Anxiety has left me with breathing issues

[Spacecadet]

Hi :)
I had a very bad series of panic attacks just before Christmas that left me with strong anxiety. I've done a fair bit of research on it as this is new for me and have seen my doctor who was very helpful and am feeling a lot less anxious and on the way to my "normal" self! But. . I am still having a strong feeling that my breathing is not right. (Doctor checked it and could find no problem - also had bloods done and they were all fine) Sometimes it feels as though my throast is constricted, sometimes it feels as though I just can;t get in enough oxygen, sometimes I feel as though there is pressure on my chest or abdomen, sometimes it feels as though I am wheezy when I know I am not and often just have a heightened sense of needing to concentrate on breathing properly - which make sit impossible!
I feel mostly convinced that this is related to the anxiety and will right itself with time (physical activity and distraction both improvde the syptoms) but from time to time I feel worse and start to wonder why I still feel liket his when I no longer feel anxious, then I get into a sprial of worrying then there is something else seriously wrong.

Does thsi sound lkike a "normal" symptom of anxiety? And is it common for it to take a long time to improve even when you are feeling better? Any tips would be greatfully received :)

[Saffycat]

Hi there

Don't know if i'll be of any help, but just to say i have all the same sort of stuff as you describe (my throat is constantly tight atm) and also when i feel 'normal' & not anxious at all i'll still get these things out of the blue ..so yeh i think well it must be something more serious because i'm not feeling stressed! I do think that it prob is still the underlying anxiety that causes these feelings...i try to rationalise that everyone feels unwell sometimes it's just that us anxiety sufferers magnify it & then it escalates.
What i do when i feel it getting the better of me is chat to my hubby which helps put it in perspective instead of keeping it in my head. Then just go back to reading all the advice over again & i like to read 'The mind, body & spirit companion'. It doesn't nessecarily take it away but just might stop me panicking.
Hope you feel ok.

[Pinkangels]

Hiya Spacecadet

i know how you feel about the breathing, and as you have been checked over, Im thinking it is just related to your anxiety. As its been a big problem for you, you are probably just more aware of how you are breathing, and maybe looking if its alright, or not, if that makes sense.

I am a classic at this. I feel everyday like I cant get enough oxygen inside me, like my chest is too heavy, or that my breathing is restricted. Im constantly checking my breathing, like am I breathing "normally" or too shallow, too quick, not a long enough breath etc.
Its really not helpful, as the more I concentrate on it the more it seems like its not right.

As you said it improves when your active, or distracted, then you are obviously breathing fine, (as im sure I am!!) but in that quiet time when your thoughts go on to yourself, and you find yourself checking if all is ok.

Good luck.
I hope you find a way to overcome this. I will certainly let you know if I find a way that helped me. x

[kezybabes12]

Hi :)
I had a very bad series of panic attacks just before Christmas that left me with strong anxiety. I've done a fair bit of research on it as this is new for me and have seen my doctor who was very helpful and am feeling a lot less anxious and on the way to my "normal" self! But. . I am still having a strong feeling that my breathing is not right. (Doctor checked it and could find no problem - also had bloods done and they were all fine) Sometimes it feels as though my throast is constricted, sometimes it feels as though I just can;t get in enough oxygen, sometimes I feel as though there is pressure on my chest or abdomen, sometimes it feels as though I am wheezy when I know I am not and often just have a heightened sense of needing to concentrate on breathing properly - which make sit impossible!
I feel mostly convinced that this is related to the anxiety and will right itself with time (physical activity and distraction both improvde the syptoms) but from time to time I feel worse and start to wonder why I still feel liket his when I no longer feel anxious, then I get into a sprial of worrying then there is something else seriously wrong.

Does thsi sound lkike a "normal" symptom of anxiety? And is it common for it to take a long time to improve even when you are feeling better? Any tips would be greatfully received :)
hi i have the same problems i kept going to docs saying i couldnt breathe prop n that it felt as though my throat was blocked nit wasnt i had heart burn really bad aswell convinced i had serious problems i was 1st told it was astma then when i went bac and explained my daily routine they said it was aniexty they prescribed me with citrpram which helped a reat deal to start with but ive had a ches infection recently and now worrying again its all back but yes that sounds like aniexty to be kerry

[Maj]

Yes, this is a very common symptom of anxiety. Feeling that you are suffocating and struggling for breath. It's your chest muscles that are tensed, not your lungs. You will always get enough breath. This symptom usually does pass when you lose your fear of it. If it really bothers you then a week's course of low dose diazepam definitely works. My doctor suggested this to me. I had this symptom again after many years and it was very uncomfortable and scared me again. I took the doctor's advice and took a few diazepam and it disappeared. It's all about relaxing. After that it's all about taking calm, concentrated breaths and it won't get as bad again. You are not alone.
Myra:hugs:

[unspoken]

I find I get into a bad pattern of breathing, sort of hyperventilating really. The best solution I've found it to go for a little run, just enough to get me out of breath because this forces me to breathe properly. Otherwise it's a difficult pattern to break because it makes you worry when you need to relax.

[littlekaitlyn]

It's just anxiety! I've had to go to the hospital because it felt like I wasn't breathing right, but they found nothing wrong. I feel like there's always this pressure on my chest, or that my chest doesn't expand like it used to. Anxiety makes your chest muscles tense. Once you're anxiety is gone completely, this symptoms will pass. Good job on your road to recovery!

[Ronny]

Howdy, i know what you mean i to have this problem,it is all about relearning how to breath.Most panic and anxiety sufferers breath from the chest and not the stomach.I have been taught to breath in from the stomach for about six seconds through the nose then slowly let it all out .Do this afew times a day and you will feel more relaxed.It is hard to do at first but you can do it.Try some visualisation,meditation and yoga.It took me a while to do this but now i can concentrate more on my breathing...............you will be ok

[RLR]

The sensation in your throat is known as Globus Hystericus and is produced by sensations related to the vagus nerve, which also innervates the lungs. Patients usually struggle to repeatedly induce the swallow reflex in efforts to clear the throat and work to try and obtain the deep, inspiratory breath that more fully stretches the lungs and produces a calming effect.

In persons with anxiety and/or under considerable stress, the vagus nerve can produce evoked potentials as part of an innate process known as the fight or flight response. This response collectively produces physiological changes in the presence of a salient threat in order to increase your ability to either fend off the threat or escape from it. It's the same mechanism that all people experience when suddenly startled or frightened, only in the instance of persons with anxiety or stress the changes often appear in the absence of an external stimulus or threat. Thus, the affected person misinterprets the physiological changes as symptoms of disease.

The vagus nerve is directly involved because it produces parasympathetic nervous responses to many organ regions including the heart, the lungs, the larnyx and even the GI tract as the pneumogastric nerve. If a patient is vigilent to these changes, it can produce fear that something is wrong, when in fact it merely constitutes normal physiological changes occurring at inappropriate intervals.

The secondary factor that can make a person feel short of breath or like they are having to struggle to breath is excess air trapped in the lumen of the intestines which presses upward against the diaphragm. This is particularly noticable when seated, because it tends to make the person huff and puff, so to speak. So if you are experiencing GI distress in any form, including simple indigestion or excess gas, then it's very likely to be contributory to your overall sensations.

Actual respiratory distress, by contrast, produces striking clinical signs in the patient and if you were truly suffering from lack of sufficient O2 exchange, the experience would be a night & day comparison to your actual symptoms being mistaken for something else.

You'll be fine. Try and relax. You do not have any type of serious condition.

Best regards,

Rutheford Rane, MD (ret.)

[Spacecadet]

Thank you for all the responses. They are really reassuring.