I’m 20F, I was diagnosed with asthma at around 11 years old. As I got older my asthma disappeared until I got norovirus last year Nov.had to go hosp as my virus was bad and hr went to 150+. I was very unwell up until dec. in dec I went to the cinemas when I had a random panic attack after the movie. I couldn’t breathe and it took 2 hours for it to calm down. Ever since then I’ve had crazy anxiety. Shortness of breath, air hunger etc. my anxiety has subsided but I still get tighteness of chest, I get shortness of breath, constantly yawning and occasional chest pains. And when I eat I get a bit Short of breath sometimes
I was always instructed to take 2 puffs of brown inhaler beclamethasone or something along those lines every morning and evening.
I haven’t been taking it since I was growing up, only took blue inhaler when I had a cold.
would it be recommended for me to start taking my preventer inhaler? I’m constantly worried I have lung cancer and I know I’m stupid and I will book a drs appointment. It’s just a pain to try get an appt
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Hiddenhidden224
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I certainly will not judge you. Having a chat with your GP sounds very wise decision . I dont think you are alone when you start thinking the worst. I have seen other people post about childhood asthma then for years they have no symptoms and suddenly symptoms return. There are so many different medications that can be tried to get things under control. Stress and anxiety play havoc with our minds. Have a chat with your GP I am sure other people will also give you advice and support on here.
Unfortunaterly the mind can be a very powerfull thing that and when you feel anxierty can cause all sorts or symptoms and problems. As you know the best thing to do is go and see your doctors who can offer lots of different help. and if it is your asthma is symtamatic again as i beleive if you have asthma it never goes but just stays dormant and can become a problem again I know from experience.
As for oll the other conditions you mention like lunk cancer there is no piont in worrying until there is something to worry about. Go see your doctor who can help and if you feel anxiety is a big issue there are people like talking heads who you can be refered too or even self refer if you dont want to go and see your doctors (I know they are very good, Supportive and helpfull for all sorts of issues).
It may well be a combination of anxiety and after effects of the novovirus.Would certainly be a good idea to visit your doctor either way. If need be, you could be out back on a preventer which would only work if taken everyday.
As for possible anxiety related, there is lots of help available. I found that learning different breathing techniques helped me very much.
My asthma also got worse with anxiety but after perseverance, learning to help calm myself helped.
Hey, so sorry you've had a tough time with things lately! I'd really recommend dropping one of the Asthma nurses a WhatsApp or giving them a call via the numbers above the comments here. They're so helpful!
It it does sound like there could be two separate things going on here: the current guidance for your asthma care, if needed (that the Helpline team could give some advice on) and anything that can help manage the anxiety/panics. It would be a case of contacting your GP for the latter and well worth the call as there are some good workshops/online courses that can help get a handle on the anxiety as early as you can.
I reckon most of us have had a Dr Google moment where we start worrying that our symptoms are a sign of a more serious condition, but hope it helps to remind yourself that's another aspect of anxiety giving your brain those niggles!
I never used to take my preventer inhaler either, I'd actually only do it when I was ill. It's only been in the past 4 years or so (following a great chat with an asthma nurse at the annual asthma clinics who explained to me how the brown inhaler works) that I've been using mine properly and it's taken me from using my blue inhaler multiple times a week to not necessarily using it once a month. It sounds like you need yours far less than that already, so see what the nurses say! 🤗
Ah, so sorry, reading it back I can see it looks as if I'm meaning an event with the Asthma Helpline nurses! The annual clinics I'm referring to are the ones where an asthma nurse at your GP practice does the review near your birthday and makes you do the peak flow, discusses your symptoms through the year, updates your asthma plan, etc. Is this something you also receive each year or is it a by the postcode type system?
No worries thanks. I am seeing the Respiratory nurse every 2 to 3 months recently with a morning cough that's been going on too long and she is getting nowhere and I am loosing patience with her. Hope your doing ok. Brian
Good morning Hiddenhidden224. Sorry you are going through a tough time for the past year. Struggling to breathe is frightening and wants sorting out as soon as possible. Please get onto the doctors and get an appointment. This new system where you have to email your symptoms to the doctor is working very well at my surgery. I usually get a call back within 30 minutes and the offer of an appointment. Keep in touch and try not to worry and overthink your prognosis. Brian
You must ask your gp or respiratory nurse - if you now have one. What you had after the cinema sounds like an asthma attack however, I'm not a doctor........you could call the respiratory helpline here, link to the right to ALUK_Nurses. Do contact asap for guidance. Nowadays the inhalers have improved immensely since you were a child as have most medications.
It's quite usual for childhood asthma to 'disappear' for years only to return in later years. I suppose I was lucky in that mine returned (with a vengeance) in my 50s. My son's went quiet when he was about 13/14 but he always has to use ventolin during coughs n colds when it 'comes back'. He's lived near the Mediterranean for 20 years so a good climate for asthmatics.
It can take a while to get the right inhaler for you so the sooner you make that appointment the better. Good luck to you ×
Hi sorry you haven't been well. I think you having panic attacks you tick all the boxes as they say. Having novavirus has triggered your chest to flare up and its like post traumatic stress. See you dr/asthma nurse but in the meantime try some breathing exercises. Google them there's lots. Might help until they investigate your asthma..Hope this helps. Look after yourself.💖
Yes. Take it. See if it makes any difference. If you have a blue inhaler take that when you get a tight chest or shortness of breath. See if it helps. If it does, problem solved. If it doesn’t you can go back to your GP and tell them you have tried but it makes no difference.
I don't have anything to add to the advice re seeing your GP etc. But I just wanted to say that whether your breathlessness was caused by asthma or anxiety, no one should be judging you in either case. We all have greater or lesser degrees of mental and physical health issues, and whichever is causing your problems, it needs sorting.
It took me ages to get an asthma diagnosis because my breathing difficulties kept being brushed off as due to anxiety and 'all in the mind' and therefore nothing needed to be done. It was very frustrating that it took the medics so long to pick up on asthma. But even if it had been due to anxiety, I should still have been given some help with it.
We need to ditch the idea that mental health issues are somehow 'less worthy' of being taken seriously than physical health issues, that it's something you can control so it's 'your fault' if you are poorly, or that you just need to cope on your own. Whether it's asthma or anxiety, you deserve to get the help you need in managing your condition so that you can live a full life. I hope you get the answers you need soon x
I agree with ParK1 - Anxiety can cause air hunger and the other chest tightness. I would have a chat with GP simply to see the best way to treat your breathing and mention the random pain in the chest you get. I would not think you worst over LC that you seem to have done and BTY, there is nothing we should be judging you on Go to GP, don't let anxiety get any worse.
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