Am I over breathing ?

[JonnyUK]

On Thursday I was eating my meal and all of a sudden I found it slightly difficult to breathe. The feeling has stayed with me since then. It is a bit of a feeling like I am winded in the chest, or my throat is constricted. I have been waking up every few hours with a dry throat and cut lip as obviously I can't get enough breath and so I suck in the air a lot. All during the day I feel so uncomfortable, like I have one lung.

The reason I am posting here, is because I had something very similar to this twice before. Each time lasted about 2 weeks. I suffer badly from anxiety, and can often give myself symptoms. But at the same time I don't want to be stupid and leave something that may be serious. I keep coughing to try and clear things and it has given me a sore throat too.

I can't remember if this is identical to the two past times, but it feels very similar, I remember describing it in the same way to people, one lung and feeling of blockage. I think the last time I got it I only got better when I suddenly had another symptom and it either took my mind off the breathing problem or it got better.

I also find when I lay on my left hand side I get a heart droppig / fluttering feeling that reduces my breathing even more for a minute or two.

So does this sound like anxiety ? This is 24/7 not just during panic attacks or certain times. As I type this now I feel out of breath. It is not enough to stop me breathing, obviously, it is just uncomfortable. There doesn't seem to be any wheezing.

Any idea ?

[Joeturner2]

Mate i have this as well but 24/7 really bad i sweat as well not good times has taken over my life docs say its anexity but i dunno i though aneixty comes and goes

[Masa]

I've got the sam problem. I suffer from anxiety and have been prescribed citalopram 2 months ago. I never had problems with breathing before starting citalopram, so I'm only assuming that this is one of the side effects. I constantly feel like I need to take a deep breath, this is constant during the day and it has started driving me mad lately as all I'm thinking about is my breathing.

I think it's a form of hyperventilating, and you can find some breathing exercises to try and calm yourself down if you google it.

Hope this helps, you are not alone!

[springblossom]

www.bp.edu (http://www.bp.edu)

I'm having this right now also.

[Robbs]

sounds very much like it to me but get yourself to the doctors and have them confirm it.

[Maj]

Hi,

Sounds like you've had panic attack about breathing. Try to be reassured that you will ALWAYS get enough breath. It's one of the more uncomfortable symptoms of anxiety. Try some deep controlled breaths: inhale, letting the air go into your tummy for a count of 7, exhale through your mouth for a count of 11. This will calm you down and let you concentrate on something else. The fluttering thing you experience sounds like ectopic beats - lots of people feel that they are worse when lying on your left side. They are harmless and another symptom of anxiety. If they really bother you then mention it to your doctor. I'm sure if you have some tests done that they will be negative and you'll be reassured that they're harmless.
Take care
Myra:hugs:

[JonnyUK]

Thanks everyone. Yes, the heart fluttering just happened now, I laid down on my left side to watch a movie, and my heart kept fluttering, sometimes it feels like a drop in the chest, or something like that, other times a rapid beat. I felt my pulse at the same time and it stops while the fluttering is happening, then kicks back in fast when it stops. My breathing also gets worse for a second or two during the heart fluttering.

So this all sounds like anxiety then ? I think I may have convinced myself I have cardiac asthma, but I am trying hard to say it is just anxiety.

Does anyone also find they can't stand the build up of loud music ? Like something starting off slow, then building up faster ? My hair stands on end and I shiver when I hear music building up.

[Robbs]

depends on my mood, if im feeling a bit anxious i cant feel myself breath when there is loud music on, get exactly the same feeling when the hoover is on and i start to overbreath, if im going for a spirited drive then i love a bit of loud music.

[BigDaz]

Does anyone also find they can't stand the build up of loud music ? Like something starting off slow, then building up faster ? My hair stands on end and I shiver when I hear music building up.

I noticed things like that when I first started being anxious, not so much now. There's a Queen song called The Show Must Go On which has a sort of 'build up' before each chorus and it was particularly hard to listen to for a while. It's not the volume or tempo just the sort of crescendo that's a bit like a musical panic attack.

[mcarr09]

I think it's known as air hunger. I have been experiencing it aswell, it's just awful. But I do believe it's only anxiety because I sleep really well and I'm fine in the first few moments after I wake up. It's only when I start thinking about it that I begin to notice it. If you sit down or lie down and put one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen and take a deep breath in through your nose making sure your chest doesn't rise only your abdomen should and then exhale through pursed lips making sure your out breath is longer than your in breath. It honestly has helped me! If you google air hunger or breathing exercises for anxiety then you will find the technique explained a bit better. If you can do this everytime you feel the need to take a deep breath you should find it will make a difference. Hope this helps!

[Kasha]

Im over breathing aswel :( Its making my chest hurt, and my back :( x xx

[JonnyUK]

Thanks everyone for your comments.


Im over breathing aswel :( Its making my chest hurt, and my back :( x xx

Ditto, my back and chest hurts, I feel a bit winded, I am sure it is because I am breathing via my mouth too much and so my lungs expand much more then they need to.


I noticed things like that when I first started being anxious, not so much now. There's a Queen song called The Show Must Go On which has a sort of 'build up' before each chorus and it was particularly hard to listen to for a while. It's not the volume or tempo just the sort of crescendo that's a bit like a musical panic attack.

Yes, that is it, the crescendo, I can't stand it, especially in cinemas where the music is very loud. The problem is, I think about it whilst it is happening and I look shifty trying to put it out of my mind, but it wont, and by the end of the musical build up my hair is standing on end and my heart is racing. It doesn't have to be music either, any noise or voice that starts slow and builds up quicker and gets louder affects me.


I think it's known as air hunger. I have been experiencing it aswell, it's just awful. But I do believe it's only anxiety because I sleep really well and I'm fine in the first few moments after I wake up. It's only when I start thinking about it that I begin to notice it.

Thanks for the tips. I have the exact same thing, I wake up feeling a lot better then I am 30 minutes after waking. Now I seem to have convinced myself I have GERD (which causes breathing probs) and the reason I feel better when I wake then 30 minutes later is because I have eaten breakfast by then, causing the acid reflux. But I know the reason is probably just anxiety. I now find it difficult to swallow, another GERD trait, but once again probably just due to anxiety and over trying.

My main problem with this god damn anxiety is I trick my mind so much in to thinking I have something that I never get out of it. I then obsess over the symptom for about 2 to 4 weeks, then it usually only goes when another symptom appears that I stress over and the last one just gets forgotten about until it rears its ugly head again a year down the line. I am awaiting my thinking problem and arms detached from body feeling again, that is due about now after being dormant for many months.

I also wish I could stop rubbing my head, why do I do it, I really don't know. Little things like this really annoy me :)

I have had symptoms since I was 19, and I am 31 now, time seems to be shooting by but every day of my life seems to be health related. I long for how I was when I was 18, I didn't even need to visit the doctor for anything for years, but over the last 12 years I have almost been given my own parking spot for the car park.