Dust, animal dander, and pollen are considered some of the triggers for asthma. Can anxiety also be considered a trigger?

Thanks.

I would say yes, definitely. Stressful situations can trigger athsma attacks. However, the symptoms of anxiety can also feel like an athsma attack as it can make you feel as though your chest is constricting and you aren't getting enough air. I was recently put on stronger inhalers due to my athsma not being under control and ended up with anxiety and disfunctional breathing due to the beta antagonisers in the inhalers! I have since reduced my inhalers (after seeing the doc again) and am starting to feel better but the dysfuntional breathing keeps rearing up whenever I'm stressed.

In my opinion YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When I get stressed which is most of the time...I have a better change of having an asthma attack.

Sazzle74,

ended up with anxiety and disfunctional breathing due to the beta antagonisers in the inhalers! :( Sorry to hear that.

the symptoms of anxiety can also feel like an athsma attack as it can make you feel as though your chest is constricting and you aren't getting enough air. Exactly--man, do I know what you're talking about. After I realized that a large part of my health issues last year were due to anxiety, now when I get the symptoms you mentioned I cannot tell whether it is asthma or anxiety. I end up doing Albuterol and/or a little Xanax.


Johna,

A day after posting this thread just for the heck of it, I googled about anxiety and asthma and I found several sites that listed anxiety along side animal dander, pollen, etc., as triggers for asthma.

John

Thank you for the information. I'll do a google and see what I can come up relating to asthma and anxiety. I am on zoloft for anxiety but at times that doesn't help.

Take care

I'm the same way, if I get too worked up over something, my asthma is almost ineveitably worse.

Here are some links having anxiety as a trigger to asthma.

www.webmd.com/content/article/32/1728_79155
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Johna,

I don't know if you and/your doctor considered a low dose of Xanax. I use .25 mg tabs, usually 1/2 of one so it is not even 1/2 of 1 mg. I use it for an asthma/anxiety episode and usually have one 1/2 tab. I sometimes will use it in conjunction with albuterol/albuterol with a spacer/and-or a nebulizer. I put it under my tongue and let it dissolve; it works faster this way then with drinking water with it. This is a benzo drug, and can cause addiction. This is why it's good for you to speak to your doctor about this. I am on Lexpro, 10 mg, which helps reduce the overall anxiety but when I get that sensation in the chest and the fear/wonder "Is it anxiety or asthma?" I will take a bit of Xanax, only when needed. I am trying to find out if there is physiological difference between an asthma epsiode and an anxiety episode. The overlapping symptoms like chest tightness makes it difficult. If/when I can tell the difference between an astham and anxiety occurence, then I can rely on the Xanax less. I have had fear regarding asthma since December 2005. I am also doing cognitive behavior therapy for the anxiety.

Breathing Easy,

Congrats on the time off from the inhalers, etc! Great stuff! Let me know about remedy, please.


Thanks,

John