breathing problems...at my witts end.

[white1989]

Does anyone suffer from breathing problems on here? I have been having it for a while on and off, but for the last few months it has been a daily battle. I have had ecg's galore and blood tests and an asthma check, and they can't find anything wrong. every day I feel like my windpipe has been bound in string, I feel like I cannot get a full breath of air into my lungs, sometimes it feels really tight to breathe in and like its a constant effort and I have to 'think' about breathing!
sometimes It won't affect me until the afternoon but as soon as it hits, BAM, in my head im going to drop dead at any moment, I go into panic overdrive, I sometimes have to lie down on the nearest surface and just calm myself down and focus on getting my breath back.
I know my body won't stop breathing but I just can't seem to relax when the symptoms hit. its so terrifying and debilitating, I wish I knew what caused it and how to stop it! it can go on all day and right up until I go to sleep sometimes.

Does anyone else on here suffer with anything similar? any tiny ounce of advice would be greatly appreciated, it's really sucking the life and soul out of me :weep:

[icingsugar]

Hi, I get this too especially for the first few months following my first panic attack where the panic was a daily things. Recently I usually only get these feelings (sometimes but rarely the throat closing sensation, usually a feeling there's no oxygen in the room and I can't feel myself breathing in and out at all) in the evening or at night. I find if I'm busy or distracted eg. Walking around, shopping etc. I don't often get any symptoms.

For me the feeling like there's no air in the room is one of the worst symptoms of anxiety/panic disorder. Fortunately now I only get it a few times a month whereas when I first started having panic attacks I would bet this almost daily.

[white1989]

hi icingsugar,

thanks for your reply! I'm the same as you in that I tend to not get them when I'm busy shopping, doing something of interest etc, it happens mostly on an evening or when I'm sat at my desk at work and all I can think about is my breathing. The worst part for me is not knowing whether it is anxiety related on an actual medical problem, although I've been told that my lungs are fine and my heart is as well, I'm still convinced there could be another reason that they've not found like a tumour on my windpipe or in my throat and the worry is destroying me :ohmy: I think if I was 100% certain that it was just anxiety, maybe it wouldn't frighten me as much, but every time it happens I feel like this will be it and it will finally kill me, its so scary!