Madonna: 'I have panic attacks on stage'

Madonna has claimed that she often suffers from panic attacks and feels claustrophobic when performing on stage.

The veteran musician said that although there are times she feels "invincible" in front of audiences, there are other occasions where she has felt like she "might just die".

She told Dazed & Confused: "I have moments where I feel incredibly invincible and know that I have the audience in my hand - I know that everything is absolutely perfect.

"And then I have panic attacks where I feel like everyone is breathing my air and I cannot live up to everybody’s expectations and I might just die on stage."

Talking about how she overcomes her problems, the singer added: "I normally try to turn my back to the audience, take a deep breath and remind myself that it’s all temporary.

"I’m not worried about f***ing up - I really have a panic attack that everyone else is breathing my air. It’s hard to describe.

"When you have panic attacks you cannot rationalise them. Obviously there’s enough oxygen for me but it never happens outdoors, it’s normally in indoor sports arenas that feel very close when suddenly I feel claustrophobic. It’s not a fear of performing."

Hard Candy, Madonna's 11th studio album, is released in April.

> Click here for an album-by-album look at Madonna's career