Anxiety Problem

Former Member

In May I developed a chest infection or so I thought and had trouble breathing being a asthmatic I tried my inhalers but they did not work.Went to A+E spent 4 hours there and they did all the checks Chest Xray's blood tests 'ECG's and found nothing.I left it for a week and went back again and all the same tests and scans were done.Three weeks ago I had a chest CT scan which again was normal.So I started googling my symptoms big mistake as I kept finding all these illnesses.Now they all seem to be in my head and I keep worrying all the time which brings on breathlessness.The doctors all agree there is nothing physical wrong with me they suspect it is anxiety or stress caused by me worrying about non existent  illnesses.I am now trying acupuncture had two sessions and have been given anti depressant tablets which give awful side effects.I just wondered if anyone on here has had a similar problem and how they coped.Thanks for reading this.I forgot to mention I was fitted with a Nebuliser on my first visit and that also had no effect.

Former Member

Hey @Past User, welcome to the boards!

Sounds like a tough thing to be going through, so sending huge hugs your way Whilst I haven't been in your exact situation, I can relate in a sense that shortness of breath was my first physical indication of anxiety, and is one of my most prominent symptoms still today. I'm not asthmatic but they did test me for that amongst other things before concluding anxiety, so I understand you with experiencing physical symptoms as a result of a mental health condition. 

I'm sorry to hear that you are having awful side effects from your tablets/no effects from the Nebuliser. Have you spoken to the doctors about how you feel? Some treatments work better for some than others and that's totally normal - it's okay to try a bunch of different things until you find what works for you

For me, I aim to tackle my anxiety as the main thing and hope that the physical symptoms subside as a result. What helps me the most is finding quiet in my day, so reading, journalling, meditating, anything to really get my thoughts out of my head or to focus on something else, just to switch off for a moment. That's how I cope. I hope you can find something that works for you real soon!