Have i become obsessed with my breathing???

[little.miss.worry]

Well for 64 days (counted it last night) i have a feeling like i cant breath it's not nice at all it first started off as Globus i got scared by that of course then it felt like i couldnt breathe so i made a trip to the doctors 2 in fact and they both said that i have not got asthma checked my heart fine and checked my lungs fine it went off for a bit and now its came back and wont go away at all some days are bearable others are terrible its here from when i first get up until i go to sleep i keep thinking maybe it's not anxiety maybe i am going to die....or is it because i always see how im breathing and it's making me feel like i cant? and is that why it wont go away because im constantly thinking about it...?

---------- Post added at 17:36 ---------- Previous post was at 17:28 ----------

Oh and one more thing! i can talk perfectly fine i can exercise fine and i can eat fine...

[Sabre]

That sounds like me for the last two days (hope i dont do it for 64 days :ohmy:) i seem to be really focusing on breathing for some reason, feels like my nose is constantly blocked and very dry or like am not breathing properly and getting enough oxygen, because of that i feel like i am trying to take big deep breaths through my nose and cant ahhh hard too explain lol, anyways at the moment i am same from when i wake up until i go too sleep, mine is defo worse when i start to think about it because if i get distracted i dont think about it and dont notice it am sure its all anxiety related x

[little.miss.worry]

thats how im feeling except it isnt my nose its my chest/ throat kinda thing if you know what i mean...and thats the same with me the other day i woke up feeling terrible and then I decided to go out with my friends and it was still there but 10 times better! so hopefully all this is anxiety because it's really scary :/

[.Poppy.]

Been there. I had it for almost as long as you have, actually, and I was terrified. It started happening to me right when I started to get serious HA so it was extra-scary.

I went to the doctor and they did a blood test...normal. They did a breath pressure test (I had to breathe into a tube) and I had no breath strength. They couldn't figure it out so they gave me an inhalor. I used it for a few days with minimal results - and of course any results were psychological - before realizing and reading that using an inhalor without needing one was dangerous. So, I decided to push past it and eventually, I did. It still comes back every now and then but I've essentially beaten it so it doesn't stay long.

My biggest problem with this is that I'm a wallower - even when I'm trying to distract myself, I don't treat myself or get too excited about anything because in the back of my mind I have this terrible problem and am not happy. Don't let that happen to you. Make yourself happy. Dream, plan, and have fun with friends. Do whatever it takes for you to get excited about pushing past this and whatever it takes to distract yourself and you'll start to feel better.

Also - another trap is that these things will stay in your subconscious for awhile. So even if you think you're not thinking about it, part of you is. That's why when you were out with your friends it was still there, though not prevalent. The back of your mind was still focused on this. It takes some time and some distraction before your entire mind moves on.

[Carl C]

ive been suffering with the same problem,i find myself thinking about my breathing and it just makes it worse.the worse time is when im relaxing.
i find if you do something that makes you out of breath, like running your body takes over and your mind forgets about feeling you cant breathe. you start to relax a little and you get a break from it for a while.

[mrmj]

Hi guys, I'm new on the forum but I think I can help a lot with your concerns!

I had a lung infection not so long ago. It made it harder for me to breath and I was given oxygen and asthma inhalers. After a month it cleared up but I felt exactly the same feelings you guys felt. I STILL felt like I couldn't breath properly and wasn't getting enough oxygen or "catching my breath".

My Dr gave me a few more tests and showed me that my oxygen intake and circulation was very good and sent me on my way. After a few more weeks of feeling like this, I went back and my Dr was great and very quick with diagnosing me with hyperventilation syndrome. Basically in the aftermath of my lung infection my breathing pattern had been knocked completely out of sync.

This is basically where you are overbreathing all the time. It doesn't mean you are breathing noticeably quickly to you, like for example in a panic attack, but you are doing it nonetheless.

I was referred to a breathing physio called Dinah Bradley. Not only was my bad breathing habit causing me to always think I wasn't getting enough oxygen and taking these huge deep breaths, the surplus of oxygen was giving me other symptoms including heart palpitations, dizzyness, chest pains, muscle tension and a variety of other symptoms also closely associated with anxiety.

She gave me some exercises to do and most of these symptoms (including most importantly, the feeling of not being able to get enough oxygen or catch my breath) have greatly improved or dissapeared.

I would strongly reccomend you ask your gp to refer you to a breathing physiotherapist and/or get Dinah Bradley's book called breathing pattern disorders. It will be the best thing you do in a long time.

Unfortunately it came a little late for me, and I now believe I have anxiety and still feel extremely light headed all the time, sometimes close to fainting! Hopefully my GP can refer me to a CBT and I can start living life to the full!

Good luck people!

Michael

[xvolatileheart]

Thanks for that advice, Michael. I'm going to buy the book. I definitely think I've messed up my breathing pattern since I started having panic attacks a couple of months ago.

[MidnightCalm]

What kind of exercises are they? i have been doing it so much I've been close to fainting and unable to do very much 'cos my brething is so off my whole body is going against me

[mrmj]

I'm not sure what they would be in the U.S. but a respiratory therapist sounds about right..

Well some basic ones just to get you started.

Lie on your bed on your back. Bend your knees and put your hands behind your head. This gives you the best position for breathing. Now make sure you are only breathing through your nose and you don't want to be trying to take those massive deep breaths where you feel you are not getting enough oxygen! Now you are probably breathing through your chest but you want to get your belly breathing going. Look at your belly and make sure when you are breathing it is your diaphragm that is moving NOT your chest. Rest between breaths after the outbreath not the inbreath.

Do this for at least 3 minutes twice a day and it will really help! Also remember at all times not to take those deep breaths! If you catch yourself doing it breath really slowly through your mouth with pursed lips back out. But try to avoid altogether!

Seriously get the book and go to the Dr too though because it seems like a massive problem with your lungs when really it is nothing serious and can be easily fixed!! Good luck

[xvolatileheart]

I got the book and I have to say, it's really helpful! Easy to read and has good, simple advice.

[mrmj]

Nice one! Yeah it is really well written, makes it so easy to understand!

[little.miss.worry]

Woah! sorry i never realised so many of you are discussing your experiences on here or else i would of got back sooner it went off because another symptom came along so it was anxiety all along it's just like a vicious cycle once your in it you cant seem to get out of it until you realise your perfectly fine! This has got to be one of the scariest symptoms i have ever had in the 3 years ive had anxiety.. and great advice mrmj alot of people seem to be benefiting from this! :D

[mrmj]

It was so scary for me too. It definitely put me in the state of anxiety I am in now. If only I had seen the physio earlier I may never have had this anxiety! Ah well it's just something else to overcome it always makes you stronger in the end.

[little.miss.worry]

I think doctors need to realise the signs pointing to anxiety because most of them havnt got a clue at all like a doctor i had for instance it's good when you finally find someone who understands and wants to help. And it's a good job it actually goes off :)