Shortness of breath and tightness in chest

Hey everyone, in my signature you can see where I'm at in my story but I've hit a wall at 30 mg of Valium and one of the withdrawal symptoms that discourages me and worries me the most is I feel like I can't get a nice full breath, almost like shortness of breath or a tightness in my chest. It seemed to come on when the rest of the symptoms finally caught up with me as I am now taking the taper more slowly it took me about three months to get to 30 mg from the 6 mg ativan to Valium cross over and I figure I'll take it down a mg a week since my body is becoming so reactive. Any similar symptoms from coming off of benzos?

Hi, Theillustratedman.

 

I know that feeling well, both because of tapering off Ativan/lorazepam but also because I've had asthma almost my entire life.  Prof Ashton wrote about the sensation of being out of breath and advised not worrying about it but that can be much easier said than done.  I've always done breathing exercises due to the asthma and I think they helped we weather that symptom when it flared up: slow, deep (belly) breathing and blowing really large bubbles by blowing out very slowly are the main techniques I used.  And, of course, whatever I could do to achieve a full body relaxation, like the body scan meditation.  Hope you feel better soon.

Hi Theillustratedman,

I have EXACTLY the same feeling--sometimes it's so hard to explain to people who have never felt this way--it's like an elephant is sitting on my chest. I can't seem to take in enough air and end up getting lightheaded--which leads to panic attacks and I end up feeling even worse. I cannot even lay on my right side for some reason now--it feels like my air passage is compromised and my chest is folding up.

I do hope our symptoms subside. I have read over and over that they will with time, but it won't be soon enough!

Hang in there! We're all in this together!

I was on Valium and the whole time I had breathing problems just like that. Now that I have been off Valium the breathing problems have stopped. What REALLY helped me was doing this dvd every day. It's very relaxing and helped me tremendously with my breathing. It was like learning how to breath all over again.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000094J6K/ref=oh_o06_s00_i00_details

Good news for you....it goes away in time....I had tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.....sucked....but at 7 months it went away.....like all of the symptoms......they all go bye bye....just takes an absurd amount of time....as many as two or three calendars for some people.

 

I remember being in the middle of all of these horrible wd symptoms....amnd others were telling me they would disappear....then poof....months later they went away.

 

I am one year off now and almost 70% cleaned up....not there yet but I hate to say it but I am in the majority of people I think.....but at 70% off i can fake it and have a totally normal life....and nobody can tell I am not 100%...except me.  In the first 6 months of withdrawal I could not fake it...had to avoid people and stay home..awful....

 

So hang in there and suffer it out...we all get better eventually.....the clock keeps moving ahead and so will you in your journey...as lonely and horrible as it may seem

.....it is a temporary condition.

 

Andy

Hi, I have had the shortness of breath symptom on and off for years, I call it air hunger as my breathing is not rapid as one gets when short of breath, I just have the sensation of a blockage in my lungs mid chest and the air just wont get past there,forcing myself to yawn was the only relief and of course taking my benzo for sleep as it was always worse before bed,light dawning on me here, my need for my benzo rearing its ugly head?. Around the time that this started I was also started on different NSAIDS for arthritis and when I stopped taking them as I wanted to see what was causing this breathing difficultly this always stopped. It had become so bad that I was tested for asthma, given two different types of inhalors which really didnt help so I just quit  using  them So now I think I am allergic to asprin and NSAIDs and refuse to take any but wish I could as I have frozen shoulder right now. Could it possibly be the Benzos, still taking temazapam but off ATivan cold turkey, now I wonder? Ladygrace

Thank you for the info everyone! So long as I know it is not something unheard of I can tolerate it through my taper. Thats one thing I can check off on my list of anxieties! Hahah. I will definitely check out that DVD and I agree it doesn't feel as though I can't breathe it's just a definite feeling of not being able to get a deep full breath. Really annoying!

I was short of breath for years could'nt run or climb stairs without getting breathless.  Im off Temazepam now and its all gone away i think it was them that caused it and i never knew.  I have been left with a chesty cough sounds like a rattle.

Thanks for posting this question.  I have this also. 

 

It is so weird because I can breath while it is going on but cannot get in a deep breath.  I can't yawn in a breath. 

 

It seems to be worse for me while I'm eating. 

 

It IS one of the sx I have learned to ignore as I know it does go away in a bit.    (I wish I could ignore the dizzy spells - they really get me).

 

 

Good luck with overcoming this one.