I need help!

[onebreathatatime]

Long story short... I'm 5 months postpartum, been off my zoloft for 1 1/2months, on bisoprolol (for pvc's), am absolutely obsessed with my breathing and chest, wearing a bra or anything snug (including a seat belt) around my chest causes me to fixate on "making" myself breath as it makes me feel like I can't and terrified I'll keel over at any moment from a heart attack.

I've had ecgs, echocardiogram x3, and nuclear lung test.. Everything has come back negative.

I need help figuring out how I can STOP obsessing over my breathing. It causes a million more symptoms and I read online that in rare cases hyperventilating constantly could change the levels of carbon dioxide enough to cause a heart attack. :( I feel like I'm stuck and it's driving me batty.

I've been wondering if I should go back on zoloft but then that's not really solving my problem now is it!

Ugh any help would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone else suffer from this constant over breathing obsession?

[PanicCured]

Long story short... I'm 5 months postpartum, been off my zoloft for 1 1/2months, on bisoprolol (for pvc's), am absolutely obsessed with my breathing and chest, wearing a bra or anything snug (including a seat belt) around my chest causes me to fixate on "making" myself breath as it makes me feel like I can't and terrified I'll keel over at any moment from a heart attack.

I've had ecgs, echocardiogram x3, and nuclear lung test.. Everything has come back negative.

I need help figuring out how I can STOP obsessing over my breathing. It causes a million more symptoms and I read online that in rare cases hyperventilating constantly could change the levels of carbon dioxide enough to cause a heart attack. :( I feel like I'm stuck and it's driving me batty.

I've been wondering if I should go back on zoloft but then that's not really solving my problem now is it!

Ugh any help would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone else suffer from this constant over breathing obsession?

I had this overbreathing problem and the Buteyko breathing method and the physiology behind it helped me. What happens is you release too much CO2 which offsets everything. Do this enough you breathing center in your brain gets offset, so by underbreathing you bring it back. I bought this book by Patrick McKeown called Anxiety Free that gave Buteyko breathing excercises that I followed every day! It also came with an MP3 I listened to about 2 times a day. You are not getting more oxygen by breathing more.

You can buy the book here and understand the CO2/O2 balance: http://www.patrickmckeown.net/panic-attacks.php

I am not Patrick nor do I make money off this. Please read that page, and if you buy the book, make sure it comes with the MP3. Actually I did a session with Patrick McKeown over Skype for $50. My anxiety cut about 50% in 5 days after practicing the exercises in the book. But most importantly, understanding the physiology of breathing.

Please read that page and pass it on to those stuck in an overbreathing cycle.

Cheers!

[aml0017]

Breathing is mostly an involuntary action. I mean it has to be or how could we keep it up all day every day for our whole lives? We can consciously override the involuntary mechanism at will, ie when we hold our breath while swimming or take deep breaths. Since you are anxious about it you are constantly thinking about it. You seem to under stand this though, that you have become fixated on it. Knowing this is the first step.

Once you really start to believe it is just anxiety you can let go of the fear. Anxiety is CAUSING the problem. Obviously you sleep and wake up just fine each morning so you can breathe just fine. When it starts to happen, tell yourself it us all in your head then distract yourself by any means snecessary. Something that will occupy your mind sufficiently to let the involuntary mechanism start again. When you notice it is passed and you are fine, remember this for the next time.

Also, please stay off Google it us horrible for hypochondria! Reading about worst case scenarios that are not likely is not gonna help. Stick to reality. You are still alive and kicking to post on this site. The only possible thing excessive hyperventilation could lead you is possibly you would faint. Since this hasn't happened yet despite your anxious breathing I think you don't need to worry about excess carbon dioxide.

There really is nothing to fear but fear itself. Cliché but true. Trust your body to do its job, you focus on overcoming the fear that is preventing it from doing it properly.

[NixonRulz]

Long story short... I'm 5 months postpartum, been off my zoloft for 1 1/2months, on bisoprolol (for pvc's), am absolutely obsessed with my breathing and chest, wearing a bra or anything snug (including a seat belt) around my chest causes me to fixate on "making" myself breath as it makes me feel like I can't and terrified I'll keel over at any moment from a heart attack.

I've had ecgs, echocardiogram x3, and nuclear lung test.. Everything has come back negative.

