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Excessive Yawning and Constant Need to Breathe Deep

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FlutterbyPie
FlutterbyPie

For the past few days, I've been yawning a lot, much more than average (once every few minutes I feel the need). If I'm not yawning I'm breathing in as deep as I can to get similar "satisfaction". Often I cannot get the "satisfaction" from these and so the urge grows and grows, meaning it can get quite uncomfortable. When I do manage it, the urge is back a few seconds later. This is whether I'm tired or not, almost all day. 

I'm not particularly anxious about anything in particular, and get the same amount of sleep as before this started. 

This also happened at some point within the past year which continued for a month or two if I remember correctly. 

Does anyone have any idea what it is or how to make it a bit better? 

Thanks.

27 likes, 1426 replies

1426 Replies

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  • maribel_37918
    maribel_37918 FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    Do you ever get lightheaded or a headache? And do u notice your heart beating a little faster ?
    • maribel_37918
      maribel_37918 john01128

      Posted

      Hyperventilating is usually fast breathing I am not breathing fast my heart is going a little faster than usually though.
  • jasmine99182
    jasmine99182 FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    i’ve had a really thorough doctor trying to figure out what this is and so far she’s ruled out anemia, asthma (she thinks i have it anyway but it’s not the cause of this problem), anxiety, i had a chest x ray and nothing concerning came up in my lungs or anything, i’ve had an ecg which came up as fine but because it’s only a snapshot she won’t completely rule it out, and is going to send me to a cardiologist, and have another blood test for an iron deficiency (i’ve had about 5 blood tests already and they’ve all come up clear). she found yesterday i have a very low blood pressure of 78 over 60 which she said could be linked to it but she’s not sure, but because the heart and lungs work so closely together it’s hard to be sure which one has the problem, but she’s going down the route of a heart problem at moment. 
  • Nate.k
    Nate.k FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    Before I start, sorry for my bad English.

    I'm 32 male (smoker)... Even though my situation is more complicated than you all but I think the problem we are having is Stress and Anxiety related symptoms ! I've been struggling with depression for the past few years after some sad events that occurred in my life. However my situation is complicated because after I started having the shortness of breath, I was diagnosed with mild to moderate aortic regurgitation, and they found 3mm nodule in my lung in the CT scan, that was last year, since then I didn't go to any follow up appointments because I didn't have health insurance! I might go this year. However my previous family doctor thinks it's related to anxiety and stress,same with my current doctor. I took .25xanax for couple weeks only on two separate occasions and I felt better, not 100% cured but I saw about 40% improvement in just couple of weeks on a low dosage. But you don't feel the improvement right away, you have to be patient. And since benzo is addictive and a horrible drug from what I read and heard, I refuse to take it for longer time. And after a long reading and research I asked the doctor to put me on Buspirone but I didn't help me at all, I asked the doctor again to put me on Amitriptyline, it's been almost 11 days and I'm seeing some improvement like 15% improvement. The things I noticed from this illness 1: it gets worse in stressful situations and during the day especially when I'm at work, 2: I feel a little bit better when I'm home relaxing at the end of the day , 3: I breathe better the next day after a heavy night of drinking. 'I only drink socially on a Saturday night' anyway this lead me to think that the stress and the anxiety is causing some bad influence on the nerves system, I don't know how though. Some folks here saying that they're stress and anxiety free, but you don't know that? Maybe just a little stress that you're not even aware of is affecting your system, your system might be way more sensitive than others! I'll keep you updated on how the Amitriptyline is working. Best luck for you guys, I really feel you, this illness is driving me crazy too.

  • edwin_44030
    edwin_44030 FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    Hi I’ve been dealing with the exact same thing for 3 years now and it’s been devastating for me please if you found a solution of something to help with please email me I would really appreciate it as this has taken over my life. My email is

    Moderator comment: I have removed the email address as we do not publish these in the forums. If users wish to exchange contact details please use the Private Message service.

  • Guest
    Guest FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    I signed up just to reply to all those the who cannot resolve this.

    I started having this breath and yawning thing and it got me terrified the first time. People and doctors said it's anxiety.

