Feels like I have to make myself breath

[Joetianosr]

A month ago I swallowed acid reflux in my sleep. I woke up not able to take in air doctor said not to eat close to bed time ,since then I quit smoking I have labored breathing on humid days and sometimes like today I feel like I have to make my self take breaths I also wake up with the feeling I stopped breathing its freaking me out the hospital says lungs,are clear blood is good everything is good Im waiting to see pulmonology doctor

[_Reba_]

If the tests came back clear, then everything is most likely good. Quitting smoking was a good choice as that only harms the lungs.

Since my anxiety has came, I find myself having to think about breathing. This only brings on anxiety attacks. Anxiety can really take a toll on your body.

Hope this goes away soon for you.

[Joetianosr in reply to _Reba_]

Thanks, me to its very scary for me and my family seeing me go through it. I hope the same for you Reba

[_Reba_ in reply to Joetianosr]

Thank you. It is very scary but you are still here and still breathing. Don't let it get you down.Hope that visit with the doctor will help.

[gemp54]

hi, I'm sorry to hear you're going through this. Has the doctor ever spoken to you about the reflux since? Possibly silent reflux? not everyone gets heartburn (you hadn't mentioned it) but if the fluid comes up high enough I can affect your breathing. I've been trying some meds recently for it. The omeprazole they gave me hasn't really done anything but someone recommended Gaviscon advanced. The other Gaviscon doesn't really do anything but when I take this stuff its great, my lungs feel better and my sore throat/hoarseness goes away (my symptoms hit my throat more). Obviously its only a short term thing but it might provide you some relief and you can then talk to a doctor about more specific acid reflux treatment if that is it. I might be completely on the wrong track but I thought it was worth mentioning. there are other things to try as well so if you want I can send you some of the info I've found since I started struggling with this. Xx

[Joetianosr in reply to gemp54]

That would be great thank you, the doctor prescribed some thing ,I don't remember what it was because when I looked up side effects it destroy s the liver so I said Noway . I use tums and I don't eat late and I try to sleep sitting up. I have a appointment with a new doctor and well talk about all that. Best of luck to you as,well I hope we both get through this crap and soon

[Hidden in reply to Joetianosr]

Hi, just wondered whether you are still on this site and still suffering, I hope not, but your blog interested me, as I too am suffering the same. I have suffered with anxiety most of my life, but dealt with it fine and I didn't allow it to affect my life, it was just something that came and then went. But having gone through some very traumatic times over the past few years, my autonomic nervous system went into shut down and I am left with disabling anxiety and panic attacks. I wont go into great detail unless you want to know, but I have since had numerous checks, most of which have proved not to be related to my symptoms. I am stuck on a treadmill constantly having to tell myself there is nothing wrong, it is just anxiety.... but this anxiety is different, I have not been able to work for 2 years and although things in my life have improved the symptoms remain. I have since been diagnosed with Chronic Hyperventilation Syndrome, which is something which Drs often do not know how to diagnose as although anxiety was at the forefront of it, your brain becomes so used to living in an anxiety mode, that your breathing and your airways become over sensitized whcih messes with your carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange, which sends more messages to your brain to breathe, as your muscles are so tight, it starts a continuous circle of tension, palpitations, acid reflux, over breathing, chronic back, neck and shoulder spasms, more panic attacks, more reflux with the spasms in esophagus, stomach etc, more palpitations, more anxiety and yes, more of the same, until you hit exhaustion. You struggle to breathe, you have to breathe to live, your brain says so !!! So you fight, it's the body's natural fail safe, though flawed because really there is no danger, only the danger your brain and your airways and nerve endings are creating by mistaken messages being sent to the brain to breathe more, to breathe deep, to stay alive, to fight the monster.....somehow, someway, you have to block this ..... is there a pill... no.... Buteyko breathing is an option, but you need to practice with a trained physiotherapist as trying to do it yourself can cause more problems. FLOP, DROP AND MAKE YOUR BODY GO LIMP but keep yourself grounded, that will start to defuse the tension, but dont hold your breath, allow your breathe to come natuarlly after you feel the tension move down. Because of the fast paced stressful lives we all lead now, this is becoming more and more common and Drs are reluctant to push every person they see to a respiratory department, so bundling it all up with the infamous word 'Anxiety' , giving you some pills, which often make this situation even worse if not depressed as firing up the system even more.....omopraxole can make you more bloated, but will settle the acid, so sometimes what will work for one will not work for another. I hope however you are on the mend.... it will get better, you just have to let it go and somehow stop fighting..... something all of us with anxiety only know how to do..... we are fighters, we are survivors, that is our nature.... we have to succeed, we need to succeed, we need to be well.... giving up is not an option..... you can give up, you can give up the fight, but not give up on life.... somewhere there is an off switch that we have lost along the way and dont know where to find anymore..... it is there I promise...... slow your breathing down, use your core muscles as belly dancers do to breath and gradually you will notice that you don't have to keep trying to breathe, your diaphram will do it for you

[Toci in reply to gemp54]

The Gaviscon Advance works for me too.

[gemp54 in reply to Toci]

do you find you have to take it constantly or can you reduce it once the initial reflux is under control? I've only been on it a few days and seen some great results but I'm hoping I can start taking it a bit less once my throat starts to do some initial healing. The only issue I have now is that my glands are still up in my throat which is getting my health anxiety worked up. My throats been bad for months so I'm hoping that's a normal response to the throat irritation and will go away if I get the reflux under control but I cant stop worrying. X

[Toci in reply to gemp54]

I take it after each meal and find I do not have reflux any longer. I have twice thought I was 'cured' but the reflux returned as soon as I stopped the Gaviscon.

[Joetianosr]

There is a lot of medication that can't be used with Gaviscon and may cause liver problems if taken for a long time ,of course right,? cant there just be medicine with no side effects for Christ sakes?

[gemp54 in reply to Joetianosr]

I haven't researched it a lot but I believe the Gaviscon advanced is a bit better than regular Gaviscon. It doesn't reduce stomach acid but instead creates a 'float' on top of your stomach contents and the chemical in Gaviscon that does that is a lot more natural. I got it over the counter but I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday so I was going to ask then about long term effects. X