Breathing issue - scared

[GirlAfraid23]

I suffer with "air hunger" as a lot of us anxiety sufferers do. However, lately I have been struggling to get a breath and really have to force it.
Starting a few weeks ago, I noticed a strange involuntarily in take of breath that happens randomly and sounds like after you've been crying hard and you do a shuddering or double breath.

Anyway, I put it down to anxiety air hunger, then a week or so ago it happened when I woke up in the morning - the first breath I took (while I was still semi conscious) was a shudder/double breath. Now every morning since then it has happened. During the day I am doing similar big breaths and occasionally shuddering, sometimes sighing.
Now my voice is slightly hoarse when talking and specifically on certain letters, it kind of trails off.
I'm a 'mouth breather' as my sinuses are always blocked. My exhale seems longer than it should be & I always feel slightly bloated/full after eating.

Can anyone help me? I'm scared I will stop breathing in my sleep & there's something really wrong with my lungs.

[GirlAfraid23]

Shameful double post but feeling scared tonight. Can anyone help?

---------- Post added at 19:41 ---------- Previous post was at 19:20 ----------

I know everyone seems sick of people asking questions, but I can feel my horrible health anxiety raising its ugly head again.

[KeeKee]

I've never experienced this air hunger before, but a few times last year I did forget to inhale a whilst dozing off and I woke up its a 'gasp'. Was scary but hasn't happened in quitr a while. I think when our bodies are very stressed they can act in strange ways.

[GirlAfraid23]

It's not quite a gasp but more of a shuddering intake of breath. Almost like a double breath similar to after you've been crying.

[Sam100322]

You won't just stop breathing in your sleep think rationally

[GirlAfraid23]

Ok thanks for your replies.

I feel like I need to use a lot of effort to take a deep breath, especially when lying back and reclining or lying down.
On exertion I feel quite short of breath too but don't know if it's psychological.

The main worry at the moment is the involuntarily shuddering breath when waking up in the morning :weep:

Does anyone else have any other ideas what it might be? Hiatus Hernia or Acid reflux are the rational thoughts but I'm worrying there's something more sinister.

[swgrl09]

Ok my first thought is you are probably thinking too much about it and overly focused on your breath. But my second thought is - if your sinuses are always blocked, could it be related? I have terrible allergies, although have come a long way with allergy shots, and when they act up sometimes I have wheezing and other changes to my breathing.

[aaronrh76]

I am no doctor, but from my experience I would think that it may be just your sinuses/allergies, and your body is making you get more air via the longer deeper breath, and anxiety is making it worse and you are now focused on it more, so it seems worse. I myself have done this type of deep inhalation these past few months, since I have started on my own bout of HA. Through out the day I would have these almost involuntary deep breaths and at first it was worrysome, but then I noticed when I was more relaxed and less anxious, the problem lessened. Hope this helps.

[GirlAfraid23]

I still can't breathe properly today and this morning guess what? Yep, I woke up with that same breath, it's so odd. It feels nice because I know I'm getting a decent breath of oxygen but why does it come so unnaturally? I feel like I need to take a full breath every few seconds or I will suffocate.
I'm now concerned it's a pulmonary embolism or collapsed lung or something. God, I thought these health anxieties were over!
Does anyone think I should go to the walk in?

[GirlAfraid23]

I don't mean to keep on as it were, but this breathing issue continues.
I'm in such a panicked state I'm shaking and having muscles twitching all over. Scared to sleep tonight.
Can anyone else offer any advice or reassurance?

---------- Post added at 22:45 ---------- Previous post was at 21:57 ----------

Please guys! I desperately need you tonight.

[KeeKee]

Sorry I don't have any advice as I can't really relate to what you're experiencing but it definitely doesn't sound like anything dangerous.

[swgrl09]

If you are that afraid and panicky, you should see a doctor merely for the reassurance that you are healthy. We can't give you more information than we already have, and it's not medical advice. Hope you feel better soon :hugs:

[GirlAfraid23]

Thank you for your reply KeeKee and Swgrl09

That's what worries me, the fact that no one can relate to it and therefore I've convinced myself I have an awful issue that may result in a dangerous situation. Even I've never had it before to this extent.
I hate anxiety ��

I will go to my GP tomorrow but in the meantime I'm lying in bed, trying to sleep and terrified I'll die in my sleep.

Also I have a feeling the GP (as always) will say it's anxiety without even checking me over.

