Please help. So here I am googling my phobia!!! Not sure what is going on but I feel like a fish out of water in the heat. OKay, I might sound like a weird one to you guys.. I’ve always had an issue with still air.. That is the problem most of us face. Concerts and shows have this effect on me. My issue isn’t so much moving air, but that the temp of the air is so warm, I no longer feel a difference between what is going in and coming out of my nose. I have tried googling what it could be…I dont have a fear of being in a closed space…I actually dont even think abt the panic attacks…they happen when im in the shower sometimes too. But once I feel like I can’t breath I freak out and then think I’m suffocating and that I will die. As Anne Shirley would say, we are kindred spirits!! I can’t bear to be on a hot train. But I had to do something. I know it has to do to some problems in the body that are minimal and heard to detect. I kept telling myself, you are breathing, you can breath. Speaking of blow dryers, I have a hard time with those too sometimes. Sometimes at night…if I’m too warm, I jump up & start walking the floor. I have felt this way since I was a child. What makes it worse is my desire not to freak out and look like a fool or make others feel uncomfortable. i think, my case is getting bad with time. Good to share with others having the same condition. I am grateful for your website and finally understanding that I am a little different and being okay with who I am. Thank you . I’ve never thought about it that it is ME who is with the problem. I feel the same. In winter if I go walking, I often end up with just a t-shirt on carrying various other pieces of clothing because my body feels like it will stop functioning if I’m too hot. It was horrible! started Id had an opetation & that Id heard I think this is a very plausable explanation. A few months ago I was diagnosed with Addison’s (Adrenal Insufficiency). We replaced the thermostat and got nothing. I constantly need air movement. I have the same condition….do not know what’s happening…, Omg it can get worse? Reading all of these comments made me feel so much better. It’s unbearable and even on airplanes I can’t breathe and I’ve to help myself to drinking myself to restlessness. Yes I do have the same issue. I can 100% imagine that situation, and I feel like I would do the same thing!! I’ve always thought I was crazy but I feel trapped when I’m in still hot air. So i panic. I’m don’t completely agree with your post. I am so glad to read that someone feels the same. Sorry this was long winded and I know this was all over the place and not well worded. I have noticed that my moods are up and down and have asked my doctor about birth control change. I think this applies to sitting on an airplane or the fear of being stuck in an elevator or riding in an overstuffed taxi van in Uganda with no room to move. I felt like I was having a panic attack with you! I also love looking at the sky when it’s quiet….at night or during the day. I suppose I could have burned the train down but I did not care. I experienced this feelings today on a 5 hour trip by road in an enclosed bus , just found out I am not crazy and we are many in the world experiencing this, didn’t understand what was going on till today…….i need help. My take on the possible reason of this condition is lack of oxygen supply to your brain. Wow! Sorry for rambling and thanks again for being here and making me feel a little bit less “abnormal” than I did! I fly to Europe frequently and just try to keep my mind on other things. Not sure what I am panicked about, aside from just wanting to get the heck out of the situation and breathe fresh air, but it’s definitely been an issue for a while and becoming more prominent. The car is the worst for me and when my husband drives he takes so long preparing himself I snap because I feel myself panicking. I completely relate to this. something that can help me, I’d would appreciate it?…I am @ my wits I have another training day coming up and am freaking out worried about this room i will be in with others. I to feel like this, at night I have to have some kind of light and my ceiling fan going. I have the same issues with so many of the others that have commented on this. I find if someone slaps your back as if they are burping you helps!! Last summer I went with a friend in August to a historic house tour– the guide closed and locked the front door and it started!!! Then I remember that I fly a lot and have never died from lack of air…and neither have any of these other passengers. Thank you for sharing this. I am NOT hot. Wow… I’ve been living with this for years and I’ve also never met anyone else who suffers from it. I haven’t experienced such a feeling since then but that MRI experience was just terrifying!! My anxiety/panic disorder is very well managed with good therapy and medication, so that makes trips to Disney possible. I maybe catnap for about half an hour and then wake up feeling like I am stifiling, out of breath, also in the bathroom I cant stand under the shower I feel as though I am drowning! And then I would think I couldn’t make it to my stop, that I needed to get off sooner. I start panicking even thinking about being caught in such a situation. I feel the same way too. Feel as if I can’t breathe in confined spaces..even in big spaces. Ive been struggling to this panicking feeling I get from riding those though before this is what I use to get to school. I too am happy to find this sight. As I lay on my hard sleeper bed on the train, with the bunk above me just inches from my face, the air felt SO CLOSE that I again felt like I couldn’t breathe. I always sleep with several fans. I don’t choose to be this way. BTW, the garage doesn’t