Spirometry test for my breathing issue

[Anna3104]

Hi all. I recently posted about not being able to get a good breath. It's been over 3 weeks now with no improvement on the breathing-however my back pain has eased somewhat. I just can't get a deep breath 😩 I saw my regular doctor on Friday who knows me well and knows all about the extent of my HA. He has booked me in for a spirometry test tomorrow at the surgery. He listened to my heart and lungs and said they sounded clear. He was eager to put it down to anxiety but wants to do the spirometry test to rule it out. I'm very scared about it! Has anyone had this test? What is it? What could they find? I'm getting so worried by this problem now, I get puffed out just walking up the stairs!! Saw my Osteo also on Friday and when she felt my diaphragm she physically cringed and said it was SUPER tight. She massaged it which was painful as hell! Oh and my doctor has ordered me back on Clonazapam for 2 weeks to see if it helps. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I'm back on Omeprazole also as all this stress has caused severe acid reflux 😭

[Goblin88]

Spirometry tests are nothing to be scared of, it is essentially a lung function test. They will likely give you a small dose of a bronchodilator and have you breathe into a machine. Basically, it’s a test to diagnose or rule out asthma.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think it's being used to rule out more than anything as he is trying to treat you in ways that wouldn't have any bearing on something like asthma.

Back pain causes lots of issues with breathing. I have had asthma since childhood and anxiety came along in my thirties. Only when I went onto a med that ramped up my anxiety considerably did I start having muscular tension and I've got abs like steel! (shame about the fat covering them :weep:)

My therapist once mentioned her boss had suffered from anxiety and he had a lot of jaw clenching. Later on his jaw muscles were rock hard from it as they developed due to the overexercising of them. I can appreciate this as I had 6 months of Bruxism when I started my problem med and my dentist spotted my night grinding from a few symptoms, one of which being enlarged jaw muscles.