Unable to take a deep breath - anxiety or something else?

[Anton711]

Hi - I've just joined this forum and hoping someone can help me. I've been unfortunate to have had a series of medical issues during the last 5 months starting with a pacemaker op, an angiogram (clear) and two cataracts ops. I was really anxious and worried as I also care for an aged parent and all during this time I cold not eat or sleep well. Often I would wake during the night thinking the worst. I developed stomach bloating and wind and it became such an issue that I had to make sure to eat within the hour - if not my stomach would bloat. But I also noticed that I could not take a deep breath. The gastro specialist did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and everything was clear - no IBS or anything. Also did a stomach ultrasound and that was clear. GP did a chest x-ray - clear. They finally all said it was stress and anxiety related given my recent medical episodes and sent me to a psychiatrist. He prescribed medication for my anxiety and depression.

I am able to sleep better now but the side-effects are not good - lethargy, sleepiness, dizzy and quite bad constipation. I've been on half a tab for the last three weeks. I continue to have this difficulty in being unable to take a deep breath and sometimes I feel like I can't breathe fully. I've developed this habit where I try to exhale and then take a breath and it seems to work at times but not always. I walk around exhaling most times! I tried a nose spray to unblock my nose and also a puffer but the breathing difficulty persists. I'm not a smoker and don't have asthma.

I've tried deep breathing exercises, meditation, grounding exercise, going for a walk, etc but I really feel helpless. I know that the fact that I now have a pacemaker makes me fearful of doing anything in case I get a heart attack or something although the cardiologist has said that I can get back to my normal life - I don't know what that means and I just don't know how to get that into my head. The least thing makes me jump and I feel afraid often. I don't know a lot of people so I am quite isolated and often get melancholy thinking of my previous life.

Please - if someone out there has experienced something like this and has some advice on what to do - I would be really grateful if you could share. I'm sorry that I have rambled on, but thank you.

[Wednesday]

Hi Anton,

I've recently had a similar experience. I have severe chronic illness and for a while now I have been asking about this tight pain in my chest, problems with stamina etc. While my doctor are lovely they have all said things like it's stress because of the pain you're in or something similar. Because I have a complicated and chronic conditions everything tends to get related back to it, which is clearly not right.

I made an urgent appointment and was slotted in with a doctor that I wouldn't normally see and she diagnosed asthma and some other stuff not related to my chronic conditions. I have never been diagnosed with asthma before, tho I now understand it has probably been around for along time, just undiagnosed. Fortunately I was then loaded into an ambulance and shooed of to hospital with asthma and a super bug! By the way I'm not saying it is asthma it is just my own very recent example.

So how about trying my change doctor trick on purpose? Or just go back to your trusted doctor and push a little harder? I know it's hard because you probably feel like your harping on about something that's not a big deal and doing a whole range of other justifications, like you should just cope better this is of course not true. It's your life and you have a need to know what is happening.

It's a good idea to go back to Dr anyway and talk about the medication they prescribed it may need adjusting still. Given all you have gone through and the responsibilities you have would you consider talking to a counsellor too? It's hard to help others when your not feeling up to par yourself.

By the way there is no need to worry about rambling and it is hard when your life turns on its head so quickly. I'm really pleased you came to the forum it's a great place to chat and work through things. You may find some things on the site that would be useful so take a look around. There are many people with lots of experience to help out too. Just in case you haven't noticed there is also the chatline 1300 22 4436 available 24/7. So you are really not alone!

Some times we just have to take baby steps to get through things, hang in there.

Good luck!

[Anton711]

Thank you very much. After the asthma diagnosis, did your breathing get better? I will take your advice and go back to the doctor.

[Wednesday]

Hi Anton,

The medication definitely has helped with my breathing and the chest pain, though not quite solved the problem. I may be being a little impatient too. I'm pretty pleased that the doctor I saw was on the ball, phew (literally)!

It's a bit more complicated since I also currently have pneumonia and possibly some other complications, that I even want to think about.  Well at least until I get the results back.

Good luck with your doctor better sooner than later (hint, hint). 🙂

[TheOracle]

Hi Anton. Thank you for sharing your experiences. You are not alone. It sounds like you have had a rough trot. I can feel the stress and anxiety in your writing and I can relate to a lot of what you have said. Firstly, I think it is extremely important that you pay regular visits to your psychiatrist so that you can give regular feedback to him/her on how you are feeling and the side effects of the drugs. There are many different forms of medication, and it may take a long time for you and your psychiatrist to find the 'best fit' for you. It is good to see you experimenting and trying different therapies such as meditation. I would say that given what you have been
through, you have probably developed an inefficient breathing technique. You said 'the least things make you jump'. This is your mind/body in 'fight or flight' mode. Does everything seem too loud for you? Voices, the TV, ticking clocks etc? It sounds like you are operating at a very high state of anxiety. Your mind is on ‘high alert’ waiting for something to go wrong. Your difficulty breathing and stomach bloating seem symptomatic of stress and anxiety. Anxiety medication should help this. But adjusting your breathing style will ease the anxiety also. Try relaxing your stomach muscles entirely. Let your gut hang out. Many men try to hold their stomach in during the day to look better. Do not do this because it triggers underlying anxiety conditions. If you have a largish stomach, so be it. Perhaps this will provide motivation to change exercise and dietary habits which will improve this. Breathe in, as if your stomach were your lungs. Feel your stomach expand on the air intake, and then relax those muscles which will trigger the exhale. In and out through the nose. Learn it so it becomes a habit no matter what you are doing. Monitor it during the day. Many people hold their breath or breathe very shallowly without them even knowing during work or times of stress, and this triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response. Try to catch yourself doing this and restore full breathing through diaphragm/stomach. You have also mentioned that you dwell on the past. Remember that the past is ‘the past’ and it is done and it does not serve you well in the present. Your pacemaker is there - so be it. It is now out of your control, so don’t dwell on what might go wrong. Engage in self-conversation about possibilities that will make you bigger and create something that you 'stand for' and pursue it. Good luck.

