Excessive Yawning and Constant Need to Breathe Deep

16 years for me! NO ANSWERS OTHER THEN ANXIETY. Never been anxious in my life... GO FIGURE.

16 years? so sorry, do you find that at times it is worst than others ? how to deal with it ?

I Am Dependent on CLONIPIN 1mg TID and it keeps the threshold bearable.

You need to take amitriptyline. It's the only drug that works. I have had this for 3 months non stop and have had an ECG, chest x-ray, CT scan, spirometry test - nothing wrong at all my lungs are 'pristine' apparently. Have seen a hypnotherapist, respitory physio, pyschologist and had numerous GP visits. I read an article about hyperventilation syndrome (which is what I've concluded I've got even though my GP has never heard of it). A constant feeling of not being able to take a deep breath, and then the anxiety that goes with it. I wasn't sleeping and got myself into a cycle of anxiety and thinking about my breathing every minute of the day. The only relief was to yawn or to get that deep breath. Anyway I've been taking 10mg of Endep (amitriptyline) for less than 2 weeks and I feel at least 70-80% better. I definitely feel on top of it. I've been back to the GP this morning and I'm going to up it to 15mg a day just to knock it on its head (I will go up to 20mg if I need to). It is an anti-depressant but an old fashion one (tricyclic - which is what you specifically need for this issue - other anti-depressants like Zoloft or Prozac won't work) that at low doses is used mainly for pain and sleep. It's not really prescribed anymore for depression (and you'd need to be taking a lot bigger dose - starting at maybe 50mg). It does make you sleepy (which is good for me because I was not sleeping at all) but doesn't leave you feeling 'hungover'. Read the link below - I saw myself in every single case. The respiratory physio helped me alot as well - you really don't need to breath much at all - it's very very soft in and out preferably through your nose - so soft I sometimes feel like I'm not breathing enough but I am! The other thing is to stop googling!! Don't google anything about breathing, hyperventilation, amitriptyline etc etc just get on with your life - it's all in your head and the sooner you stop thinking about it the better. Good luck it's a terrible thing to have and I think the sooner you can get on top of it the better.

hi jerry

so is it dipressant ? do you still feel the need to take a deep breath or you manage to get rid of it

It is an anti-depressant but not very often prescribed these days for depression (mostly prescribed for pain or sleep issues). it's been around for years. Plus you'd need to be taking a much higher dose than 10 to 20mg to be using it for depression. For some reason my link seems to have disappeared. Maybe I'm not allowed to post it but I'll try again. If there's no link google "the beneficial effects of oral amitriptyline in anxiety induced hyperventilation syndrome a case series". I'm still taking a deep breath but because I'm not doing it so often I can always take it (and then obviously I'm not getting anxious about it because I can do it). I'm also not getting that intense feeling in my chest to do it. As I said I'm only taking 10mg and it's been under 2 weeks but I definitely feel like I have more control over it. I'm also sleeping 7-8 a night which when I was waking up every 2 hours is an absolute godsend!!

thanks for your reply

im on mertazapine which is not really helping me apart from making me tired all day i may mentioned that to my doctor and see of i can change it over

so i take it its anxiety related ive been told its a vreathinv pattern disorder

Well I think it's a bit of both - anxiety about not breathing properly!! Print out the study and take it to your doctor - that's what I did. Obviously I'm not allowed to put in the link but like I said just google "the beneficial effects of oral amitriptyline in anxiety induced hyperventilation syndrome a case series". It's from a website called "oatext" which is a website where doctors/scientists share papers. I cannot tell you how much better I feel and I'm just getting better every day. Let me know how you go.

thank you jerry so much

will do

hi jerry

sorry to be a pain

did you have a back pain with it or not ?

and thes medication does it make you sleepy in the morning and tired or not ?

thank you

Hi, can I ask which type of doctor prescribed this medication? I'm lucky if I can get doctors around here to even prescribe antibiotics when I need them, much less something like a tricyclic antidepressant. Did you just ask for it and they agreed? Also, does it give you dry mouth? Thanks,

Alene

I printed out the study and took it to my doctor. She was more than happy to prescribe it to me - particularly at 10mg which is a very very low dose. She told me if she was prescribing it for depression she would start at 75mg!! Some people go up to 150mg. She's happy for me to go up to 20mg if I feel I need it. No I've had no side effects at all other than having a great night's sleep!!! I'd say you'd start getting side effects when you are taking those big doses. I feel great and I'm getting better and better each day. At the moment I'm taking 15mg (I'm breaking one in half). She did read the study and sent me for a CT scan and for a spirometry test which is also what each person had had done in the study - she just wanted to make sure that there was nothing wrong (which there wasn't).

No I didn't have back pain and no it doesn't make me sleepy in the morning. I take it about 2 hours before I'm going to bed.

hi jerry hope you well

im just wondering how are you doing now .

did you get rid of the urge to take a deep breath ?

are u still on the same medication

thank you for your help in advance

I've nearly got rid of it!! I'm feeling so much better though. I've gone up to 20mg of amitriptyline and can feel myself getting better every day. Now I just need to stop thinking about it because when I think about it I'm taking a deep breath (through my nose) but I can always do it because I'm not doing it all the time. It's weird because I've never thought about my breathing - maybe I did have to take a deep breath every now and then anyway - maybe everyone does. Previously I'd say I would get the urge every couple of minutes but now I can go hours and then it's only when I stop and think I haven't taken a deep breath that I normally do. I haven't got the strong urge I had before, I'm sleeping so well and feeling great. I can see how when you stop having the urge you'll eventually not focus on it and then hopefully be better. I can't stress enough how much better I am than I was 4 weeks ago, I really feel like this medication is the answer.

thanke for your reply

i still do it sll the time through my nose im struggeling to sleep properly at night i was on omeprazole but they turned me to a zombie

im thinking on trying your tablet and see if they make any diffrent .

i use to have the urge to take deep breath from mouth but its from my nose bust still have to do it all the time

its driving me crazy ...

do u got to work ok ect ...

so what are you taking exactly? 20mg before bedtime daily?

sleeping for me is absolutely miserable! i take xanax before bed but its only good for about 4 hours. Then i wake up and cant go back to sleep. I woke up at 1am the ither morning and had to be at work at 5am and couldnt go back to sleep. Just layed there thinking about crazy stuff to which i think is a side affect of the xanax. i really dont want to take it anymore but i cant sleep at all otherwise.

im getting ready to text my dr. and need to know what to ask for.

You need to take amitriptyline which is a tricyclic anti-depressent. Tricyclic is the key to fixing this. It's only a very low dose so you are not taking it for depression. I started at 10mg and went up to 20mg. I can't describe how much better I feel - almost back to normal. It's been just over 4 weeks since I started taking it. Print out the study and take it to your doctor so they know why you are asking for it. Google

"The beneficial effects of oral amitriptyline in anxiety-induced hyperventilation syndrome; a case series". It's on a website called OATEXT . Good luck - I really hope it works for you.

I'm glad you found something that works for you. I tried amitriptyline for 4 months at 10mg, the first two weeks I noticed some improvements like 40% then it just didn't cure me and after a month I was back to where I started. This is a list of medications I tried since I got this illness 2 years ago without any cure :

Omeprazole

Zantac

Xanax

Klonopin

Gabapentin

Buspirone

Amitriptyline

Mirtazapine

Bupropion

Symbicort

Ventolin

Spiriva

Incruse ellipta

Prednisone

Baclofen

Supplements:

L arginine

L thianine

Ginseng

5htp

Passion flower

Rhodiola rosea

Ginger root

Ashwagandha

Glutamine

Valerian

Gaba

Dhea

Kanna

Tryptophan

NAC

St john's wort

Niacin

Now just imagine what I'm going through on a daily basis!

My god!!! Did you try a higher dose of amitriptyline?? 10mg would be the minimum - the study I'm referring to recommended people go up to 75mg but most people recovered by taking 20mg. I noticed a big difference going from 10mg to 20mg. Probably the same as you - felt about 40-50% better on 10mg but I can honestly say I'm feeling 90-95% better on 20mg. I would have gone higher if I needed to just to get rid of this!! I just did a pump class and had a coffee with a friend and didn't think about my breath or need to take a deep breath the whole time - it is seriously like a miracle for me!

