anxiety, asthma, or allergy

[nursebeverly]

I have been experiencing shortness of breath for 7 years. I was origninally dianosed with anxiety.  For the past two years it has gotten alot worse. It seemed that I was having constant shortess of breath and chest pain. I went to see a pulmonogist and he diagnosed me with asthma and put me on pulmicort and singulair (my preventatives do nothing to prevent). I also went to see an allergist and found out I am allergic to everything and I mean everything. I started immunotherapy (allergy shots) two weeks ago. Here is the deal...I am always always feeling like I can't breath and sometimes it is accompanied with chest pain. I am confused sometimes because I do not know if it is my anxiety or my mild asthma. I usually do not wheeze at all and my O2 sats are 98 percent yet I still feel severe shortness of breath. I take my albuteral rescue inhaler and it does not help so then I take my nebulizer (albuteral) and it does not seem to really help either. I get all worked up about getting the allergy shots because I am afraid of going intoan anaphalactic reaction (spelling). I am wondering if I am actually suffering worse from anxiety than I am the allergies and the asthma. My symptoms: no wheezing upon oscultation (listening with a stethascope), O2 sats 98 percent, shortness of breath (and the need to constantly fake yawn to get a half good breath in), mild chest pain and discomfort, the shortness of breath does not improve with use of albuterol inhaler, the shortness of breath and fake yawning gets worse when I get in the car to drive. Is there a medical professional out there that can give me a professional opinion??? I am desperate. I feel like this is ruining my life. I am always fighting for air and I feel like I can't go anywhere. I have a fear of leaving because I am afraid I will have a major problem away from home. I am suppose to be getting a spirometer (I think that is the name of it) to measure how I am moving air in and out

[ChristineMP]

Your original post stated you didn't have wheezing on auscultation...with asthma (during an attack at least) there should be wheezing.

[nursebeverly]

thank you Christine. I may have another MD look at the results of my lung function test. He did diagnose me with asthma and he said I had "mild limited lung function" but didn't say the test showed I had asthma. I know you can wheeze with anxiety as well. I think it is expatory wheezes with anxiety and insiratory wheezes with asthma. I will have to double check that

[ChristineMP]

You may want to see a psychologist for an evaluation of your anxiety issues.

Also, see a different asthma specialist for a second opinion on whether or not you really have asthma. I saw a "specialist" once that had a script for Advair written on every patient before he even examined them. There are function tests they can do to determine if you actually have asthma.

It could be that you have both asthma and anxiety...and anxiety can and will cause tightness and shortness of breath and can prolong asthma attacks and make them seem worse than they seem to be based on physical symptoms.