[Anton711]

This is such good advice - thank you very much. You may not believe this - but for a long time, I have been walking around trying to pull in my stomach as I was ashamed of my gut. Your advice is really timely - I have started to 'let myself go' but often find I am reverting to my previous posture and habit. I learnt about the 'belly breathing' - is that similar to what you have described? Also, the 'jumpiness' - I actually jump even if the doorbell rings. I've been told to stop the habit of trying to exhale to 'ensure' that I can get a breath through - any thoughts on how best to stop this habit? Even if I get a tight chest, I was told not to do it. I tried this today and felt like my chest and rib cage was hurting. I am thankful for any advice.

[Jamesbeem]

I have something similar and it causes me to manually breathe. One small thing that helps and I mean small.. is that when I inevitably wake up multiple times a night I say inside my head 'In' while I take a deep breath and then while I exhale slowly I say inside my head 'out'. Eventually I fall asleep but it's just a band aid really. On a side note I remember a while back taking my medication and I would wake up with no breathing trouble throughout the day but ended up developing a tolerance to it's sleepy effects.

[TheOracle]

Hi Anton. Yes, I am referring to belly breathing, but in a way where it is not a breathing exercise done only in meditation, but a way of life. Other breathing exercises that you have learned, such as long exhales, may still be useful in times of stress to seek mental composure, which is our ultimate goal. The purpose of breathing is, of course survival, and some people can become so hyper-vigilant to perceived threats that the act of breathing moves from the subconsious to the conscious. This is ok, for if we can then adopt methods of breathing to regulate our nervous system again, we can allow breathing to return to something we do subconsciously. It seems possible that you are thinking too much about breathing (and therefore survival). With your recent health issues, this may not be surprising. Relaxing your gut may be the beginning of your healing since it should assist in restoring the natural intake of oxygen. At the moment, the oxygenation of your blood maybe compromised. From here, you will naturally move to focus on your diet and exercise. As you mentioned, if you have a need to hold in your gut, you have introduced another health issue for your subconscious to dwell upon. Don't be alarmed at this. Be appreciative that this is part of the human mechanics of survival, and hopefully you can see that everything you are experiencing is part of your mind and body signalling to you to do something differently to realign your actions (that is, diet and hydration, movement and exercise, living a life of purpose) to allow life to flourish. There is more good news for you I think. Talk with your GP whether your rib and chest pain is being caused by Inflammation of the rib and sternum cartilage. This is often associated with stress and anxiety and disappears when stress is lowered. For instance, if you push in on the sternum/breastbone/front of chest, you can probably replicate some of this same pain. If you can, great. Again, all this should be covered off with your medical professionals. Your jumping at the doorbell is your barometer of how you are progressing in reducing your anxiety (fight or flight state). Be calm, develop some disciplines to bring in some change. Be kind to yourself. Best wishes.

[Anton711]

Again, thank you. This is very deep and meaningful. Over the years, I think I have become a flawed individual. I am not sure if there is hope for me because I just don't know where to start. I've mentioned to my GP the breathing difficulties but all he says is that I have 'issues'. I don't know what else to tell him. However, I will definitely mention the inflammation. When you say 'develop some disciplines to bring in some change' - can you help me there? Do you have any disciplines in mind? I've stopped exhaling through my mouth but still do through my nose. Is this in some way telling my subconscious something? I feel a kind of tightness in my chest at times and also my nose tends to be blocked. Thanks again.

[TheOracle]

Hi Anton. Acknowledging that your current situation is not perfect is an achievement in itself. No one lives a perfect life though. Often the one who looks to be the coolest, cutest, richest, fittest will have something in their life that counteracts all that positivism. "The balance to will be restored" some would say. Look at the things where you have succeeded and are not flawed. Your visit to this website is a successful move in itself. It shows that you are ready to take back charge of your life. Your positive action will create positive momentum. In addressing your "issues", also acknowledge that a GP is a "general practitioner". They are not trained in resolving matters of the mind, so they sometimes use language which demonstrates this. Psychiatrists and psychologists are best to consult for such matters and you should consider working with both. The disciplines I refer to is your opportunity to explore things in life that will work for you and put you back on track. Some different thinking modes may assist here. For instance, imagine yourself as a character in a movie, and you are watching yourself from a distance live your life. What are some recommendations that you could suggest to improve this character's life. Remember, that this character's past should not dictate their future. The future is a blank canvas. You might suggest that the following (i.e. the new daily disciplines). (i) Must lose some weight and exercise - low intensity at first. Even just a steady paced walk to begin with. Not too hard at the start, but enough to build up a sweat. He will feel better and more confident. Set some goals in this regard and build intensity. Can he do push ups, sit ups, squats? As intensity increases, they check in with the GP occasionally for a checkup (ii) Diet - reduce caffeine and sugar. This is enemy #1. Takeaway food - rarely. No alcohol. Increase greens and water. This will help with the bowels (iii) Whilst walking, be mindful to the beauty. The flowers, trees, birds, sounds, clouds, breeze, etc.. the small things that a child would stop and look at (iv) handwrite in a journal each day (v) meditate for 15 minutes each day (vi) listen to classical music each day (vii) the blocked nose may be seasonal. An antihistamine may be needed with a sinus rinse (viii) Language - why the negative self talk? Use positive language and they will start to see their life in a new light. Start your new journey Anton. Go for it.