Help!!! :(

Ok. So yesterday I was in a car audio store waiting to get our speakers put in our new car...and right next door there was some kind of chemical that made the employees and even the EMS sick when they showed up. Symptoms were sore throat. Well, a guy in the building I was in, and I had started feeling it pretty much right away. I didn't know if maybe i was THINKING i was feeling it because everyone else was, or if I really was so I just decided to wait it out. Well this morning I woke up better... at about 6:15 am. But, since I've been up this morning I've been having a "hard time breathing" and "shortness of breath"....I have to keep forcing myself to get a good, deep breath in, and when I can't get enough air, I FREAK out. I am literally having to try and yawn to make myself breathe. I thought maybe there was something wrong with me from the day before, so I called the hospital. The ER told me that the patients that did go in were fine and got sent home that night. So, maybe am I just having a panic attack? Ok this was at 6:00 this morning and it is now almost 7:00 pm. It won't go away. It's really scary Worst feeling ever probably. My question to you guys is...Have you ever had a panic attack (with shortness of breath) lasting all day? Thanks in advance...

I stopped buspar this week.

And YES, I've had all day panic attacks that involved shortness of breath, physical shaking, head & chest pain, where I wanted to go to the ER despite knowing it was a panic attack and shout "HELP ME!"

So, yeah, very possible it is a panic attack.

Do you have any coping mechanisms that normally help with an attack?

Often, when we feel like we can't breathe, we're actually breathing too much! (Hyperventilating) Which can make us feel bad.

I'm not great at breathing exercises, but this is one my counselor suggested to me, and if I can commit to doing it, it can often set my breathing back on track.

Breathe in through your nose (mouth closed) until the count of four, hold the breath for the count of four, breathe slowly out through your mouth until the count of eight. Really try to think of just the counting - not the breathing. I'd suggest doing it somewhere alone, so you don't feel like hubs is looking at you. lol

Of course, if after several times you feel worse, stop, since ya know, I ain't no doctor. lol

Usually, about ten courses of this can put my breathing back on track.

Thank you guys! I'm trying. Have you guys ever had it so bad where you wake up in the middle of the night? I 'm thinking about taking some melatonin tonight.... not sure.