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Anxiety Community
This patient support community is for discussions relating to generalized anxiety, anxiety and eating, anxiety and sleeping, mood swings, and phobias.
TO Raine9/ update on shortness of breath
by imcrazy2, May 22, 2007 12:00AM
Hi....I still lurk here and there....thanks for thinking of me!
I still have symptoms daily, but as long as I can eventually catch that deep breath I am seeking, I can calm myself down. I am still paranoid, and have a ridiculously overactive startle reflex. I am currently on 225mg effexor XR, but it's not working as well overall as when I was on Prozac. The only reason I switched is that the prozac suddenly stopped working.
I get frustrated about my avoidance behaviors, but feel like I have exhausted most of the available resources, and am sort of waiting around to feel strong enough to overcome my fears and phobias. I understand the biology of my symptoms for the most part, and have been through CBT. The only option left for me, I feel, is full-blown exposure therapy.......but, obviously am too terrified to tackle it.
The worst part for me is that feeling like my lungs don't have enough room in my ribcage to fully expand. I think losing some weight will help, though, since I have a bit of a belly left over from 3 pregnancies, and I feel like the fat helps compress things in my torso. I have been trying to lose weight, though, and am stalled at about 35-40 lbs overweight. I wish I could practice what I preach, and exercise more, but I always feel so drained....I blame that on the meds, but who knows. I don't know your story....will you share??
I still have symptoms daily, but as long as I can eventually catch that deep breath I am seeking, I can calm myself down. I am still paranoid, and have a ridiculously overactive startle reflex. I am currently on 225mg effexor XR, but it's not working as well overall as when I was on Prozac. The only reason I switched is that the prozac suddenly stopped working.
I get frustrated about my avoidance behaviors, but feel like I have exhausted most of the available resources, and am sort of waiting around to feel strong enough to overcome my fears and phobias. I understand the biology of my symptoms for the most part, and have been through CBT. The only option left for me, I feel, is full-blown exposure therapy.......but, obviously am too terrified to tackle it.
The worst part for me is that feeling like my lungs don't have enough room in my ribcage to fully expand. I think losing some weight will help, though, since I have a bit of a belly left over from 3 pregnancies, and I feel like the fat helps compress things in my torso. I have been trying to lose weight, though, and am stalled at about 35-40 lbs overweight. I wish I could practice what I preach, and exercise more, but I always feel so drained....I blame that on the meds, but who knows. I don't know your story....will you share??
Post Comment
Quite a few people on this forum complain of shortness of breath but when I read your description it seemed to most closely resemble mine. So I was just wondering how you were doing.
I am currently seeing a psych and will probably start Paxil soon. He also gave me Klonopin but I don't want to take that on a daily basis cuz of the addictive nature.
So do you accept fully that your shortness of breath is anxiety induced?