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Please help !! Constant urge to take a deep breath or yawn for over 10 months!!

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louise55470
louise55470

Okay. Short history. I have had health anxiety for about 5 years now. I am a 19 year old male who is otherwise pretty healthy. 10 months agp, around February-March I began having this sensation in my throat/chest area that was only relieved when i was able to get a good deep breath or yawn. The issue is that this breath or yawn isn't always satisfying so I am  constantly taking a deep breath or yawning. I had this issue when I was younger though it went away instantly, this time however it has stuck around and I am in fear that its here to permanently stay. The last 10 months have been absolutely horrible. Some days are better than others, there are times where i don't feel the issue (at the gym, when out with friends). But for the past 3 weeks it has been absolutely unbearable. i feel embarrassed when outside as i think people are often judging my deep breathing. My job requires me to talk on the phone for 6 hours so you can imagine how unbearable this feeling is. I just need advice/help.Anyone out there who has gone through this or is going through it what helps? Will it ever stop? This issue is bringing my spirits very down as i feel that i will be having to deal with this for the restof my life. Please help me get my quality of life back!!

1 like, 140 replies

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  • kimberly0
    kimberly0 louise55470

    Posted

    Hello my name is Kimberly and I've been having this issue for almost 2 years now. I'm a 32 year old female with a history of heavy drinking. I was terrified I may have heart problems from the drinking even though I have had multiple EKG done during trips to the Dr for this reason. I always get told its anxiety or they don't know! $1,000. We bill for them to tell me they don't know! Anyway I finally got insurance through my job and I'm gonna have a heart and lung scan to rule out anything more serious.

    • dom70806
      dom70806 kimberly0

      Posted

      This is EXACTLY what I am experiencing.  Had a few too many one night, felt bad and racing heart pretty much ever since. A week or two in I would be dizzy in the mornings, short of breath the afternoons. Well now for almost two months I’m short of breath, gasping and yawning for a deep breath every 20-30 seconds and my life has  become dark and miserable. Had stress test and EKG all normal except elevated heart rate, which I wake to every day.

      I’m sick thinking I have to live the rest of my life like this, nothing works including meds or inhaler, I’m so frustrated just like you! 

  • alan_03355
    alan_03355 louise55470

    Edited

    Hi louise55470,

    I'm glad I'm not alone suffering from this problem. How are you feeling today? Have you received any medical help? It's been a few months now where I literally end up having panic attacks over this. I suddenly start getting the urge to yawn and cannot complete them. I also get the same feeling of needing to get a good satisfying deep breath. The deep breaths I can control and I do end up getting them. However, the yawing is terrible for hours on end. I feel this is chronic and that I will never be able to yawn normally again. I keep getting the urge and then it goes away half way into the yawn. It's terrible and I don't know what's causing it. My doctor simply dismissed it as anxiety which can trigger these feelings that are apparently fake. It doesn't seem to bother me when I am engaged in doing something that takes my mind off of it. But as soon as I'm relaxing or not thinking of anything it comes back. It's like it's controlling my life and preventing me from living and doing the things I normally enjoy. Believe me, I know exactly what you're feeling. I think only those who are living this can be each others doctors. I can't seem to find a fix for this and keep hoping it will eventually subside. I'm actually due for an MRI soon. I wonder if that can tell anything from that if it's even related to a possible medical condition. I also completed my annual physical and everything came back normal (chest x-ray, blood work, EKG and stress test). I would love to hear how you're doing and perhaps we can help each other.  

    • louise55470
      louise55470 alan_03355

      Posted

      Wish I could be writing this message saying how much better I am doing but that’s not the case. The symptom has continued to be an issue and has even increased in intensity the past 2-3 months. I honestly have gotten to the point where I don’t want to step outside because of fear of this symptom it feels so bad and is so embarrassing. Recently even sleep has became an issue. Anyway I have not gotten any medical checkups done however I am seeing a therapist, have been for about a month now, for anxiety. Next week I will be starting some anxiety medication and hopefully that will help me with this because it is so hard to try to balance school, work, and a social life with this horrible symptom that nobody has an answer to. Just my update, the fight continues, wish you the best. 
    • altafhuss33157
      altafhuss33157 alan_03355

      Posted

      im facing the same problem, mine started about a week ago, i do nangs if u know what that is, its the cream charger u blow and inhale thru ballon, im guessing that might be the case causing this problem, do u do nangs too by any chance?

      its the wront feeling, feeling this way, it really is controller over my life...

      my doctor also said that it could be cause of anxiety but i dont think thats the case at all, whenever i think about it, it just comes back, really need some help plz

