Breathing problems, please help!

[JennyGregory5]

Hi guys,
I feel like I have a different problem each week but this old favourite has come back to me again over the last couple of days. I have a variety of different breathing issues.
It all started when trying to fall asleep over the weekend and I kept waking up gasping for breath. It was as though I had stopped breathing, this has happened before but is still very scary!

As a result of this I became really conscious of my breathing and felt as though I wasn't getting enough oxygen from each breath. ANyway eventually tiredness won and I got to sleep.

Since then whenever I'm resting or relaxing I feel as though I have forgotton to breathe. It seems as though I have to really concentrate on breathing to actually get the job done and even then I feel short of breath. This isn't a constant problem, if I'm busy doing something then it doesn't bother me but it is causing me major concern, I'm thinking a variety of heart/lung issues. I think it may have been triggered by my Gran getting diagnosed with an enlarged heart last week.

Basically i'm after some reassurance that this is just my anxiety playing up and not that I'm about to drop dead. I'm reasonably healthy and 23 years of age, probably bordering on obese weightwise but losing it steadily now for a couple of months thanks to healthy eating and exercise (breathing issue is not a problem when exercising!)

One more thing..... can you suffer from health anxiety and generally have symptoms from anxiety when you don't think you are feeling anxious or stressed at all?!

Thanks

Jenny

[roosey]

Thats me too!!!! not been to bad for the last 2 week though. but if i start to think about it , it comes back. its as if you cant fill your lungs with enough air.

[Maxie]

Hey there Jenny. :)

I read your post and thought 'this could be me!'. I also have the breathing thing, sometimes I'm just so conscious of my breathing and feel short of breath and also I often have to take a deep breath to steady myself.

Occasionally, I get this weird involuntary intake of breath...I imagine it's because my oxygen levels have got too low and my body does a reflex breath. I'm not sure what it is really. It's got a bit better in the past year since I stopped smoking at least.

On another note, sometimes it is possible to wake up and not be able to breathe. It's called Sleep Paralysis, and although it will freak you out totally, it's not harmful. In layman's terms it's when the brain wakes up before the body does. Some people whilst in that state have out of body experiences, but that's another story. Try Googling 'Sleep Paralysis', see if it helps you at all.

xx Maxie

[JennyGregory5]

That's really great guys, thanks!
Normally once I can convince myseld it's just my body being weird and not be being really ill things calm down again, that's why this site is sooo useful! Before, I would google in an attempt to tell myself I'm fine...and we all know the problems with that!

[anx mum]

Hi Jenny im feeling like that today and its really scary does your breathing feel shallow ilke your not getting enough air.

[Natural Mystic]

Hi guys,
I feel like I have a different problem each week but this old favourite has come back to me again over the last couple of days. I have a variety of different breathing issues.
It all started when trying to fall asleep over the weekend and I kept waking up gasping for breath. It was as though I had stopped breathing, this has happened before but is still very scary!

As a result of this I became really conscious of my breathing and felt as though I wasn't getting enough oxygen from each breath. ANyway eventually tiredness won and I got to sleep.

Since then whenever I'm resting or relaxing I feel as though I have forgotton to breathe. It seems as though I have to really concentrate on breathing to actually get the job done and even then I feel short of breath. This isn't a constant problem, if I'm busy doing something then it doesn't bother me but it is causing me major concern, I'm thinking a variety of heart/lung issues. I think it may have been triggered by my Gran getting diagnosed with an enlarged heart last week.

Basically i'm after some reassurance that this is just my anxiety playing up and not that I'm about to drop dead. I'm reasonably healthy and 23 years of age, probably bordering on obese weightwise but losing it steadily now for a couple of months thanks to healthy eating and exercise (breathing issue is not a problem when exercising!)

One more thing..... can you suffer from health anxiety and generally have symptoms from anxiety when you don't think you are feeling anxious or stressed at all?!

Thanks

Jenny
I suffer from the breathing thing too, and again only when I'm doing nothing. This doesn't help because you need to relax.

As for your last para, absolutely you can

[JennyGregory5]

Hi Jenny im feeling like that today and its really scary does your breathing feel shallow ilke your not getting enough air.

That is exactly it!

[lesleya]

Hiya i suffer from exactly the same thing...horrible isnt it.
I start when i wake up and for some reason i take a deep breath in..then of course i start the whole farse off...feel like i cant get a deep enough breath in.... And sometimes when im falling off to sleep i wake in a fright like ive stopped breathing and my heart goes like the clappers..and i shake, but not visibly - inside. It wares off after a short time... but if im doing something else or concentrating then i forget about it.
Its a vicous circle isnt it...but i hope your able to overcome it and get some rest from it
Good luck
xx

[amu]

Here to join the club - I could have created this thread, I have the exact same thing including waking up gasping for air.