Feel like I can't breathe...terrified!

[white1989]

Hi can anyone help at all, I have suffered with chronic anxiety for a couple of years, I am a 26 year old female. Recently I have started feeling like I can't breathe, like someone has wrapped string around my windpipe, I just can't seem to catch a proper breath. I have to breathe in really deeply which keeps resulting in me persistently yawning, I can't focus on anything else it is terrifying the life out of me and I just feel like I'm suddenly not going to be able to breathe at all! The more I focus on it the worse it seems to get, and some days i don't notice it whereas other days it is absolutely horrific, like today! I have had ecg's, chest xray and asthma tests about a year ago and they are all clear but I'm scared something could have developed since then? I really don't believe that anxiety can be causing this? to be honest the only thing that i'm anxious about are these heart and breathing problems, I have nothing to be worried or upset about other than that!!! I am on the edge here and really need some reassurance :( thanks in advance

[Natalie x]

Hi there, I too have experienced this and as you will see from a post yesterday I had already gone to the doctors and been checked out for my heart concerns. I think a lot of the time it is down to anxiety, like earlier for example I had the exact same thing and stil do at the moment in fact. But I noticed I got a funny sensation in my chest and then started to worry and the breathing thing has been there since, it's almost as though my throat is right and something is restricting breathing in properly? I'm putting it down to focussing on it too much and trying to take my mind away from it. Hope you feel better soon x

[white1989]

Hi Natalie,

thanks for your message. I think you're right, and if it's not caused by anxiety then it is definitely made worse by anxiety! yeah I usually feel it come on like my airway has suddenly tightened and then I just focus on it entirely and it seems to get worse and worse. sometimes I have to get up and walk around and try to calm down as I feel like im actually completely unable to breathe! I find this the most frightening symptom I suffer with, more frightening than the heart flutters/thumps and chest pain. that's reassuring that you got all clear from the doctor - I had lots of tests done about a year ago but feel I want them doing again to put my mind at rest! have you found there's anything you can do to calm yourself down when you start to feel it? xx

[Natalie x]

That's exactly it, you just focus on it completely which doesn't make matters any better. When I'm alone or at work I seem to focus in on it, but I really find that distraction helps. Earlier I had the same issue again but found that dissecting myself and chatting to my mum before I knew it the symptoms had subsided. I hope you are feeling better? X

[white1989]

Hi Natalie,

I completely agree, it seems to get worse and worse the more I focus on it and then I feel like my airways are going to completely close up! I'm glad that you managed to find a way of calming yourself down, I'm definitely going to try and find something to distract myself next time I feel it coming on, like giving someone a call or chatting to someone. hope you are doing ok x

[Natalie x]

Hi White, distraction really is the key and I know it's easier said than done. I used to find it really hard to switch off from the symptoms and I still do but I just keep trying to think positively and it does in time pass. Hope you are feeling better today x

[Lord Choc Ice]

I started to have these feelings of not being able to catch my breath now. They started last Wednesday from out of the blue and I'm still getting them. It's quite disconcerting and stressful. I think as others have said it's best not to focus on them but it's difficult. I am trying Diazepam but they're only 2mg so I have to take a whole strip. It's getting me really down as before my anxiety would manifest itself as lots of sweating but now I am having more symptoms like these and palpitations.

I had a look at this which may help;

http://www.anxietycoach.com/breathingexercise.html

[Anxiousgirl23]

Hi I've got this really bad at the moment.
I am constantly trying to get a full breath and my chest and upper back hurt chronic, most probably because I always trying to breath deep
Another thing with this breathing in really concerend about is, after each sentence I speak I have to take a deep breath. I am getting out of breath just talking!
Please tell me somebody else has this, in worrying myself sick
If I don't give in to the urge of getting a full breath my head goes all funny like a squeezing sensation. This sucks ��

[white1989]

Hi I've got this really bad at the moment.
I am constantly trying to get a full breath and my chest and upper back hurt chronic, most probably because I always trying to breath deep
Another thing with this breathing in really concerend about is, after each sentence I speak I have to take a deep breath. I am getting out of breath just talking!
Please tell me somebody else has this, in worrying myself sick
If I don't give in to the urge of getting a full breath my head goes all funny like a squeezing sensation. This sucks ��

I get like this a lot too. I feel really out of breathe sometimes if Im telling a story, but I find it usually happens later in the day and never really first thing in the morning - I think that's because I've had chance to sit and worry about it all day. have you ever had any tests done with your doctor? I had asmtha tests, heart tests etc and everything came back normal so they keep telling me its anxiety but I find it too 'real' to be anxiety! its so difficult to live with, but at least we know we're not alone x

