I have a weird breathing problem and it's getting me down.

[MehgaLegs]

I haven't had this for years, used to happen a lot as a child and then ten years ago after my Nan died.

Breathing is a natural reflex is it not, we just do it, we don't need to think about it? I am finding I am "making" myself breath, I am really concious of it and I feel like I am not quite getting a deep enough breath, my lungs don't quite fill. Worse is that it seems to be happening in my sleep too. I have been dreaming of being crushed and suffocating and then wake with a start realising I wasn't breathing. Is that apnoea (sp?)?

I am stressed, DH and I in a dip at the moment, snappy with each other and no affection for ages. DS4 had an op and is recovering ok but he is hard work.

Do you think it's a pychological stress thing? It's making me tired and scared.

This does sound a bit psychological if you say you have had it before when under stress BUT you should go and see your GP anyway just to check there is nothing else wrong. I don;t want to be rude but are you on the large side? Because that might be a contributing factor if it's an apnoea type problem. If your GP finds nothing wrong it might go away once you realise it's a midn thing not a physical thing@ if not you might be able to get some therapy or something to help.

My first thought was, are you anaemic?

Reading your post further, it does sound like a reaction to the stress you're under - and that is a lot of stress.

Get your iron level checked, just in case.

Hope ds4 on the up again soon.

Sounds like hyperventilation....can be linked to anxiety...if you google it you will find lots of helpful information...breathing exercises can really help!

Sometimes it can be pychological, like a tic that happens. I sometimes get the 'not being are to fill my lungs feeling', especially when lying in bed. I went to an oestopath and she clicked a bone in my back in and the feeling disappeared. My dd who's 6 complans about it too, and the oestopath pushes on her diaphram, to correct it. It happens to dd because she sings while jumping on the trampoline!

I feel like this even though I'm on iron tablets and asthma medication. It gets worse when I'm stressed, and I even have dreams about not being able to breathe. A few years ago I had it so bad that my arms and legs used to go numb and I would get pins and needles. My face would also feel like it was kind of drooping (if that makes sense) I was constantly fighting to breathe. I went without sleep for a week once because of it and ended up crying in the doctors.
I really think a lot of it is psychological, but I'm a complete worrier anyway.

Thank you all. madamez, I'm not particularly large, could do with losing a couple of pounds but nothing serious.

I think it is a stress thing. I need to see GP as I am also having problems with my wrists, weakness and numbness at night which I think might be Carpal Tunnel. I sound like such a hypochondriac.

Just realised from the date that it is 10 years ago this w/end taht my Nan died. I sat at her bedside for two days and listened to her breathing getting slower and slower and raspier and for days after she died I couldn't get the sound out of my head and I sort of breathed along with her. Sorry, a bit morbid.

Will do some googling later.

ML, aromatherapy massage may help you.

How sad.

I would see your GP anyway just to see if you need to increse your asthma meds. Pollen at this time of the year means that I get shortness of breath and I have to double up on my becatide inhaler for a while.

Hope that this resolves for you.

I had this too and it turned out to be asthma - I wasn't stressed so I knew it wasn' stress related

You sound as if you have what I experienced.
I was trying 'to make myself breathe' and was very aware of each breath.
I went to docs as it was scaring me and it turned out to be stress.
I was in the lead up to getting married and was VERY nervous about the whole thing.
I wasn't looking forward to anything about the wedding or honeymoon because I couldn't breathe.
After the service and everything the breathing settled down and it only comes to the fore again when I'm very upset or uptight. Relax if you can - easier said than done I know! xxx Go to docs to check though.

agree re it being stress,take care

i posted a very similar question here a couple of weeks ago, it must be further down the list still..

The conclusion that I have come to is that this only happens when you become 'aware' of your breathing and think about it. When you notice it happening try really hard to think of something else that is important.
I dont know how to stop thinking about the overall problem in the long run, but it will get better.

Have googled and it definately seems to be an anxiety thing.

It's like the elephant in the room, when I am busy I am fine but as soon as I sit down I think about it and it starts again.

It is very boring.

Sounds like hyperventilation - I get this too (am also asthmatic). I don't think there's much else you can do apart from try not to think about it, which is easier said than done. I find walking helps too, as you;re concentrating on moving rather than breathing.

another thing (just remembered) is breathing into a paper bag if it's getting bad

Ooh Meghalegs, I was speaking to my BF on Staurday about the very same thing. She has had breathing problems and it turns out she is severly anaemic. She now has to take horse tablets iron tablets and it should help. Get yourself checked out.

I also used to get anxiety attacks which made me feel like I couldn't breathe, normally when I was in a room with lots of people. Paper bag things does work and if you don't have one to hand, cupping your hands in front of your mouth and trying to level out your breathing helps.

My mum does this breathing thing all the time and is obsessed with it, but she does has dementia and the doctors have checked it out and they just say that she is focusing too much on it.
She keeps saying she can't breathe but still carries on smoking over 80 cigarettes a day,
yes that is right.
It's almost like she willing herself to have breathing problems.
And the medication she is on at the moment makes her look really horrible.
She can't close her mouth and just sits or walks around with the tongue hard against her bottom teeth.
My DDs are scared of her at the moment and it's just so sad.