Suffocate

[Ninura]

I'm desperate, I have panic of suffocating, does anyone have this? I have panic of death, but now is specifically suffocate. I'm always thinking about the breathing, and feell very tense in the shoulders and tummy. I'm so scared because I cannot find a cure for the breathing problem...I have learned how to control panic attacks more or less...but now I cannot control the hyperventilation...it turned part of my life and I'm addicted to it, I'm always feeling this weird feeling of nose blocked and not having air...before I just had this in the elevators and in concerts, because I am claustrofobic, but now I feell this anytime anywhere...I cannot concentrate in my work, I'm always feeling very tired, and I just feel good at bed, preference sleeping...
Does anyone of you knows how to control it and what is the best treatment? I'm taking valium and I do yoga and other exercises, I use aromatherapy, I do CBT, I listen to relaxing music, I try to think about other things (but is dificult), I'm going to start using again the rescue remedy, and I'm planing to try acupuncture.
Regarding the panic, try to use aromatherapy (lavanda is very good), do yoga, listen to relaxing music, drink water with sugar, for headache peppermint oil and reflexology works well...what also helped me is to go out always with a xanax in my purse, I feell ok just to think I have it with me.
...but for the air hunger I already did everything that worked with the panic but its not working with this so well, the mind is very powerfull and is trying to control me...but I did get well of this for a few months, during winter I was fine, I didnt think about this anymore and I could do my life...it start again one month ago, since I did some exams in university, and interview that made me very nervous and I cried a lot, and then I went to Taiwan to spend the weekend and I have panic of planes so I cry and was really scared in the plane, during that weekend I was very scared of doing things, I had a panic attack and run to the hotel, and since that time 1 month ago that I'm having hyperventilation again, and panic of suffocate, I'm very scared of doing things, specially going out...I'm feeling very depressed:weep:

[MommyKC]

a few times during my attacks i have all ofthe sudden felt like their is no oxygen in the air im breathing..is that weird or does that sound like something youve been through? my obession is over my heart though

[Saddlebredgirl]

You have to do excersize like walking everyday.It gets rid of the extra adrenalin that causes panic attacks.It worked for me.I still get panic attacks but they are less frequent and not so extra bad.

[neptuno]

Hello !
I noticed from your post that you use the words "air hunger" - this is typical of hyperventilation. Have you looked at Buteyko breathing ? It is brilliant for we over-breathers. It is simple to learn and you can read about it in a book called "Freedom from Asthma" by Alexander Stalmatski.
Hope this helps
be kind to yourself

[polly123]

Hiya
Like you i also suffer with the breathing problem, mine is more of a oh my god i cant breath and i find it the most scariest thing ever, ive learnt to control all the other symptoms but not the breathing, if you manage to find a cure to this, please let me know
love polly xx

[Ninura]

Hello my friends, :hugs:

MommyKC during my attacks i also have air hunger...but now even if I'm not having an attack I have air hunger...and that feeling makes me panic...is a vicious cycle, of anxiety, breathing, more anxiety, more dificult to breathe, and then panic...

Saddlebredgirl sometimes if I walk I feel worse...I have to keep doing exercise to see if I get better...

neptuno if I do breathing exercises I feel worse, because I'm concentrate in my breathing...I should try to forget the breathing I cannot concentrate on it...

polly123, I also think is the most scariest thing ever...I hope I can find a cure...the only cure I know its not to think about it...but is dificult most of the times...I was better this last days but now that I'm writing about it I'm starting hyperventilating...

Polly123 i felt better with muscle relaxation, you push and you count to 10, then you release and you count to 20, you start with your hands, arm, and end with feet...and listen to relaxing music...I have noticed I'm always to tense in my shoulders.

:flowers:

[polly123]

Hiya and thanks for the advice, im going to give it a try, its true that you can take your mind off the breathing thing, lol but i then find back it comes when i least want it to, i hope you are feeling better,
KEEP IN TOUCH
POLLY XX

[Rennie1989]

All of my panic attacks involve me not being able to breathe. It's a terrible feeling when you can't breathe!

I become air-hungry too. As I breathe, I breathe in deeper and quicker, trying to grasp as much air as possible. Then my arms and legs start to cramp!

[Ninura]

I'm so scared, I was good this week but today I got worse again, now everytime I go to gym I get worse. I'm really afraid, I can't breathe, I can't, sometimes when I breathe deep i feel pain in the chest under my left arm, I'm dizzy and suffocating. :weep:
I dont want to have this, I dont want to die, people may think I'm crazy, I'm always taking deep breathes, I'm at work and I cant stop hyperventilating, this is definetly the worst panic symptom I had until now, It's the most dificult to control, it dont pass with xanax...I'm so tense, I'm doing a lot of pressure in my shoulders, they are so tense, and I notice too that I do the same to my belly, I'm pushing the belly withouth noticing...I just hope I can find a cure or I can find here someone with a cure.

I don't know what to do!!! :unsure: :scared15:

[lubylou]

i get the same thing . you can breath but i suggest goibg to the doctor and get him to check your breathing, when i did and explained my syptoms he checked and said it was all fine . he picked up that it was anxiety ]
also no caffeine i find this helpled

[Ninura]

Uaauu! This was on 2008. I have to say I was ok after taking cipralex.
And only now, 2013, I'm having this symptom again. And I have been reading my posts and its exactly the same.
But now I'm pregnant, I stop taking cipralex when I was 2 months, and then I start having anxiety and panic attacks and now I'm always hyperventilating, and very scared to suffocate.
I start taking citalopram on saturday, first just 10mg, and today I took 20mg.
I'm still anxious and breathless. :weep:

[Pinktel]

Just saw this also, have replied on you pregnancy post too but wanted to say the same things apply to this problem.

You say you learned to control the panic attacks before, but you are still scared of them? This means you were never cured of them because the ONLY way for you to cure yourself is to have NO FEAR of having a panic attack. Then it has no hold over you at all and it slips away. All your coping methods you have used so far have been to distract yourself and avoid them. That will work up to a point but panic will always be bigger.

Similarly with the suffocating feelings, until you just accept them, do them with a smile on your face, laugh at yourself and your messed up breathing, you won't lose your fear of them. And until you lose your fear of them they will continue ue to scare you.

[Ninura]

Hi Pinktel, thanks for your replies :hugs:
Do you think there is a cure?
I have this problem for 14 years, sometimes ok, or with medication or because I'm so distracted with other things I don't think about panic. Sometimes I just trust I'm in control.
But now, it came back much stronger, I don't know if its because I'm pregnant!? And I had a few stresses too.
You are correct, last time I had the suffocation feelings I had it for almost one year, until I was not afraid anymore, I learned how to control +/- and also took cipralex.
4 years have passed and now it came back, now I'm afraid again, and afraid to go out.
I start taking citalopram on saturday and I think I feel more anxious...maybe its just the side effect...