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
juancarlospdz FlutterbyPie
Posted
Same thing here. It started a couple of months ago and it won't go. Breathing like I was used to is no longer satisfactory, I have to get a deep breath until reaching the "top", and then I feel satisfied and can be like this for a couple of minutes. It's like something moves and it stays OK until I have to do it again. It is getting on my nerves and don't know what to do. A physician checked my lungs and told me I have a lot of air capacity, but it's not a lung related problem. I think something's wrong in my diaphragm, because once I reach the peak of breathing, it moves in certain way that it can stay OK without symptoms. Has anyone figured out what can be the cause of this? I was thinking of doing Yoga and learn how to breathe better and take more control of my diaphragm. This is making me nuts and I can't figure out a solution at the moment. Thanks to everyone that want to help us.
silentboy juancarlospdz
Posted
Yoga is a complete waste of time. It will not help at all. We have to find real cause of this problem and cure for it. For this we have to do funding and start scientific research on it. Please all people get united and start campaign to get funding and research for this.
toula juancarlospdz
Posted
I have had difficulty taking a full satisfying deep breath since August of 2015. This all began suddenly after wearing a dress all day at work that hugged my ribs tightly. I experienced a strange physical sensation in my lower abdomen when I took it off that night and felt like I was still wearing it. I have not been able to breath the same since. Some days are worse than others, and it is often worse after eating or if I am bloated. My symptoms include:
-inability to take a full satisfying deep breath, CONSTANT YAWNING but never a satisfying full yawn
-weakened abdominal muscles
-severe tightness around my rib cage
-discomfort in any clothing around my abdomen and rib cage
-nausea
-occasionally a slight fluttering sensation/spasm in my diaphragm.
I have been to several doctors (pulmonologist, GI specialist, neurologists, chiropractor, my primary care doctor, the ER a couple of times, etc.) who were unable to help me at all and after doing some research on my own, I began exploring the possibility of a diaphragm issue and/or phrenic nerve issue. I went to a specialist and was told that I had limited diaphragmatic movement, but my phrenic nerve is functioning so he couldn't help me either.
I feel like a crazy person telling people that I haven't been able to take a deep breath for years and that doctors always come back with clean results every time i am tested for something. I am frustrated beyond belief. My abdominal muscles are abnormally weak, I cannot wear fitted clothing comfortably, and even loose clothing or a bra affects my breathing. The inability to take a deep belly breath is constant. I work all day with my pants unbuttoned when I’m not in a meeting, and I still feel like my ribs are being hugged by something. Some days are worse than others, and it’s often worse after I eat. It has caused panic attacks, lack of sleep, anxiety, and I don’t know what to do.
I go through periods of time where I give up and feel like it's hopeless, but after reading a few messages today I figured if nothing more, at least it's helpful to hear others express
the same frustrations and find some support.
juancarlospdz FlutterbyPie
Posted
Has anyone find out any solution to this?
rita88199 juancarlospdz
Posted
it seems like our breathing pattern is out of whack due to anxiety and the problem is it got adapted this way. we probably need to get it back to normal again by retrain ourselves to breathe in a different way... what i also noticed is this breathing pattern triggers anxiety and anxiety triggers it back its a vicious cycle that we need to break
juancarlospdz FlutterbyPie
Posted
Thanks to everyone for their answers I find myself a little less lonely with the support of all of you. I really can't understand what's wrong with us, and why we are feeling this way. I really feel like there is something I'm moving each time I breathe deeply.. and like I move it to the right position, until it comes back again to the wrong position in which I have to breathe deeply again to put it back in place. I know we sound crazy, but it's the way we're feeling. I really don't want to spend more days and nights in ER waiting for someone which can discover what's wrong. IF anyone has gone to the ER and discovered the root of the problem please share it with all of us. Thank you and the best of luck for everyone.
jenna1989 FlutterbyPie
Posted
I have been strugglign with these symptoms for 1 year. I'm an extremely healthy 29 year old, I'm a competitive athelete and eat extremely healthy so I always found these symptoms baffling. I finally went to the doctor today, and almost cried when i explained my symptoms and my doctor said "this is one of the most common manifestations of anxiety, and I know how to treat you." She prescribed me lexipro 10 mg and said i should see results within a few weeks. I'm extremely hopeful and excited!! Will post back in a few weeks to confirm if it works. But if you have these symptoms - GO TO A DOCTOR AND GET ANXIETY MEDICATION. You dont need to suffer with this. Also, realize that you have an anxiety problem and start taking serious effort to relieve anxiety - see a therapist, exercise more, meditate more, etc etc etc. You've got this, and you will get better.
