Heavy breathing when out of enclosure- trauma?

My snake is extremely skittish- almosst the most skittish BP I've ever held, including hatchlings. (He's almost 2) He wasn't socialized with humans at all in his old home; I got him from someone who no longer wanted to have him. He no longer strikes or hisses and is quite docile when handled, but at times he will breathe very hard. He had a respiratory infection awhile ago and was prescribed oral antibiotics, so I'm wondering if he still associates being handled with something very unpleasant. He was already kind of a nervous wreck when I got him and I hate to think I contributed at all. :( I gently handle him once in awhile now but otherwise he's left alone. (The sweater photo in my avatar was taken for a friend and it was very brief)

Does anyone else have a snake who seems to hyperventilate sometimes when being handled? I really hope I haven't traumatized him for good. I haven't found a definite answer for snake memory even on this forum, but goldfish have about a 3 month (not second!) memory, so it seems like he'd have at least that.

For what it's worth, the ambient temp is 83, the warm side is 89, and humidity is ~60.

In short- is this at all normal? If not, is he okay?

It's normal for a snake who is nervous... Maybe 50% of the time when I take out my BP's to handle, they'll breathe harder for a few minutes, but they don't pose or react in any other way. Some snakes are more chill, some are more skittish- his previous experiences may not necessarily even be a big factor anymore, but just personality.

i have a few that are skittish. for example, my Black Pastel Champagne girl used to always strike when she was a baby. she's still poised to do so whenever i open her enclosure and hisses but doesn't strike. she just bluffs. she's stiff when i pick her up, breathes heavily/hyperventilates but eventually relaxes and explores. she's also very headshy. i held her more as a baby and handle her probably weekly now. maybe she will grow out of it, but i've accepted the fact that some BP's are just nervous nellies or jerks. as long as the BP is healthy and thriving, i wouldn't worry to much about their personality.