Just finished reading your post. Has your friend been to her family doctor
about this issue ? Has your friend been officially diagnosed with asthma ?
There is a test a doctor can give to your friend to determine whether or
not she has asthma. How do I know this. I have asthma and it was discovered many years ago now through an asthma test. As far as I know,
you can't outgrow asthma. Your friend should also been seen by an allergist to have an allergy test to determine what she is allergic to.
Where I live, you need a referral from your family doctor to an allergist.
You said your friend has been diagnosed with a panic disorder. Was it her family doctor who diagnosed this panic disorder ? Is your friend going through a depression by any chance as panic disorders are
often part of this? I'm not saying this is necessarily the case with your friend. Panic disorders, I believe are also know as panic attacks or anxiety attacks. I went through a depression many years ago now and during that
time I had several anxiety attacks which disappeared when I got my depression under control through antidepressant medication. I'm sharing
this with you because I have experienced an anxiety attack first hand.
In an anxiety attack, your heart races, you have difficulty breathing, your
thoughts race, you are in a severe state of panic and majorly anxious.
It's very important that your friend make an appointment with her family
doctor asap. Perhaps you could go with her as support. If she hasn't
already, your friend should have a test to determine whether she has
asthma or not. If she has asthma, she needs to be on asthma medication.
Also she should have an allergy test. Asthma is caused by a trigger. By this I mean there is something a person comes in contact with that they
are allergic to and sometimes this trigger causes an asthma attack.
This can be very serious. That's why your friend needs to know what
she's allergic too if indeed she has allergies. Her first step is to make
an appointment with her family doctor and get professional medical
advice. You could tell your friend when she gets these panic attacks,
to try and take deep breaths, assure herself some of these thoughts
that are running through her head aren't necessarily or haven't necessarily
happened. People who worry a lot seem to be candidates of anxiety
attacks. I think you mentioned your friend has been through a lot.
Your friend might consider finding a counsellor. Talk therapy is also
important to figure out why she is having these panic attacks. Usually
there is a reason for these panic attacks and it's important to figure out
what it is. You're a good friend for posting these comments on her behalf.
I wish you both well. Take good care, Eve
She should try stopping milk and reducing dairy a lot.
Consider whether there could be reflux as the acid can cause asthma.