My breathing...

[missfoxC]

When my anxiety first started I was terrified of having a heart attack and went to the er sooo many times and every time I was completely fine. My new fear is that my throat is closing!!! All the time I'm terrified my throat is gonna close. I'm convinced I have asthma or I'm gonna have some spontaneous allergic reaction my throat will swell and I will be a goner! Am I the only one who feels like way??? Usually it's worse at night and I have more of a problem when I eat! I have no problem swallowing so what's wrong with me!!!!

[crystalrose1985]

Weird! No your not the only one girl, I was the saaaame way well I still am...I go to the dang er all the time because I think I'm having or going to have a heart attack annnnd I always think my throat us going to close on me and I panic about it so darn much that I actually work my self up and I can't swallow ....it's so interesting to see people who have the same issues as me, I always think I'm such a freak for thinking and panicking like this....but this site really helps me and u take prn alprazolam ..that REALLY helps me, you should ask your Dr about it!! Good luck, and your def not alone!!

[missfoxC]

I hate that this happens to you but I'm glad I'm not alone and hearing that someone feels the same makes me feel not so crazy!! I know I just work myself up and cause my own symptoms but it's so hard to control. I've tried Zoloft and celexa. Neither worked... Ive been prescribed valium but haven't gotten the courage up to take them yet. Medicine is also a strange stupid phobia. Thanks for replying!!! We are not alone.

[crystalrose1985]

If someone had the magic trick to just turn off anxiety like a light switch they'd be a billionaire!! Lol and believe me I wish someone had that switch but unfortunately you can't just turn the way your body feels and brain is thinking off and it sucks!!!! I would give the valume a shot, don't be scared because its much better than that other stuff and if it's to much and knocks u on your rear just ask for a lower dose! ! And give thoes apps a try because if we have alot of the same panic issues I bet they might help ease your anxiety too!!

[Sentao]

Hi Missfoxc,

I would advise you to eliminate any possibility that your breathing problems could be because you might be allergic to some foods. Make sure you experiment if you suspect that a certain food is causing breathing difficulties. A while back, I used to have some difficulty breathing and found out that it was the aspartame that I was using in my coffee. It really affected me badly, and that's not only the breathing. There was fatigue, muscle pain etc. and once I dropped it things went back to normal.

[missfoxC]

I do listen to hypnosis at night to sleep and it usually works! I haven't had a panic attack in awhile but my anxiety is 24/7. It so terrible. I have a few food allergies but I avoid them and I read every single label that I pick up. It's my OCD. I guess at night when I have nothing to do and I just lay down my mind starts wandering every where it possibly can to scare me. My chest, my throat, every little twitch triggers my anxiety! How can this possibly be that something like anxiety makes me feel like I'm suffocating....

[dazza]

Good advice up there re. checking for possibilities of REAL, physical issues - such as allergies.

There is a risk on forums such as this that replies can be of a purely comforting nature...
E.g. "Awwwwww you poor little puppy... dont you worry me old love - it's JUST anxiety"

...where ALL possibilities of something physically wrong are completely over-looked without a thought.

Actually, I wonder if I wrote something like; "my leg had suddenly fallen off while walking down the street", that people would still reply with;
"Awwww mate, don't worry, it's ONLY anxiety. Anxiety can do this ya know"

lmao...

You should note the foods/drinks you've recently consumed when a panic attack occurs. It could be an allergy.

By the sounds of it though, it probably isn't.
Tightening of chest and throat muscles is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety. Although hideously unpleasant, it's your bodies natural defense against danger - albeit innappropriate.

Although I discourage medication, when things were at their worst for me I'd dive for the Diazepam.
Yes, it spaces you out a little but BY THUNDER it worked.

Of course - seek professional, medical advice.

[missfoxC]

I know I have seasonal allergies and this time of year they are bad but it's never been uncontrollable. I make regular drs appts. Thanks to my anxiety I'm on top of things lol. My routine er visits and drs appts should make me feel better but my mind is so lost in the panic and anxiety it's crazy. I feel absolutely crazy sometimes or like things aren't real. Laying here just now one minute my throat feels tight then I stop thinking for a little bit and I notice the tightness is gone and I feel normal!! Next thing I know it's tight again..,, it's a vicious cycle.

[dazza]

Hay fever?
(I know this can completely screw people's respiratory system)

Asthma?

If you're seeing the same doc. over and over and you REALLY DO have anxiety disorder - they're gonna get bored of you, lol
You should see a councillor. They'll teach you relaxtion methods and so on.

The most common relaxtion method is:

1/ Either sit (comfortably) or lie on the floor (on your back).
2/ Try to remove all nasty thoughts (like Rolf Harris in stockings & suspenders) and of course your worries.
BLANK your mind
3/ Tense up your hands for a few seconds, then release & relax. (Feel how nice it is to be relaxed)
4/ Now move on to your forearms - do the same. Then bicep - do the same, then shoulders, feet, legs, stomach, chest, neck... etc. You get the picture?
5/ End off with screwing your face up and then relaxing it.

The whole exercise should take some 15 mins. in total.

I think the point this exercise tries to make is... how GOOD it feels to be relaxed (after the tensing) - and making you realise that YOU are in control of this.