Excessive Yawning and Constant Need to Breathe Deep
Posted , 480 users are following.
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
jametodd59 FlutterbyPie
Posted
i agree! I've been taking amitriptyline for a few days and although my asthma is still a factor, i have felt a lot better. i still have the urge but its less and less each day. i dont knownif its the amitriptyline or its just going away normally but i fell a lot better since taking it. im doing amitriptyline 12.5 mg because i was prescribed 25 mg nightly but i walower nted to start off lower to start.
Cantbreath2254 jametodd59
Posted
yeah all lung issues have been ruled out but i was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue and pots a autonomic nervous system disorder that doctor said the autonomic nervous system disorder is the cause but i just dont know im so fearful its something bad ive lost soo much weight the past 2 years i feel like im withering awau
Cantbreath2254 jametodd59
Posted
im trying to reply the moderator keeps stopping me lol
sarah4336 Cantbreath2254
Posted
I was also diagnosed with mild POTS but I do not believe (and neither does the doctor who diagnosed me) that it's the cause of my shortness of breath since it's not affected by my posture.
Cantbreath2254 FlutterbyPie
Posted
is anyone nearly bed ridden unable to work or drive and everything gets worse with movement
alene28013 FlutterbyPie
Posted
I wanted to update to let everyone know that the Amitriptyline has been helping me. I am up to 15mg each day, and I plan on staying on the 15 mg for another week or so and then going up to the 20 mg per day dose recommended in the article referenced by jerry 67623. I take my dose each night, and it helps me sleep very well. I am a little groggy the next day on the 15 mg dose, which is a change from the 10 mg dose where there was no grogginess. I am hoping this side effect is just temporary. This medication seems to slow down and relax respiration, at least for me, which is very helpful in reducing the symptoms of my chronic hyperventilation. I would say it has improved my symptoms by about 70% so far, and I am hopeful that the target 20 mg dose will help even further. If I have to, I will stay on this medication as long as it continues to be helpful.
Guest alene28013
Posted
So glad it's working for you as well. I can't tell you how good I'm feeling - basically back to normal. I'm going down now - only did 25mg for a week and I'm now on 20mg. Just a word of advice though the other guy on here who recovered as well messaged me and said he did a very slow reduce - he was on 30mg for 6 months and then reduced by 2.5mg every two weeks - otherwise he could feel it coming back (he'd had the issue for a couple of years). He is now off it totally and fully recovered and feels good. I've only had this since mid January this year and started the amitriptyline towards the end of March so I've definitely not had it as long as most people so feel like the 'habit' (obsession) of that deep breath/catching my breath/thinking about my breath wasn't as engrained as most people - I'd say that's why I'm feeling so much better so quickly. Also in that study most of the people hadn't had it for years just months. I 100% think this is something that I created myself - just one moment in time where I couldn't take what I thought was a 'normal breath' that turned into an obsessional habit!! It's probably happened to me a million times before but I've never clung onto it.I can now see clearly there is nothing medically wrong with me and it is something that I am manually doing (and I know because I've had a lung xray, CT scan, spirometry test, every blood test possible, seen a psychologist, a hypnotherapist, a respiratory physio and numerous GP visit). Yesterday I did a spin class - something I have avoided as I thought I wouldn't be able to catch my breath but it was amazing - actually felt even better afterwards with my breathing as your body just breaths has fast and heavily as you need and it was a really good feeling. I am going to monitor how I go reducing down and obviously if I feel it coming back I'll keep taking it but I feel strong enough in my mind now to realise there is nothing actually wrong with me (and in a way I'm grateful that I can actually breath/live/exercise and it's not something serious like lung cancer). I really really hope it helps everyone else as well. I'm going to get off this forum soon as I don't want to keep talking/reading about it and just totally forget it as a period in my life that totally sucked!!! Good luck everyone - stick with it for as long as you need it actually works.
jametodd59 alene28013
Posted
same here. im taking half a 25mg and it does relax my respirations. i can tell its working because i forgot to take it for 2 days and symptoms came back. when i started taking it again i got groggy but only 1 day. im staying where im at mg for about another couple of weeks. i will take it as long as it helps me. does not help me with sleep though which sux because im in desperate need of sleep. im glad to see its working for some of us.
misho68675 Guest
Posted
hi jerry im mot sure if you still on the page
im just checking for un update are u still taking the ametrypylin if not how did u get on when it come to coming off them
and anyone else can update us how they are getting on pls
thsnk you
Guest misho68675
Posted
I'm still here!!! I'm doing really well - I stopped taking it 4 days ago. I was going down 5mg a week (from 25mg) but last week I got down to 10mg and then I wanted to go out and have a few drinks so I just stopped. I was planning on doing 10mg for a week and then 5mg for a week but I ended up doing 10mg for only 2 days and then stopped completely.I had no side effects at all going down - the only thing I've noticed since I stopped totally is a slight headache but I've got up this morning and I'm feeling basically back to normal. I'm feeling good - don't want to jinx myself but would say I'm 99% back to 'normal'. I just find myself now thinking about how I use to feel and that terrible consuming feeling of needing to take that perfect deep breath. That stresses me out a bit thinking that I had it for so long (although I know 5 months is nothing compared to some people). I'm sure after time I'll get past thinking about it as well. I've also gone back to high intensity exercise (spin classes). I think that is really helping as well as when you are out of breath your body just has to breath as it needs to and you realise you are getting enough air without taking that deep breath. I'm sleeping so well also after not sleeping at all!!! I just feel so much better all round and I'm glad to be off all medication and just get my life back to what it was. I really hope it's working for everyone as well as it's worked for me.
misho68675 Guest
Posted
thats great can i ask how long were you taking the ametrypeline and wgat dose did u get up to please
Guest misho68675
Posted
Probably around 2.5 months - I went up to 25mg
misho68675 Guest
Posted
im glad you got sorted thank you so much for your support
Guest misho68675
Posted
No worries! I'm signing off and getting on with my life. Good luck to everyone.
alene28013 Guest
Posted
Best of luck, and thank you for helping us by pointing us in the right direction! I hope your victory over this condition is permanent!
Regards,
Alene
misho68675 alene28013
Posted
hi alene how are u getting on ?
are u still taking the medication ?
and how is your breathing ?
misho68675 Guest
Posted
hi jerry i hope you well !
im just wondering if you still here ?
just wondering how you getiing on without the medication ?
thanm you
alene28013 misho68675
Posted
Hi, yes, I still check this board occasionally. I am still taking the Amitriptyline every day. I currently take 20mg per day. It has helped me, but the breathing condition is still with me. However, because it seems to be helping, I continue to take it as I feel that some help is better than no help. I also now take .5 mg of Klonopin once daily. That is a very small dose. Together with the Amitriptyline, the condition is now at least tolerable. I think in my case, there is probably something actually physically wrong in my respiratory system rather than this being caused by anxiety. That may be why the Amitriptyline hasn't cured me. But like I said, I feel that combined with the Klonopin, I am able to tolerate the condition better. I hope you are doing better as well.
misho68675 alene28013
Posted
hi
im a lot better thank you
up and down i had few great days when i was sleeping well then it come back a bit
so ip and down im taking 25mg at the moment so finger crossed x
misho68675 alene28013
Posted
how is your sleep ?