The higher dose I took was 20mg but after few days it started giving me anger issues and agitation, Not to mention the strong sedative effect when waking up in the morning. But it worked great for my anxiety tho ,I'd have take it again now but I can't because I'm on Bupropion and those two should not be mixed. I mean overall It's great old medication but the problem is the higher the dose the more side effects you gonna encounter.

im starting 25 mg at bedtime daily tomorrow

Just some advise, DO NOT start with 25mg if it was your first dosage. It's very sedative and it'll make you dizzy and drowsy the next morning, cut the pill in half.

its weird ive had no side effects at all. my sleep is great and i have no issue in the morning - i take it around 8pm. if its prescribed for depression my doctor starts at 75mg and goes up to 150mg!!! id think thats where you'd start having side effects. maybe start at 10mg for a week, then go to 15mg (break one in half) and then go to 20mg. thats what i did and i was fine.

dr. prescribed me 25mg at bedtime daily

hi jerry

any update please on how you getting on with your new tablet ...

are u still taking deep breath ?

Hi Jerry, i am started 10mg yesterday. today i feel drownsiness, keep want to sleep and feeling tired. I hope it works well for me.

after reading Jerrys post i planned on starting with half a pill then gradually moving up. please keep us posted on your progress. id also like to invite you to visit the group i made from this thread. search for the title of this thread on facebook as ive been tryimg to help them out too.

Are you taking it before you go to bed. I take it at around 8pm and then go to bed around 10.30pm. I sleep through until 6:30am - 7:30am depending on what time I need to wake up. I don't feel any drowsiness at all just like I've had a great nights sleep. I do a lot of walking as I have a very energetic dog and a job so I just have to get up and get to it I don't ever think I feel tired. I'm feeling so good - I now just need to get over the phobia of having this condition. I read it that report it took about 4 week weeks for people to feel better and another month to get over the phobia of it. I would say I'm 95% cured of the "urge" to deep breath constantly but I'm still thinking about it quite often (which is understandable after dealing with it for nearly 5 months every day) even though I'm not doing it.I do think though that the longer I don't have to do it I will calm down and just forget that I need to be thinking about my breathing. I really hope it works for you all - it really has been a lifesaver for me.

I just got a prescription today for 1 to 3 10 mg tablets 1 hour before bedtime. I had to go to a psychiatrist 40 minutes away to get a prescription. I am excited to try it. I plan on starting with one 10 mg tablet, and then waiting a week before trying 15 mg. One thing to understand about this medication is that if you are already taking another antidepressant that is an ssri or snri, there is a small chance of developing something called serotonin syndrome. The psychiatrist I saw wasn't very concerned about it occurring with such a low dose, but apparently it still can. ( I already take an ssri called Trintellix). So you have to be aware of the symptoms of serotonin syndrome, and seek medical attention if it occurs. I hope to be back here reporting progress after I have given the medication a chance to work.

i asked my dr. for the 25mg right off the bat. idk what i was thinking. i cut it in half for now then ill up the dose as i go if needed. please everyone who is taking this stay updated.

Would you make the group private? It's inconvenient to share our personal health issues in public in my opinion.

I really hope it works for you. I cannot tell you what a relief it is to find something that is working. I'm just feeling better and better every day. Went to the doctor yesterday and she's really happy with how I'm going. Was going to prescribe me the 25mg tablets but I think I've got it under control at 20mg so I'm going to stick with that. As I said before I've lost the constant urge to take a deep breath but I've still got the 'anxiety' and catching myself thinking about it. Yesterday and today though I've been able to think about it and not do it and then get distracted and forget about it. Makes me realise it is really in my head and a habit that I've created - a vicious cycle and constant loop of breathing/overthinking/anxiety/breathing again. I'm really hoping that over the next month as I don't need to breath deep I forget about the whole thing and the anxiety will go. There is another guy on here who's fully recovered using amitriptyline - his user name is Austin11. Sounds like he tried everything (he says $50,000 worth of treatment) and it wasn't until he went to the Mayo Clinic and they prescribed him amitriptyline that he recovered. He's now stopped taking it all together and is back to normal. He was on 30mg.

TRIED all them plus a few more! 16 years plus now! I even got a cardiac cath done when my doctors said it wasn't warranted. I am currently dependent on Klonopin 1mg TID but it keeps me from freaking out from lack of oxygen. I wish someone would do a study because its obviously a bigger problem then first thought.

did you try amitriptyline specifically?