  • alan_03355
    alan_03355 louise55470

    Edited

    So I think I’m finally breaking this vicious cycle of horrible symptoms we’re experiencing. It’s not the meds! My dr. prescribed Lexapro and Xanax and they didn’t do anything for me specifically. It has helped others but everybody response differently I guess. Yesterday I woke up feeling a panic attack coming on again and not being able to take a deep breath. I immediately resisted the attack and told myself this is not real. I’m in good health and there should be no reason for this to happen all the time. I’m starting to realize that I think this whole thing (like you) is just one big psychological obsession and our brains are literally believing we actually have a problem. Have you ever stared at a picture for too long? Notice how you start obsessing with it and start seeing different things you would have normally not seen by simply taking a quick look. The same thing is happening here. We’re so scared and so obsessed that we are forgetting the reality that there’s really nothing wrong. I proved it to myself when I started feeing this symptom again. I started working on something in the laundry room and realized that I yawned without even realizing it.  I was literally stopping myself from yawning every time I felt the need to. I wanted to yawn so badly to feel the satisfaction that I ended up doing the opposite. You know the good old trick with kids…..they always say to use reverse psychology. 😊 It actually works on ourselves even as adults. As soon as I started realizing that this may all be one big ridiculous obsession, I’m noticing I can deep breaths and yawn a little normally again. I’m starting to prove to myself that I created my own problem and symptom! Nothing ever happened to me. I allowed a really scaring thing to freak me out and make me worry every single day. I don’t know if my solution will help you but just keep telling yourself this is fake. Try really hard to ignore it when you feel the onset. I know it easier said then done but I really think it’s the only way out. Does it happen when you are sleeping? If not then there is a small proof that there’s nothing wrong. Why does it only happen when you’re awake and thinking about it right? On goes the fight…..!!! We’ll get through this.

    • louise55470
      louise55470 alan_03355

      Edited

      Man I wish I was as strong minded as you. Even when I tell myself it’s in my head I cannot ignore the urge, my throat gets tight to the point where I feel like I’m gonna suffocate and then I begin to breathe very shallow or get lightheaded. I am living in constant fear and it’s very upsetting. It doesn’t help that when I check forums of other people who speak of this they’ve had no cure for decades, which scares me. I’m only 20, supposed to be living life right now but instead struggling through this. I see my psychiatrist tomorrow, I didn’t want it to get to the point where medication was needed but these last few months have been horrible so this is my last resort. Hopefully some meds will do the trick, not cure me of course, but just make it easier to deal with so I can get to the bottom of this
    • jesse73639
      jesse73639 alan_03355

      Posted

      thank for this. after i lot of confusion for a very long time im starting to realize this is the case for me. the thing is, my BODY doesnt fully realize it yet . my BODY still wants to take these deep breaths every minute even though my mind knows its uneeded. im hoping that now that i realize its all something i have created out of bad habits, this flight or fight mode my body is stuck in will eventually go away. i think this is just anxiety induced bad habitual breathing patterns that got too deeply ingrained into our body.

    • iKoshee
      iKoshee alan_03355

      Posted

      Yep, I think we don't even have it when we're not thinking about it. I noticed in the morning when I wake I don't have this feeling for several seconds and then it builds up. We're totally triggering it by thinking about it.

    • Huzi10
      Huzi10 louise55470

      Edited

      I made an account just to reply to this. I had suffered from this for 7 months. I cannot tell you how long it will last but i can assure you it WILL heal. And its really really important to understand one thing. Nothing is wrong with your anxiety or brain. Its happening due to your stomach. Its because of a condition called acid reflux where your stomach acid backs up in your esophagus and damages it.I can totally understand your feeling where you feel like you arent getting that oxygen to your lungs and then after every 4 or 5 tries you get that satisfaction. Its due to damaged esophagus. Its treatment is to take omeprazole 40mg for two weeks straight. The exact dosage will be told by your doctor. Hope this helps 😃

    • lesa719
      lesa719 Huzi10

      Posted

      Hi Thank you for posting this and giving some light into this situation. I am also experiencing this for 7 months all day every-day. It has been a complete nightmare. I have had all tests done my lungs, heart bloodwork and everything came back normal and they dismissed it as anxiety. I just made an appointment with a gastro. Question? did you suffer with this feeling all day or just on occasion did i give you bad anxiety as well? Also, did they diagnose you with acid reflux just from the not breathing correctly what other tests did your doc perform? Thank you so much for you help

    • denis78343
      denis78343 louise55470

      Posted

      Hi louise,

      how are you feeling now? I have this feeling also. Mine is just the urge to take a deep breath all the time which is annoying and makes me worry because I am a person that goes gym and does cardio 5 times a week. however I am not sure I get this yawning experience. And yes I understand the feeling of not knowing what it is. I had my ECG , bloods, chest scans done twice and all said normal. I then asked doctor again that I was worried. They sent me to do a Echo scan of my heart . Once again all normal. Doctor pointed yo anxiety which I was not 100% agreeing as I wasn't anxious about stuff but I am anxious about my health problems and something being wrong with me - could this really be trigging it? I have tried meditation and breathing exercises, it does help for a short period of time but then comes back again. Its good to hear that I am not alone and there are others out there. Have you had any news or luck , as it has been a few months since you posted?

    • denis78343
      denis78343 alan_03355

      Posted

      Hi Alan, Hi all,

      Great post and awesome that you are managing it. How has it been so far? Have you managed to get rid of it with your mindset?

      I have been reading that CBD can reduce anxiety. Has anyone tried and had any luck with this? Would rather try the natural way before attempting the heavy meds for anxiety. Also, what is the downside of taking anxiety medication?

    • jo8476153
      jo8476153 Huzi10

      Posted

      Hi @Huzi10,

      I have Gerd, haitus hernia. and urge to breath drives me crazy. I took before Nexium 40 for a month but felt no diff knowing that i never change my diet or habits .

      Do u think having omprazol alone would make a different ? and will i feel improvement within two weeks ?

    • john66183
      john66183 alan_03355

      Posted

      Reading this helped me calm down a bit as i am going through this exact same situation and have no idea how to deal with it. thank you for raking your time out of your day to right this. i believe this type of situation if a mind OCD on the body.

    • keith01451
      keith01451 alan_03355

      Posted

      Hello Alan,

      I believe that I have something similar. how are you doing with it now?

      Keith

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