Constant shortness of breath- Anxiety??

[ssharm]

Hi, I am an 18 year old female. For the last 3 months I have had a constant shortness of breath that is very severe and it lasts all day and night. I have had a thorough physical examination and all tests came out clear. My doctor says it is anxiety and even though it is hard to beleive i have convinced myself that it is true. I was under a lot of stress with University and I have had trouble sleeping for years. I am waiting to see a psychiatrist but i am scared. I keep thinking what if medications do not work or what if I don't get better. The problem is very severe and I feel as though i can never breathe. I have been trying to ignore the problem by going out with friends, doing yoga but its always there and it feels terrible. I don't think i can just ignore it.

I am just wondering if anyone has ever been through this horrible experience, if it is truely anxiety, and if your condition has improved. I really just need any kind of hope or support at this point. Thanks a lot,

Samantha.

[sleepersaw]

I am 13 years old and im a male and i have experiencing sever dificulty breathing for about 2 - 3 months. It never gets better. I went to the docter twice she said i could have anxiety and i do have acid reflux. Last night i had a little spell i could feel my heart racing and my mouth was dry my shortness ofbreath got worse.  

[rapidcan]

SSRI's are very helpful for your situation. Your body is producing excessive adrenalin and not enough cerotonin. You just need to fix things in your brain if you have trouble getting over continuous anxiety state. It will help but you have to see a psychiatrist before you consider doing so. Drugs like Alprilazole or anything fast-acting just slow down your neurons and act as sedatives. SSRI's help reuptake cerotonin in the brain with almost very few side effects. Please look it up. It has saved lots of depressed lives. Thank you.
Can Gurpinar

[rebeccamolly]

I know exactly what you're talking about and am currently going through the same thing! I had this happen to me about 3 years ago and it lasted for 8 or 9 months. During that time it was all I could think about and I felt very similar to the way you do now: terrified that it would never go away and constantly upset. I felt like I could never have fun. It actually went completely away for me, but the key was acceptance. The anxiety from worrying about the breathing will only make the breathing worse; it's a horrible cycle. As impossible as it is, you have to try to live with it and stop worrying about it. The less you worry about it, the more it'll go away. Atleast that's how it was for me.

     It actually just started again for me about 5 or 6 days ago. I'm currently under a lot of stress, plus I have bronchitis. Now, I feel like even when I can breathe, I can't stop thinking about it. But I'm trying to accept it again and remember that when I stop stressing and just relax, it'll go away. Try not to focus on what could happen in the future, focus on what you WANT to happen in the future, and just let things happen. Instead of trying to push the thoughts out of your head, accept them and remind yourself that only you have the power to overcome them. Take a few minutes a day to actually focus on your breathing: take slow, deep breaths and make sure your stomach is moving up and down, not your chest. let your heart rate slow, close your eyes, imagine a really happy moment in your life, and just let yourself drift off. This will calm you, if only for a minute, and remind your body how it feels to be relaxed.

Best of luck to you! I hope you get through this in no time. Just remember, you're not alone.

[eamonn369]

hi samantha im only 17 aswell and have been experiencing really bad breathing problems for about the last week just and i havnt said anything to anyone because im hoping it will go away on its own very soon and i decide to look it up to see if it would go away and i found this forum of yours and i have to say it has been very helpful and alot of the responses helped control it (such as the breathing techniques) well for now anyway while im concentrating writing. although to be honest i dont realy understand what anxiety is but really hope that i am not starting to develope, obviously i wont be able to tell at such an early stage but i dont want to risk letting it get  worse. i am also very sorry to hear that you have to go through this and i hope you recover soon.

[adami16]

hey i have the same problem samantha imonly 17 years of age n i had been suffering from anxiety/ panic attacks during the summer holidays. i onli fort tht i wud not make it past a certain day or i wudnt see my next birthday i have been calm recently by talking the kalms medication, but sometimes i just sit there nw atch tv or with friends n it is like theres is something stuck in my throat n stops me to make full breathes i often get pain near my heart n my doctor has told me it is due to anxiety n i shud stop worrying.

[mugenDA]

Omg thank you for this post!!! I feel exactly what you feel...I wake up in the morning and have shortness of breath from morning to sleep I hate it...but I am on medication now and it seems to help a little bit...