Inhaler flares my Anxiety

[Kellylou1712]

Hi all, I hope you are well!

I have extrinsic asthma and at my recent asthma check up I was advised that I needed to be more strict on taking my inhalers everyday (brown 2x a day) and blue ventolin for when I feel symptoms.

In the recent month I feel a lot of breathlessness in general, definitely feel like I can’t get a full breath in, this air hunger sensation which is very uncomfortable and often leads to these big yawns!

Anyhow if I take two puffs of ventolin when my symptoms are at their worst. My heart rate always rockets temporarily and I get really shaken and jittery - I literally can’t tolerate it, I have a full blow panic attack!

I’m not in a catch 22 of not wanting to feel breathless but also not wanting to have a panic attack! Has this happened to anyone else? Is there anything that can be done? I feel a little lost!…

[HockeyMom313]

Yes. It was happening to me. I thought I was having a heart attack! So, my inhalers are switched from Albuterol and whatever else to Xoponex boTh as an inhaler and nebulizer treatment.

[Denzie]

Inhalers work because they have steroids in them. The steroids may be what is causing your reactions. Talk to your doctor, you may be sensitive and there may be milder steroids that work for you.

[Homely2]

Ask your doctor if you can have a stronger preventer inhaler, so you have less need to take ventolin.

Ask him if you would be better off on something like fostair 100 on the mart regime.

Ring the asthma UK helpline and discuss with a nurse.

[MommaMich]

Finding the proper med (there are so many) is the key, what works for one May not work for another. You can also look into respiratory therapy. But if you go on YouTube and search breathing exercises, they may help with breathing as well as anxiety (balancing both isn’t easy) I found “box breathing” is helpful, but there are several different techniques