have anything fragranced, so I’m sure it’s related to the mouse residue and dust (and maybe the closed containers of chemicals, but doubtful since most of them are sealed). I know my family thought I had lost it and my poor kids were freezing. Panic attacks are so scary. And 4 that are off. Like pretty much every website on the internet, this website uses cookies. I googled “breathing hot air anxiety” tonight and you were the result! I immediately walk into the sun room where there is a fan on. It works quickly. Have you found something that works for you? Cristal, thank you for your comment. Being aware of your triggers in also important. It is surprising to see resemblance among my condition to your’s and other posting comments here. I wake feeling trapped and can’t breath and go into a panic. I think he is claustrophobic because of the symptoms he has, and he always is very careful and feels very uncomfortable towards closed,hot or crowded places even though he never experienced something in the childhood that could be a past experience.It would be very generous if you would share your opinion about his case. The effort it takes for me to breathe and also cough up the mucus, is exhausting and overheating can become a serious issue for me. I am sooooooooo grateful for this website & for all of you sharing your experiences! I was taken aback by that experience. I hope things get better for u and wish me luck!. I feel your exact pain :-(. I cant BREATHE when it’s dark. Someone please help!!! I have to immediately wet my hands and face around the nose and mouth. Last night it was 87 degrees inside at 11 pm so I actually slept outside since it was cooler and had moving air. Small spaces have never bothered me, but not having fresh air makes me feel like I’m suffocating and internally I start feeling panicked. That made me look up claustrophobic as I always say “I get a little claustrophobic when I ride a BART train underground when it’s raining outside and it’s full of people.” But, when reading the definition and symptoms of claustrophobia, I discovered the number 1 protagonist of claustrophobics to be an MRI (which I generally can sleep through) and severe “flight/fight” response from more than one stimuli (mine wasn’t listed and was, after all, rather specific). I’ve had a few times since then, not as bad, but I have to talk myself into believing I was OK. My car ignition locked up and would not start, windows would not go down. Did anybody in this forum, who is not claustrophobic, benefit from CBT anyway? The worst is when I get into a car on a hot day and it feels like there is no air to breathe. I panic because its pitch black… Or like today I was taking a nap and panicked because I woke up and couldn’t find my daughter and my husband .. My severe panic/anxiety attacks or whatever is happening to me is GETTING WORSE EVERYDAY!!! But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. I had occasional troubles with this but it has gotten MUCH worse. I suffer severe anxiety when the steam heat in my old apartment building comes on. The heat in my 2006 grand prix will not get hot. Hi there just out of interest I am a counsellor and one of my clients has this problem. Or you could look into cognitive behavioral therapy, meditation, anti-anxiety meds–lots of things, but talk to a dr. first. The trip over there was fine, no problems, but on the way back, the heat really picked up. These are HOT, always so hot. I started seeing a therapist who helped me look backward so that my future could be brighter. I’ve been on the new treatment for about a month and have been told take it may take up to 3 months before I see full results. Thank you for sharing you feelings like this. . Once again thank you Kelly for taking the time to help us!!!???????????? I live in Texas and it happened again today. I used to be able to ride buses, airplanes…even sit comfortably while someone else was driving. After starting to read this page, I began to wonder… How many of these people might have problems with fragrance chemicals or dust particles or mouse residue (droppings and such) but don’t know it. thanks again. So, to sum it up, I have to be able to get out of a building, car, bus, and even the grocery store. Thank you, I cannot breathe in in a room where the air is not moving it’s like dead air and all my life I never was claustrophobic but now that I’m older and I have asthma and COPD it just seems to me that I have it now, I have the same issue to the extend t that if a vehicles window can’t open I won’t travel in it, the first time it happened to me I broke the hospital window to get it opened so I could breathe, I few times I jumped out if taxis cause I couldn’t breathe, I actually start trembling if there is no air circulation, I have a fan on constantly whever I am, I don’t know what to do about it cause its getting worse. I had most likely the same thing with you too! This summer I told my doctor again at my yearly check-up that something is just not right that I was not going to leave this time without some new direction and help. I immediately try to figure how I can get out of town..even a little north of so.CA. So anyway I have’nt tried it yet but thought I would share my little idea in case it helps someone else. It isn’t like it happens all the time, but when it does I feel like I am about to die or worse embarrass myself in public. They finally closed the door latch and continued for minutes without any air-conditioning. I remember my breathing becoming laboured. I was trying to remove it one day and couldn’t get it off immediately, which happens most of the time and is usually not an issue. I just bought my first house last year and have three kids. I wonder if there is something connected. I stood back in the galley and turned the air vent on full. It happens to a certain extent when I’m in my apartment as well. The only way I’ve found to feel better about still, warm air is by somehow getting air movement or fresh air. I do not want my body to be cold, I use the electric blanket to warm up the bed in the winter and then turn it off to sleep, I just don’t want my face to be hot. i feel like i cant brethe inside the plane. Oh my goodness——this is exactly how I feel. I cannot breathe when I am in an enclosed space and the temperature is too high. Read on for an idea of how to resolve the issue. We were teaching at a school for 2 weeks. It was summertime and it was ridiculously hot. Thanks mom for stating this.i had the same problem one day in a crowded taxi.i felt the heat and panics , wanted to open the windows and people were denying, looking at me like I’m crazy. These are the gifts. The AC kept off until 10mins after moving the bus. I have the same problem, having the issue right now.. it’s so stuffy, i’m feeling a great deal of panic, my chest is tight and my air is restricted. . I am genuinely disappointed I couldn’t handle it! I would go to spend the night at a friend’s house and if there was no air movement in the room and it was too warm I would panic and say I was sick and beg to go home! It’s like an anxiety, a terrible anxiety. We get a few days of a slight reprieve of onshore flow and the stagnant airlessness returns with horrid heat and humidity. end! Will listen to your podcasts for encouragement. It’s sad. Sorry I can't be of help, but I can commiserate. I am so with you on this topic. I felt like that when I was young, but much more extreme now that I am in my late 60s. I’m so glad you like the podcast and blog . Hi, i can relate to you all as well, When i was younger i had to sit in the back of a 2 door sports car and had my girlfriend sitting on my lap so basically 6 of us squished into this car which brought on the intial panic. I’m always fanning myself using my hands. If the heater core becomes clogged with rust or sludge, you will no longer have heat. Would you take it right away as soon as the feeling starts or would you wait for few minutes before taking the medicine ? I became obsessed with finding a hotel with central air (not a glorified window unit) to the tune of spending nearly $2000 over a five day period. – If I complain about this to the Driver/Conductor, will they fight with me? I also keep my purse nearby so I can fidget through it and not scream”stop the car!” when I’m not driving. Good that helps me. I really hope I’m not developing a phobia. Like your engines cooling system radiator, the heater core can suffer some of the same issues. I also use clean tissues I carry to pour water and put on my nostrils or cool myself while wiping my face.Helps a lot. Public transport, long queues, waiting rooms, crowded restaurants…basically anywhere where I feel like I can’t get away quickly. I pulled the sheet off my bed and took it into the (gross) train bathroom, and I used the sink to wet the sheet, all while everyone else on the train was asleep. Any tips on where to look? Anyone got any suggestions. Am also post menopausal and have hypothyroidism, can’t stand hot or cold. I am planning to see my family doctor soon. When I was camping with my daughter and having a panic attack while she was alone in the airstream, a kind man told me — it’s all in your mind and you can control this. , Hi, When I realized about 3 am (after also taking an ambien) that my plan was working I was ecstatic and fell asleep until we were awakened for breakfast around 6 am. It gives my stomach cramps and diarrhea. I am the same. The only way I know to deal with it is through fanning myself and closing my eyes. I hope this information can be useful to at least some of you. Overall my body had always just always seemed highly sensetive to heat. Profusely. Thanks for your comment! I have had this condition for years since menopause and HRT (transdermal yam based bioidentical) has stopped it dead for me. I have not fainted in these situations myself. Sometimes I get into full blown panic attacks. Sometimes I even need to go outside and walk back and forth, Needless to say, this is very inconvenient when it’s cold outside, because I will be freezing and exhausted, but still feel like I can’t get oxygen, and all I want to do is get back under the warm covers and go to sleep. This also made me think about how I can’t breathe very well when dust is around. sometimes when I explain to my relatives what I feel they dont understand… and the idea about the travel fan kelly make me laugh as a few weeks ago I though the same thing…. I also need to be in control of my car window and feel panicked and trapped if I don’t have the ability to roll it down. Getting in a small space doesnt bother me unless I get too hot/start breathing in just hot air. I live in Kentucky where the humidity is unreal. Now I’m getting them even in the day- so I hope they’ll abate to a more normal frequency (or go away entirely) soon. So doing things that cool me down like holding ice or putting an ice pack on my head/chest helps. I was immediately ill and panicky and the airline did little to help. lady suggested that my symptoms might Which is Isn’t very often thankfully. I would definitely try a fan!! HERE ARE SOME OF MY SOLUTIONS FOR FIGHTING THIS THING WE ALL SEEM TO SHARE: My bedroom is upstairs and a few years ago I installed a ceiling fan in my bedroom and turn it on every night year round. I have never been claustrophobic in the traditional sense, I can get into small elevators or even inside a small, tight box and not feel a thing; but the instant I feel the air around me is stagnant I get panicky and cannot breathe. I thought it might be a good idea to clean the rims, so I splashed water towards the front wheel. I need moving air- my doors are open 11 months of the year. I was sitting in the hot van and none of the windows were open, just the side door. Then I noticed the bus was stopped/moving slowly in traffic. I’ve resolved it and also have the tools to ward off panic should it come knocking again. Even the BMVs have a terrible timed release “odor-dispenser” or two on the wall fuming up the air now.. Maybe by making a joke of it helped. No clue where it came from or how it started. I thought it felt a little warm down there by my feet. Listen to the podcast episode on this topic. Some times I forget to breathe, that sounds crazy right? 1. I am always fanning myself. Yesterday I wena to church . I feel better knowing I’m not alone in feeling this way. But lately I have been struggling with catching my breath during a walk or a hug from my husband. I can open the shower door for cool air and it helps. To a “normal” person, I bet the wet-sheet thing sounds pretty strange. The same can be said about the time I ate potato pancakes for dinner, ate a 50/50 bar for dessert and vomited thereafter when visiting my mother in the maternity ward at the hospital when I was a young child of 3. I still am afraid to take planes and sometimes public transportation. I suffer and feel completely misunderstood. Like you said, plan ahead of time and do whatever works for you!! can bring on feelings of panic. Cognitive behavioral therapy may help you and maybe a doctor would recommend something like Xanax during your flight. I just run out of the church. Thanks for the comment. It is such a desperate feeling. but I can relate. Doctor kept saying ‘Seasonal Allergies’, despite me never having them before. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one!! I always sought driving jobs just so that I can drive all day. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Now!! I hope that someday I’ll just grow out of it, but if this keeps happening to me into adulthood, I’m going to ask my doctor about it. Now that it is summer I need to sleep with my fan and a portable air conditioner since I live in an apartment. My mother says I’ve been like this for years. I’ve felt this way as long as I can remember, at least 50 years. I find repeating to myself “I focus on this fabulous moment” helps, along with using mobile phone (FB and internet), and other distractions like talking with others. Two aides had to let me out of the room and walk around the outside perimeter of the hospital with me! My 1992 Buick Riviera does the same thing. And it’s not something I’ve always felt! I end up in panic attacks every single time. What a fantastic blog Kelly! When i was traveling travelling manila to doha. I can’t feel trapped anywhere. This started 2 years ago and its,a terrifying feeling g you can’t breathe. Thanks. So what helps me is cooling down. I have noticed this exact same thing as your post. I asked the guy next to me to let me out into the aisle, and I walked down to the rear of the plane (the forward aisle was jammed with people still boarding, so I couldn’t go forward). Not only can’t I tolerate a room with no air flow, but I sweat, and turn bright red. I carry a fan around at all times. Well, it put me over the edge. I’m working now and life is getting better, BUT, I have a huge issue with heat intolerance and anxiety, specifically when I’m in the car with no ac and I get stuck in traffic. I live in an assisted living facility that has gotten so bad in the last couple months since new owners took over. I tried to talk to the flight attendant, but my throat was tight and I could barely get the words out. I remember the beads of sweat rolling down my face and the surging panic inside my chest. I have to sprint downstairs, turn on the fan, and lie down on the couch. Must have cool air. If you turn it up too high I feel like I can’t breathe and I panic. The panic also gets worse if the room I also find that my body doesn’t seem to regulate temperature very well, for instance I will have to put on, take off, put on, take off a jacket if the temperature is borderline. Im stress out of my mind!!! My husband is considering divorcing me because of my sensitivity to heat in the family car. I have had moments where I felt a pang of panic at being trapped on a plane. When driving with friends with windows. Why is My Car Air Conditioner Not Working? I have slot of these similar problems. I rub some under my nose and although it does nothing to clear my airways, it tricks the brain into thinking the air is cooler. Last month I had a similar experience on an airplane, They cut the air and the panic immediately started to set in. I get all this but this is not just claustropic stuff, mine is physical have no anxiety of tight places etc.. most of these people aren’t, my AC has to be on 74 all year long above that I do choke, stuffy just slam hot… like outside in 100 degrees argue all the time with hubby who Dr. says he can warm up I can’t cool down.. I just hope that does not happen again and from now on, when I am feeling that uncomfortable, I will do something about it before it gets to that point! I’ve had this bad. I carry a fan attachment for my iPhone with me. And my legs were twigs. She was great! This was my first panic attack. I’ve never had a panic attack until two Christmases ago. worst case for me is i get it before i try to sleep, and it’s almost like i stop breathing for a second, then come up for air quickly, scares the cr@p out of me. That Id heard I think, my case is getting bad with feels like the heat is on in my car! I stood back in the galley and turned the air vent on full find someone. 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