Another person feeling the need to take a deep breath.

[norandex]

I've been on and off of Celexa a couple of times. Whenever I am stressed or in a crunch situation at work or home, I find myself feeling the urge to take a deep breath. It's almost like I can't get the necessary air to function. I've been telling myself that this is just the result of no longer being on medication, and that this is my body's natural response to stress, but I'm concerned that it may be more. Ever since the sudden loss of my mother I have had this problem. Sometimes it's almost inexistant; other times it's all I can think about. Is this all in my head? Or could there be something else going on? I just want to not worry about this anymore. If it's stress-induced, ok....I can deal with that. How, though, will I ever be certain?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[teko]

Sounds like it is anxiety attacks, but you may want to visit a pulmonologist just to rule anything physical out and see about anxiety meds temporarily if you need em.

[Victoireh]

Stress for some people can cause them to hyperventilate, and not the obvious kind. They will often feel the need to yawn too. I have asthma, but I will be honest that at times when I'm rather stressed I do notice myself over breathing. The difference for me is when I actually have shortness of breath due to asthma, it occurs during exercise or being physically active. Having shortness of breath while just sitting still only (i guess when you're thinking about it too much), that is generally due to over breathing. Definitely stress related. And yes, taking antidepressants helps it, because the medications also help to relax you. You could always talk to your doctor about it. He/she may recommend ways to deal with it. Or perhaps your doctor will want to order some tests just to be sure its nothing else. But at the very least it will give you some peace of mind.