Asthma or anxiety argh?!

[Charlottie]

Well, I went to the doctor and told him my symptoms of chest tightness/breathlessness/ coughing when exercising and he referred me to the nurse for an asthma test. I had the test which was normal but that was at rest, she's told me to come back in a month with peak flow readings from everyday and gave me a blue inhaler to use when I need.

But now I can't tell when my chest tightness is due to anxiety or asthma!! I don't want to take much of my inhaler so I've tried to not use it unless I really need it [e.g. after exercising or like this morning when it was really quite tight and I kept coughing]. My problem is I've been thinking too much into it and I'm convinced I've actually got a heart problem. I get chest pain too. Not really bad, more like twinges to be honest and the doctor told me that was just worry before- but then that was 2 years ago.

In a month's time when I go back to the nurse I don't know whether to mention my anxious feelings/symptoms or not since I never have to a healthcare professional before. I think I just feel like ranting but if anyone has any advice that would be great.

[Charlottie]

Hmm anyone?

[neptuno]

Hello Lottie !
I've had this very same dilemma - doing this daily monitor for a couple of weeks will clarify it. You can be reasured that there is nothing wrong with your heart - that would have been clear when you had your chest listened to. I hated having inhalers without proving that I actually needed them, I started looking into asthma treatments and got lots of info about the Buteyko Method of breathing. It works on the assumption that asthma (and lots of other symptoms including panic and anxiety) are caused by overbreathing which upsets the carbon dioxide balance in the body. This may be something that could really help your situation, especially as it doesn't involvve medication and you can learn it yourself. I got a book out of the library called "Freedom from Asthma" by Alexander Stalmatski - its a good place to start.
be kind to yourself

[Pickle]

Hi Charlotte :hugs: did the Nurse give you a peak flow metre to use as well?

I asked this question to the Asthma Nurse at the Health Centre and she said one way to be sure it was the asthma and not the anxety was to measure my peak flow.

If it was below my normal readings (around 420) then it was probably my asthma and to take the inhalers but if the readings were normal it would just be the anxiety.

I must admit that before I spoke to her I assumed it was always the asthma and therefore upped the inhalers. Now I know it's just the anxiety and there isn't anything to worry about !!!

Take care

x

[Charlottie]

Yes I got a peak flow and did take some readings, most of the time it was normal but if it's dropped below my normal [which is around 480-510] I take my inhaler. Only it's so bloody big I can't lug it round college with me all day. Earlier when I got home it had actually dropped to 400 so I took my inhaler and felt a lot better.

I've been feeling my heart a lot more lately, but I am starting to think this is mostly anxiety because when I was busy I totally forgot about it and the symptoms disappeared!

[Charlottie]

Thankyou Neptuno I will look into that. I tried some breathing exercises on the bus today but I think I did them wrong and was actually hyperventilating as I started going all tingly in my arms and face and feeling more panicky than before!

[misterbean]

Sorry for appearing dumb, but is everyone sure that it has to be asthma or anxiety? I began getting asthsma attacks at around the same time, at 6 years old, as I got quite a shock. It disappeared at exactly the same time as I started smoking at thirteen - smoking seemed to deaden a lot of feelings and I suspect anxiety was one of them. Whatever the link, I have the idea that they are linked or connected in some way but cannot say how.
Am I missing some evidence that suggests they're not connected at all?
Martin

[Charlottie]

It could just be that anxiety mimics the symptoms of lots of different illnesses, for example the chest tightness of asthma. However asthma is the constricting of the smooth muscles in the bronichial tubes. Anxiety chest tightness is caused by the spasm of the intercostal [muscles between your ribs] muscles.

P.S. I am VERY surprised that your asthma disappeared when you started smoking as smoking is one of the worst things you could do as an asthma sufferer!

[misterbean]

Yep, smoking is one of the worst things to do, period. However I do assure you, one day asthma attack after running 50 yards, next day my first Number Six and never so much as a wheeze after that. Lots of cough, no wheeze.
Martin

[Charlottie]

Coughing is a symptom of asthma. In fact I never wheeze, I just get tight chested, breathless and I cough after I exercise. So it may not be that your asthma went away.

[misterbean]

... actually it is probable that it wasn't the very next day, I'm being a little glib there, but it was at around the same time. Only made the connection years later and I'm quite prepared to consider that these ocurrences are coincidence which is why I'm interested.
Martin

[Charlottie]

It could be, I am not trying to undermine your opinion don't get me wrong. I was simply stating the medical facts I know. It would be interesting if a link has been made.

I know asthma is usually linked to hayfever and eczema. Both of which I suffer from/ run through my family so I was kind of doomed to have asthma. :(

[misterbean]

Hey, Charlottie, I don't feel undermined when someone helps me to see something more accurately, well not always, anyway.
Eczema, don't get me started on my eczema! That didn't disappear with the tabs.
Martin

[Charlottie]

Mine hasn't been too bad lately cause the weathers warming up.

When I'm at work and I have to stand underneath the heaters, omg it feels as though my skin is crawling and I want to rip it off!!

[misterbean]

My eczema went away just after puberty, when girls started looking more interesting, but returned, having moved from feet to legs, a few years ago, just months prior to my breakdown (for want of a better word). It itches more when I am more anxious, the same pattern as I'm trying to make sense of in my childhood asthma - holidays, little wheezing, back to school, wheezing like thomas the tank engine with the occasional suffocating attack thrown in.
Martin

[Charlottie]

I only developed eczema a few years ago, started on my face, moved to my elbows and my legs, with random patches here and there. I find hydrocortisone cream and aqueous cream does the trick for me.

Ohoh I do know that anxiety makes asthma worse.