Shortness of breath even when im not having an anxiety attack!

Thank you for ur respond...this sux so bad,I cry every me I get like that and I tell my husband that the doctors probably just tell me that to shut me up....but I know they r professionals and that I should just listen to them,but when u have anxiety,u don't really believe anything the doctors tell u!!& to make it worse I always Google symptoms which makes my anxiety worse (not a good idea to do that)!!I was on this med.for 4 years and it helped me get my life back,got off in may,then had to start back on it about 3 weeks ago because my anxiety and depression got worse,I tried to do it on my own but just couldnt!!!it's harder for me because I have 4 kids (8,7,6,&4)...so with stress too,I had to start taking it again....I always told myself I would never take med.for my anxiety,but I had to,because it got to the point to where I thought I could not take it anymore!!!!so if u feel like it's getting too much,non stop...u should consider taking sumthing to get ur life back to normal....I know it sux thinking about taking sumthing...but trust me it helps!!!the side affects suck so bad at first,but as they fade away it gets better....good luck to u & keep me updated on how u r feeling!!

CHRISTINA G.

I am 41 and a mother of 4 kids. 8,7, and twins that are 4yrs old. i feel your pain .anxiety I suffered so bad since 19 yrs old. i just started having anxiety,panic again and it interferes with my marriage and raising my kids. I'm on meds. Xanax helps and know that Anxiety / panic is a disorder and some of us cant help but feel like this . otherr people can't relate unless they themselves suffer from it . God bless you Mommy. this is a Cross for us to Bring us Closer to Jesus and Mary . lots of Hugs . p.s. with the Coronavirus it has full blown my anxiety through the roof .how about u ?

hi I'm from dominican republic, i am 50 years old and i've suffered from generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks since I was 20 years old. its been a long road with ups and downs, was in therapy for three years along with alprazolam (xanax) , that helped 100%. but it wad time to let it go. to make this a short story , the worst symptom for me is having shortness of breath, gosh I feel like I am drowning or having a severe asthma attack, which I don't suffer. with this coronavirus fear and quarantine my fears have come back in full speed and had to take the decision of taking xanax again cause I am suffering severe shortness of breath. am doing some breathing exercises but once you have it out of your hands you need some medications. as my psychiatrist would say : give yourself some quality of life, stop suffering when you have meds to help you. I suffer these attacks once or twice a year, without seeing it coming. go to your doctor, especially a psychiatrist, they will help you.

7 weeks ago I started getting shortness of breath similar to getting slight asthma but lasting for hours at a time. I was very concerned thinking it was something else, especially in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

2 weeks later I saw a doctor at an emergency clinic who checked my chest and said it was fine. He suggested it was anxiety. I have never suffered from mental health issues before so found this hard to believe. I was aware stress could cause short-term panic attacks involving a rapid heartbeat and hyperventilation, but didn't think it could cause on-going breathing issues lasting hours and days at a time, and this has gone on for 7 weeks on and off now. Also as far as I was aware my breathing difficulties came before I had started worrying and not the other way around. So I kept looking for other things it could be.

The only tell tale sign my breathing issues could be anxiety was that they often got better when I spoke to a doctor or someone over the phone put me at ease or my mind was on something else.

However I still thought for weeks it was a chest infection and last week my symptoms seemed to get worse. I even did a coronavirus self test last week. It has come back negative, but my first thought was I had not done the test properly.

I managed to see a doctor a few days ago who again checked my chest, said it was fine, and that my main problem is definitely anxiety, all my worrying and paranoia show that. I get all of the other symptoms like headaches, tiredness and loss of appetite and I have been put on anti-depressants.

Can anxiety cause the on-going breathing difficulties for hours at a time for weeks on end? Any advice? Thanks in advance.

YES IT DEFINITELY CAN!!!! I also had shortness of breath with anxiety, when I went to the doctor's office it let up and I didn't feel short of breath as much. It was horrible, I really suffered for almost 3 months thinking I wasn't getting enough air, I never want to go through that again! I went to the e.r. 3 times because of it, the doctors all said anxiety and it would go away eventually. My primary put me on prozac and high blood pressure medication. I wrote in a journal everyday how I felt, after about 5 weeks on prozac I started writing that I was able to breathe better and it got better and better after that. I had the journal so I could see my progress to give me hope, anxiety will make you feel like you are dying. If you are already taking antidepressants you are on your way to breathing better, I know it's hard but just try to be patient, it will happen, it just takes time to balance the "imbalance" in your brain. Best of luck to you!

Hi Michelle.

Many thanks for your reply. I have only been taking the Sertraline (anti-depressant) for a week so it may not start working for another week or so I'm told. A few weeks ago my breathing issues were more constant, now they are much more occasional, definitely brought on by worry. The anxiety is still there. I am worrying and over-thinking everything , all to do with Coronavirus. I'm also trying some of the CBT techniques as well such as breathing exercises. I try and rebuke any worry I get as a negative thought and counteract it with a realistic statement. Thanks again.

hi do you have anywhere we could talk im like this at the moment would love to hear your story as im going out my mind thanks

Hi, Yes it can!! i was shocked to realise that my year long struggles with breathing have been anxiety!!

ive had anxiety for many years , but it had never presented like this.

i feel like i am suffocating and need to take a deep breath ,but cant !!! vicious circle.

i have had chest xrays and bloods, also a dr told me id had the coronavirus ( back when testing was not available, like others on here , i am not 💯 convinced its anxiety ( because of anxiety 😳).and also because it happened overnight , but on the other hand i have experienced some trauma over the last few years .

also, like others , i have had some relief after been reassured by a doctor .

i have days where i can breath a bit better and days where it is worse .

i can be resting, relaxed and still happens .

i believe that i will eventually get better , as will you !!! you are not alone , i know how it feels .

best wishes and lots of love ❤️

Hey tamsin49323 (and everyone!)

Just found this thread and wanted to say how much everything you said has struck a chord with me! So similar to my experience, had lots of tests done and everything came back fine, I had no idea my breathing problems were anxiety.

Like you, I defo have good days and bad days, but it's so much better than it was last year. I really found that the 4-7-8 breathing exercise and some similar techniques worked.

Good luck to everyone going through the same thing, all the best.

