ANXIETY AND BREATHING

[Salemwitchuk]

I think I am going mad. Today I went to the hospital emergency room for the fifteenth time since october because I felt as though I couldnt breath. I feel like it constantly. My chest x ray was clear bloods are all normal ecg normal and oxygen sats of 96% which was normal. I just cant seem to get this feeling of not breathing right out of my head. It is worse first thing in the morning when I get up. I comes in waves throughout the day. Is this really all anxiety? I started taking citalopram 8 days ago to help with my anxiety which is all health related. Someone please say they have expereinced this. I feel so scared all the time. The dr at the hospital basically said use your willpower not to come, but if you do we will do all we can to reassure you. BASICALLY THEY ARE PISSED OFF WITH ME COMING ALL THE TIME! I think if I go again they are gonna end up psychiatrically assessing me well thats my fear anyway, I am not usually an anxious person. I had heart surgery (minor) in october and this all started after that. One night I woke up suddenly feeling as though I couldnt breath and my heart was racing. My dr said it was an anxiety attack and have struggled with the breathing thing since.

[kjb24]

hello to the person with the breathing/ anxiety disorder in other words anxiety, I used to feel like I couldn't breath right from the time I woke up until I went to bed, I suffered a lot then I was prescribed Zoloft, it worked, the problem was resolved and it didn't take long either.

[smurfz66]

I have this problem too and it's called General anxiety disorder. I felt like i cant get a satisfying breath. It seems to get worse at night when your trying to sleep. you are fine though don't worry. you need to consider some long term treatment for this. one ssri i  would recommend for this "breathing anxiety" is lexapro but only 5 mg of it. it is very precise and potent. I had this for two years now been to hospitals like you guys been prescribed xanax and ativan. tooken every test possible. all this is temporary sometimes it's for a reason it will make you stronger when you become better. my situation is improving . give it time. make sure though when you go to the docter he gives you something for the "gad" as well as panic but the anxiety is the start.

[kalmkidd]

ok basically i have done the same thing my breathing issue im pretty much over but ti started when iw as 16. i was in the er everynight for like 3weeks str8 and ekg, xray, catscans, all came back perfectly normal. it is definetly part of your anxiety and the fact that it happened over night is even more like me cause thats how mine struck i was fine my hole life and started with the non breathing problem then form there it just took over my body. ive been on about 17 medications in the past few yrs and found the only oen that works for me is effexor xr, dont know if ur taken anything or what but definety talk to your doctor cause this is definetly a basic case of anxiety.

[urdacrazy1]

My mom had to be rushed to the hospital several times in a matter of 2 weeks for the samething. She had us going crazy, thinking she was going to die. Calling the ambulance, getting strapped to all their heart monitors and putting her on oxygen while rushing her to the hospital.  She's an elderly woman so they wouldnt send her home the same day. Every time they kept her they ran aaaaallll tests imaginable, again because she is elderly. They didnt want to take any chances. In the end...
ANXIETY!! No matter how much she claims not to be anxious about anything and doesnt have a worry in the world, thats what it is. They put her on meds and she hasnt had an episode since. So yes, I do believe its anxiety. I get that way sometimes myself. It feel like if u cant catch ur breath or like ur just not breathing deep enough or something. But just like the doctor said, it takes a lot of will power and self control not to go to the ER. But hey, nobody can tell you how you feel, screw it, if you feel u have to go, GO! Dont let the fear of looking crazy or them getting pissed off stop u from getting the help u may need. Its their job to care of u anyway.

[sugarpea013]

I personally think this is all anxiety related. I know it's a hard diagnosis to swallow, the symptoms that come along with anxiety are so intense that we have a hard time accepting they are "just" anxiety. You have had all the necessary tests done, and they have all come up fine. It sounds like you had a very terrifying event that night when you woke up and had trouble breathing. It was so scary that you are overly aware of your breathing patterns. Breathing is an automatic thing, it is not a process that we are supposed to focus and control on our own...unless we are taking deep breaths in an attempt to slow it down...but anywho...

Thats my take on it. We have some very intelligent people on this forum who I'm sure will soon help you out.

Best wishes!