") I don't quite feel "right." No matter how long I slept I always wake up tired. It seems to me that I'm always yawning and feel the need for air. This in term makes my head feel unclear/hazy. But I have no problem running a mile in 5:30, playing active sport for 3+ hours, or keeping my grades up... What's wrong with me? Is my breathing pattern somehow disturbed?

I already setup an appointment with my doctor. Is there anything I should take notes on before I go in? Anything I can do at this point? My brain/mind doesn't feel as sharp as it use to and I don't seem as alert.

Help

 

[Big D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zuerst Lately I noticed that (ok more like starting from last year after a "party") I don't quite feel "right." No matter how long I slept I always wake up tired. It seems to me that I'm always yawning and feel the need for air. This in term makes my head feel unclear/hazy. But I have no problem running a mile in 5:30, playing active sport for 3+ hours, or keeping my grades up... What's wrong with me? Is my breathing pattern somehow disturbed? I already setup an appointment with my doctor. Is there anything I should take notes on before I go in? Anything I can do at this point? My brain/mind doesn't feel as sharp as it use to and I don't seem as alert. Help

A few questions:

1. Do you always go to bed around the same time?
2. What time do you go to bed?
3. What time do you wake up?
4. Do you wake once or twice in the night?
5. Are you woken up by the alarm or do you wake up before this?
6. Do you find yourself sleepy during the day?
7. What is your age, height and weight? (To calculate Body Mass Index)
8. Do you feel better when you have been playing sport?
9. Do you get breathless at rest or chest pains?
10. Do you feel breathless lying flat on your back at night?
11. Any other symptoms apart from the tiredness?
12. Do you suffer from any known medical conditions?

 

[wallijonn]

cut down on sugars and corn syrups. cut down on sodas. eat more greens and vegetables. cut down on red meat. drink more clear & pure water. you may be going diabetic. eating sugar will make you lethargic.

 

[Big D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallijonn cut down on sugars and corn syrups. cut down on sodas. eat more greens and vegetables. cut down on red meat. drink more clear & pure water. you may be going diabetic. eating sugar will make you lethargic.

I'm afraid that diabetes really isn't anywhere near top of the list (though it still could be). Polyuria (frequently passing urine) and lethargy are the most common symptoms. I can't recall seeing a diabetic patient with breathlessness who is as active as Zuerst, the sport and fitness is another reason diabetes is unlikely. If it is diabetes then from the history it would be more likely type II diabetes (adult onset related to insulin resistance in the liver and body tissues) usually presenting in overweight people >45, not type I diabetes which is more common in kids and young adults (failure to produce insulin due to beta cell failure in the pancreas). Therefore diabetes is very unlikely.

 

[MuZI]

How can you tell if you don`t have enough energy and it is a medical problem...or if you are just plain lazy?

 

[some1x]

take up Tai Chi.

 

[loveheadphones]

get a blood test. check hemoglobin, hematocrit, red blood cell count, and creatinine.

 

[Zuerst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big D A few questions: 1. Do you always go to bed around the same time? 2. What time do you go to bed? 3. What time do you wake up? 4. Do you wake once or twice in the night? 5. Are you woken up by the alarm or do you wake up before this? 6. Do you find yourself sleepy during the day? 7. What is your age, height and weight? (To calculate Body Mass Index) 8. Do you feel better when you have been playing sport? 9. Do you get breathless at rest or chest pains? 10. Do you feel breathless lying flat on your back at night? 11. Any other symptoms apart from the tiredness? 12. Do you suffer from any known medical conditions?

1. No
2. I go to bed anywhere from 11:30PM all the way to 4:00+AM but I still feel the same week if I go to sleep regularly at around 12:00 for 8 hours for one week straight.
3. Depending on when I go to sleep and what I had going on in the morning, anywhere from 5:00AM~2:00PM

4. Sometimes I wake up once at night but that happend like twice in the past year or so...
5. Usually by alarm during the semester, now I wake up naturally during the summer break
6. I often find myself sleepy and my brain/mind hazy/unclear during the day
7. I'm 19 at 5"5'

and weights ~128lb
8. Yeah I feel better or "normal" when I'm playing sports and also a while after I played
9. I don't know how to describe it, I don't get chest pain... Not even after I ran like 3+ miles followed by several hours of basketball or tennis. But the back of my nose, mouth and upper throat seems dry and feel like I'm lacking oxygen... Can't really concentrate... not as alert as say 2 years ago.
10. A little bit.
11. My brain/mind feels hazy... I don't feel alert. It's a bit hard to concentrate and think at times.
12. No

If it matters, I sometimes try to hold my breath/avoid breathing at parties when there is "unwanted smoke" around, be it cigarette or "other illegal substances"...

 

[plainsong]

Hmm, I'd agree with getting a check-up just to make sure everything is ok. Better safe than sorry!

If you don't want to take tai-chi, or if you'd like to include it in your regimen, take singing lessons. One-on-one singing lessons will not only get you involved in making music, but will get you learning proper breath control like you never knew existed before. I've never taken tai-chi (but would like to), but I suspect that's part of it as well.

 

[Big D]

Your symptoms are very generalised apart from the breathlessness. It may be something as simple as poor sleep hygiene if your sleep pattern is altered a lot.

I certainly wouldn't describe what you have as "normal" but it is still probably unlikely to be serious given your age, though obviously without proper history, examination and investigation it cannot be excluded. As Plainsong says you should get checked out by your GP (family practitioner in the US?). I'm an anaesthetist by trade so this isn't a problem I commonly deal with these days. My patients are either very sick and ventilated on ITU or general well for elective surgery.

The only other thing to ask is any weight loss this past year? Some gut malabsorbtion syndromes like Crohn's disease and coeliac disease might present with breathlessness.

 

[Zuerst]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big D Your symptoms are very generalised apart from the breathlessness. It may be something as simple as poor sleep hygiene if your sleep pattern is altered a lot. I certainly wouldn't describe what you have as "normal" but it is still probably unlikely to be serious given your age, though obviously without proper history, examination and investigation it cannot be excluded. As Plainsong says you should get checked out by your GP (family practitioner in the US?). I'm an anaesthetist by trade so this isn't a problem I commonly deal with these days. My patients are either very sick and ventilated on ITU or general well for elective surgery. The only other thing to ask is any weight loss this past year? Some gut malabsorbtion syndromes like Crohn's disease and coeliac disease might present with breathlessness.

I went and saw my family doc a few times and took some blood tests and everything was fine. I also went to a nose, throat...etc doctor and had some balance, hearing test and even took a CAT scan and everything was fine... But I have recently thought of paid more attention to this hazy minded breathless thing. Could smoking once (in great amount) in my life well over 12 months ago have this effect? What the **** was I thinking then anyways...

And I didn't have any weight loss this past year... I even gained a few pounds from a vacation from eating WAY too much...

Could this be psychologic? IE guilt that I tried smoking...?

 

[Big D]

It could possibly be psychosomatic if you have been investigated and everything is normal. This is something to consider as your symptoms improve with exercise - maybe because you are distracted at the time?

Try a better sleep pattern. Go to bed at the same time every night for a couple of weeks - even if you don't feel tired. The same applies to waking up. Get up at the same time - if you wake up early stay in bed and try to go back to sleep. The body has a circadian rythmn and doesn't like it when sleep patterns are altered. This is why working nights is so hard (I should know!)

Try getting a regular pattern and see if you feel better. As for the marijuana smoking it once isn't going to have any significant impact on your long term health so quit worrying about it!!

 

[GWN]

Could It be sleep aphnea?

 

[Big D]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GWN Could It be sleep aphnea?

Exceptionally unlikely it is sleep apnoea, for several reasons:

1. Already seen an ENT specialist and been investigated
2. Normal weight
3. Young
4. Symptoms improve with exercise
5. Breathlessness with sleep apnoea is more related to obesity than the condition itself.

 

[Zuerst]

Yeah, my doc's appoint is not for another month and a half. I should give my body fair rest before I blame it on some type of disease/problem... I haven't really given my body regular rest for the past 2~3 or so years..

Maybe my body/brain finally had enough and are saying "hey *$(@#@$ get some rest before you really get sick!!!"

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big D It could possibly be psychosomatic if you have been investigated and everything is normal. This is something to consider as your symptoms improve with exercise - maybe because you are distracted at the time? Try a better sleep pattern. Go to bed at the same time every night for a couple of weeks - even if you don't feel tired. The same applies to waking up. Get up at the same time - if you wake up early stay in bed and try to go back to sleep. The body has a circadian rythmn and doesn't like it when sleep patterns are altered. This is why working nights is so hard (I should know!) Try getting a regular pattern and see if you feel better. As for the marijuana smoking it once isn't going to have any significant impact on your long term health so quit worrying about it!!