I Believe the brand name is ELAVIL. The next visit with my med manager, i will certainly check. Im so glad there are so many people researching this problem with their own trials and brave enough to post them. We are helping each other more then any doctor has tried. They dont want to put in the work. You have anxiety period! really? thanks...

last night was my first night taking it. just the good night sleep alone was great. my breathing aint bad either but i have times when its ok and times when its horrible so its hard to tell. it definitely all in your head. im asthmatic and the anxiety of being able to catch my breath is a big thing with me. im gonna keep trying the med i just have to figure out how to do that and work at 4am. im glad were all working together. dr.s dont want to do anything. thankfully my dr. is someone ive worked with for a few years and he pretty much lets me try whatever i think would help my issue. i keep in touch. and no my fb group is not private but either is this thread and its helped out so many people.

how long till the amitriptyline started working? tonight is my second night taking it and last nights sleep was great but today i still have the constant urge to catch my breath. i realize it may take awhile ti kick in for other things even though the sleep was immediately. just want a time line on what to expect.

Yeah this illness is driving me crazy.

My situation is way more complicated, I have Bicuspid aortic valve with mild mitral and aortic regurgitation! last time I did Echo, Ekg, and Holter monitor the doctor said the shortness of breath is not related. Now I'm trying to find a doctor who deals and knows about vocal cord dysfunction, some guys here was diagnosed with that, it might be the case.

Just question,,, did anyone here smoke cigarettes or took yohimbe before?

I'm probably in week 5 now and only in the last week I have I started to feel in control of it. I did feel a bit better though within 48 hours but it could have just been that I was sleeping. Having a bad day the day after you've started would have to be something to do with anxiety - hoping that it works etc. Stick with it I'm sure it will get better. I'm find the hardest part now is the anxiety of it - I'm sure if I could forget about it I'd be cured because I really don't feel the urge anymore. I also feel that because I haven't got that terrible feeling anymore of having to take a deep breath/catch my breath etc that I'm now the one in control and have been saying to myself to bring it on because I can deal with it!! It seems to be working in reducing the anxiety about it - facing it head on.

for some reason the first night i took it, it made me sleepy. but i was also exhausted from a 14hr day at work. then last night i took it and maybe 4 hours of sleep. im gonna keep taking it to give it a chance. i just need some sleep badly. my wife thought maybe Ambien but i haven't researched if i can take that with amitriptyline yet. so idk

hi jerry

im wondering how you getting on with the new medecine and have you still got the urge to take a deep breath

by the way during the day do you have a headache ?

Maybe it's the stress of taking a new medication and the expectation for it to work that is causing your sleep issues. Maybe you could take more? I have never taken a pill in my life until now but I'm glad I did. I cannot stress enough how much better I am feeling - I am basically back to normal (except for the memory of having this for such a long time). I really hope you can stick with it and it works as well for you.misho68675 no I don't have a headache during the day.

whay im worried about is i drink alcohol every now and then and im told amitriptyline doesnt mix well with alcohol. but the people ive seen were taking like 50mg or higher.

It's hard to say, because it seems like almost every prescription medication these days comes with a warning not to use alcohol while taking it. It's like a standard warning that they issue maybe for legal reasons....I would be surprised if a minimum dose of 10 mg would react with an occasional drink, but if you personally know people who take it and have had bad reactions when they drink alcohol, I would be cautious. Maybe you could skip the pill on evenings when you have had alcohol?

I'm the same - I like a drink every now and then but I don't drink every day. I had a big night out the other week and it really messed me up for a couple of days so I've decided I'm not drinking until I'm off these tablets. Don't know if it was the tablets or just the fact that I drank a fair bit but I didn't sleep very well for a couple of nights and it took me days to recover. I'm not planning on staying on these long-term. I'm thinking I'm going to give it another couple of weeks and then I'm going to start going the other way with them - down. I'm taking 20mg at the moment and will start doing 15mg again for a week and then 10mg etc etc. From what I understand once your midn is 'reset' you don't need to stay on them.

i agree. I'm the same as you. i don't want to be on these pills forever and i will start lowering my dose as soon as possible. idl taking medicine and to be stuck on one meds makes me feel helpless. i do drink with my wofe once a week and o skipped my amitriptyline for that night.