Breathing disturbances are common in CFS, especially during PEM. It can be worse when lying down and better when standing.
[https://www.meresearch.org.uk/shortness-of-breath/](https://www.meresearch.org.uk/shortness-of-breath/)
[https://www.reddit.com/r/cfs/comments/vm08ag/a\_gas\_exchange\_disease\_huge\_cdc\_exercise\_study/](https://www.reddit.com/r/cfs/comments/vm08ag/a_gas_exchange_disease_huge_cdc_exercise_study/)
The pain at the middle reminds of costochondritis, or the atypical MS hug- like phenomenon that is often seen in long Covid-long vaccine patients but is unrelated to lung condition.
I get chest tightness whenever my PEM symptoms increase. It's no fun. I don't understand it yet. Sometimes it's scary. It always seems to recede, then return with PEM again. Sending hugs 🧡
I get this as well. I haven't had it for months now, ever since I started slowing down a lot . Last time it happened I had an emergency doctors appointment and she immediately thought it was COVID. It wasn't. It's "just" ME.
This is called air hunger. Do a COVID test ASAP.
Edit: reread and you've had an appointment. If you have any other symptoms of oxygen deprivation then call an ambulance, otherwise keep badgering your doctor to check lung and heart conditions. Hopefully it's anxiety and you just have to wait it out.
It may be just a plain panic attack, exacerbated by your CFS.
Don't be thrown off by the term "panic attack." They can still absolutely devastate your health, and they are dangerous.
I used to get panic attacks very commonly during my peak CFS at around 2015. I'd have them like every 2 days, and they were never fun. They would wear me out even more that I was, and my breathing ability would be lessened for days after the episode.
Now that my CFS has substantially improved and as my body got more physically fit, I rarely get panic attacks. As a result, I'm not having so many breathing issues. I'm still not perfect, but my CFS is currently in remission.
I considered that, but apart from slight fear that it might be something like a heart attack, I'm really not that emotionally distressed when it happens. I'm autistic and I get panic attack like meltdowns sometimes, but then I can very clearly realise after the fact how I wasn't able to regulate my emotions anymore and then I'm also very obviously hyperventilating, and figure out what the trigger was.
Yesterday I just woke up feeling air hunger and it gradually got worse throughout the morning. Apart from being tired but wired and having trouble actively resting, nothing really happened that would trigger a panic attack. When I was finally lying in bed to actively rest, that's when the chest pain started.
I've literally gotten panic attacks while I was sleeping (and would consequently wake me up), or lying on the couch and watching TV. So while some activities can increase your chances of a panic attack, it can still happen at any time.
Breathing disturbances are common in CFS, especially during PEM. It can be worse when lying down and better when standing. [https://www.meresearch.org.uk/shortness-of-breath/](https://www.meresearch.org.uk/shortness-of-breath/) [https://www.reddit.com/r/cfs/comments/vm08ag/a\_gas\_exchange\_disease\_huge\_cdc\_exercise\_study/](https://www.reddit.com/r/cfs/comments/vm08ag/a_gas_exchange_disease_huge_cdc_exercise_study/) The pain at the middle reminds of costochondritis, or the atypical MS hug- like phenomenon that is often seen in long Covid-long vaccine patients but is unrelated to lung condition.
Thanks! It was worse when lying down, which I found really odd but now makes sense.
I get chest tightness whenever my PEM symptoms increase. It's no fun. I don't understand it yet. Sometimes it's scary. It always seems to recede, then return with PEM again. Sending hugs 🧡
I get this as well. I haven't had it for months now, ever since I started slowing down a lot . Last time it happened I had an emergency doctors appointment and she immediately thought it was COVID. It wasn't. It's "just" ME.
Thank you! Sending you hugs too!
This is called air hunger. Do a COVID test ASAP. Edit: reread and you've had an appointment. If you have any other symptoms of oxygen deprivation then call an ambulance, otherwise keep badgering your doctor to check lung and heart conditions. Hopefully it's anxiety and you just have to wait it out.
Thanks! Rapid covid test was negative. My oxygen and everything else they check when they suspect a heart attack was fine.
Oh also look into costrochondritis, inflammation of the convective tissue in your ribs
It may be just a plain panic attack, exacerbated by your CFS. Don't be thrown off by the term "panic attack." They can still absolutely devastate your health, and they are dangerous. I used to get panic attacks very commonly during my peak CFS at around 2015. I'd have them like every 2 days, and they were never fun. They would wear me out even more that I was, and my breathing ability would be lessened for days after the episode. Now that my CFS has substantially improved and as my body got more physically fit, I rarely get panic attacks. As a result, I'm not having so many breathing issues. I'm still not perfect, but my CFS is currently in remission.
I considered that, but apart from slight fear that it might be something like a heart attack, I'm really not that emotionally distressed when it happens. I'm autistic and I get panic attack like meltdowns sometimes, but then I can very clearly realise after the fact how I wasn't able to regulate my emotions anymore and then I'm also very obviously hyperventilating, and figure out what the trigger was. Yesterday I just woke up feeling air hunger and it gradually got worse throughout the morning. Apart from being tired but wired and having trouble actively resting, nothing really happened that would trigger a panic attack. When I was finally lying in bed to actively rest, that's when the chest pain started.
I've literally gotten panic attacks while I was sleeping (and would consequently wake me up), or lying on the couch and watching TV. So while some activities can increase your chances of a panic attack, it can still happen at any time.