Anxiety, Athsma, or Allergy?

[crystalfresh]

Hello. Thank you for your help.

My question is: Can this be anxiety. If not what else, what doctors should I go to, what treatments should I ask for.

I am an adult male in my 30's. In the past year my pollen allergies jumpped from being annoying to in "my opinion life threating". My allergist told me it is serious anxiety not allergy. I recently tested allergic to the pollens, pets, molds. No runny nose, no itchy eyes, no sneezing.

(when not on meds)
My reactions are slight weezing, unstopable choking, sore red painful throat, long shallow breathing, tight chest / mildly painful from trying to inhale. I started wearing a hepa respirator every day-(I was desperate, which prevented all of this). One time I stopped taking all my meds and air flow was so restricted a few days later I couldn't walk more than a few steps at times because I my legs start getting heavy and vision started getting dark nearly passing out. Telling my self it was anxiety was not working. Went back on meds.

I had a small reaction on one allergy scratch test. Allergist said can't happen. The area that turned all red and itchy started to cramp my muscles in that isolated area and my rinitis kicked in a bit more. The histamine test scratch started to turn blue (like a bruise) on my skin about 1/2" to 1" in size. The nurse rubbed antihistamine cream on the blue area and it went away and said that it was anxiety. Then I got the lecture on how anxiety can do just about anything a real medical condition can do and mine was anxiety. They had me sold on that for a while.

I went to another doctor but they were told I had severe anxiety by the first doctors office and the other doctor won't treat me.

Something changed 3 weeks ago.
Now I am on a bunch of allergy/asthma meds together, anxiety or not, *they work*. These meds make me normal again! I was told I feel better because I know I am on meds and my mind is stopping the anxiety. While on these meds I only have mild problems.

Currently I am on: daily.
Non-drowsy Antihistamine - Stops the chest tightness.
Cromolyn Sodium Nebulizer soulution - Reduces the soreness in throat and stops choking.
NasalCrom nasal spray - Controls the rinitis about 70%.
Xopenex or Proventil HFA inhalers which force my air ways open when they close, stop weezing.

My last Allergist visit ended up being a 30 minute lecture on how my breating problem is now 100% anxiety and not allergy. I was told a Psy could fix it all with anxiety meds and I can stop allergy meds.

I had a lung test elsewhere that went well and they said it was not asthma.

So here is my delima. I can go to a Psy. and get anxiety meds or something but my insurance won't cover any of it so it is going to be very expensive.(out of work currently due to situation) My allergist won't treat me with shots until I am medicated by a Psy. on xanax or somthing. How dangerous are these shots?

It wasn't until 3 weeks ago did I find this combination of meds to free me from this. Now I am told by pharmacists I can't stay on my inhalers 2-4 times daily because it is too much so I cut back resulting in not going outside again. Please advise options. Thank you so much.

[jimgreg]

cuz anxtys  cover a broad range of things...some of the things  you had listed in you post was sytoms of pantic...asthama  will cause vthese to happen like short of breth..im a ashmatic and copd...im on xanax..it helps the anxty,s...

how ever i knoiw what  you mean about them blaming everything  on anxitys...i was in the er 1 day with hgh h.r.   after all was said and done....the er doc says will put this down as anxtys....yes you seem to be having anztys from  the asthama..and  the brething.....

[Ygutie]

HI,
can you or anyone else tell me here, have you been diagonosed with asthma late in life? Why is it so hard to get treatment and why does everyone puch Anxiety on you when they can't figure things out?

I starting having breathing problems a month ago out of the blue.  I don't feel it is anxiety although it's a catch 22.  When you can't breath and no one is fixing the problem you feel extremly anxious.  I have had anxiety in the past, but nothing ever to do with breathing.

I am on a matience inhaler and a rescue, but it's not fixing the problem where I feel I can live comfortably with this.  I have been referred to have a Pulminary function test, but have not gone yet. My doctor feels I'm too old for asthma, but I've read you can get asthma in your 50's and 60's.  She feels it's alergies, but I don't see how alergies could be these extreme with breathing for this long.
Feels like:
Tighness of chest at times as if someone is sitting on it. When it's bad. Restricted.
or a light tightness
I feel like I have to take deep breaths when it feels good.
I feel like i  am holding my own breath slightly. Like, I walk around all day holding my breath slightly - when it's good.  It's awlful. I'm beginning to feel like I'm never going to be normal again, and this does effect my function and what I can and want to do.

Any advise?

[jam jam]

Its a shame you have to fight so hard to get some treatment!

[crystalfresh]

I trieed to get anxiety meds from a Psyc and was turned down and referred to a new doctor. I used medication before taking the earler asthma tests and was told that was ok. The test could not be accurate. I was retested and yep, it's just regular asthma. So I was cleared for anxiety and also found asthma. Treated and much better. I was fighting to use the drugs earlier because my doctor was sure it was not allergy causing it, not asthma. So I didn't want to take the asthma drugs I begged for. What do you know. It was asthma after all. On the meds, no problems.