Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
1267638 tn?1270277694

Breathing Anxiety

It seems to happen mostly at night. I wake up and find that I am close to an anxiety attack. It seems to be caused by excessive mucus in my sinus and or stuffyness. Stomach bloating seems to be part of the senario, also. I am 62 yr old male overweight at 5'9" and 245lbs. My weight has gone up recently as I have gone off my diet. During the past few years I have realized that at anything over 225lbs, I am claustraphobic. Does any of this make sense? Are their any meds available to help. Obviously weight loss seems to be key although it doesn't explain the excess mucus. (Or does it?)
Thanks,
TF


This discussion is related to STOMACH Bloating/Breathing Disorder.
2 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
Think of your torso as a neatly packed suitcase with everything in place and no room to spare. Now, take the same packed suitcase and try to add some additional items and close the suitcase. You will probably succeed in getting the suitcase to close, but not after exerting some effort. Same way with your internal organs, in fact the stomach is in such close proximity to the heart that when you have indigestion/bloating etc., it's called "heartburn etc." and in many cases people mistake this heartburn for an actual heart attack, when in fact, it is NOT.
The first order of business would be is to have your physician check your heart and lungs for any abnormalities so that we can rule those out and begin looking elsewhere for the problem.
In my particular case, I found that by taking digestive enzymes and staying away from foods that are disagreeable to me I can usually breathe a lot easier. In addition, a little bit of exercise and getting on a whole food diet would be the next logical step towards better health. In my case, breathing difficulty was not accompanied by any sort of pain. It is just a very uncomfortable feeling and contributes much to anxiety bordering on a full-blown panic attack.

While not all signs of enzyme deficiency are obvious, the following symptoms can be considered early warning signs:

■Disturbed Digestion
■Weight Problems
■Allergies
■Indigestion
■Low Energy
■Bloating
■Heartburn
■Fatigue
■Gas
■Slow to Heal
■Excessive Aging
■Headaches
■Stomach Upset
■Slow Recovery
■Constipation

If everthing checks out with your physician, maybe it might be worth seeing a gastrointerologist. At the very least, try some digestive enzymes along with probiotics, which can be purchased at any health food store or online at a reasonable cost. Remember, as we get older our digestive enzyme production slows down and doesn't produce that same amount as when we were younger.

Another story that may relate. I used to live in a rural area where we had to have a septic system. One day the system became overloaded and backed up into the house. I called the septic tank specialist who then came out to pump out the system. He advised me that one way to prevent this from happening again was to add "ENZYMES" to the system on a regular basis in order to help it take care of itself and prevent future back ups into the house.

Good Luck and Best of Health

Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Dear TFida,
The extra mucous is probably because of either the furnace being on all the time, or spring will sometimes cause allergy (even if you've never had allergy).  I was in my 40s before I got an allergy to certain insects, gnats of all things.  Anyway, you can drink extra water during the day, especially in the morning, and it will help prevent or break up the mucous that is forming whilst you sleep.  Just don't drink a lot of water before bedtime or you'll be up all night going to the bathroom!

As for your weight figuring into your nighttime feeling of anxiety, I had the exact same thing happen to me when a medication shot up my weight a good 40 pounds over what I had been at just a few months prior.  When this happened, I would wake up with a terrible start, absolutely terrified, and simultaneously depressed...or haunted I guess is a better word.  I eventually realized it had everything to do with my weight.  I was swolled up everywhere, which would include my breathing tube, and laying down kind of pushed in my throat more.  Once the weight came down about 20 pounds, it gradually went away.  But to this day, I sleep with a small pillow or stuffed animal under my chin, just in case.  So, make sure your airway is open good in the way you lay your head.  If I'm not sitting up with a pillow under my chin, and instead am laying down sideways, I usually park my head in an upward position, the way they put it when they give CPR, that position opens the airway.

There are meds that will reduce the amount of junk that collects in your sinuses, both over-the-counter antihistimine type drugs or whatever, and also your regular doc can prescribe you something with less side effects.  But I think another item you might consider, until you can get around to losing some weight, is a positive pressure air mask.  They are not as difficult as you might think.  It's a clear plastic mask, which you can adjust and pull off very easily, that is filled with very refreshing oxygen, that blows all into your mouth and nose, and keeps your airway open (even if your nose is clogged).  Again, your doctor can order one for you to have, you just plug 'er in, slip it on, and it will feel like heaven to you.

But this is a dual problem, so you can't do one without the other, probably.  I mean, if your nose is all clogged up, while the mask will help you breathe, you'll still have that uncomfortable stuffy feeling; likewise, if you dry out your nose, but your weight closes up the airway, you'll still wake up in a panic.  By the way, you said when your weight goes over 225, you have noticed this breathing problem in the past; this is exactly what happens to me, when I exceed a certain weight, I start to jerk awake and cannot breathe well.  Keep in mind that your body is doing a very natural thing by waking you up, it senses the body is not getting enough oxygen and triggers survival.  And the anxiety comes from not breathing for a short while.  Lots of deep breaths when you wake will help dispell the bad feelings.  Hope all this helps.
GG  
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Gastroenterology Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem