When that happens it muscle tension so inhalers wouldn't work because they work on the airways/lungs.

You might want to try breating exercises and relaxation techniques and use them regularly to see if they help. There is a free guided imagery exercise that is very relaxing, called Secret Garden, on this site: www.meditainment.com. It says it takes 20 minutes but it doesn't seem that long at all; it's really wonderful. Also, I've purchased CD's from www.wholeperson.com. One, called Warm and Heavy (2 exercises) I like a lot, especially Warm.

A quick fix for me is to take several focused breaths, breathe in to a count of 4 and breathe out to a count of 6. Do this several times then go back to regular breathing. If the tightness and tension come back, repeat.

I hope this helps.