Suffocating sensation

[Deenor]

Hi all

Just wondering if anyone else gets this, and what you do to combat it ? Currently sitting here feeling like I am slowly suffocating - it's like air is going in, but is going nowhere. Had my husband check to make sure I'm not hyperventilating and not noticing, or underbreathing ( I can do this without noticing too ), and he says he's not seeing anything unusual with my breathing at all.

I know I HAVE to be breathing or at the very least I would have passed out, but it's such a frightening thing to experience.

Any advice gratefully received.

[Fishmanpa]

Scroll to the bottom of the page and/or do a search using suffocation and you'll see pages of similar threads. Also, check THIS (https://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#BreathingShortness_of_breath) out.

Positive thoughts

[Lajaca]

Hi
Sorry to hear you’re having this. Can imagine it’s very frightening.
I’ve had the choking feeling and when I want to keep sighing a lot. Both where I’ve left like I’m not getting enough air. Is that what you mean or something different ?

[Deenor]

Thanks Fishmanpa, will have a look in a sec. 😊

Lajaca -

I also get the choking sensation at other times. This one is like, I can be sitting doing nothing, and all of a sudden it feels like someone/something is making the air in my lungs evaporate ... really hard to explain sufficiently, but that's the closest I can get.

[Lajaca]

I find when I get breathing problems due to anxiety I try and do deep breaths as soon as it appears and also meditation. There’s a good app called headspace which is meditation , you may of heard of it but check it out. It’s very good

[Deenor]

Thanks Lajaca, that's actually something I keep meaning to do, check out the app. Will go and download it now. 😊

[ankietyjoe]

I have had this plenty of times, but particularly badly recently after a very stressful move.

Think about how tight your muscles can get when you're nervous or anxious, well this happens to your diaphragm too and can leave you feeling very short of breath. So much so that I took myself off to A&E with it about a month ago. Although to be fair I did have a chest infection at the same time so I just wanted to be safe. They heard enough chest gurgling to give me an X-Ray so it wasn't just in my head.

In any case, the breathing issues persisted for a few weeks afterwards, far worse than I've ever had before, but it is just muscular. Take some time out for deep breathing (it's important to breathe through the nose even if it feels like you need to gulp air) and allow your body to calm and relax, it will make it easier.