QUESTION FOR hatgal

You mentioned in your last post that your latest symptoms are shortness of breath and chest pain.  Would you mind describing them to me?

[Raine9]

Well, my breathing is better.  But for over a month I struggled to get a deep breath and always needed to take a deep breath. At times I just couldn't. I sometimes had the feeling that I was being smothered.  My doc seems to think that it is most likely due to anxiety.  But they also discovered some dense tissue in my right lung last summer that the docs think is just scarring.  

I was just wondering if anybody has suffered with these breathing problems as long as I have or is there something really wrong with my lungs.  I did breathe better when I took Xanax.  So does that mean that the breathing is anxiety induced?   I haven't taken Xanax for two weeks now and I feel fine.  

I made another appointment to see the pulmonary spec next week.  Nervous about it.

[hatgal]

Well, you see, that was last week; today I am better with those symptoms.  However, to answer your question, it was like I couldn't catch my breath which caused my chest pain - basically struggling to get a breath. This was caused by my anxiety.  And when you don't breath properly, this brings on more anxiety. I just had to concentrate on proper breathing and now I'm better.

Hope this helped. Post if you have any more questions; I've had it ALL!

[hatgal]

By all means, you really have to see the pulmonary doc if you have a confirmed issue with your lungs.

However, your breathing issue sounds exactly like what I was experiencing - smothering feeling when I couldn't get a deep breath - very frightening.

Out of all my physical symptoms from anxiety, I do have a confirmed herniated disc in my neck that is compressing my spinal cord now and I do need surgery so I have all sorts of back pain from that.  So if I just chalked up all of my pain to anxiety and never saw a doc, I wouldn't know I have this real physical problem that needs attention.  Catch 22 - it sux!

Best of health to you........