I need help figuring out how I can STOP obsessing over my breathing. It causes a million more symptoms and I read online that in rare cases hyperventilating constantly could change the levels of carbon dioxide enough to cause a heart attack. :( I feel like I'm stuck and it's driving me batty.

I've been wondering if I should go back on zoloft but then that's not really solving my problem now is it!

Ugh any help would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone else suffer from this constant over breathing obsession?

Seems like the last few posts addressed this

I am just glad to see you again!

It has been quite some time

[PanicCured]

Just read this right here. You are simply blowing out too much CO2 which causes a whole cascade of symptoms. The problem is the CO2/O2 balance offset by your overbreathing.

Please read this: http://www.patrickmckeown.net/panic-attacks.php

[hannah0117]

My doctor said i dont need an oxygen tank... its just a feeling that i cant breath... we have the same feeling.. he told me i have to relax.. breath deep.. shallow breathing would make it worse... paper bag is useful, try it sometime if you are hyperventilating..

[onebreathatatime]

Thanks for that website... It definitely makes a lot of sense and since reading it I have been trying to just ignore my breathing all together. It's hard but I know over time it will get better. :)

[onebreathatatime]

Lol not too happy to be back but since having my daughter I've been all over the place 😩 and definitely need the support from this forum.

[jessed03]

I had this overbreathing problem and the Buteyko breathing method and the physiology behind it helped me. What happens is you release too much CO2 which offsets everything. Do this enough you breathing center in your brain gets offset, so by underbreathing you bring it back. I bought this book by Patrick McKeown called Anxiety Free that gave Buteyko breathing excercises that I followed every day! It also came with an MP3 I listened to about 2 times a day. You are not getting more oxygen by breathing more.

You can buy the book here and understand the CO2/O2 balance: http://www.patrickmckeown.net/panic-attacks.php

I am not Patrick nor do I make money off this. Please read that page, and if you buy the book, make sure it comes with the MP3. Actually I did a session with Patrick McKeown over Skype for $50. My anxiety cut about 50% in 5 days after practicing the exercises in the book. But most importantly, understanding the physiology of breathing.

Please read that page and pass it on to those stuck in an overbreathing cycle.

Cheers!

The last thing she wants to do is practice Buteyko. While it will help with the CO2 levels, it will exacerbate the mental side of having sensorimotor OCD. Her problem isn't overbreathing alone, it's that her mind is stuck on that particular bodily function, and believes that monitoring it is somehow essential to good health.

OBAAT: I too have had this symptom, I think I told you before? It is brutal, and without a doubt the hardest symptom I have had to deal with by a wide margin.

What have you done so far, therapy wise? It does have good success rates, but can be a really exhausting process. Getting the message to stick in the brain is so difficult.

[onebreathatatime]

The last thing she wants to do is practice Buteyko. While it will help with the CO2 levels, it will exacerbate the mental side of having sensorimotor OCD. Her problem isn't overbreathing alone, it's that her mind is stuck on that particular bodily function, and believes that monitoring it is somehow essential to good health.

OBAAT: I too have had this symptom, I think I told you before? It is brutal, and without a doubt the hardest symptom I have had to deal with by a wide margin.

What have you done so far, therapy wise? It does have good success rates, but can be a really exhausting process. Getting the message to stick in the brain is so difficult.

I see a psychiatrist monthly and will be seeing one of his residents more frequently after Friday (that's my appointment)
Otherwise I do breathing exercises just to learn to slow down and I have been getting better. It's a rough road and every day I find challenging but I hate living like this and am willing to do and try anything to help.

[jessed03]

Ok, cool. Has your psych gone through any techniques with you to help you demote breathing to your subconscious again? Because like the young lady above me said, it shouldn't ever really be thought about.

Everybody's condition is different, but personally I'd drop all breathing exercises altogether. I think at best they'll only ever have a superficial short-term result. If you want to reduce breathing without keeping it at the forefront of your mind, mantra meditation will do the same job. Unless your psych has recommended them, or you think they work. Then keep doing them, of course.

I guess you can't take SSRI's right now, can you. Did you find that they were helpful?

[onebreathatatime]

Ok, cool. Has your psych gone through any techniques with you to help you demote breathing to your subconscious again? Because like the young lady above me said, it shouldn't ever really be thought about.