Hi DJFabreeze, I need not to add even 1% detail after reading what you faced. It's exactly the same problem which I am facing right now from last 10 days. My husband says you are overthinking about your breathing issues, you are alright. But i know I am not okay, feeling so distracted and disturbed when I have to take deep breathes even when I am sitting and working in front of laptop. Did you do any exercises, how is your issue now? Please share your further details.

im also exproecing shottness of breath, how long did it take you to see the full benfits of prozac? im on lexapro but nothing yet....

im sorry to hear your struggling with this, i also have been struggling with this for a while and its so very hard to deal with! im here for u if need to talk.

i am suffering from the same issue. i just got back from a two day hospital stay and everything was normal but i still feel off. if anyone wants to talk.. feel free to reach out

this is happening to me too it sucks its not hard to breathe its just umcomfortable feeling that i cant stand. did it ever wake you up at night? or or wouldn't let you fall asleep? for me its been about a week like this and i feel like i am gonna go insane.. i want to go to the doctors but i have told my parents and they keep telling me its my anxiety and i feel like i'm going crazy

I am 19 years old and am going through that samw exact thing, i cant let my mind rest off the fact that i feel like i cant breathe frkm the time i wake up till i go to bed, started on april 1st almost has been 2months since i could live my life normal, had to leave college because of it. Dont really look forward to anything anymore because i am so caught up in thinking about how my chest feels have had high blood pressure since ,ekgs done weekly chest xrays lung tests and nothing can seem to put my mind to ease all i really want is to live life normal again,seeing other peoples reviews shows im not the only one going through it as well.

Yes, I’m starting to believe this to be the case. I’ve struggled with flares of shortness of breath that can last six to eight weeks since I was 19 years old. Walking up the stairs takes every ounce of my energy. Although I do have sjogrens and Raynauds. All lung function tests are normal. I’ve always had some depression and anxiety and wonder if stress induces anxiety that is not fully recognized by me.

So I assume your doctors all said it was anxiety? If so they should put you on something for anxiety and high blood pressure. My breathlessness didn't start going away until 5 weeks on prozac, but it did go away! You need to be on something immediately so you'll get relief. I have compassion for anyone going through this, I know how much I suffered, it was hell! The reason you have shortness of breath is actually not shortness of breath at all, it actually just "feels" like you're hungry for air. See, your body tenses up when you're having anxiety so that means every muscle in your body does that, INCLUDING YOUR AIRWAY. That is where that feeling comes from, your airway is tensing up so it feels like you're not getting enough air. It's tricking you into thinking you can't breathe good. It's weird, back when I was having this issue I'd only feel that way when I was panicking over it, it's like my worry heightened my anxiety and then the anxiety heightened my muscle tension~then I'd feel breathless. It was like a rollercoaster I couldn't get off of until I was on prozac, it saved me, I had quality of life again. Best of luck!

I'm so sorry, I am just seeing this. How are you doing now?

thank you for this reply, its just very scary and hard to enjoy anything, i hate medicine so much i took larazopan for a couple days but stopped because i just hate medicine i just dont really know what to do, i think about my breathing literally from the time i get up till i go to sleep

It's anxiety that's making you think of it. Anxiety feeds off your worst fears and until the anxiety eases up it unfortunately won't stop. I have a son a few years older than you and I would tell him this: trust me when I say you have got to get on an an anti anxiety medication. Lorazapam is good for instant relief but you need something long term and take the Lorazapam until your other med kicks in. That's what I did, I had to take Xanax a few times daily until I didn't need to anymore because my prozac helped. I know you said you hate medicine but if it gives you a chance to give you your life back maybe you could try it? Look at it this way, you have nothing to lose, only a better life to gain. Excuse my French but I was living a complete hellish nightmare and I know what you're going through and I'm giving you my very best advice.

thank you very much for the advise its obviously not good that you and other went through the same thing but it gives a bit more comfort knowing other people are going through it to, i always have had anxiety about health issues, just worrying about the smallest things but i have always kept it to myself and really never told my parents or anything and april first i suddenly just got hit with feeling breathless and ever since then (when i say it hasnt left my mind for more then a minute) im serious i think about it all day long and when I took the larazopan it didnt do anything so i looked at it like im never going to feel the same way i did before all of this , it just honestly has changed my life completly, the other day i went to the movies with some friends and my heart started pounding i felt like i couldnt breathe i was a itch away from getting up and walking out of the theatre it just really does suck.

What you have is anxiety/panic attacks. Are your parents willing to help you if you tell them about this? If you can talk to them or a trusted adult it would benefit you, taking that first step is really difficult but...after that it becomes easier. I really hope you seek help with a doctor so you can get relief, I promise you it will happen but you gotta take that first step. You can do this, you are stronger than you know!

I have talked to my grandmother about it but ive just literally convinced myself that its not anxiety and im pretty much suffocating slowly day by day,sounds dumb but i used to smoke weed everyday to get my mind off of my anxiety in general kinda just self midicated but after that one day my lungs felt like they couldnt get anything in them so i havent smoked or done anything in 2 months which is for the better but i feel like i wont have any air at all if i were to smoke(which im not going to) after the lung exams and everything i would of thought i would be re assured and fjne but it changed nothing after everything came back fine.

Yes! Waking up at night feeling like you can't breathe is terrifying, and it can make falling asleep scary. Recently, I have been finding it hard to breathe as I fall asleep, like my lungs need my full attention to remember what they're supposed to be doing. Like many on here, I am not convinced that my symptoms, namely the feeling that it is difficult to breathe, and occasionally swallow, is all down to anxiety, but I guess the fact that the sensations move around (although are consistently focused on my throat) would indicate that this is anxiety. The similarity between symptoms of anxiety and other aliments which can cause the same bodily sensations has led to severe health anxiety. My anxiety began 4 years ago, triggered by an illness which I and many others had which really did make it feel like your throat was constricting and it was difficult to breathe. Ever since, the anxiety has visited me at least once a year, stealing months at a time, most days spent feeling that I am about to die, going crazy and that I just can't bear this. I am consistently terrified that I am having an allergic reaction and my diet suffers as a result. To cap it all, I actually did have an allergic reaction to something almost three months ago, and the left side of my face is STILL swollen. I had no idea it could take so long to go down and the doctors to me seem rather blasé and unsure of what to do with me other than to just send me home with antihistamines. So my worst nightmare with a bow on top. But I am still here and trying to remember that even in an emergency, there's no point trying to cross a bridge before you get to it (i.e. don't worry until it happens - easier said than done!). If anyone else has ever had their fears confirmed with a mix of health anxiety, and/or is knocked down by anxiety for months at a time, afraid of social situations, food, etc, please reach out!

Dude you have no idea what a relief it is to see this post and know that someone out there in the world is going through the exact same thing!! The stuff you said here is EXACTLY what Im feeling... hell my shortness of breath stopped and Im feeling relaxed now after reading that. For me its also from when I wake up until I sleep. I studied religion and I pray but it only helps temporarily... then it comes back... the shortness of breath is the worst.

Its like... you take a deep breath, wanting that "sigh of relief" feeling... but you dont get it.... and instead it feels weirdly like you couldn't breathe all the way, even though you did... and then you gotta fight that idea that you didnt breathe enough cuz you fear hyperventilating. Do you get that?

Im gonna call the clinic today and ask for Zoloft.... I took it before and it worked like a miracle. Ive been putting it off hoping this would go away on its own, but it isnt.

Can you tell me more about your breathimg symptoms? Is it more that you feel out of breath easily throughout the day (like how you feel just after walking up a hill) when you do simple things like go brush your teeth or simply folding laundry or do you feel air hunger (where you cant get a full deep breath)?