    Well,it's not! Turns out this is very common in vitamin D deficiency. I would advise people get bloodwork to check D3,magnesium and calcium. It seems this deficiency is very common and doctors miss it.

    Also, in my case, I took a talcid pill (luke tums) and managed to get proper sleep after a long time. I've started taking supplements and will try to find out what is causing extra acidity in my stomach. Don't believe those diagnosing anxiety right away unless you have ruled out every other physical cause. I would never have imagined it's because of a deficiency had my healthcare professional friend not told me to check.

    • Guest
      Guest Elle457

      Posted

      Yes, Talcid makes the symptoms stop. I just started taking supplements, so I will get back to you with whether it's better without the pills. Two of my friends have had this symptom and thank God I asked them as I thought I was never going to get rid of it. For them it stopped after a few months of taking supplements for D and magnesium, and upping their calcium intake.

      It may not be the same for everyone, and a deficiency may not be the only thing that causes it. But there are pathological causes, so there is hope to treat it!!

  • deborah51289
    deborah51289 FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    I don't think it is Vitamin D... I am on it for my arthritis and I have the need for air that is worse when it is cold outside and hot.. when it is neither extreme cold or hot I breath better but get winded faster. I did the cardiologist and he did put me on two heart meds to slow my heart rate down and bring my blood pressure down, but it did not solve it, he thinks it is from pain (I suffer from chronic pain) I don't .. I have had my asthma checked (on two puffers) and it is doing well... I am going to bug my doc to check out my diaphragm.. I read where it can cause issue and that is what I think I have... I do not suffer anxiety, my life is good except for this (I am use to the pain so no don't even) but I want to be able to walk without issue this summer 

  • omar41760
    omar41760 FlutterbyPie

    Posted

    First time I had shortness of Air I was walking to the Gym when I litterally gasp for air. I was a heavy smoker for years. I stopped the smoke and the drugs. After all that I had problems with Shortness of air on and off for 15 years now. It’s chronic now. I’ve taken Xanax but got addicted to them so I stopped. Got on Zoloft and help way better. Stop taking them because I felt it was time to get off them. It came back again. I workout I feel shortness of air, I eat different foods and shortness of air. I have a Alcohol drink and I start panaking. My right nose is clugged up! I guess it’s Anxiety, Allergies, stress 
    • edwin_44030
      edwin_44030 omar41760

      Posted

      Omar I heard Zoloft is good for anxiety and depression. But did it help your gasping for air? I have to gasp for air every few minutes I do it at least 200 times a day and when I don’t feel like I got a good breath my anxiety starts to come on. Is this how you felt? Did Zoloft help you with these symptoms? I heard Zoloft makes your anxiety even stronger the first couple of weeks and then after it gets rid of anxiety is his true? 
    • omar41760
      omar41760 edwin_44030

      Posted

      Yes it helped. I takes a couple of days for it to start working. I was on it for 6 months. When I got off from it I cut the dose to half and little by little I stopped completely because if you all of the sudden stop you will be off balance. It helped me for 3 years and then I got on it again. So on and off. See before all this happened I didn’t know what it was so I would run to the Hospital and all they would say is your ok it’s all in your mind. I’ve done it all. Blood work, stress test,  asthma and everything is ok. I don’t want to get back on Meds. 
    • edwin_44030
      edwin_44030 omar41760

      Posted

      I see I’m in the same situation I can’t travlel or drive anywhere that’s far because I get short of breath and it gradually increases to me haveing a panic attack and it sucks it’s the worst feeling in the world I have to drive to the hospital but why do you want to get of Zoloft if it’s helped you? See my question is did Zoloft completely get rid of that gasping for air every few minutes? Are you breathing Normal now not deep breathing or gasping for air every few minutes? And another question why do you want to get off it? Is there bad side effects that you are having? 
    • omar41760
      omar41760 edwin_44030

