shortness of breath-HELP

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erin04

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I have suffered from anxiety for 5 years now. It started when I was 21 years old and my Dad was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. The first panic attack started shortly after that and from that point on< i was convinced I was going to die of a heart problem. That was how my anxiety came on at first, skipped heart beats, lightheadedness, feeling like I was going to pass out. I became paranoid to do any exercise or anything, it was awful. I had every test done in the book, and of course they all came back fine.

3 years ago, my mom was diagnosed with breat cancer. The anxiety came back full throttle. I was obsessed with getting breast cancer and really any kind of cancer. Any headache was a brain tumor any lump in my breast was cancer. I finally got help and things went really well. I got pregnant and had the happiest year of my life.

Well, last year, mom was diagnosed again and she passed away in Oct. Since then, its been awful again. Lately, its shortness of breath. So frustrating! I am so tempted to go to the dr again but I am sure it is anxiety. I'm fine when I sleep and when I'm not thinking about it but otherwise I am conscious of every breath I take and it feels like everything is tight in my chest and I can't get enough air.

Please help! How do I get a hold of this? I don't want it to wreck my life. Thanks so much for listening!
 
I have the same thing happen to me constantly; you feel as though you are not getting enough air. If you have had tests done and they come back ok your probably, even in those states, getting 95% oxygen saturation in your blood; albeit you feel as though you are suffocating.

Myself I have not found ways around this other than to let it pass... i guess eventually your breathing will return to normal if you are distracted enough; the more you focus on it the more you will continue to breath abnormally.

You wont stop breathing altogether though.. even if you try to hold your breath you will eventually be forced to breath. :dizzy:
 
Try rebreathing in a paper sack 5 minutes every hour for 3 months and you will find your anxiety has calmed down. NEVER USE A PLASTIC BAG, YOU WILL SUFFOCATE.

You are most likely a hidden hyperventilator and that is causing your body to panic. Give the paper sack a workout and see if things change for you.

My bloodpressure was going to stroke territory, finally could only take 2 steps and stall out with no message for feet to move again for a minute or so. Finally went to a hypertension specialist at Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas and learned that my breathing was off track for unknown reasons. Rebreathing in paper sack was my prescription and it worked. Now I use the paper sack when I feel I am getting short breath.

Unfortunately doctors do not as a rule recognize hidden hyperventilation, they claim you you have anxiety. Actually the lack of oxygen to vital organs caused by hyperventilation causes the body to painc, not the other way around. Yes, oxygen level will be high but without a balance of carbon dioxide along with oxygen the oxygen cannot be released from the red carpusles to the vital organs. Oxygen deprivation to the vital organs causes the body to panic.
 
i have suffered this inability to get a full breath in for almost as long as i can remeraber. I have perioRAB when i do really well, and others where i have an attack every day. It usually depenRAB on the amount of stress i have in my life at the time.

I just think "well i havent died of it yet!!" thats what keps me going when things are really bad. Prozac has also aken the edge off, i take 20mg every other day now and i feel ok. If im really bad i will also take a valium just to calm things down again.
 
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