Clear tests, worsening symptons. What is happening to my body?!

[Orange Lightning]

I was recently put in for a manometry and pH study for reflux. Both came both clear, but I feel I was having a 'good' day. Now I can barely breath due to thick mucus building in my airways, causing palpitations and making me dizzy. My body forces me to gasp for air - a sure sign I can't get enough air - and my head and chest get sudden, sharp pains. I suddenly get hit by fatigue. Food still gets stuck at the top of my throat unless I sip water with everything as I barely produce saliva. Meds and suchlike do nothing to help, in fact some of them have made me worse. I swallowed a thick gulp of water and felt a pain halfway down my throat, as if it were swollen.

Because of these clear tests though, nobody believes I have anything but stress now. It's terrifying not being able to breath without clearing your throat every 2 seconds. I have no idea what I'm suffering with or why nothinh helps it. Any suggestions would be much appreciated - I can't keep stopping to gasp for air all day!

(Side note, I have no allergies, asthma or infections)

[Pipkin]

I know you won't believe me as you're absolutely convinced that you have an undiagnosed illness but what you're describing are classic symptoms of anxiety. I'm trying to help and it's really important that you seek help for your anxiety as you will continue like this until you acknowledge that it is at least possible that this is the cause.

I'm speaking as someone who understands because I've been there and it was life changing to realise that anxiety really can cause the most severe physical symptoms. Look at it this way, what do you have to lose? You're suffering now and tests are showing that you don't have any physical illnesses so this will carry on until you try to accept other possibilities.

I've said this to you before and you ignored it yet nothing has improved many months later. Really trying to help you my friend.

Take care

Pip

[Fishmanpa]

I too responded to one of your posts and suggested the same as Pip. You have physical manifestation of an illness... the illness is anxiety. Even though you have physical symptoms, medical professionals and tests have ruled out physical illness. What does that leave?

Treat the real illness and you treat the physical ramifications of it.

Positive thoughts

[.Poppy.]

I'm going to second (or third I guess) what the others have said. A few years back, before I realized I had anxiety, I also had trouble breathing. I went a month before I even saw a doctor about it, because I was afraid of what they might say. The doctor ran some tests and my blood oxygen level was fine, but I failed all of the physical tests in which I had to blow in a tube to demonstrate my capacity. The doctor didn't really know what to do, so he gave me an inhaler. The inhaler didn't really work super well (because there was nothing wrong with me) but it made me feel like I was doing something mentally so I kept at it.

Eventually, I realized that I was putting unnecessary medications into my body and that I was hurting myself. I had had a lot of other episodes of health-related problems before this (which I learned was health anxiety). I decided that I needed to fix myself - mentally - because that was where the real problem was. I couldn't keep falling into the rut of feeling like I was seriously sick or dying because it was just a terrible place to be and I was young and strong and wanted to feel that way. In short, I guess I just got to the place where I was tired of being that way, and that motivated me to get help and get better.

Of course anxiety is a process and there usually seems to be something new to face. There are ups and downs, but as you go along you'll learn more about yourself, get stronger, and learn how to beat the anxieties that trip you up. I think just being in this forum you realize that it's somewhat anxiety based at least; I think you should consider seeing a doctor or a therapist for anxiety and see how it helps your physical symptoms. It seems so strange that our mind can create such a mess of physical symptoms, but it's totally possible - just watch the episode of House where they're on the airplane and see what kind of crazy symptoms take place just due to power of mind.

[wabbit1]

I agree these are symptoms of anxiety. I have experienced all of the symptoms you have listed but I know that they are from anxiety. On top of the anxiety I have asthma as well. I used to believe that the panic attacks was the asthma but I'm able to tell the difference now.

What I will say is the fact that you're body is forcing you to gasp for breath actually shows that your body is working properly. It realises that you need more oxygen because you aren't taking in enough air, I get this too - shallow breathing is a sign of anxiety.