Question:
Doc, asthma is not a disease of the lower airways… alone. Smooth muscle is responsible for some asthma symptoms, but the lining of the airways, and the occuring inflammation, is what is currently believed. Panic comes from several origins. Certain people with predisposition to panic include, people with high blood pressure, MVP, hypoglecemia, thyroid problems, and asthma. It’s believed that panic is purely a random act, brought about to people with some abnormality of the chemistry in their brain. For those without predisposition, panic can be hard to evaluate. But, for those with a certain predisposition, a knowledge of the difference between panic and the comorbid condition can help. Certainly, treating the the pre-existing condition can help on all fronts. Always explain to your doctor the symptoms you feel.. jimi
Response:
Hello! I am 18 years old and have experienced shortness of breath for about of year. My mother and I both think it is related to anxiety/tension. I will
Hi, Kelly – welcome to ASAP 
psychosomatic. The think is though, I don’t have an abnormal amount of anxiety in my life. I guess I am kind of a tense person sometimes though. Anyway, can anyone give me any advice? What are the symptoms of asthma? Could that be what is is? And would Zoloft or Prozac help with the breathing? I am already taking St.John’s Wort, I guess it helps sometimes, but I really don’t know. _Kelly
You don’t need to lead an anxiety-provoking life to develop anxiety problems, I’m afraid. Some of us just seem to be born with a tendency to get anxious inappropriately, it seems. I think the best advice I can give you is to go back to your doctor and ask her/him to take the diagnosis a little further. Simply saying that you have an anxiety problem isn’t awfully helpful if the symptoms are still bothering you. As what is wrong seems to be relatively mild, it’s not unlikely, IMO, that you could probably do well with something like cognitive behavioural therapy – a system of psychological techniques which work well for some people. Your doctor should be able to put you in touch with a clinical psychologist who should be able to help. Good luck – hope that helps — Gary Cooper
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello! I am 18 years old and have experienced shortness of breath for about of year. My mother and I both think it is related to anxiety/tension. I will explain it : It isn’t like I am gasping for breath or coughing, it’s just like I feel that I can’t get a satisfying deep breath sometimes. Sometimes I do cough but only to relieve the tension it’s causing. It happens on and off, sometimes I won’t feel like this at all and it’s not related to anything specific. I can be having a perfectly good time, not stressed or anything and it will happen. I went to the doctor and she checked my lungs etc.. and said they sounded fine, and said it’s probably anxiety. I think it’s probably psychosomatic. The think is though, I don’t have an abnormal amount of anxiety in my life. I guess I am kind of a tense person sometimes though. Anyway, can anyone give me any advice? What are the symptoms of asthma? Could that be what is is? And would Zoloft or Prozac help with the breathing? I am already taking St.John’s Wort, I guess it helps sometimes, but I really don’t know. _Kelly
Kelly: I am an asthmatic (juvenile onset) that is dependent upon steroids – I take 10mgm of prednisone every other day, theophylline every day and use a pirbuterol acetate inhaler as needed. I also have severe panic/anxiety/depression/PTSD, for which I take a plethora of meds. Coincidentally, I also happen to be a paramedic, an RN & a PA-C. Asthma is a disease of the lower airways, which are wrapped in smooth muscle. When an asthma attack starts, the smooth muscles wrapping the airways contract, narrowing the airways. You can get air in, but your cannot get air out. This is called "obstructive" disease. Bronchitis, for example, involves the upper cartilagenous airways. Material builds up in these airways and you can’t get air in. This is called "restrictive" disease. The thing in common is they both cause noise when you breathe. Asthma or other chronic obstructive airway diseases, which you are probably too young to be concerned about, cause expiratory wheezing. Wheezing is defined a musical noise. Restrictive disease, which I hope you are too young to worry about, cause inspiratory and expiratory noises – rales & rhonchi, popping and crackling sounds. As my instructors used to say, "noisy breathing is obstructed breathing." Since you do not describe any abnormal lungs sounds, I doubt you had either restrictive or obstructive airway disease when you went to the doctor. 18 is a little old to develope asthma, usually it developes around 13, or so There are other causes for shortness of breath – anxiety is one of them. Inadequate cardiac output is another, but you’d probably be showing other symptoms, such as difficulty with breathing, sudden onset of shortness of breath at night, etc. I’d stay away from the St. John’s Wort. Zoloft & Prozac are both SSRI anti-depresants and shouldn’t affect your breathing, except if it is caused by your panic/anxiety/depression. If you continue to have problems with breathing, I would go to a pulmonologist and ask him to do spirometry. This is very helpful in determining the cause of shortness of breath. — A dog has the soul of a philosopher – Plato Doc Holliday
Response:
Hello! I am 18 years old and have experienced shortness of breath for about of year. My mother and I both think it is related to anxiety/tension. I will explain it : It isn’t like I am gasping for breath or coughing, it’s just like I feel that I can’t get a satisfying deep breath sometimes. Sometimes I do cough but only to relieve the tension it’s causing. It happens on and off, sometimes I won’t feel like this at all and it’s not related to anything specific. I can be having a perfectly good time, not stressed or anything and it will happen. I went to the doctor and she checked my lungs etc.. and said they sounded fine, and said it’s probably anxiety. I think it’s probably psychosomatic. The think is though, I don’t have an abnormal amount of anxiety in my life. I guess I am kind of a tense person sometimes though. Anyway, can anyone give me any advice? What are the symptoms of asthma? Could that be what is is? And would Zoloft or Prozac help with the breathing? I am already taking St.John’s Wort, I guess it helps sometimes, but I really don’t know. _Kelly
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