peakflow is steadily getting lower need some advice older

[lorianxiety]

asthma/stress.anyone advise me on getting some chest pain not continual and in neck never had much trouble with asthma though peakflow is at its lowest over the past few months-have spoken to the clinic-but as my stress levels get worse when i experience t ype of reactions also aware of breathing method something that wasnt aware of before but any sort of insight would help ease my anxiety. c

[knitter]

A podcast popped into my email in box last week....from a reputable well known doctor.

It was about disordered breathing patterns and the importance of gentle relaxed nose breathing .

My anxiety levels have gone up and peak flow gone down....I have ordered a book on the importance of nasal breathing, if there is an improvement I will get back to you.

The BLF website may help too....check it out .

[lorianxiety in reply to knitter]

thanks for this information will be trying it out myself once i find it!hopefully it will work without any added stress,.Im wondering too about oxygen levels as i was low in ferritin which i think facilitates the iron levels -Gp. was not interested in my telling the receptionist that i was worried as i was getting twinges of pain in my neck and around my chest-told to come into surgery-as if i wanted to wait over an hour for him to tell me it was nothing......i have no faith in that particular dr.nor in his partner who is a little more flexible.Sorry to rave on----please let me know how you get on with this bk.about breathing!

[Superzob]

Neck pain and chest tightness are common stress-related symptoms and, if you have some asthma component, then the symptoms could be reinforcing themselves. If things don't improve with the stress-relieving breathing exercises, I do think you need to go back to your GP (or another one) to have it investigated. You might get a better response next time around because the GP's hope that this was a temporary problem will have been dashed. But let's hope s/he was right!

[lorianxiety in reply to Superzob]

hi there ,yes I had read this before and have experienced similiar feelings before,however it was causing me more concern as im indoors a lot and get stressed easily,and Gp more or less dismissed my feelings and said to go into the surgery -rather than over the phone,but of course those type of pains arent permanent as i would call emergency,;my claim was i was given a course of iron tablets(a few months ago -maintenence)and mentioned the discomfort to reception yesterday,needless to say this particular GP thinks because im older and suffer from GAD-it was nothing,or me playing up i can read his mind and dont like his attitude at all-sorry to ramble-there are only 3 gps in my area -forced to join them 2 years in April.

[Maximonkey]

Hi Lorianxiety, please try and calm down. Stress will make your breathing worse. I too suffer with asthma and if I get stressed I become breathless right away. As for the PF reading, every one of us is different but the GP told me this; if your PF is half its normal reading then you need 999; if your PF is low and getting close to 100 above half your normal reading then you need your GP, whilst you wait increase your Ventolin to two puffs 4 times daily as well as using your normal inhalers as usual. If you are concerned over the pain in your neck you should also see the doc as not everyone has heart pain in the chest. I hope your fears are groundless. If you are so anxious continually you should also tell your doc and I hope he can help you. Take care. Maximonkey

[lorianxiety in reply to Maximonkey]

thankyou,very sound advice which i do appreciate,pity i dont share your GP,I dont particularly like visiting doctors and only recently,had concerns about breathing technique,;nor have due to drastic decrease in meds for anxiety--that was about 2 years this april-he didnt listen and i could not even talk /express my feelings such was my distress and although im a pensioner he is ageist and patronising,without realising as he is quite young.IMon fostercaire /ventolin ,never had any steroids .nor an asthma attack--------only have had one ((i think)in the 1980s when i woke up gasping for breath for at least half an hour-think it was instigated to my being allergic to dust------analysed much later -though Gp. said straight away asthma-he retired and never saw him again......looking forward to any information,

[fronkleblanc]

When you start to feel like that. Sit down if you can rest your hands on your stomach let your toungue site on the back of your top teeth and then beathe in through your nose for a count of 4 and then hold for a count of 7 if possible and then breath out for 8 do this a few times and this should help you to relax.

[lorianxiety in reply to fronkleblanc]

Fronkleblanc,thanks i keep trying to improve my breathing ,im concious when im anxious of holding my tummy in then letting go as if i were trying to control-its quite alarming and sometimes i try to turn off so I can relax and breathe easily.Can you understand what im trying to say-----havent told my Gp,as hes not interested or so it seems!