breathing & lung cancer

[lizmarshall]

Alot of the time i feel like i am having difficulty breathing, like i have a tight chest, i dont think im hypoventalating as i am breathing normally? i dont notice it when im talking to people or when im out, it's horrible

WHAT IS IT!!

Im really worried i might have lung cancer and the docs wont send me for a chest x-ray. the only syptom i'm not getting is coughing up blood!!!


HELP!!!!

Liz

[Louisey]

I had something like this a few years ago - shortness of breath, inabiltiy to take deep breaths and a really tight chest. I noticed it when I was trying to get to sleep or just when I was sitting at my desk at work. I went and had a spirometry done (asthma test) which came back fine.

After that, my GP said it was another sympton of my anxiety, and knowing that stopped me to worry about it. It also stopped me checking to see if I was breathing OK all the time - as this worrying and constant checking was actually making the symptoms worse.

[lizmarshall]

just another symptom of anxiety then, bloody hell what symptoms dont we get!!!!

This is driving me to insanity!!!

[Jo3016]

I feel the same. I find it really difficult to stop thinking about my breathing but it is easier said than done.

Jo Fitzgerald

[Louisey]

Yeah I was lucky with that one - my brain let go of the 'loop' about not being able to breathe. I probably found another illness to worry about, instead.

[april tones]

Hi, does any one ever get panic or breathless when talking to someone? i forget what i say then panic then feel out of breath x

fibrochat) http://apriltones.proboards54.com

[mandg]

I often feel exactly the same as if I am breathing through a straw that has a few holes in it. I know it's anxiety as it's not always there and goes when I'm busy and not thinking about it.
Hang in there!

Mandy

[Two heads]

God you lot sound like me!I am breathless most of the time and boy to i hate it.Again doc saids its just anxiety.xxxxxxxx

[polly daydream]

That’s me to, especially when talking to people, I then find myself panicking more.

Best wishes,

Polly

[axel]

This was one of my big fears and I had chest X-rays multiple times but it always turned out to be anxiety and the more I worried about it the harder it was to beathe. Now that I finished my cbt group I have not had any problems at all with my breathing and have gone over three months without any panic attacks. You may want to join a cbt group and see if it helps you.

[april tones]

it is horrible! thats my main trigger with panicking in this heat xx

fibrochat) http://apriltones.proboards54.com

[Kristy]

i feel the breathlessness alot too. i cant stand it and it worries me everyday. Like i have to remember to breath.

XOXOXO
Kristy

[Two heads]

I still think every day that somethings not right because i caut breath!Im thinking of asking my doc for cbtxxxxx

[lizmarshall]

Thanks for everybody's replies, it has made me feel much better to know how alot of people suffer with this, maybe now i can stop worrying (easier said than done) but i am gonna try.

It's so nice to know that there is a website like this that you can turn too.

Liz

[xoxbabygalxox]

i feel exactly the same as every1 else i feel like i am constantly checkin my breathin and if it suddenly feels like it goes out of sync or i cant take a deep breath i get into a panic and think i am goin 2 die! im obsessed with it but my gp has sed the cbt will help me out of it!!
take care every1 xxx

[Carolinemargaret]

Hi,

My breathing has been bad, for a while now as we ll!! I have suffered from this particular symptom for at least years and yet I am still here, but when i go to take a deep breath, it just feels like my chest is closing in and I cant get the air in. (which is st years stupid because, if it was going to kill me, it would ahve done 8 years ago!) I find it helps(and this sounds really silly) if I breathe through my nose, for some reason the air seems to go in a bit better, rather than through my mouth, it seems more satisfying, if that makes sense. I remember years ago reading a site on the web and some man was saying that the reason find it difficult to take a deep breath is because they have not let the air that is already in there out... so i try to always exhale before trying again to take a deep breath, sometimes it helps, maybe you should try that!!

Caz x

[Carolinemargaret]

regarding the CBT, I am thinking of trying this, have you all found that it really works, what does it involve? I tried CAT a few years ago and was alright for a while, but he never showed me exactly how to deal with the problem, just what may have caused it etc?!?!

[axel]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">regarding the CBT, I am thinking of trying this, have you all found that it really works, what does it involve? I tried CAT a few years ago and was alright for a while, but he never showed me exactly how to deal with the problem, just what may have caused it etc?!?!

<div align="right">Originally posted by Carolinemargaret - 08 July 2006 : 00:46:30</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

I'm sorry but I don't know what CAT is? CBT has worked wonders for me as far as breathing probs, health anxiety, panic attacks etc. It is all based on catching the common thinking errors you make that lead one to worry and cause more anxiety. Once you catch the errors in your thoughts you counter them in an exercise called a tea form and replace your upsetting thoughts with more objective and rational thoughts. It is a lot of work but I am finding it gets easier over time and I am told with practice it will become your normal new way of thinking. I recently finished my group and I am still doing my tea forms at least once a day everyday and I believe it is begining to become more ingrained but I think I still have a ways to go. Some people say it only took them a few months to master the new way of thinking but my group leader said it can take practice and recommends doing the exercises everyday until they become natural to you which he said could take anywhere from six months to five years. He also said he still does tea forms all the time but not everyday anymore.