I have been dealing with this everyday for 15 months and no break. It all started after a trauma and I started getting panic attacks. Now I think the hyperventilating caused me to "reset" my breathing so im overbreathing all the time and easily out of breath. I cam even notice it when Im asleep and wake up this way.

Are we supposed to just try and ignore ot so it will just go away on its own? Are we supposed to go to a breathing coach to learn how to slow down our breathing? I know a part of it is being hyperaware of our breathing but then the other part is feeling like when Im busy and ignoring it, I easily am out of breath.

Do you always feel a tight uneasiness in you chest and stomach? Im taking amnitrypoline now and thays helped alot with my feeling of doom and my constant cryinging but the shortness of breath makes my life feel miserable. Im so frighnened to be like this forever. Ive gone to every soecialist and did blood tests and ct scans but nothing came up. Ive been told I have chronic hyperventilation syndrome but nobody knows how to stop it.

hey!!! this exact thing is happening to me. i have insanely bad anxiety and ive had the breathing issues exactly like you for about 8-9 months and i cant agree more. it is absolutely miserable. especially the parts of the day when you cant get a breathe at all for hours and you just cant help but become hyper aware every second. im very happy to hear it isnt just me and i really dont think theres anything seriously wrong with us i just think we have insanely bad anxiety. it is mainly subconscious for me. text me 3019566965 and we can talk more because i hate this website

Michelle,

Did you feel like you were always out of breath, just like one feels after walking up a hill (short of breath)or did you feel like you couldn't get a deep breath (air hunger)?

Was it all day? even if you were just sitting still? or did it come and go? Thats whats the most frightening to me is that I never have even a minute of feeling normal. my chest and stomach always feels so tense and uneasy and im always feeling out of breath.

what dosage of prozac are you on? I am trying sn antidepressant called amitriptyline. im on 20 mg now. on 10 mg it took away the globus (tightness) in my throat. it also took away my feel of doom, for most of it at least, but the shortness of breath is constant. my family says not to think about it but how foes one not think about feeling out of breath?

Do you mind if I ask you what medication it is that works for you?

I have been suffering with this same thing going on 3 weeks now & I am going crazy.. I have had this ever year for about 10-12 years now but its never lasted for this long 😭

yes it sure can! body thinks its in fight or flight mode so either your breathing does change or chest feel tight I’ve been struggling with that for over three years I knew it was anxiety but my doctors still had me run through all the test which of course was normal I tried psychotherapy I’ve tried natural doctors . im about to finallly ask for some medication as im so tired of it

good wxplanation on the shortness of breath just feeling that way. thus why when we try to take a deep breath - or yawn to get the oxygen we think we need it often doesnt work -

im 19 and also going through the same thing! In the middle of a therapy session almost 8 weeks ago i got what i thought was a panic attack (shortness of breath, fast heart rate, lump in throat, etc) but after a few hours and it was still there i got freaked out. ive had a lung function test, blood, cat scan, x ray, etc etc and nothing. super scary yet nothing on results besides dehyrdation. no relief yet and it is 24/7 and i had to quit my job. i have a history of anixety and panic disorder and overall health anxiety. know that youre not alone!

just seeing this now man, im on Zoloft as well, 6 days in just waiting until i reach about 6 weeks praying it does something, its such a horrible thing to go through i would have never thought i would be in a situation like this, it has crippled me mentaly and just made my life suck the last almost 3months now, your not the only one brother i pray we heal and can get back to are daily lives and enjoy this life we were given!

hello currently 20 this year and experiencing shortness of breath idk if its my lungs or heart as all test that was done was revealed normal so i thought its due to anxiety but at random times i feel like i still cant get enough air be it walking,sitting or laying down so idk if its gotta do with anxiety or smth else....

I'm 15 years old and this just started two days ago. I went to urgent care twice because I was panicking because it felt like all my breaths were shallow and I wasn't breathing all the way in. I've had what the doctor said to probably be panic attacks multiple times throughout the past two days. In general I also feel like I haven't been able to take a good breath since the first time it happened. I felt better once I got to the urgent care and they told me it seemed like anxiety and panic attacks and to go to get some blood work and a cardiologist which I had already made an appointment for. Your description of not breathing all the way and then fearing hyperventilating is exactly what is happening to me. Also as I'm falling asleep I feel as if my body stopped breathing and I have to consciously take a breath. It happened last night but I eventually fell asleep, thankfully. I'm going to go to my family doctor but waiting without knowing for sure what is going on is scary. So far it hasn't happened today but i still feel generally out of breath and more tired then usual. I got hydroxyzine tablets from the doctor to take whenever I get a panic attack as well. Last thing, I've felt tired and out of it a lot. I think it is because a panic attack is your bodies fight or flight mode kicking in, but all that makes you crash after. Generally not feeling good and being self conscious of my breathing.

Hi how are you now 4 weeks later... I am 23 and i only got diagnosed with psychological anxiety disorder about 3 weeks ago. I ended up in the er and on oxygen support on the 8th of last month after i had a major panic attack... Iv been on anti depressants since but i honestly feel like its been forever. I jjst wanna be ok again but i sometimes wonder. Was i ever ok or i was just a time bomb. Its good to know am not alone but its sad to know the scary symptoms and the so uncool life am living now is being bg experienced by someone else. Knowing how lifeless it can leave me i wudnt wish it for anyone else 😢😢

I've been experiencing the same problem on and off for the past year and a half. At it's worst, I cannot take fulfilling breathes, constantly feeling like I'm lacking oxygen, forcing me to take deep breathes and yawn, which rarely satisfies the urge of breathlessness. Initially I was diagnosed with asthma, as I had asthma as a kid, and given a Symbiocort preventer - a lung steroid - which worked for a while. Unfortunately it's losing its effectiveness. I've recently started seeing a psychotherapist and I feel they don't understand that it isn't an active panic attack, where my breathing resolves after I calm down - it's a 24/7 breathlessness from the minute I wake to the minute I fall asleep. It gets worse when I'm stressed, particularly during uni semester, and it gets better when I'm socialising or distracting myself through games. I'm not sure if it's stress or anxiety induced; probably a mix of both. My psychotherapist has recommended improving my wellbeing through better sleep routines and exercise, but I now find myself unable to get a good night's sleep due to some form of restless sleep, probably induced from anxiety/stress. I'd like to start on anti-depressants meds, especially when semester starts up as I know it'll get worse when it does. I hope this message helps someone in some way - it's comforting to know I'm not alone in this. 😃

michelle are you still on prozac by any chance? or still dealing witht he shortness of breath? im currently taking ativan but its no help and i moght need to move onto anti depressant pills.

I am having this exact situation. I had it once before a few years ago and it randomly resurfaced. I feel like I have to concentrate on my breath and it prevents me from sleeping. Lorazepam actually helped me pass out through it but I'm honestly still afraid. Knowing I'm not alone makes me feel significantly better but I dread every single evening. I actually do stop breathing if I don't focus on it.

