Anxiety and Asthma

[Davida2020]

Hi,

I've just experienced Asthma flair-ups from the flu I got almost two weeks ago, it seems like its treated after heavy does of Antibiotics and Steroids and the doctor said your fine? but I still feel very nervous and anxious which is making my chest very tight and hard to breath? I think I'm experiencing Anxiety based on past experience been admitted to hospital so many times, I cant even drive to the shop when someone gives me the finger for ( making a wrong turn) everything makes me very nervous and in public places.

I talked to my GP and he said it might be the prescribed asthma drugs or in my head? Okay thanks Doc? I just feel really down, two weeks ago I was doing my business work, happy and healthy, going to the gym and boxing, now I'm a different person now I just wait for another attack but I feel very tight chested? cant go near anyone while I sort my anxiety out.

[BlueGrass]

Hi David

It may well be a reaction to the medication, as well as worry over missing work etc. It is a really bad one going around this year.

No other suggestions, but I'm replying mainly to "bump" your thread back to the top, so more likely to be seen

hugs

[Croix]

Dear Davida~

Looks like you have been waiting a while, it can happen , hopefully you are checking in to see if you have had any replies.

OK, it really looks like oyu have two problems. The first and most obvious is our asthma flaring up r hte flu. Most long-term asthmatics get to be pretty familiar with what happens to them and what to expect. If there is anything unusual they recognize it just about straight away.

I'm afraid I didn't quite understand what you were saying about hospital, were you admitted many times for asthma or anxiety?

Supposing it was for the asthma then you are going down a well worn path - even if an unpleasant one. Did you have these feelings of anxiety on the previous occasions?

You doctor sounds a classic, "in you head", now all those years at med school really show!

Look I've no idea if those particular meds increase anxiety, however it does need sorting out properly. You can't stay in limbo, with what sounds like symptoms of anxiety (I had similar), for too long.

I'd suggest you need to get your doctor to understand matters - or go to another. You should be at least given a timescale to work from, e.g. if things are not better by such and such a time then we will do so and so. If it was me I'd write it all down, symptoms, what's happening, what has happened in the past, and book a long consultation, share the paper and see what happens.

Are you having to go though all this by yourself? Is there anyone to support you that you can talk to? I've found this makes a big difference.

Please come back and say what you think

Croix

[Dr_Kim]

Hi David - it seems like you have been through a lot in a short time. However I get the impression that you have bad asthma that has required a lot of medical intervention but the anxiety is new .

Your doctor has a point about your mental health symptoms possibly being related to the steroids used for your asthma. So it may be due to that, but you may still need some better management skills in order to cope with them . I don't think you are necessarily a different person but you are clearly having some different thoughts that are troubling you.

You alluded to the possibility of this being due to building worry about your health and processing your past hospital admissions. That may also be true .

Either way it seems that if these symptoms persist it may be wise to ask your GP for a referral to a counsellor to guide you through some tools to help you with the anxiety thoughts as whatever their origin , they are not easy to live with !