Breathing issue still

SO....finalllly I have the heart 'issue' under control (I think). I'm really not getting any chest pains anymore, and my palpitations have been few and far between..which has been great. But this darn short of breath issue is beyond annoying! I do notice that if I concentrate on belly breathing, it does help. Also, I don't have this shortness of breath/smothering feeling all the time. Sometimes i'm fine, and sometimes it pops up. It's not like i'm struggling for air when i'm talking or anything, it just feels like i'm overbreathing almost and is uncomfortable. I started bartending yesterday and it started getting it really bad to where I almost just left..but I took half of a xanax and tried to stand still and concentrate on belly breathing and it seemed to help quite a bit. If this was a serious issue, would it just come & go like this? My throat even slighty burns sometimes..like it's had too much air or something. Just curious as to what u guys think

Thank you MTGAQ..besides xanax and therapy..do you have any pointers to stop thinking about my breathing so much and just let it happen? I overthink it a lot too and then I feel like i'm forcing myself to breathe, like it feels almost like I forgot how. And then I get this struggling to breathe feeling. I can't stand having anything near my mouth now as it feels like i'm suffocating. Always something..!!! Ugh.

And I agree with park, belly breathing is like the only breathing technique that I can do. The rest make me want to jump out of my skin.

I waited my breathing issue out. I had 4 terrible months and after test were done, I started to finally belive that it was just really anxiety. Once I started to believe, I was able to focus on other things VERY SLOWLY, like cleaning my house or doing laundry or talking to a friend. If I could get my thoughts of the breath for even 5 minutes a day I was happy.

It will get better, I promise. Park and I are living proof of that. It's just really hard work.

Gmoon, i used xanax exactly the way you are for years, just a little to get through the work day, once
you have the breathing thing under control you may discover your anxiety is also gone, that cant get air
feeling will actually cause the anxiety, Peace

Larry ***

For me, they did a pulmonary function test. I had to go to a respiratory therapist and he ran me through a couple tests where you had to breathe into a tube a couple different ways. Then I saw a cardiac pulmonologist later that afternoon to go through the results, which were all fine. I've also went to an ENT to make sure my throat wasn't constricting (which even if it was, it's treated the same way as anxiety).

Hi G Moon, thanks so much for replying to my post recently. Being a mother puts my health anxiety on high alert. I can completely sympathize with your story. Somehow, someway you will make it through this. That's what I think for myself. I find ways to cope but this stuff is relentless. I hope that you had a good day today!

Sounds great G. Your mind should be put as ease after that. My doctor actually administered a less in depth pulmonary function test in her office, so if you pass that one, you may not even have to go to the lung doc. Good luck and keep us updated:)

Good morning everyone. I have been struggling with the breathing issue for months now. (Interesting isn't it? I've managed to get through four months???) When I am busy or distracted it doesn't exist - the moment I have a nano-second to think it is there, driving me insane. During Christmas I was so occupied that it didn't even occur to me to check my breathing. I do the breathing exercises or deep belly breathing. It is not an uncommon symptom of anxiety/panic. I refuse to let it get to the panic stage. Isn't it odd that when you are sleeping you don't worry about breathing? Of course our bodies KNOW how to breathe - it's all in the head, like every other anxiety symptom I've had. This breathing thing is just ONE MORE SYMPTOM to get through. I wake up in the morning, get out of bed and once I look in the mirror, or realize it's one more day "it" begins. I get the idea that I CAN'T breathe. It is an issue to deal with and overcome, just like all the others, palpitations, jitters, fast pulse, etc., etc., etc. There is a cd that has helped me a lot (at least NO panic attacks for months - only anxiety) it is by Dr. Claire Weekes (who is now deceased). Her voice and what she has to say HELPS tremendously. I also keep her book, Hope and Help for your Nerves, with me all of the time - even at work. There have been many others who have based their books off of her original publishing but hers still seems to make the most sense to me.

Hugs to all - there are millions of us out here dealing with these daily anxiety/panic issues. THANK God for this site - it has been the best of all of them - and believe me, I've tried them. This site has great moderators who PAY ATTENTION and have advice that is usable...not just a pat on the back.

Yeah, today is another one of those days. I am not quite busy enough so my mind is not as occupied as I'd like it. I find myself "trying to breathe" deeply. I refuse to let it get to the panic mode! I KNOW that my breathing is fine...why can't my head grasp that? I keep thinking, When will I ever be "normal" again - or, WILL I ever breathe normally again? These stupid symptoms...always seems to be something.

I hope that both of us will get over this soon - or at least come to our senses that we CAN breathe - our body knows how to breathe, it can't stop if it wanted to.
Hugs GMoon!