Panic Attack Or Asthma

[cherrysweets89]

I feel so wheezy tonight, I can't tell if it's an asthma attack or a panic attack just that I'm panicking and struggling to breath. I feel scared being on my own downstairs, I did go to bed but came back to the couch so I didn't disturb my boyfriend. Worrying about some triggers earlier and that people are upset with me as a result; I'm terrified of the people that support me finding it too much to stick around

 

[Friday]

My son gets these. One will pretty much set the other off, so we always need to treat for asthma.

We do have a portable pulseOx, though so we can always check his spO2, but it's kind of pointless in these scenarios. Because even if it's anxiety to start, asthma will kick in.

 

[Seasounds]

I'm sorry for your stress. I know this cycle well; stress with from friends being irritated with me, leads to anxiety, leads to asthma, which causes more anxiety and asthma. (Of course, for me, in pollen season, asthma comes from a different cause.)

I agree, treating the asthma, first and foremost, is the most important thing., so you can relax, rest, and think clearly. I'd encourage you to spend time, at this time, with anyone who enjoys you and who is not irritated with you.

After years of trying to tolerate and please friends and lovers who were, by nature, irritable, I finally saw that I was not too sensitive, nor had I done anything wrong. Slowly, I transitioned friends, and the panic attacks and asthma have almost disappeared. Now, my new closest friends are respectful, don't constantly through irritation and anger my way, in attempts to control me.

This change occurred from me realizing how I was so pre-occupied with their comments, that I couldn't sleep. When attempted to problem solve with them, they insisted they were right. (Also,I saw how I was choosing lose friends who were like my parents.) Since my friends weren't interested in changing, I saw that the only way for my physical and emotional health to get better, was for me to make new friends, who don't threaten me, directly, or indirectly.

Your situation is unique to you. I hope my story can support you to know, that you are not at fault, that you are a good person, your friends have anger issues, and that things can get better, if you make new choices, in your own way. Good wishes to you!

 

[Chava]

I had this going on for a while...not noticing that I felt panic, but feeling like the air was getting very thin and hard to suck in, and then starting to feel pretty anxious. I got an inhaler (so, if you haven't been checked out for asthma, see a doctor). But at some point when I went for a refill the doctor didn't think I had asthma (the inhaler DID help though, whether it made breathing or panic easier, they just go together). I think I had told him I notice my muscle relaxants (for back pain) helped with the breathing thing. So, in my case, muscles were probably constricting in my upper body, creating more stress/panic and further constriction. If it's asthma, that's easy to treat, and can help with the panic.

But panic with all the other stuff can make it feel harder to breathe, too. It helps me to breathe through a straw sometimes because it helps me pull air deeper in and release more. Lots of panic seems to coincide with not really exhaling, as much as I think I'm not taking in enough oxygen...Holding air in or trying to breathe deeper is oddly unhelpful when I'm in a panic...but really exhaling also helps the parasympathetic nervous system response (calming).

 

[cherrysweets89]

It took a couple of hours but I did eventually manage to calm myself, it turned out to be both, can't get my inhalers til tomorrow (my GP is a massive twat). I confronted my fears, asserted that as unsavoury as my reactions to triggers are, they are unhelpable and are my survival instincts, and that I mustn't be chastised, berated or made to fear solitude for what I can't help, and what was fed.

 

[Lucycat]

can't get my inhalers til tomorrow

How did you manage to run out of inhalers? If you really need them you can get them as an emergency from the oncall pharmacist. There is always one available in every town in the UK for emergency medications,

 

[cherrysweets89]

My old GP refused to prescribe more til I had a review, I agreed but was pissed about with appointments, I had to call at 8am along with everyone else and compete for an appointment, this can go on all week, I've been forced to go to A&E for minor problems and the hospital has called my GP to complain, out of hours never answers or I get told to call an ambulance, no chance I'm going to A&E in the middle of a panic attack. I had to buy myself a nebuliser because the GP refused to fund me one even on the hospitals' instruction, I have to rely on the surplus medicine of my mum's friend because my GP refused to prescribe it.

 

[Lucycat]

Hmm. Maybe you should think about changing your GP?!

I must say I am not convinced by nebulisers - they only work better in hospital because they give you oxygen through them. For home use multi dosing with a conventional metered dose inhaler has been proven to be more effective because of the particle size. ( the exception being cystic fibrosis and other illnesses where they give antibiotics through the neb).

You should not (need to) take somebody else's medicines. That is a dreadful situation. Is it really such a long time since you have had an asthma review - most GP insist on it being done on an annual basis - in fact our GPs get a payment for every asthma review they do, so they have a clear incentive to invite you in.

 

[cherrysweets89]

This is the same GP who has taken my entire life to refer me to a neurologist, which only happened because I turned up in A&E after a seizure. The consultant phoned my GP to express his disgust and threaten a competence complaint. Nebilisers work great for me, saved my life when I was admitted a few years ago. The only other local GP is responsible for malpractice, I don't rate these doctors much.

 

[Lucycat]

It is a shame he only 'threatened' the competence complaint and did not carry it through! Have you considered a complaint yourself? Most practices have a website these days and that tells you the route for a formal complaint.

 

[Friday]

Hmm. Maybe you should think about changing your GP?!

I must say I am not convinced by nebulisers - they only work better in hospital because they give you oxygen through them. For home use multi dosing with a conventional metered dose inhaler has been proven to be more effective because of the particle size. ( the exception being cystic fibrosis and other illnesses where they give antibiotics through the neb)..

S'what they have my son do, in the ER, as well. (Nebs aren't as effective for him). 4liters of o2, and 8puffs(90-120 albuterol) every 30 minutes for a few hours (or a few weeks) when he gets bad. Plus prednisone or dexamethisone. But those levels need medical monitoring either the ER overnight, or inpatient.

We keep both pred & dex at home for bad patches that can be managed at home, as well. Flu season, and high stress times. Cut our ER visits & inpatient stays down by heaps. Just a call into Pulmonary to keep them on the same page / heads up we may be coming in.

Are oral steroids an option for you as well?

Strong 2nd for changing GPs.