I had an instance recently where I woke up with a racing heart and now I feel like I can't breath when I try to sleep. I just wanted to reach out and say you aren't alone.

Hi, sorry I'm just seeing this. Yes, definitely air hunger. I'm on 40mg prozac and I haven't had that feeling since the prozac kicked in..it was all anxiety related, absolutely horrible!!

Hi, yes I still am. I'm afraid not to be to be honest. I don't experience it since I started taking prozac and that was a few years ago! I highly recommend you start an antidepressant, it changed my life and took away the anxiety that was causing my air hunger feeling.

thank you so much for your response. do you have to take it daily? and have you had any side affects from taking it long term?

Yes daily and honestly I feel no side effects at all.

thank you so much, sorry last question! if you go a few days without taking it or miss a day do you notice a difference in your mood or breathing?

I'm currently experiencing this. I have a hard time falling asleep and when I start to my heart rate picks up and so does the breathing scares. I'm not glad this is happening to anyone, but I'm glad I'm not alone.

I've had the same thing. I'm sorry you go through this, but I'm glad I'm not alone.

hi, I would really like to talk outside this platform. because this is me almost to a T. can we talk?

hi sarah, i wrote another response but i dont think you can see it. im going through the same thing and ive been looking to speak with someone outaide of this platform. i think that could help the both of us, if you want my number lmk

I would like that because I need people to talk to, that understand, when this stuff is happening. 😦

This is exactly me been suffering with this since March 2020. Do have some let up but its weekly then goes for a few weeks and then back again lasting all day and its hard for me to believe Im not dying ☹ I have also had two seizures now which they think are stress related! its hard for people to understand how distressing it all is.

hi guys

im suffering severe breathlessness too. its getting me down so so much.

i dont feel like its anxiety as i have had anxiety many times over the yrs and tend to know my patterns. i dont have any other anxiety symptoms at all.

what tests have u guys had?

iv had a chest xray

chest ct

bloods

exercise test

im wondering should i be pushing for something else xxx

I have been air hungry for 5 years. I was originally told it was anxiety..because all my tests come back normal.. ( oh so many tests!) Now I have been dx with postural tachycardia syndrome... Which many Drs think is some unknown neuro or autoimmune issue. I hope this isn't what you have, but a lot of what people are experiencing here sounds similar to my issues. My breathing gives me pressure / heaviness / aching in ribs and upper stomach.

Some days are worse than others. If I ever find something that helps, I will try to let people know.

Michelle,

We spoke before, a couple months back, and I hope you dont mind my asking a few questions. How long did you have your shortness of breath for? Did it come and go or was it constant 24/7?

I have constant shortness of breath and a lump in the throat feeling called globus, as well as a heavy feeling on my chest. The doctors tested everything and cant find anything, so they say anxiety (maybe non-acid reflux or other things they arent sure of mixed in). Basically, they are not sure. I tried am antidepressant called amitryptiline up to 25 mg and it took my lump feeling away for two weeks and it came right back. Nothing has helped the constant shortness of breath. Im now going to try an antidepressant called Lexapro.

Ive been with this breathing problem for 1.5 years.

im having the same exact problem i asked michelle what she did as well and she said she went on prozac which is what i just got prescribed but i have yet to pick up my prescription and start it because im so anxious.

i have been dealing with this for about 5 months now, it was horrible so bad i had a chest x ray, blood work and an ekg and all came back normal. 3 different doctors told me it was anxiety. i deal with anxiety and depression so i wasnt surprised i was just in disbelief that it could cause such intense symptoms. but what we need to try understanding is our bodies our in fight or flight mode from the anxiety which causes stress and then it all reacts. it seems to be like a never ending vicious cycle. im no longer gasping for air everyday but i do have the non stop feeling of a lump in my throat! i can also feel it in my stomach at times. it doesnt go away i have it from the moment i wake up until the moment i go to sleep. ive tried to accept that this is my life now but it increases my depression. ive tried yoga and meditation and that had helped some, being outdoors had helped alot also but i will be starting the prozac in about a week if i havent felt any better and let you know how that goes.

So are you saying your shortness of breath completely went away and you are now left with just the lump in throat feeling?

Was your shortness of breath constant, or did it come and go?

When this all started April 2020, the shortness of breath was soooo horrible, I could barely finish a sentence. Now, I can talk normal but there is always a very uncomfortable shortness of breath. My lump can either feel barely there one second and really bad the next. But the lump in the throat sensation is nothing compared to the breathing problem.

What frightens me most is that doctors cant say for sure. They "think" my parasympathetic is dominating but cant say for sure if there is or isn't anything else causing the breathing problem. Also, its scary that it doesnt stop even for a split second.

PLEASE keep me informed if the prozac takes it away or if something else works.

Another question about the lump in throat. Do you ever get strange sensations other then the lump or tightness? Such as if your throat is closing in on you? Sometimes like you are breathing through a straw? Have you ever got a bad sore throat.

im still dealing with shortness of breath its just nowhere near as intense as it was in the first few months. it was constant and still is constant, since ive had it there hasnt been a moment where i have breathed normal but it had gotten alot less intense lately. this past month has really helped because ive spent so much time out doors trying to really clear my head because the more i thought about it the worse it got. but im still dealing with it. my breathing feels labored non stop along with the lump in my throat. and yes i have felt this. my throat felt like it completely closed in on me i went to the emergency room and was again told it was anxiety and they prescribed me ativan. i think it helped take my mind off the over thinking which also contributed to my breathing getting better but like i said it is still labored so i will be starting prozac in about a week. i will get back to you and let you know how it goes.

my symptoms are

shortness of breath which lead to a diagnoses of dyspnea because of how extreme it is and can get

my chest gets so tight it feels like theres a lock on it or a weight on it

my vision gets very blurry

light headed - dizziness - loss of balance

nausea

and also yes, it has caused a dry throat because which i think is from opening my mouth so much and forcing myself to yawn 100+ times a day trying to catch my breath, and if you have shortness of breathe do you have a dry cough? that can contribute to a sore dry throat.

when this nightmare started 1.5 years ago, I first had a dry cough for two months, which then turned into globus (lump in throat), and then two weeks later the shortness of breath. I get the dizziness and headaches on and off. And I always have a heavy chest all the way down to my stomach.

I agree that being outdoors and keeping busy helps some, bur the overbreathing is always there...not for a single day has it been better.

The antidepressant I first tried did take away my globus for a couple weeks, but it then came right back.

Question, with your breathing, does it feel more like you are out of breath the way one is after climbing a tall hill? Or, is it more like your lungs wont allow you to get a good breath in? Mine is the first.

