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Breathing problems: I don't feel this is anxiety
I'm a 46 year old female with no medical problems. In October of 2011 I started having breathing problems. I could not catch my breath. I had been at work all day and this hit me all of a sudden after getting home. I was afraid to go to sleep so after several hours of being afraid and it getting worse I went to the ER. They said my oxygen level was fine and they diagnosed me with anxiety. I was prescribed xanax. The xana (30 pills) lasted me for 6months. I don't feel this is anxiety. Doesn't aniety come and go. I seen another doctor and they also think it's anxiety but she said she has anxiety also. She wants me to start taking citalopram every day. I haven't started these yet. Still debating. The symptoms have worsened. I have shortness of breath most all the time. I don't have any type of pain that goes along with it except fear. I do have indigestion at times. I feel this is something more serious and I don't know what to do. Has anyone else had this before? Thank you.
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Hi, I'm Tami Jo and I've suffered from anxiety for years. you stated that you took xanax for 6 months but did'nt say if it helped or not. Did it? Anxiety has many faces. Fear is a major one. Panic attacks are also associated with anxiety. I was given an anti-depressant along with xanax. a life saver for me,as I was making frequent trips to the e.r. p.s. I also suffered from shortness of breath and indigestion.
Do you have oyher symtoms?
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1 ReactionThank you for responding. I have started taking an anti-depressant. I don't take the xanax often. I guess it did help. I just couldn't and still can't really understand how anxiety can make you feel like you can't breath. IT FEELS REAL. My job has been real stressful for the last year and a half. Long hours, can't sleep..........I work in HR. I don't have any other symtoms.
I'm having a recovery/relapse of the same symptoms. Air hunger, having to yawn to breathe. What actually helped you?
Welcome @sheebacat, I'm not sure @knat5065 or @tamijo are still following Connect since they have not posted for awhile. There is another discussion that you might find helpful to learn from the experiences others have shared including @gabrielm, @longingforair and other members.
-- Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mysterious-shortness-of-breath/
Can you post any questions you have or treatments you've tried in the above discussion?
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1 ReactionThis is a long shot but I will share my personal experience with air hunger: Following my first Moderna vaccination I developed some annoying but I would not call it painful discomfort overlying the sternal area. A Internist (in California) said to start a baby aspirin until they can sort it out. I then developed continuous air hunger ( I soon forgot about mild chest discomfort, so it must have been resolving). After a week of air hunger I presented in the E.R. & was sent home after a negative workup (minus a chest X-ray I declined). The Attending advised me to discontinue my medications. I discontinued only the aspirin and the air hunger vanished the very next day (I wasn't about to discontinue my hypothyroid medication). Have you started any new medications?
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1 ReactionMy story: Dec. 14, 2020 I was reading in bed and all of a sudden I had to start yawning to catch my breath, no pain, just kind of struggling. Next day, all day, it persisted. I went to my doctor and she immediately said anxiety and prescribed Buspar. She didn't mention Covid. I didn't test for it. Exactly 3 days later, my husband tested positive and the day after, I tested positive. So I thought it would go away after covid. It never has, only a few days good, few days bad. I keep a calendar and write down how the day was. Nothing has really changed, despite many things I've tried. All lung, heart tests are perfect. I've done accupuncture, supplements, anti-histamine and now I'm on Prozac 30 mgs. Dr. wants me to keep increasing. I don't feel it's anxiety. I'm a pretty calm person. I wish I knew if it was long covid or anxiety. Latest thing I'm doing now is working with a respiratory physiologist who thinks I have a breathing pattern disorder. I breathe from my mouth and chest too much so trying to change that. Has anyone tried this? My calendar still reflects the same approximate amount of good/bad days. Recovery/Relapse.
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1 ReactionHi
Finally what happen with buspar??
Have you had a CT of the chest?
Your symptoms are real. Think of all the somatic responses to emotions and thoughts: smiling, crying, shaking, butterflies in stomach, gagging at disgusting things, retching when someone else vomits, GI issues when nervous, dry mouth when scared, fainting, heart attacks from extreme sudden stress.
What else can cause shortness of breath? Undertreated asthma, mid back and shoulder girdle musculoskeletal problems, medication side effects are just a few examples.
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2 ReactionsThere is another thread here on Mayo site titled “mysterious shortness of breath” that you may want to follow. That said, have your spine cheeks as I had a herniated disc causing this ‘trying to catch your breath’ feeling that you are describing. Not anxiety. Nothing wrong all tested and it was my spine. Just a thought.