Hi Teachersmom, this is exactly what is happening - I feel like I can't get enough breath and have to concentrate on expanding my lungs enough to get oxygen in. It's a real effort. I also got an episode of severe severe panic out of nowhere when I was eating dinner and had to work real hard to calm myself. It was without question a physiological response not emotional anxiety. It came on not long after the breathing and heavy heart feeling came on. It's so frightening. My upper digestion is doing something odd as well as I have alot of strange discomfort.

It feels so horrendous that I can't believe this is silent reflux. But I would believe this is damage to the vagus nerve. I've read this can cause a whole load of full body symptoms including heart rhythm. I don't know how they accurately diagnose reflux. Did you have a specific test to help diagnose the reflux? I'm having an endoscopy in two weeks buy I believe from past experience it won't show anything.

Today I had a really good day health wise so did a lot of exercise swimming with my son in the morning . By afternoon the heart/breathing /weakness issues became really severe and are going on now. They'd gone away so I feel the exercise may have triggered it again. I'm too afraid to sleep. I can't slow it down enough to actually fall asleep. I wondered whether it was exercise or the fact I had a large latte after the swimming. I do drink caffeine but feel that I should stop that with all this. I also eat lots of chocolate. My diet hasn't been great recently as I'm often too exhausted or have no appetite. I desperately want to know what I'm dealing with so I know what dietary changes to make. I've drank lots of caffeine before and been fine.

It's really comforting to know others have experienced this. Although it's awful and I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Thank you for your message, it's a real comfort - and hopeful