Sounds like you and I have very similar symptoms. Mine all started after a couple months of dealing with a traumatic event. Its made my qualify of like miserable.

im so sorry to hear that. mine started 5 days after a car accident. i havent been the same since. the way it feels for me is a mixture of both but mainly the second one. it feels like my lungs arent working properly and they wont allow me to take a deep breath in. alot of people have anxiety over medication so since youre willing to take medication maybe you should try speaking to someone. do you deal with deression at all? and did you have any anxiety prior to this traumatic event?

i also have the heavy chest that extends down to my stomach. i started focusing on my stomach so much since the doctor already told me that my lungs were fine that i gave myself stomach pain. its so crazy what our brains can do to us when we overthink.

so are your doctors saying this constant out of breath is from something internal die to the accident? Or is it from the "flight and fight" response in your nerves system?

I saw a Ted Talk where a women after a car accident was in constant flight and flight for years and meds did not help her. All the symptoms went away after she herself did daily breathing exercises and meditation that shut off the overdrive of the sympathetic nerves system, so you may want to look her up on Ted Talk. Her name is Bal Pawa. She also wrote a book called "The Mind Body Cure".

. You may have said this already but how long have you been dealing with the constant out of breath and globus sensation? Also, you said your breathing has gotten much better- is it almost completely back to normal?

it is not back to normal but it has improved alot. my breathing feels labored, i can tell im breathing on my own but at the same time i feel like im working for it and the more i think about it the worse it gets. the lump in my throat feeling is constant. sometimes its very intense (when im anxious) and sometimes it just there but tolerable (when im "happy" or distracted) however it no way to live evenif its tolerable its still taking over my life. my breathing was So bad at one point I couldn't even lay down I had to sit up against a wall just to be able to breathe I had to use an inhaler which honestly didn't help I had to take multiple Ativan's a day which isn't safe either but after spending time outdoors and excepting the fact that it's anxiety is what helped her get a lot better. I wish i could meditate but the intrusive thoughts i have are just too loud in my head but yoga does help. since i struggle with health anxiety i overthink everything i consume so i started fasting until around 12:00 pm from dinner time the day before i start the day with water and then by 12:00 i will eat fresh organic fruit (i aim for alkaline fruit only) and then at some point mid day or before sunset i go to the park with a blanket and a book and just lay for about 2 hours. this has helped so much. i still deal with many symptoms but its no where near as bad ad the days i was convinced i was going to drop dead at any moment.

i truly hope and believe that it is nothing internal and thats its just flight or fight response from my nervous system! the accident itself wasnt even bad at all. it was the stress and anxiety of having to deal with the lawyers and insurance and chiropractor and doctors and therapy that overwhelmed me and gave me a small anxiety attack and nothing has been the same since. i hope my advice can be of help to you. the food we consume and getting vitamin d from the sun played a huge part in me getting better. i will look at that ted talk!

I am sooo convinced that out of all the people Ive conversed with in this forum, you amd I have exactly the same thing and are at the same point with our breathing and lump in throat. Mine just has to be anxiety driven bc 3 months before it all happened I was the happiest I had ever been. I just returned from a two month stay with my family in Italy, visiting family and touring all over. I return home to a job I love, teaching. Then everything all of a sudden quickly hit me. I was misdiagnosed with needing a horrible surgery after having pains that were causing stress but was nothing horrible like this crazy doctor told me. That made me feel so upset for two months until I could get a second opinion bc covid started and it was impossible to see a doctor. All of a sudden I got globus, causing major anxiety overload and two weeks I was hyperventilating. At that time my breathing and globus was sooo bad that I could barely finish a sentence, I couldnt even walk two blocks, I thought I was dying evrn though all the tests were coming back normal. At that time I had many more symptoms: so dizzy, ear pain, pain in my nose, my muscles in my head and body killed, heart beating rapid, killing throat pain. I was even mislead thinking it was severe acid reflux so I did nexium twice a day and ate very low acid food to the point that I lost over 20 pounds in a month. My breathing has gotten alot better since then but its still very umcomfortable all the time, never a moment of peace. Id take the lump in my throat constant any day over the breathing. Im always taking one big inhale every so often to try to feel normal and not the hesviness in my chest. My doctor says it can be a mix of things wrapped up in the anxiety, but there was nothing at all wrong before being told I needed that terrible surgery. My doctor says it seems like this gave me PTSD. I cant believe its not anything but anxiety driven if every test came back fine. I keep starting to worry maybe its some nerve condition or am autoimmune disease (I am hypothyroid). Its just so awful. My doctor is going to start me now on Lexapro. Im starting it next week. Ill let you know how it goes.

Im so sorry that such an amazing time in your life lead to you feeling this way. I was happy as well the happiest I had been in years. The crazy thing is that same day of the accident I looked at my fiancé and said “wow my back hasn’t hurt in 6 weeks now and I honestly feel so good” 1 hour later we go into the accident. My back has been so bad since starting one week after the accident which was when my anxiety went crazy bad. with multiple scans and chiropractor visits there is “nothing wrong” with it so I’m thinking the pain is just from the damage I’ve done to my nervous system with all the stress.

That must have been terrifying. This is why I value multiple opinions so much because of how easily people are misdiagnosed it’s insane! This forum has stopped me many times from running back to the ER.

But yes I feel like are symptoms are extremely relatable especially with where we stand now. I do the same exact thing I will be breathing “normal” and every now and then get the urge to try and fill my lungs as if I haven’t been breathing correctly.

What parts of your body hurt?

And when your breathing or anxiety was at its worse did you ever get blurred vision? That’s what I’ve been dealing with lately.

I dealt with the nose and ear pain also I pop my ears all day and now I can’t stop it just became a habit to release pain but the pain has gone away because I drink a lot of green tea and mullein leaf tea. You should try!

Right now the most disturbing symptom is the breathing, which then caises alot of heaviness in my chest and tightness in my stomach. Then the globus is the second worst. Parts of my body that hurt is on and off my ears bc I will sometimes become so sensitive to everyday noises (such as scooping ice into a cup). I also on and off get surface burning sensation on my skin (arms, face, legs). My face has even developed a mild case of red acne on my cheeks. When I get more anxious, my face now heats up easily and my cheeks get red and breaks out. Another crazy thing is I easily jump put of fright from everyday noises. I watched a movie with my family that had a little thriller to it, and my heart just started beating fast, I was shaking, and my breathing became super fast. Clearly my nervous system is going nuts.

Ill l

sorry, I wasnt finished with my reply.

I'll look up the mullein tea. I dont drink green tea or anything with caffine bc I feel caffine will highten anxiety.

Right now my functional doctor has me doing the biofeedback breathing exercise twice daily, humming or gargling twice a day to stimulate the vagus nerve.

As for eyesight, the anxiety does not impact my vision (though Ive always had terrible vision). With that said, anxiety for sure causes vision problem. My general doctor said he had a patient where anxiety made him temporarily blind.

