Can anxiety cause chronic shortness of breath?

Janice- I am also 49 years old and experiencing shortness of breath. It also coincides with my period as well as a irregular beat or two of my hear. Oddly enough, 7 years ago I had a really bad bout of bronchitis. My doctor was away and I was seen by a covering one who prescribed nothing. My chest was so tight that I had an episode of not being able to catch my breath. Every time I am under stress or get a cold, I am carrying around Proventil-its like my security blanket. The three years have been very difficult-lost my job(17 years as a nurse), my mother in law died and then last Thursday our dog died in front of us-and he wasn't sick....Perimenopause has been known to cause an increase in anxiety which in turn doesn't help that feeling of not being able to breath or shortness of breath. I have even started sleeping in the family room in fear that climbing the stairs would kick off an attack like I had 7 years ago....

Janice-we sound exactly alike....I too have had the same symptoms that also correspond to my period. I have also had a great deal of anxiety the last few years....I lost my job as a nurse(17 years at the same hospital), my mother in law died and to top the cake, our dog died last Thursday-totally unexpected...I do believe that the perimenopause has a lot to do with it. I also contribute a lot of my anxiety about breathing to a stupid epidsode of bronchitis that happened about 6 years ago. I was not on any meds and had trouble catching my breath when I climbed the stairs to go to bed. That scenario keeps replaying in my mind recently. I carry Proventil with me like a security blanket. I used to be a very care free person. Out of know where this added anxiety has begun to take over my life. I have even started sleeping in our family room-which is on the first floor of the house. My tests are all normal-of course I smoke and drink a lot of coffee which is no good....My mother in law had lung cancer and I think part of my problem is that my husband is nuts that I smoke and keeps reminding me of how she died....hey-being a nurse makes it worse it seems...

i feel the same way i feel at times that i have an elephant on my chest did the hospital thing checked every thing heart blood work all normal,,i feel short of breath..but stress will do that and when i worry.i was always scared that i would die...so i found myself going to the pharmacy and checking my blood presure and ask the nurse also to check my pulse ..well to make it short i got myself a blood presure little machine and when i feel short breath and think the worse i take my b/presure and it tells me my pulse and also if theres something wrong that little thing would have a heart appear next to the pulse ...........

I too have constant shortness of breath that started 2 years ago after a traumatic event. I've had a lung doctor, heart doctor, stress test, x-rays, 2 breathing function tests and am on anti-anxiety pills since I was around 13 for GAD. All have told me it is anxiety, I don't know what makes it go away for a little bit, but I know stress makes it come back with a vengeance. Today is the worst I've had it in months it feels so overwhelming I just cry sometimes. Does anyone have anything that makes them feel better? I have ativan to take when I have a panic attack coming on but I'm scared to take them. I always worry that this isn't actually in my head.

HI im 15 i am very fit and i just recently had a panic attack now it feels like i cant take a full breath i can get the odd full breath but then it comes back i went to the doctor and they said my breathing was fine and so was my heart so i dont know whats happening any guesses

 

I read your post and this sounds like me. I am desperate. Can you please tell me the name of the female doctor that you found and if she helped you? My email address is _[removed]_. Thank you!

Im 14 and can never catch a breath and im dizzy and its super scary! I have to take medicine and have an inhaler and i just can never breath! I have breathing problems all day and night and I cant sleep because of them. I sometimes forget to take my meds but please will this ever go away??!?!?!?! im so scared and I dont want it anymore!

I have the same problem. Im taking my medications on anxiety everyday. I have Bern diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. I'm worrying about IT everyday. I experience some shorthness of breath. IT feels to me that my body is all stress out. I notice some problems with breathing. My stomach is tighteen and I can't breath normally. I cant sleep normally. I'm going to swe neurological do tor maybe this week to swe that there is no problems with my central nervous system. I feel Aldo lighheaded. IT is really piecing me off. Any advices on what i should with IT?

i have alot of anxiety and it is affecting my sigh breath or deep breath it just seems it dissapear .all we can do is hang in there lola.

i had a bad surgery 6 years ago and i had bad panic disorder after afraid all the time that i cant catch my breath and it justn seems it leaves me cant catch my breath or sigh breath.i have alot of anxiety.they tell me that is what cauaes it.so i have been trying to catch my breath all the time and the more i do the scarder i get and the more the panic and anxiety. i really need a reply to this

While it can be related to anxiety, some of you should do a simple test. Poke your gut in different places when SOB. If there is tenderness, your probably bloated that will stop some peoples lungs from filling up all the way. I know I have it and all doctors tried the anxiety speel what a waste of money. Anyway GMO grains cause more people to get bloated or gassy and the answer is to try probiotics, enzymes, tums etc to relieve the gas. Especially if you feel it when resting.

"I had myself in the grave with C.O.P.D without a diagnosis" LOL I understand. Thank god i'm not alone :)

To FuelnjktrI am so sorry for your loss and yes for sure your symptoms are reated to emotional stress. Make sure to see a psychologist or psychotherpapist it will truly help. I have been through a lot since 2008 and mostly within 2010 to 2011 and now I am seeing a therpapist and he saids I am suffering from Post Traumatic Stress. I feel crappy I seem to always have something wrong with my health I dont know how to relax and the SOB is driving me crazy. I have a mitro valve prolapse with regurgitation and when I am really stressed I have skip beats and thumps I have not been checked since 2009 by a cardioligist (I had no insurance) I have an appointment at the end of this month. DId blood work and found my thyroid is more Hypo but everything else is better. I hate taking drugsI was on Paxil for 3 years and it rid me of fear and panic attacks but I gained weight like crazy and it was hard getting off them, now I have been taking natural supps and Linden Tea for palps and stress. I have been jucing raw veggies and drinking the concoctions daily. Primary has prescribed Xanax, Effexor, Lexapro and Buspar and I have not taken any too scared trying to make it on my own with The LORDS help and change in lifestyle I will see what happens. I hpe you feel better now I know this post was a year ago but it would be interesting to see how you are doing.

I am also having short of breath and some pressure (like someone sitting) on my sternum. I have a cough here and there also. I dont know if it is anxiety which i have had that in the past. But when i have had anxiety it was waking up scared of nothing not the breathing issues. I am going today for a CT scan. I have had a X Ray and a EKG and both came back normal. I am a little scared which doesnt make the symptoms any better they make them worse because i am FREAKING OUT!!  I am scared and i have two kids and i dont want it to be something bad.  Wish people came back on here and said how they are doing.

Could also be high-blood pressure