Everybody's condition is different, but personally I'd drop all breathing exercises altogether. I think at best they'll only ever have a superficial short-term result. If you want to reduce breathing without keeping it at the forefront of your mind, mantra meditation will do the same job. Unless your psych has recommended them, or you think they work. Then keep doing them, of course.

I guess you can't take SSRI's right now, can you. Did you find that they were helpful?

I was taking zoloft during my pregnancy but I decided to switch in nov to lexapro which I did not like so I quit all together. I am on a beta blocker though which I think helps somewhat with the anxiety.

I've gone back through old journals and it seems I've had this breathing issue for a long time, basically since this all began 3 years ago so I don't think the meds really help.

My psychiatrist hasn't really given me any advice, I think he feels conflicted because like you are saying focusing on breathing techniques keeps me focused on it but at the same time they can be beneficial.

What is mantra meditation? Repeating something rather than just focusing on breathing?

[Im-Suffering]

And so a little bit more in depth reading for you here, rather than the usual skimming the surface, I am showing you there is much more to life than it would seem, and how everything is inter-related:


I was taking zoloft during my pregnancy but I decided to switch in nov to lexapro which I did not like so I quit all together. I am on a beta blocker though which I think helps somewhat with the anxiety.

I've gone back through old journals and it seems I've had this breathing issue for a long time, basically since this all began 3 years ago so I don't think the meds really help.

My psychiatrist hasn't really given me any advice, I think he feels conflicted because like you are saying focusing on breathing techniques keeps me focused on it but at the same time they can be beneficial.

What is mantra meditation? Repeating something rather than just focusing on breathing?

My dear beautiful soul. you have always been the sensitive one. You take matters to heart. Literally. And that is where this journey began. You have a fear of the involuntary systems, in an immediate past life, as a man, and within the last 500 years, in the village (outside of what is now Rome) you witnessed much disease and despair.

Briefly, your wife at that time fell prey to a lung condition, which eventually gave way to the heart shutting down. This as a young man gave you the impetus to help or to instill a drive for medicine (profession), this was born out of anger and fear. It was very common to die in the age ranges of 28-45. Everyone was vulnerable, so to speak. There was as of yet no confidence in any sort of healing practice outside of prayer or ritual. The woman who was your wife lost your first child, and was carrying at her death.

There were no emergency rooms although people were sectioned off in 'leper tents' (leprosy like symptoms).

These emotions you carried within you, as you died in that life, and so skipping some hundred years later in human time we have a drive for medicine now. And so the feelings, or anxiety have been associated with those memories of powerlessness in the face of disease, and the despair or despondency of all those affected. Your current life work (ER) was a carryover then. And also a trigger, coupled with the pregnancy that through faint (distant) inner feelings brought back into this experience a portion of the personhood from that time. You are who you are because of the sum total of who you have been, so to speak.

Born with a drive to help, but also a deep knowing that you are really helpless often times, even with the current medical advances that were so absent back then.

Know who you are my dear.

Now, it does not matter if its heart related, breathing related, or what the current focus is. The symptoms are psychic. In that life you often tried to resuscitate, with no beneficial results and so there are memories of gasping for air.

Each human has been through it all, you see. This is not new to any of you. You have been doctor, patient. Criminal, judge. friend and foe, and have died in too many ways to count, sometimes in infancy or childhood. In any case death is a lesson to be accepted, you see.

However, you now have the current life, and there are meant to be separations in realities, meaning you are to look at your current position and realize it is not then, it is now. Focusing on a passion and some type of service will bring you into the present and offset the fear of death. You would simply be too busy to worry. Medicine for you was a carryover, meaning it could be let go, allowing a new passion to activate, a new journey, a new direction, and finally put to rest the past in peace. You often dream of other occupations, and those dreams are rejuvenating and therapeutic, and could become reality moving forward if you wish. And then there is motherhood ofcourse, fulfilling in its own right. There will be no early death this time. So you could begin to focus on life instead.

No therapist can see this. And so the ones you visit are stumped, and give you dulling medicines. A vigor for life would be your therapy. There are other souls now, counting on that. You know.

You could also gain clarity from a family tree, look (deep) into your history. Or a past life regression, healer or other medium in person.

That is all.