Does anyone have this problem? It's happened to me before a few years ago and has been going on again now for the last 5 months. Whenever I try and take a bite of food, chew and swallow, I am preoccupied with trying to take a deep satisfying breath at the same time. A majority of the time, I can't get that deep breath and of course keep trying. I get frightened during this time.

So now I am eating small portions of food and have lost 15 pounds which is noticeable because I am just usually a few pounds under anyway. I dread eating because of this issue, it's like such dreadful thing perched on my shoulder waiting for me to get so hungry I am forced to eat.

When I was in my early 30's and had gone through a horrific divorce, (about 20 years ago), I went down to 100 lbs. and I am 5'8", due to similiar symptoms that made eating a nightmare. I cannot believe this is happening again. I am not having any particular stress in my life, and my health in general is okay.
Does anyone else have this problem? If so, how do you handle it?
Thanks...Solange :eek:

Hi,
It's anxiety and has actually nothing to do with you eating at all just an association. The problem is as soon as you go to eat because you fear it, your almost waiting/expecting it to happen. Tell yourself it won't affect you eating whatever, eat your normal portion fight through it to the end of your whole meal, keep doing this, keep fighting it and it will go away.

Good Luck! Let me know how you get on

Thank you for the reply. It's true, I must be associating one with the other but why only when it involves eating? I find it amazing after several decades this very symptom pops up again in my life but without anything even close to the circumstances that occured originally in my life.

I have forced myself through a meal and end up dizzy, with a dry throat and sore chest from trying to inhale over and over and eat at the same time. I am left to wonder if this is in fact some kind of eating disorder brought about when I am dealing with a known and/or unknown stressor.

A symptom occurs that makes eating difficult if not almost impossible. I deprive myself of nourishment in order not to feel that awful air hunger....wish I could figure it all out.
Solange