I noticed one of your replies is waiting to be monitored however I don’t know if that was a reply to me. I think I forgot to Mention this earlier but I have been dealing with this for four months now. I pretty much have pain all over my body and it makes me very weak but a lot of the pain I’m experiencing now I’ve had for a few years now they’ve just gotten a lot more intense since this has happened. I am easily frightened as well and very sensitive to certain noises almost anything makes my heart race very easily.

hi guys mine is everyday but not all day. when its bad i check with a pulse oxometer and my oxygen is still 97/98 however i feel really breathless.

can any1 recommend any tests i should be asking for?

i have had the following

bloods

ecg

ct chest

exercise test

thankyou xxx

did this come out of nowhere? or have you been dealing with any stress or anxiety? had any sort of anxiety attack?

iv had it since i had my baby who is now 1. iv had anxiety in the past but i dont have it atm. i dont have any other symptoms just feeling really out of breath xxx

it is truly insane what anxiety can do to the body thats why its so important to not ignore it and just fight it as much as you can before you get trapped in these never ending cycles so stat optimistic! and i cant have caffeine either so i get decaf green tea!

maybe taking care of your baby has caused you some stress. to me when this happened my anxiety attack was very small hardly anything noticeable i just could tell i was stressed and anxious all at once and thats what triggered it. how about depression?

its not impossible but coming from somebody who has suffered from anxiety alot in the past it just doesnt feel like that this time. i dont thnk its depression as i dont feel down at all. what tests did u hve xxx

I’ve had a ct scan, ekg, blood test and multiple chest x rays.

please keep me posted if you ever find something that makes your breathing start to feel better.

I started the Lexapro two days ago so Ill see how that goes.

will do! im really happy to hear you started lexapro today. have you had any side affects? its been a few days since we spoke how have you been? my breathing has been so bad today and i have to pack two full size suitcases by saturday and take a cross country flight i have absolutley no clue how im going to do it and its all ive been thinking about thats probably why my breathing is so bad right now 😦 im starting my prozac monday

No side effects that I can tell. I take it in the morning bc its known to cause some insomnia for people who take it at night. The first two days I felt high energy but now feel fine on it so far. I'm curious what dosage of prozac Michelle was on that help her with her breathing so much after 5 weeks. Are you seeing a psychiatrist and/or therapist?

I felt stressed just like you are about a trip I had to take about a month ago. It ended up being a really good thing for me because I was busy talking to family, went on a day boat cruise, out to eat and a drink or two. I always felt the breathing and the globus there but my stress level bc of the symptoms were low since I got out of my house and my normal routine. This trip will be good for you as well, you'll see!

did the medication works did it fix the breathing issue ?

did the zoloft take away the shortness breath

How long did you have the air hunger problem before you went on prozac and it took it away? What was the lowest dosage you started on, and how did you work your way up to 40 mg?

Did you have any other symptoms... such as a constant heavy feeling on your chest or tightness in the throat?

i believe at some point michelle told me shes either on 20mg or 40 mg of prozac. ive spoke to a fee other people who have started prozac as well and they said they took it in the morning because it can cause insomnia as well and that after a couple months they were back to breathing normal. one person only took it for 6 months and stopped and said she felt food as new again. i lost my job and insurance in the pandemic so now in paying out of pocket and all i can afford now is a online councelor i speak to once a month who can Fill the prescription for me. did you take a flight by any chance for your trip? im leaving for the airport in a few hours and im so nervous but im trying to stay calm. im visiting my parents and sisters so im sure this will be good for me im just worried about flying like this for the first time since its started 😦 im happy to hesr your trip went food and put you at ease for a while. it sucks that its only temporary.. ive gone out a few times even went to disney world my favorite place and still i could feel it it was just easier to ignore. thank you for your reply!

When I went on my trip I too felt it and my globus all the time, it just wasnt my #1 main focus every second of the day like it is at home since I was out doing things and trying to get my mind off it a bit. Im sorry you lodt your job. Same thing happened to my husband during the pandemic. He has a temporary job but the added strain contributed to my starting to have globus and shortness of breath for 15 months now. Why dont you start the prozac once you are at your family vacation and not wait till you return?

No, I haven't gone on an airplane. But you will put the air conditioning above you pointed to your face and close your eyes and focus on your relaxed breathimg. Think about positive happy moments with your family and things you want to do together when you arrive. You can also bring a headset and go on youtube to find meditation to do. Once you arrive to your family you will feel so good that you didnt let this stop you. Im nerves about going back to teaching little kids with a mask on all day. Having to be in daily meetings at 8am before I teach and wearing a mask. But I know I can do this and I will bc this situation will not stop me from moving forward. Yesterday I went to the mall shopping with my daughter for some Back to School clothes wearing a mask and at first I was like "this is going to suck". I then slowly calmed myself down and just focused on her and our time together. Though the breathing was always there, the anxiety symptoms were much better bc I kept myself positive and calm. Be positive, take your time to get to your terminal, and relax. You can do this!

Question: the few people you spoke to who said their breathing went back to normal after a couple of months, do you know what max dosage they were on that took the feeling away? It would be good to compare their dosage to that of michelle so that as you work your way up the prozac dosage, you get a sense of what helped other people stop their symptoms. How is your globus? I have mine everyday but Id take that any day over the breathing

ive had anxiety since i was in my term. the difficulty breathing had been the worst part ever. i feel like i cant take a deep breathe and feel light headed etc. Im now 50 and had this for years.Every day is a struggle

ive had this for month mow constantly cant breathe constantly exhalinfg more than inhaling for somwreasom and ive been to er they said chest xray was fine oxygen was fine etc but i an stull having trouble breathing its scaring me i wheeze when i exhale, possibly somethinn wrong with ym throat or windpipe??

do you take medication ? and does the medication take away this breathing issue ?

hi their, i have just started suffering with shortness off breath for the last 2 weeks mines can be loads off seperate attacks like 5-6 a day once a day or none (onit happened twcie) its like i cant get enough air in through my nose and have to mouth breath when i do my chest feels all tight like yourself i dont suffer when doing something like working where i am focusing they mainly come when im at home or driving, dose my attacks sound like yours? my doctors suggest anti histemens, iron tablets, blue inhailer and gaviscone which has not helped at all.

thanks jack

Samantha,

How did your trip go and how has it been going for you on prozac? I'm hoping it's helping with globus and the breathing. what reasons did your doctor give to you for having globus?

hi michelle i am suffering same as you and have been put on sertaline today. its like my mind cant stop thinking about being out of breathe . does it get better as i feel so down 😦

hey my name is aleisha .

im 28 years old with 4 children very stressful as well mine all under the age of 9 I've suffered anxiety and depression for 9 years .. I've had breathing problems in the past been to the hospital in er with ecg scan blood test in the past they said I was fine then got worse over time to the point I had to take medication and it worked wonders. now the last 3 years I havent been on medication and now my anxiety is getting worst over time agian now back to sqare one again going to hospitals thinking everything is wrong with me I do suffer from genralized anxiety disorder im suffering from shortness of breath and chest pains feel tight at the moment and I can't do things cause im to busy worrying all time on how I feel so exhausting and I feel sorry for my kids cause of me and my anxiety it is so horrible im scared to take my meds agian cause of side affects as well but I'm going to see doctors and sort out the issues step buy step and get back on the road to recovery again fingers cross

and also with this cronavirus thats going on is freaking me out even more im on edge all time especially if I go out for essential always on high alert.

