Constant chest thightness and breathing issues

[noraalexa]

So, I’ve had anxiety for over five years, but never as bad as now. It’s all in my chest. I am constantly breathless and have to breathe so «hard» for every breath. I also have weird pains in my chest wall and the sternum usually makes «pop» or crackle sounds when i stretch or move.

The worst is when i suddenly get this thump in my chest that sort of «beats the breath» out of me for maybe a second. Whenever that happens I completely panic and think I will die.

I also have this thightness feeling in my throat and chest all the time which causes the breathlessness and the hard breathing.

This is first of all complete torture and I can’t sleep or get any rest with it as I ever minute have to get up in bed to catch my breath to make sure i don’t die. The feeling overall is that my lungs is somehow going to just collapse and leave me suffocating.

I have been to my GP many times and also the ER and all tests have come back fine. I still just can’t «accept» that its only anxiety as it feels so intense and so dangerous. I just wonder if anyone else has felt like this for as long as I have. It’s not just panic attacks that ends after 20mins, but 24/7 for days now. I’m so miserable I didn’t think it was possible to feel like this.

[Sweepy13]

I was exactly like that and I empathise it’s hideous and torturous

I woke with it everyday, I work in a hospital I ended up in ED in June then tests in August and September I could hardly accept it was panic it was so frightening and unreal.... I gave in to medication (citalopram 10mg) initially I was really disappointed in myself but I’m 3 weeks in and thank the lord the morning panic is gone. I still have mild chest tightness but only off and on and I’ve just to beat the thoughts but I’m definitely feeling more like myself again

So please be gentle on yourself it’s awful and scary talk to your doctor and go through your test results again and then see what they offer

Be gentle on yourself

[John1995]

Yes I'm 23 year old I've have panic or anxiety for a year now end of this year, after my holiday back to Australia I feeling chest pain, back pain, jaw pain and a lot of dizziness and weakness on my knees and body. I went to hospital, doctor checked my bloods, X ray my chest and did ECG for me after all these test my results totally fine and good. Doctor just told me anexity can make this happen

[eternalsunsh1ne]

I had it for WEEKS and it was awful. I was too scared to get out of bed and do anything in fear of collapsing but after a hospital visit where blood test, ECG and chest x-ray were all fine, it slowly eased (although it’s back now.. typical!) I try deep breathing and meditation when i can which helps a little but otherwise I try to keep active to take my mind off if, anything that eases my anxiety really!