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Suggest Treatment For Wheezing, Breathing Difficulty And Panic Attacks

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Posted on Thu, 22 Dec 2016
Question: PANIC ATTACK + ASTHMA SYMPTOMS?

My wife stopped taking her anti-depressent and sleeping medication (I lost my job and health insurance). She wasn't weened off but cut off. six months and going on, she went from anxiety, to wheezing, breathing heavily, shortness of breath, and waves her arms wildly as she sleeps. She has micro blackout "naps". She goes in and out of sleep due to sleep deprivation. Please, is there something OTC that I can get to help her with her shortness of breathing (asthma) as we have no insurance.
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Answered by Dr. Rahul Tawde (6 hours later)
Brief Answer:
Panic attack itself is causing the episode of wheezing

Detailed Answer:

Hello, Thank you for posting your question on Health Care Magic.

You have not mentioned if your wife was an asthmatic before, or did she have the episode of wheeze due to the panic attack itself.

The whole episode which you have described looks like drug withdrawal symptoms which are usually experienced if anxiolytic drugs are stopped without being tapered.

I would suggest the following :

Please restart her anxiolytic medications and taper them off one by one.

If the chest wheeze is bad, Salbutamol inhaler is the drug of choice, even if only she is a known asthmatic .

Best wishes


Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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Answered by
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Dr. Rahul Tawde

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1980

Answered : 1 Question

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Suggest Treatment For Wheezing, Breathing Difficulty And Panic Attacks

Brief Answer: Panic attack itself is causing the episode of wheezing Detailed Answer: Hello, Thank you for posting your question on Health Care Magic. You have not mentioned if your wife was an asthmatic before, or did she have the episode of wheeze due to the panic attack itself. The whole episode which you have described looks like drug withdrawal symptoms which are usually experienced if anxiolytic drugs are stopped without being tapered. I would suggest the following : Please restart her anxiolytic medications and taper them off one by one. If the chest wheeze is bad, Salbutamol inhaler is the drug of choice, even if only she is a known asthmatic . Best wishes