I've just found this message board after typing in " difficulty taking a deep breath. "
I have exactly the symptoms described by some people above. I'm fit, don't smoke or have asthma, but I constantly feel I'm trying unsuccessfully to get a deep lungful of air. It's not painful but extremely frustrating. I'm 41 and it's been going on for years. It's worse when I'm at the gym, when I want more than anything to be able to take a deep breath. I also seem to get it more when I'm eating. I can sometimes get a lungful of air by yawning but I can't do that all day, and yawning and eating at the same time is not really a good look.
I did ask my doctor about it in the end but she obviously assumed it was some sort of panic attack because she told me to breathe in and out of a paper bag, which was pretty rubbish advice.
I'm getting really sick of it and my boyfriend is getting sick of watching me pulling stupid faces as I try to fill my lungs.

Hmmm, have you ever been tested for allergies? You could be developing one. I would expect more, however, but you never know. Also you might want to look at your air quality where you live, especially sleep. I don't mean mold, but you may just need to check how things are ventilated and such, you'd be surprised how things like this can get to your body. How did this start?

I have been having trouble taking deep satisfying breaths and I have hypoglycemia. I had a bad bout of it yesterday after eating about 6 mint jujubes and a starbucks hot chocolate. Not what I would normally have but I was having a bad day. I started feeling sick within 1/2 hour and then the shallow breathing started and didnt disappear until late today! I never tied it into hypoglycemia until reading these posts but it all makes sense to me now.

Shallow breathing could be caused by a number of things. If you're having a hypoglycemic episode then shallow breathing is one of the symptoms. It could also be from anxiety. Anxiety and hypoglycemia share very similar symptoms. If you're breathing shallow you're more likely to have a panic attack which can, among other things, drop your blood sugar because of the sharp and immediate increase in adrenaline. Monitor the amount of water you're drinking that day. Mild dehydration can hamper breathing. A 1% loss in bodyweight from dehydration can significantly reduce your V02 Max (the max amount of oxygen you intake while breathing).

You should avoid eating simple carbohydrates and focus more on eating complex carbs (fiber) and protein. Drink plenty of water, because that also helps with digestion and can reduce the occurrence of hypoglycemic symptoms.

I just got done having a glucose tolerance test. I ate at around 11:00 pm and then drank the glucose mixture at around 8:10 am. I felt fine while in the hospital, a little weak/light headed but nothing to bad. Upon driving home after eating I noticed a feeling like I was about to pass out and a loss of consciousness. I got my brother to drive me home quickly. When I got home I ate as much fruit and protein as I could (Almonds, pistachios, peanut butter, apple juice, and grapes.) Its been about 2 hours and I still feel terrible. I feel as if I cant breathe at all and no matter what I do it wont go away. I also feel like there is a numbness in my brain stem (or lower back of skull, its hard to explain it feels like its jammed with cotton balls somewhat). Over the past few days I haven't been able to eat much at all and I have also had excessive diarrhea. Is this a crash from the glucose tolerance test? A panic attack? Or maybe something a lot worse?

@Levanthenon

Go back to the hospital/doctor and have them check. Let them know what happened so that they can do an accurate diagnosis.

Sounds like that test screwed you up pretty bad. That's why I dreaded taking it right there. Those are all classic sugar symptoms.

I got the test results back today, my blood sugar was at 62 when when they took the last sample. Surprisingly I didn't feel to bad then, which leads me to believe it was much lower later on in the day. I'm still somewhat recovering from the test, but I'm feeling much better than I was when I made the post. For anyone who is planning on taking the GTT, be prepared for the worse is all I have to say. The diarrhea must have been from just a stomach virus or something I ate, because its gone now. Anyways best of luck to the rest of you guys who are suffering from the same condition.

Hey, I'm 28 and in great physical shape, but for the last few weeks haven't been able to get a full breath of air and am starting to wonder what is going on...

i read this article after typing in "difficulty taking a deep breath", and you described my symptoms completely! I've been getting episodes daily, now, with the unsatisfying deep breaths, and the chest pain on one side that feels like someone is stabbing my lungs.

this has been going on for 3 years, im 16 now, and i've been to numerous doctors. i recently went to a pediatric pulmonologist who told me that there was nothing wrong with my lungs and that i didnt have asthma - he also said all my symptoms were in my head and to go see a pyschologist.

these posts have given me hope, because my mother was diagnosed with hypoglycemia when she was in her 20s. It all makes sense now! I'm hoping that i'll finally get a diagnosis that makes sense, and that is something other than "it's all in your head".

Hi
I've been reading all of these responses and it sounds like what I'm experiencing. For me it happens mostly at night (like right now... It's 4 am and I've been awake since midnight!) I can't take a deep, satisfying breath and it's not asthma because I have asthma and I know the difference. It's very strange because I can't really explain what I'm feeling but basically it's not feeling like I am taking a good, satisfying breath. You know the kind that goes deep into your stomach... It happens to me almost every night and I think it may be especially when I eat carbs like rice or pasta late in the evening. I thought for a while that I just had gas or heart burn and the gas is pressing against my diapghram making it difficult to breath so I have gasX pills near by and it does seem to help sometimes. It is worst when I lay down to sleep and it is anoying enough to keep me awake. I also have a strange kind of dull pain on my left side above my left breast and under my left clavicula bone. I had a heart test done once a few years ago because I thought I was having heart problems but my heart is fine and like I said I know the difference between asthma symptoms and this because I do have asthma.

I should add that sometimes it feels like a panic attack... I saw someone mention their doctor thought it was a panic attack... It wakes me up and I feel shaky and scared but I think it's just the not being able to take a deep breath thing that makes me feel that way... All in all I hope I can find some answers because I have 2 little ones I need to take care of and all those sleepless nights are making it difficult for me to do my mommy job right... Anyone else have those exact symptoms... Oh, and I am about to turn 41 in 4 days... I mention this because I saw that many of the posters are quite young, although there was another lady who was 41 as well. I wonder if age makes a difference in hypoglycemia...

Similar symptoms with breathing. Hypoglycemia runs in my family and I have had a few bouts with it it seems. My dr told me to try claritin or benedryl and it doesn't seem to work. Also when I battling this it feels like a struggle to swallow even spit or water sometimes? I dunno if I'm just weird or do hypoglycemics have problems swallowing and breathing sometimes?