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Breathing\Swallowing Difficulites - Anxiety or Illness?

Posted , 4 users are following.

FuzzyApples
FuzzyApples

Hello!

For the past two weeks - I've had difficulty breathing. Well, let me offer you some background -

I am an extreme hypocondriac, and I also have anxiety.

So, I do tend to overreact sometimes.

Anyways-

When I breathe (the sensation can change) I feel like I'm not getting enough air (like there's an obstruction) and with swallowing - I'm worried it'll slip into my windpipe and cause a pneumonia or a prolonged death. I'm afraid of choking on my own saliva, for goodness sake!

I wake up around midnight every night, and I immediately start to panic about it.

I sometimes get the sensation of something in the back of my throat (like water) and I want to cough, but that feeling goes away after a while. This day was the absolute worst - I could not get it off my mind. I was lightheaded, and eating food was a huge struggle. I beg my parents and my therapist (I'm a sixteen year old female : pretty petite and malnourished) to take me to the doctor, but they refuse and brush it off as my anxiety. (I've been to the dr before for many symptoms - but they told me I'm fine)

I went for a run earlier today (I take frequent runs) and that seemed to make it worse. I was extremely out of breath, and I didn't even run for that long. Perhaps it's just my paranoia or maybe it's just my anxiety (that explains my overproduction of mucus)

I want to apologize and thank those who read this. I tried to keep it as short and sweet as possible.

Can somebody please help me?

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • martin0
    martin0 FuzzyApples

    Posted

    Hi I have the same symptons and I believe 99% is anxiety. when I went for a swim in cold water i couldnt breath. I started mountain biking and was the same after a short while my chest was heaving and always coughing pleym. now everytime I go biking i don't get the symptons very much at all. Only if I push very hard. I went swimming last week and i can now swim 25 metres. At the end of 25 metres i sruggle to breathe but no pain. I believe the more exercise the better and to just keep going as far as you can. I hope this helps and also try relaxing methods like yoga or anything that you like to do for yourself. Cheers Martin

  • robin77
    robin77 FuzzyApples

    Posted

    Hi there I have same problems with my throat and feeling like something is in there and I'm going to just end up choking or something I'm scared to eat I feel like something gets stuck almost every time I eat I rather not eat than feel like that it's a horrible feeling I feel as I'm not getting enough air sometimes and I also hear a brief wheezing in my chest when I yawn or sneeze it doesn't happen to often but it's, happened few, times tonight ... I wake up feeling like something in my throat alot and it scares me more.. I do have gerd they said and I'm on prilosec but I haven't seen a difference yet. I do have bad anxiety I've had so much test done and been going to throat Dr he says everything looks fine but I don't know I feel like there just missing something... I'm going to start getting help for my anxiety so hopefully that works it's, a horrible feeling and I fear the worse when I get those feelings... I hope you are doing better now

    • FuzzyApples
      FuzzyApples robin77

      Posted

      It's anxiety. It is certainly anxiety. And the problem with that is that it feels too real!

      Oh, goodness, man! I'm so sorry I'm getting back to yo so late!

      I am doing better, actually.

      By not stressing out about it as much - I'm actually fighting it.

      The sensation is still there, but guess what? I've been breathing this whole time.

      Same to you, my friend.

      I hope all is well.

    • robin77
      robin77 FuzzyApples

      Posted

      Yes, it has to be anxiety im still alive!! Its so scary i Just started to get therapy and talk about meds im not to into taking meds i have anxiety about that! I Just got more blood work drawn im still waiting on results but my test always come back good.. I know the anxiety part of, me believes there is something more wrong with me but they cant find anything sometimes i feel like, i cant do it anymore im going to lose it its a battle for sure ! Im trying to fight it daily some days are really bad I just want to eat!! I hope all of you are doing well! Thanks for the reply back!
    • rose24832
      rose24832 robin77

      Posted

      This is me also! Something is stuck in there I barely eat or drink anything I'm so scared! I had a barium swallow and ENT look down my nose but I'm still not conceived that it's nothing but GERD and reflux!

    • robin77
      robin77 rose24832

      Posted

      I feel what ur going thru some days I eat almost nothing it's, horrible I'm so hungry but don't eat cause of that feeling I feel like, there missing something. I just had more blood test done haven't got results, yet but I know, this can't be normal... I hope we find answers, soon I can't take it anymore....

  • martin0
    martin0 FuzzyApples

    Posted

    hi look up candidas? and see what yoiu think. Cheers martin
    • robin77
      robin77 martin0

      Posted

      Hi there thank you for your reply I looked that up and, it's very interesting I had my doctor test me for that soon as I get my results back I will post!

  • martin0
    martin0 FuzzyApples

    Posted

    i think your right 90% because the more exercise i do the better it gets. I think in my case there is something else because it started after i had the flue last year. it seemed like the plgem in my chest wouldnt go and ive seen a couple of answers here just got to put my finger on it
    • FuzzyApples
      FuzzyApples martin0

      Posted

      Exactly.

      It's totally anxiety.

      Heck, even we know it's anxiety yet our mind sometimes refuses to believe it.

      What managed to calm me down was the talk with my therapist - if something was TRULY wrong with your respitory system, other people areound you would definitely know.

    • robin77
      robin77 martin0

      Posted

      Sometimes I feel like my throat is, just inflamed or lots of phlem stuck in there but I don't know how to explain it I've been to ent says everything looks fine!

    • martin0
      martin0 robin77

      Posted

      yes I know that one and you just want to clear it but not much comes up. i have put it down to stress. my sugestion is take note when it happens and what your doing and thinking at the time. the answer will surprise you because we might think we are under stress but we are. even a small amout of stress. all the best and let me know what happens. thanks Martin
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