[Anxiousgirl23]

I've had quite a few different tests but this breathing thing is new and it's getting on my nerves and seriously worrying me
I've got constant heart worries. I had ecgs echocardiogram and holster monitor last year. You would think that would have put my mind at rest but it hasn't I've gone worse. I can barely do anything. In 26 years old, and I feel paralysed in my own body sometimes in scared to move I case I set off skipped beats.
Argh so sick of this x

[Lord Choc Ice]

I hear you Anxiousgirl. It's driving me crazy too and I'm really loathe to go down the surgery. I'm sure it's anxiety and as white1989 says we are not alone. That's something to hold on to and maybe something we can take comfort from. Breathing is an automatic function but once we become aware of it we develop these dratted responses. Do you find it gets better at any time during the day or when you are lying down rather than sitting?

[Anxiousgirl23]

I am also too scared to go down to see the doctors. I haven't been to the doctors for months, unlike a lot of people on this page. I am too frightened to go I wish I could lol it's pathetic. No I have this breathing thing constant all day, there is no rest bite. Do you have periods where you can relax a little? Mine is terrible when j am talking, eating is a nightmare I'm trying to munch away and I've gasping for breath, also doing daily tasks is very hard, making the bed and I feel the urge to stop and take a deep breath. How an earth is this anxiety? I just don't understand how it can cause this nightmare symptom. I am sure they have missed something with my heart tests and there is something wrong

[Lord Choc Ice]

I find night-time I can relax more and sleep without this constant catching my breath. I also think lying on my side, watching 'rubbish' on TV and shallow breathing helps as does trying not to think about anything which could stress me. It's so difficult though. I'm sure the Diazepam helps me too but I don't like going down that route. I take my pulse and reassuringly that's quite low and my blood-pressure has come down too.

Can you talk to anyone about how you feel? Does it help? Maybe a second opinion from another doctor would help too but of course that means going down the surgery.

I hope I'm not asking you do do too many things as it can be overwhelming. Little steps is best, I'm trying them. Even watching stuff on YouTube can be calming or listening to music on there. Sorry if I'm over-simplifying this, I hope I'm not I just want what's best for you, me and everyone else suffering this.

[Anxiousgirl23]

Talking to family does help I suppose then I realise how ridiculous I sound when I'm explaining to somebody.
Why do you think it sounds like I should have s second opinion with the symptoms I have described ?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi I've got this really bad at the moment.
I am constantly trying to get a full breath and my chest and upper back hurt chronic, most probably because I always trying to breath deep
Another thing with this breathing in really concerend about is, after each sentence I speak I have to take a deep breath. I am getting out of breath just talking!
Please tell me somebody else has this, in worrying myself sick
If I don't give in to the urge of getting a full breath my head goes all funny like a squeezing sensation. This sucks ��

It could be muscular tension. I have this mostly right-sided and in my diaphragm too. This caused me many breathing problems and it was a concern because I have asthma.

I learned to spot the difference between the two an put it down to anxiety
causing muscular tension.

If it is that then it will mean reducing overall anxiety levels but you could try something like Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) which helps you to understand when you tensing and how to release it.

[Lord Choc Ice]

Talking to family does help I suppose then I realise how ridiculous I sound when I'm explaining to somebody.
Why do you think it sounds like I should have s second opinion with the symptoms I have described ?

No, just to allay any fears you still have because you said in a previous post 'how on earth is this anxiety'. A second-opinion may help reassure you that the test already performed were fine. Also, you don't sound ridiculous, this is a very real feeling.

[Anxiousgirl23]

Yes your right it is a very real thing and a very frightening one. It's hard to believe anxiety can produce these symptoms which are very physical. I can't wait for the day I can feel like myself again

[Lord Choc Ice]

Same here. I thought sweating was bad enough but this is so much worse. I can wake up pretty much OK and then I start stressing again.

[jojo198628]

Wow im so glad im not the only one suffering from this...... iv had several horrendous panic attacks over this issue... thinking that I can not breathe properly and that I could not take a deep breathe its been such a worry.. everytime I try to take a deep breathe the more I cannot do it.... anxiety is such a terrible thing :-(

[shane247]

I know that feeling. During my anxiety peak, this was the scariest of all symptoms i had. Constant shortness of breath, yawning, feeling like i had tight band around my ribs. First thought was heart or lung problem. Did all the tests, everything was ok. Finally they found GERD during endoscopy test. Found out that lot of people with GERD had this feeling but couldn't believe that this was the answer. Anyway, after a while, when i accepted that my lungs and heart were ok, anxiety and symptom subsided.