Chest pressure when lying down. Extreme anxiety

[mike1776]

I seem to be suffering from a ton of anxiety lately. I've had multiple panic attacks, and I am definitely a hypochondriac. Lately I've been experiencing something different.Throughout the day I sometimes experience chest tightness which is usual for my anxiety. But lately when I lay on my back(And it's only on my back) Its like a pressure on my chest, and my breathing get a little bit shallow and I have to take deep breaths to get better. Sometimes it feels like im getting air squeezed out of me. It does help with nose to mouth breathing.


But if i lay on my side etc it is not a problem. This only happens sometimes if i focus on it.
I got prescribed Ativan(Lorazepam) and if I take that it completely goes away.
I also have been to the ER/doctor 3 times lately, and they listened to my heart saying everything sounds great and my lungs sound really clear. And my Blood oxygen levels are always around 100%. Can this breathing thing while lying on back be associated with anxiety? I am deathly afraid of heart failure!! I am only 25 years old.

I am so scared right now and obsessing about it and need some help!

[maria.g]

Oh yeah, I'm very familiar with everything you've said. That chest tightness is horrible and I get it all the time but I know what you mean about lying on your back and it getting worse - it's like you need to sit up and gulp air! I too, find that if you lie on your side, symptoms are reduced.
I've been having counselling recently and they gave me relaxation cd's to use day and night.
Relaxation is actually a Skill I've been told and we need to practice breathing correctly and to use it we need to be able to control our breath at any given moment wherever you happen to be.
I try to listen to the cd's at night and I have to say they do work. You do need to put in the time though like anything else, but if it calms you down at night enough to sleep and recharge, then that's good. Shallow breathing gives us that tightness and also you'll find that you're tensing up your upper body and don't even realise it. I constantly have to remind myself to drop my shoulders - tension uses a hell if a lot of energy too and that adds to the feelings of fatigue/lethargy (anxiety fatigue).
Try the relaxation and try and use it at night to begin with and try not to 'hold on so tightly' Let go, let go, let go.........