      Posted

      I stopped Zoloft because I said to myself I didn’t want to be on it anymore. Yes it helped but I was just tired of taking them. Some days I would just forget to take them. Yes it helped me. But i don’t want to take them for life even though they helped. Yes I was like that before. I would drive and had to pull over because I would start panacing and in several occasions I had to call the Ambulance because I thought I was gonna pass out. See I never got Diagnose with Anxiety they Dr said it was it. I’ve notice now that my right  nostril cluggs up most of the time so that doesn’t let me breathe right. I gain a bit of weight eating junk food. So now I kinda know what triggers it. But sometimes I just can’t help it.... it beats me up 
    • omar41760
      omar41760 edwin_44030

      Posted

      I gasp for air when I’m under pressure. For instance today I gasp for air. I play handball indoors after 10 minutes of running around in court I had to get out because I couldn’t breathe. Before I got there I was fine. So came home my brother had to drive. I got home and  concentrated on my breathing and everything was fine 
    • edwin_44030
      edwin_44030 omar41760

      Posted

      I understand what you are saying a few years ago I was on fluoxetine( I still em now) and I was taking it for a year and finally stopped taking it. I was fine for a bout a year I would still gasp for air and have anxiety and feel panicky but I controlled it. Then after a year it came back and I’m on fluoxetine again and I tried to get off it again but in a few weeks it came back again so I’m on it again now. I honestly just want to find something that will get rid of my gasping for air and deep breathing, as long as that goes away and my anxiety I’ll be fine so if Zoloft will help me I will give it a try. I have suffered for 4 years now with this and If I can live a normal life and travel and drive far with out any problems that’s all I really want, I want to live life and not let this control me.
    • omar41760
      omar41760 edwin_44030

      Posted

      I know what your saying. I couldn’t go out of town or drive long distance because I was scared of the attacks. I fly now and drive. But there’s times I get them because I start thinking what if I get it will driving again or on the airplane and I don’t want people looking at me while I’m going thru that because it throws me off my  concentration  
    • john01128
      john01128 edwin_44030

      Posted

      I have been struggling with this air-hunger for 15 years now! SSRIs don’t work! Save yourself the side effects...I’m an RN and very astute to my body. I can’t figure it out? They say anxiety and now I’m hooked on benzodiazepines. I needed klonopin 1mg QID and now have it in half to BID.  But, I still need them daily because it never goes away! I wish that someone could form a study! I would be very willing... 15 years! 
    • edwin_44030
      edwin_44030 john01128

      Posted

      What’s ssri’s? And yeah I’m not sure what it can be I have a doctors appointment wendsday and I’m not sure what to do but I’m going to pressure him to find a solution 
    • deborah51289
      deborah51289 omar41760

      Posted

      I was not a heavy smoker, but I did smoke for years.. started when I was ten and stopped when I was forty. I smoked anywhere from five to twelve a day. I stopped because I put a tooth through my sinus cavity (yup it hurt) and the dental surgeon said there was no sense of fixing it if I smoked.. as soon as I sucked it would suck the patch out, so I stopped... after I stopped my asthma took a turn for the worse (always joked should start again I do better smoking ), my heart got worse smoking and now this struggling for air thing started .. I wonder if all this has to do with stopping smoking???? I know when I smoked I use to take many deep breaths a day to inhale the smoke and find I breath differently now and I try and remind myself to breath in deep but find I have a really hard time doing so. Kinda freaks me out. 
    • john01128
      john01128 edwin_44030

      Posted

      SSRI are all anti-depressive drugs! They don’t help with anxiety or this air-hunger problem. I tried about 30 different kind! Same NO result.  I have been to al specialist! Cardiologist, pulmonologist, psychiatrist, nobody cares Edwin. It’s unfortunate, but the second you walk out the office, you’re forgotten about until next time. You are a co-pay.  Anxiety is what they all say! Yes, I have anxiety because I can’t breath! That would make anyone anxious...
    • omar41760
      omar41760 john01128

      Posted

      Can you breathe right thru your nose? Since your an Rn do you get enough rest?  I kinda know when I’m gonna start all that Yawning and all gasping for air! If I had a long day and don’t get rest and jump right in to working out. Our minds and body are crazy wild....
    • john01128
      john01128 omar41760

      Posted

      I sleep very good and at least 7 hours every night. I can feel it come on as well... I starts with yawning! Then it progresses to shortness of breath. It’s a vicious cycle! 
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