[ServerError]

I think it will be difficult to get someone to directly relate to this because it's such a subjective experience. When I read your descriptions, I struggle to get my head around them and to picture exactly what is happening. Hey, I'm not a doctor.

However, I can relate to being concerned about your breathing. When you have anxiety, the nervous system sometimes passes control of certain functions from the subconscious part of the nervous system to the conscious part. This can cause you to focus even more on how you feel and to experience odd symptoms. It is common to feel as if you have to deliberately breathe, or as if you can't take in enough air. The act of breathing can feel like something you now have to consciously carry out, and it can feel unnatural.

Some people trigger panic attacks this way, myself included. We 'forget' to breathe until such a point as the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood becomes upset and the next thing you know we're hyperventilating.

Even now, while I'm doing much better, I'm a bad breather. I breathe very shallow and sometimes forget to breathe then find myself taking deep breaths. I don't give it any thought anymore. As with all anxiety symptoms, it will sort itself out in time. With treatment, and if you can focus less on it and not worry about it, it'll stop bothering you so much.

I'm sure you understand that I can't say for certain what is happening to you, but as you are an anxiety sufferer, there's a good chance this is related to your anxiety. I don't normally encourage reassurance seeking, but seeing a GP may help you if you are genuinely able to be reassured by medical opinion. But please note, I'm not saying I think it's anything serious or that you need to go to a doctor.

I'm sure you'll be okay. Try not to worry about it. I know it's easier said than done.

[dale12345]

Same thing happened to me, went to the Emergency Room, it was anxiety.

[aaronrh76]

Wish you the best, and hope your visit with the doc provides the answers you seek. In the meantime, try to find something to take your mind off it. I myself find going on a run or to the gym helps ease my anxiety.

[swgrl09]

I hope you had a reassuring experience with your GP today. How did it go?

[Buster70]

Hi , just read your first post and a lot of it sounds similar to me I've been like it for the last few months , I have asthma and I also can't breath through my nôse , I first put it down to the doc increasing my preventer inhaler which gave me mouth and throat infections , now I can't make up my mind I weaze most days but I can still blow high on my asthma measuring device , my lungs sounded clear at docs , the hot weather definitely makes me worse I shallow breath and then start to panic , I don't know if you do this as well but I swallow to much and clear my throat a lot , doc says maybe post nasel drip but I think they are guessing , somthing I've noticed is when it gets bad if I take half a diazepam it eases off so it tells me at least part of it is axiety and I have had a rough year with a lot of problems ,it doesn't sound like blood clot my dad had one and it isn't like what you describe , hope your doc has some sugestion for you , take care .

[GirlAfraid23]

Hi, well I went to my GP today and the only appointment available was with the nurse. She listened to my chest and said it was clear, my oxygen saturation level is 99%.
She said its mild sinusitis and anxiety with possible GERD as I mentioned my digestion issues.

I now have a new fun symptom, twitching all over my body, not sure if it's related to anxiety but my toes are moving on their own too. It's scary because I've had a bad time before worrying about MS and Motor Neurone Disease. I know those can both cause breathing difficulties. Oh why oh why am I afflicted with this anxiety? :(

[GadGirl]

Hey girl afraid, I suffer from I don't know if it's something you can relate to but I feel like I can't breathe properly sometimes so I will force a deep breathe or force a yawn cause I don't feel like I'm getting enough air. The twitching I have that all the time my leg will just twitch or jolt for no reason, I have been told it's excess adrenaline though x

[Ditapage]

The twitching could be a magnesium deficiency. I was low in magnesium and had all sorts of strange sensations that made me obsess about MS. Magnesium deficiency and MS share symptoms. Magnesium helps the body handle stress in general and stress depletes magnesium so it makes sense that we would lack it. The other thing I want to mention is alot of our symptoms are nervous symptoms and are indescribable and unexplainable. Nervous symptoms aren't all in our head either because the nervous system is a real thing, it's delicate and in anxious person especially it's easily startled and quick to react. Our symptoms are so similar to MS because Ms affects the nerves. But it doesn't mean we have MS. It just means our nervous system is reacting to the cues we give it: Danger! Danger! over everything that feels weird. My understanding of MS is its damaged nerves, whereas ours is just rattled nerves and more anxiety just makes it harder for them to calm down.

[k9love]

Hi, i know this thread is old but did you get a specific diagnosis?
Im having the exact same symptoms including the random twitching in arms and legs.
Hope ypu are well now.