i feel the exact same way! i also have been dignosed with asthma but i think its anxiety and simbacort worked for a minute but now im back to the same feelings. i recently stopped smoking weed but im thinking of starting again because it made my anxiety feel better

hi are you still like this if you have over come this can you please explain how im in the exact same boat as you i started with chest pain with a viral infection but my heart was constantly fast everytime i gott up my heart would race fast i have lost over a stone in weight the thing thats bothering me now is breathless i have had a heart monitor for 24 hours still awaiting results ive been off work for ten weeks now its affecting my quality of life i have been rushed to hostpital 7 times had 7 diffent diagnoses now my gp is saying maybe anxiety but it is killing me staying in i want to go out i want to go to work but i cant even make it up the stairs with out getting breathless feels so tight to breath in im awaiting cheat ct scan also and ive recently had a colonoscopy as i was bleeding from my bottom i get this heavy feeling in my chest when doing anything at all! im 26 normally very active i dont feel anxious about anything and have been like this ten weeks now my hands and feet go really cold ive had half vision loss with my whole left side going numb i have tried 4 differnt anxiety medication and i had bad reactions in the night made my heart race so much i also keep bringing sick up but not being sick so fed up x

what medication are you on for it i have been expriancing very bad shortness of breath went to er had to call an ambulance another time they tried saying its all in your head your levels are fone

that is the same situation that i'm experiencing right now.

hi, mine is V similar to yours. how are you feeling now?

hi have you managed to get any relief? i have the same including the night time issue. i literally feel as though my body forgets to take a breath when im falling asleep sometimes. how are you now?

i feel your stress i have been suffering from severe anxiety since the loss of my mum last year , i have that awful feeling that i cannot breath, like cannot get a satisfied breath and i carry in doing it which then starts off a massive panic attack as i feel i will never get one, i have now been put on citalopram 10mg and am on day 15 but i feel like im going out my mind, just reaching out for help/advice really! have been to A&E twice and that is just not me at all , after bloods ecg xray all was ok!

Just reading all these makes me realise I'm not mad and not alone.

I've always suffered with anxiety, but not to the degree I am right now.

I get a sudden onset of breathlessness like never experienced before, accompanied by my heart pounding out of my chest. Sometimes I struggle to her to the end of a sentence, and feel like I've climbed a hill.

My previous anxiety attacks over the years have always been pins and needles, heart racing, but never the severe breathlessness.

I have just recovered from breast cancer and been put on a new medication, so maybe this is all a contributing factor.

Hi Natalie !

Reading this thread in the middle of the night because I woke up feeling like i had no air and couldn't get a breath.

my symptoms also started March 2020 and i have never dealt with anxiety before. I was always the very cool and collected person good in crisis. Since March 2020, i have been struggling to breathe properly, i'm constantly yawning and exhausted from it all. In March and April 2020, I went to the ER 3 times and was turned around because my oxygen levels were fine. my family doctor saw me once and told me it is anxiety. I am still not believing it to be anxiety causing my shortness of breath but more the outcome of feeling out of breath (is it ever stressful to feel like you can't breathe!!!) . I cant remember what it's like to just breathe normally and i am upset i took breathing for granted when it was still an automatic thing

I just wanted to tell you you're not alone. I listen to worship music when I'm absolutely panicking and try to read my bible more to remember God is with me through it all. Do you have any thing that eases your mind a little?

Hi sarah how are you feeling now? i have had this for years on and off always seems to come back with a vengeance when something traumatic happens, this time around its really bad panic attacks for the last month every day as i focus so much om my breathing, always trying to take a deep breath to get that satisfied feeling then when it dont happen panic sets in and full blown panic attack, you thinknyou are losing your mind and all i can describe it to people is like i am fighting to stay alive everyday, dramatic i know but that is how it feels, its exhausting here to tak if you need to xx nikki

hi nicola, have you tried meditation and mindfulness i found that these helped me a lot to cope and even used them of a night time to get me to sleep when i couldn't. i was also on propranolol which does just calm you a bit but not tackle the problem

How are you now?

How are you doing now?

hello Kaylee. im right there with you. Mine started with s stuffed up nose during christmas . I ABSOLUTELY hate having anythung that affects my beeathung. i have had this anxuety for YEARS. im 56 now and i thought my anxiety days were for most part gone. I have had 2 bad episodesin the last 10 years. I realize now there has ALWAYS been a trigger- bith times it was not being able to breathe . I cant sleep at nite bc i have so much abxiety . I cant seem to get air into my lungs so i cannot fall asleep. When you dont sleep - your abxiety is 10 fold . Im trying hard not to take my zanax. Im so stubborn . I have gotten 8 hours of sleep the last 3 nites.

hello Michelle. SAME here. I was wondering why you didnt take some zanax or something for quick relief till your AD kicked in. 5 weeks is too long to wait . How miserable could that have been.

Serena

Hello Roslyn. Im so sorry you are having to deal with all this. How are you doing now ? Are you taking any meds ?

Serena

Hey! Hope you're doing fine! I had been in that same problem about one and a half year. Gone through a lot of treatments and all failed because doctors simply couldn't find out my real problem. And finally one year back my doctor understand the problem and provide me antidepressants. It works well and by the grace of Allah now I am fine. I don't have the shortness of breathing any more. Now I want to stop taking my antidepressants drug. Did you stop your antidepressants yet? If yes then will you share your experience and answer some of my questions regarding this? How should I do that? Is there any chances of that problem coming back? Can meditation help me on that withdrawal of medicine?

Hey all,

It is crazy to read soo many stories of people who have similar symptoms to me. I have had it for 2 years now. I used to get the issue of not getting a satisfying breath but now somehow taught myself to hold it in. However, it doesn't stop there you still get this sensation to try to get a deeper breath which then plays on your mind and forces you to sigh. It drives me crazy as I am a healthy-ish adult who works out 5 times a week.

Weird thing I noticed and if anyone else can relate please yell out. When I am having a few drinks of alcohol, I can not feel this sensation at all. Which is great however I can't be drinking all my life (lol!).

It's really a battle and I have told my partner a few times but can't be telling her all the time and scaring her. I see a lot of people are getting on the meds, what are the side effects? I am no expert but every time I heard previously someone getting on the meds they have been in a really dark place.

ive had this issue now for going on 14 months. i was in denial for a long time that it was anxiety i had blood work, xrays and ekgs and they couldnt find anything. i went on ativan for about two months and it didnt really help and my depression got worse so i started therapy and was prescribed prozac. i saw many people stating that it made them feel numb so i decided to never start the medication. im sad to admit that the only thing that made the shortness of breath go away was drinking so thats what i did. ive cut back now because i know that will only do more harm than good. whats been helping me a little more now is taking ashwaghanda, meditation and spending time outdoors.

