Anxiety or asthma.

[Pantone363]

This post might be long as this is an ongoing problem (2 years), sorry in advance!

I'll cut to the drift and note that I do suffer from anxiety/OCD (medicated and managed with therapy). Although my anxiety has never been about health issues (more obsessive thinking about weird and wonderful ways the world could end!)

I was previously a very heavy smoker (30 a day) and I exercise 4 times a week running about 25 miles on average.

About two years ago I started getting bouts of breathlessness. I would describe it as a tight upper chest which felt like I couldn't catch my breath properly. This has become increasingly common over the last two years. Other symptoms are:

Constant yawning when I have the tight chest

A dry cough at night time (never in the day)

Tight chest is worse at night, can't lie flat, weirdly it's also worse if in have clean sheets on the bed?

Frequently the tight chest is accompanied by stabbing pains in both sides of my chest at it's worse

Tight chest/breathlessness if anyone sprays perfume/deodorant near me

Symptoms improve in a steamy shower or steam room.

Fatigue after a bad breathing day

Much worse around periods/pregnancy/heavy traffic/strong smells

Not effected by exercise (running sometimes improves it)

I went to the GP about 6 months ago and was dismissed with anxiety. I am rational and I know anxiety can cause physical symptoms but this is pretty constant (it was absent for two weeks when I was on holiday). I will accept it could be anxiety but it is still there during zero anxiety times (70% of the time my anxiety is fine). Also it's causing physical pains, I wake up at night and struggle for breath/coughing. I feel dizzy from over breathing to compensate for the tight chest (hyperventilating?!).

Basically I'm asking if this sounds like asthma or not?

I do get that sort of chest tightness / pain if I've had a prolonged allergic reaction that I'm not managing properly.

Have you tried antihistamines?
Also the fact that clean sheets exacerbate it could mean it's either dust mites (stirred up by changing the bed) or bio laundry liquid/powder that you're reacting to - try vacuuming really really thoroughly incl the mattress and wiping down any dusty surfaces, and changing laundry detergent?

Have you had your iron levels checked. I recently had similar symptoms as yourself and discovered I was anaemic.

Iron levels are fine, I give blood signet them checked every time.

I hadn't considered allergic reaction?

I get a very annoying dry cough only at night time as a side effect of medication. Have you read the information sheet for all meds carefully?

Could of course be a bit of both because feeling SOB is bound to make you feel anxious.

I was puzzled to find that antihistamines work, but a textbook says they don't work if its asthma.

PigletJohn antihistamines work if you have allergic asthma, I've been successfully controlling my asthma for years with them with very little need for a puffer.

I'm interested that running can make it better.

DD used to get, what I'm certain, was anxiety induced (or certainly exasperated) wheezy asthma like symptoms.

Steroid inhaler didn't help at all. Singing does.

DD has done singing lessons since she was 7, it's the one thing she's a serious perfectionist at.

When she sings she really concentrate on the words and the tune and that only works if you breath in the right places.

As soon as the dream I'm concentrating look came on her face you knew she wouldn't be wheezy when she finished the song.

I wonder if having to breath regularly and evenly when running has a similar effect.

Sorry should have proofed, that looks like DD1, who is dyslexic typed it