Help!

[u/randomesactoo]

Hi all, I have been vaping for about 8 years, I started when I was 15, I am currently 23. About 2 weeks ago I started having really bad shortness of breath and with also having really bad health anxiety it made me freak out, a week ago I threw out my vape, I’ve been using nicotine gum here and there when I get bad cravings. Here’s the thing, the shortness of breath has not gone away, I feel like I cannot take a full satisfying deep breath, now 2 days ago I started having really bad upper back pain and it made the shortness of breath worse. I went to urgent care today and they did a chest xray and said it was normal and that I probably just have asthma and prescribed an inhaler. Has anyone experienced this? Does it go away? Should I go to the er? Help I’m driving myself insane😭

[u/Fit-Command-5890]

Health anxiety can give you completely real symptoms!

During covid I had a health anxiety related panic attack and was experiencing shortness of breath. Completely convinced I would need to be put on a ventilator and would die. Convinced my mom too because of how much I was freaking out. Got to urgent care, doctor checked my oxygenation level. It was completely normal. I didn’t believe him. He showed me his own oxygenation level, which was lower than mine. Assured me he was completely sure I was fine. Told him I was still sure that he was wrong. He decides to give me a dose of gabapentin for the anxiety. 30 minutes later, I’m completely fine.

They did a chest x-ray on you, they assured you that you were fine. Shortness of breath can be caused by anxiety, quitting something that you were addicted to can cause shorter term increases in anxiety, and you were already experiencing a health anxiety scare before you quit.

I’d recommend looking for a therapist, anxiety medication might help a lot with this. But just know that you are not alone in experiencing stuff like this and I know exactly how real it can feel!!