Thank you for writing back and sharing your story. I fee for you. I have had it for a long time also, maybe 2 years now. Some days are okay some days are bad. Right now I have some tension in my throat telling me to take a deep breath but I am trying to fight it and it then causes tension in my head until I take a deep breath. Then it's gone once I do and it restarts again.

Like you I had done ECG, Xrays x 2 , blood work x 2, Echo scan on my heart. All said was normal. I finally asked to seriously refer me to a Respiratory doctor, which they finally did and I went last week. The doctor checked all the previous tests and has said that it sounds like a behavioural issue, I might have trained my body to breathe like this and he was pointing out that it might be because I lift weights (as I do 5 times a week). He also has said it could be all in your head and I just need to not think about it. I mentioned to him about the anti-anxiety pills, he told me its not a good path to go for a young and healthy guy and I should try and get over it naturally.

It's funny you mentioned the alcohol and how it takes the edge away as it does for me. I have also started meditation every day - it helps but for a short period.

One other thing I do is breath holds, there is a few videos on youtube which are made for divers to teach to hold their breath, it can be used as an anti-stress technique, and after the workout you well at ease, you should try it. Also when holding the breath you notice that you can hold it for some time (well at least I can), then why am i making myself take big breaths? Does my body actually need extra oxygen when I can hold my breath for 45 seconds or more?

I have sent you a message if you need to chat, it would be good to connect with people who are going through the same thing and try and fight this together.

i feel the exact same .... is it better now? if so what helped?

You literally just described my life at the moment. My husband and I have been going through IVF and after I stopped all hormones they had me on, my anxiety hit the roof. My Dr has blamed it on the hormone fluctuation and sudden stop in meds at the end of the cycle. However, I've suffered from anxiety since I was 16 years old when I had my first panic attack. I'm 35 now. I literally feel short of breath or breathless at least 75% of every day. I can be doing nothing and it hits me like a ton of bricks. It feels like somebody has their hand around my neck all day long. I've lost my appetite over it because when you feel that way, it's hard to eat. I feel like food gets stuck in my throat when I swallow too so now I'm freaking about that every time I eat. I've lost weight from it too. I don't enjoy going out, going to dinner, doing anything basically because it's always with me. It really is miserable. I started therapy a few weeks ago & I've recently started Lexapro (5 days ago) so I know I'm on the right track but waiting on the symptoms to subside feels like an eternity away. I keep thinking I have COPD or ashtma. He'll, I've even thought it was a hiatal hernia or GERD. I'm always googling my symptoms and fearing the worst.. then I feel worse. It's a vicious cycle but you're not alone is what I'm trying to say.

I'm 35 and I've been on anxiety meds a few times throughout my life. I've struggled with anxiety since I was 16. Honestly, the meds are the only thing that has EVER helped me return to normal. Lexapro is a very well tolerated medicine that has worked well for me in the past. I just stared it again 5 days ago. It does take about 4 weeks or longer to start getting things back to normal but that's nothing compared to feeling like this forever if you do nothing. Start up side effects aren't fun but they subside in 1-2 weeks so it's worth it. Lexapro makes me so tired. I take it at night before bed and feel hung over for hours the next morning. Other than that, I don't have many other bothersome side effects. Sometimes I feel lightheaded/dizzy but it's hit & miss.

So when you take Lexapro, does it fix these feelings fully? Or do they come back from time to time but less?

The doctor has advised me to not pursue the anxiety meds as he said I am healthy and fit and should not go down that root as it has its own negative impacts. Did not fully go into the negative aspects. I can still fully function, exercise and do my job. Just always have that feeling that you should take a deep breath and it automatically sends the fight or flight mode into my brain is really getting to me. But my oxygen levels are always normal above 95% all the time, so I do not really need to take these deep breathes. I have also been doing breath-hold exercises and can hold my breath for 2 minutes, which I am not sure is possible for a person who has the need to take big gulps of air every minute. Which means it might be all in my head.

A person recommended Ashwagandha, which is a natural ingredient for stress and anxiety, and she has said it has helped her. I am trying it out now, it's only been 2 days so cannot comment on it. But a lot of reviews on Amazon have said that it actually works for them.

Hi Samantha,

What does of ashwaghanda are you taking? I have just bought some and interested to know.

Thanks.

your not alone ive been dealing with almost the same problem im laying in bed right now and it just feels like i need to take deep breaths and im not getting enough oxygen when i breath normally and having rib pain as well but ever doctor tells me im ok its so stressful and just want to feel normal again been a while. but things will get better! keep your head up

this is exactly how i have been feeling. it feels like when i try to take a deep breathe, my lung gets stuck midway and i cant inhale deeply. like i am suffocated 24 hours a day. theres only breif moments i feel like i can breath. Ive had ECG, Xray, blood tests, Spiromtry tests, and everything comes back normal. ive seen like 5 doctors and nurses and they all keep coming up with anxiety. ive had anxiety my entire life and never struggled with breathing! the breathing problems started about 5 days into having covid so my mind thinks the worst despite what doctors are saying. its been 4 months now its taken over my life.

its awful!

It is awful. There are a lot of people with these symptoms. A lot of them actually started when covid first started or during. Which is weird and myself and a few started to wonder if there is any connection. I have had it for 18months now maybe longer. Doctors to be honest have been really useless and they wouldnt even look at it seriously and just brush it off as anxiety or some say I forgot how to breath normally (which i am pretty sure is not the case). I tend not to say much here because this site likes to delete messages that are acutally trying to help people. Have a google search or youtube Sighing Dyspnea , PVMF , Vocal cord disorder, Pseduo dyspnea. There are a lot of article that can relate. But you might go into a rabbit hole and just get stuck not knowing what it is, because there is a lot of things that can cause this feeling of shortness of breath or suffocation. Reach out if you want. Wish you all the best with finding a cure.

hello i have this same problem i am sitting here at the ER realizing what the problem is thanks to God ! im sp happy i found this page i thought i was alone !!!

how are you feeling? looking at all you have said is like looking in a mirror at myself!

i am having these same symptoms please give me your numbr

Hi try alprazolam 0.5mg im on it it help but be sure to ask ur doctor it give instant relief hope u get well soon

Hi, I know I am 2 years late, but I am a student of 21 years old experiencing exactly the same thing ... I am always feeling like I can't breathe and it is affecting my life so badly... I know it is certainly coming from anxiety. I am on sertraline since 2 weeks now and I would like to know if your breathing problem is gone thanks to Sertraline ? I need hope ... Thanks a lot

hi can i contact u same issue i am favung

Hello, I know it's late but how are you? I wanted to ask you why your doctor prescribed you medication for high blood pressure in addition to an antidepressant? I wish you health and I am waiting for an answer.

Hello, I'm doing much better! The reason is because the anxiety made my blood pressure go up. I'm still on the medication but it was probably inevitable anyway because it's been tinkering for awhile about me needing it to begin with even without the anxiety issue.