Hi thank you so much for your answer. I in fact went through pages and pages and I read similar stories only no real concrete solutions. I didn’t hear from anyone who said that it “went away”. I suppose when people don’t write back they have gotten better but I don’t know.

But I will share my story.

I’m a mom of theee (ages 8,6,2). I work two full time jobs(I’m a teacher and run my own business on the side). I am under a lot of pressure for sure - as I am the main breadwinner for my family. My husband works too but with my business I earn more.

I’ve struggled with anxiety my entire life but it’s never caused physical symptoms- other than lacking in appetite. This is very scary for me.

I became sick with a bad cough about 4 weeks ago and continued going to work as I didn’t want to use my sick days. One day, the cough was so bad that I had to leave work and didn’t return for 5 days. When I returned, I still didn’t feel well. The doctor told me this was asthma and prescribed me puffers(ventolin and the orange one) as well as prednisone. Those didn’t help the breathing problem.

After I returned to work, symptoms with breathing got worse where I felt I could not “catch my breath” all day long. Like others have said, I could not get that deep satisfying breath and had to keep yawning all day which is exhausting. I wound up in the ER on Friday evening where they told my blood pressure was high likely due to stress, but ruled out any other major physical problems through x ray and heart pictures. I was told asthma and pumped with ventolin. I went home and still couldn’t breathe and I went back to the ER Sunday. Sunday I was told the same thing and pumped with more inhalers and given an atavan. Told this could be panic and anxiety.

I took the Ativan and went home fell asleep at 4am. Since that day I have had trouble breathing and intense difficulty sleeping which is ruining my life as I just want my life back and to enjoy life with my family to the fullest. I panic in the evenings and feel every gasp of air. I took Ativan 4 nights in a row to sleep but I don’t like that I took it. Two nights I managed but it was torture getting to sleep. I just don’t know how I’m ever going to get over this.
One more thing to add is that I was a heavy vaper for two years prior- once I got the cough, I stopped vaping and things have gotten worse with breathing since then - it’s likely that the vape was suppressing my anxiety.

I don’t drink or smoke cigarettes or do drugs. I am healthy not overweight at all and try to stay active.

I do have a lot of stress in my life probably suppressed over the last 4 years including a miscarriage, financial stress, my dad recently being diagnosed with cancer, a brutal principal who’s been antagonizing me for a year, someone trying to sue my business, but still it’s hard to believe that my breathing could be caused by this as it feels so real and scary.

I do recall this type of breathing in my life before, but never ever for days on end and it sort of sat in the background and I forgot about it and it didn’t impede my life. I’ve been on anti anxiety medication in my life before which has helped and so I have started taking it now again I’m on day 4. I’m also seeing a virtual therapist. I’m also going for a CT scan tomorrow.

I’m sorry I’ve rambled I just desperately need help. Thank you for listening.