Odd Question Do you get shortness of breath prior to period?

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I have noticed this for some time now, kind of off and on in the back of my mind for a couple years I guess. But this month, right now, it is bad. I have this odd shortness of breath for about 4 to 5 days before my period starts. Then the day it starts, by the end of that day, the shortness of breath goes away.

I actually googled this last night and found a couple of long threads on various health boards full of women saying they have the same phenomenon so this isn't just me!

I have in the past had transient episodes of asthma, but when it's asthma I can actually feel and hear the wheezing deep in my lungs when I try to take a deep breath in. I can tell my doctor before he even listens to my breathing that I am wheezy that day.

This is a totally different feeling. Just like a 'can't get enough oxygen', air-hunger, more in the top of my lungs, feeling. I've had my doctor listen when it's like this and he doesn't hear wheezing - it is a different feeling.

I used to be anemic but I was on super-duper high dose iron pills for a while and my last ferritin count was much better. Besides this shortness of breath is only before my period, not during. I remember what it was like to be anemic and feel weak all over but this is different.. for some reason my period is delaying this month, and I just know that once it starts this shortness of breath feeling will improve.. I had spotting 3 days ago so I know it's coming dammit!

I've had heart tests done and basically everything is normal - some sinus tachycardia but that is the POTS doing that. If I had a heart problem it wouldn't just show up for 5 days prior to my period and disappear when it starts!

Any other women here have this same short of breath feeling prior to their period? Have you found anything that helps it or any clues as to what causes it?

I found a couple of references to progesterone last night being a bronchoconstrictor but the articles contradicted - one said that progesterone is very low prior to the period, the other said progesterone spikes prior, so one of them must be wrong!

ETA: Just wanted to add, that it's not anxiety. I don't feel anxious emotionally, the feeling of not getting enough air to my brain feels odd physically - it's like my body knows that something is wrong but what, I don't know. I am the opposite of anxious right now - I haven't slept well all week because of this and right now I'm exhausted and just want to go to sleep but this pervasive SOB feeling won't let me. As I try to fall asleep and my breathing naturally slows itself down my brain panics and I take a deep breath. I always have severe insomnia for 5 or 6 days before my period, but this month it seems to be particularly bad.

Short answer: No, unless of course I've been indulging in PMS induced cravings...

I have this "air hunger" pretty much all the time. It's super annoying. It has nothing to do with anxiety or PMS. It does seem to improve or get worse depending on my general health. Sometimes it's so bad I can't spend time in the car without opening the windows.

Hi there,

Yes I do! Everything you wrote is literally me! Even the heart palpitations. I have no idea what’s causing it but it’s so scary and I cannot get to the bottom
Of it. I just wondered if you ever did?

Many thanks

Rachel

This happens to me too

Crazy, this literally happened to me today. For the first time ever

Except I'm on my period ATM. But all of a sudden I felt like couldn't get enough air in my lungs. This feeling lasted about an hour and during that time I had to 'manually' breathe every breath. I thought I was having an allergic reaction or something as that's never happened before in my life. It wasn't scary per say, just uncomfortable

I also had palpitations that lasted for a few hours but didn't know if it was my meds for ADHD as I have had those before.

I hope this isn't a new monthly symptom

I'm not sure.

I have in every other occassion.
Usually because my chronic rhinitis interferences my breathing hard and often enough.
Along with long term issues involving that.

But never considered if it's something to do with my monthly cycle or to do with anemia...


Instead of shortness of breath -- if I work out hard enough or actually struggle breathing due to constant obstruction..
It's more like I yawn more often than I would've for every minute of so.
Air-hungry indeed, like my normal deep breathing just doesn't reach my system.

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The only other link I know of is thoracic endometriosis.

Hey everyone, please check out iron deficiency (ferritin levels) and other vitamins. This causes this before my period when I am low in iron and other vitamins like b12 and D, I think it must be the iron in this case though although they all work together. See if you can get blood tests then look online for the OPTIMAL (not standard/normal) ranges.
Look at the symptoms for iron deficiency, can be palpitations too, tiredness, feeling weak etc. I guess your body is putting a lot of energy into your period so leaves you depleted. I have been having a lot of iron rich foods which contain heme iron, like meat and fish, and it has helped the air hunger a lot recently. Working on getting my blood levels to optimal ranges.

Oh I didn't know this was something other people got too.

I am anemic. My doctor.Just put me on iron and vitamin d supplements ironically enough.

Maybe it will stop happening once my iron normalizes.

Just prior to periods, women will retain "water" and feel bloated. That extra fluid can cause pressure around the heart and lungs, making breathing more difficult. After the period starts and a woman starts to pee all that fluid back out, the pressure goes down and breathing improves.