I'll try not to drip feed:
I'm 29, been "questionably asthmatic" for ten years which coincidentally is when I was also first diagnosed with anxiety. I get tightness, no wheeze, I yawn/swallow repeatedly to get a satisfying breath, I also have silent reflux.
On top of this I have migraines so my neurologist wanted me to have lung function testing to confirm or deny asthma so that he could prescribe propranolol if the test was negative.
So off I went today. I was petrified and then faced with the massive, hideous contraption, mouthpiece and noseclip and dutifully performed the instructions. It made me so dizzy. He said he was happy with my readings, gave me the inhaler and was told to wait outside for 15m then he would repeat it. Panic had proper set in by now and I was so glad to get out for a break, during which time I really calmed down and then found the repeated test much easier.
Now. The results of the inhaler on my airways suggests that I had a 17% improvement but I can't help but think that anxiety had tightened me up but relaxing had opened me up so to speak.
I'm now officially labelled asthmatic but have a follow up with the doctor tomorrow who I hope will explain it more. In the meantime, I can't have propranolol now ever which would have also massively helped the anxiety ironically as well as the headaches.
Long post, but to cut to the chase. 17% - is that mild, moderate or severe?