Nate.k jenna1989
Posted
Tried lexapro at highest dose 20 mg for 2 months with no relief, also tried Mirtazapine for 3 months with no relief, Bupropion 150 mg for 4 months and the same. Now I'm on Amitriptyline 100 mg, it's been almost 2 weeks without improvement in my symptoms. I hope it work out with you tho.
toula FlutterbyPie
Posted
I have had difficulty taking a full satisfying deep breath since August of 2015. This all began suddenly after wearing a dress all day at work that hugged my ribs tightly. I experienced a strange physical sensation in my lower abdomen when I took it off that night and felt like I was still wearing it. I have not been able to breath the same since. Some days are worse than others, and it is often worse after eating or if I am bloated. My symptoms include:
-inability to take a full satisfying deep breath, CONSTANT YAWNING but never a satisfying full yawn
-weakened abdominal muscles
-severe tightness around my rib cage
-discomfort in any clothing around my abdomen and rib cage
-nausea
-occasionally a slight fluttering sensation/spasm in my diaphragm.
I have been to several doctors (pulmonologist, GI specialist, neurologists, chiropractor, my primary care doctor, the ER a couple of times, etc.) who were unable to help me at all and after doing some research on my own, I began exploring the possibility of a diaphragm issue and/or phrenic nerve issue. I went to a specialist and was told that I had limited diaphragmatic movement, but my phrenic nerve is functioning so he couldn't help me either.
I feel like a crazy person telling people that I haven't been able to take a deep breath for years and that doctors always come back with clean results every time i am tested for something. I am frustrated beyond belief. My abdominal muscles are abnormally weak, I cannot wear fitted clothing comfortably, and even loose clothing or a bra affects my breathing. The inability to take a deep belly breath is constant. I work all day with my pants unbuttoned when I’m not in a meeting, and I still feel like my ribs are being hugged by something. Some days are worse than others, and it’s often worse after I eat. It has caused panic attacks, lack of sleep, anxiety, and I don’t know what to do.
I go through periods of time where I give up and feel like it's hopeless, but after reading a few messages today I figured if nothing more, at least it's helpful to hear others express
the same frustrations and find some support.
rita88199 toula
Posted
I have the same problem also since 2015 it's weird the timing tho cause everyone I know who have this problem had it in 2015! Thing is I also had it when I was a child my mom used to tell me I used to breathe in a scary way when I was 6 months old and then I had my first attack at the age of 6 but doctors said they couldn't find anything wrong with me. And I'm starting to believe that it's all in my head because if it was life threatening I would be dead by now
edwin_44030 FlutterbyPie
Posted
hey guys, ive been on this thread for years and ive been suffering from the same condition as you. ive been to countless doctors/specialists over and over again and nothing. i realized that its in ny head ive created this thought in my head where i think i have to take deep breaths in order to get satisfying breaths. but really thats not how it is i started taking doing buteyko breathing you can look it up on youtube and check it out but i noticed it helped me out. its extremely hard to tell myself no dont take a deep breath its all in your head its really really really hard but you have to push yourself and fight because at the end of the day its all in our head i stopped doing the buteyko breathing and taking amytriptaline but i realized i have to get back on that and fight and keep on doing it until i start realizing i dont need to take a deep breath ive been taking deep breaths for 7 years now so teying to get myself to realize jts all in my head is going to be hard guys its going to be hard but we need to stay strong and tey buteyko breathing for atleast a month and see what happens.
mary85914 edwin_44030
Posted
You're on the right track!! If you've had this for 7 years and it was something medical you'd either be dead by now or some medical intervention would have helped.
Start off by thinking of the thought of taking the deep breath as just that - a thought. You don't need to act on it. If you thought about jumping off a building would you do it - no. I know there's a physical sensation to take the breath but that's in reaction to the thought. Try and replace the deep breath thought with another one - like maybe how good you feel when you don't do it. It's a long process but if you stick with it it will work. Don't judge yourself about thinking or feeling like you need to take the breath - in fact if you really need to do it - everybody in the world does it anyway they are just not conscious of it. You need to take the anxiety out of the breath - that's the ultimate aim. You will find over time you will go longer and longer between deep breaths which also means that when you do take the breath you will always be able to take a deep satisfying breath. The fact that you do it so often is the reason you can't get the deep breath every time.
The ultimate aim is to not think about your breathing at all (which obviously you don't need to as your body does it automatically).
Good luck - stick with it, exercise, get enough sleep, get out and about and you will get better.
aisling54016 edwin_44030
Posted
silent reflux? try 1 prilosec a day and see if that helps, might take 2 weeks before you notice anything if thats what you have. worth a shot, its torturous
sarah4336 FlutterbyPie
Posted
Hi all,
I've been following this board for a long time and dealing with this issue for about 5 years. As I've said before, I don't believe we all have the same issue, but I hope my story helps someone out there. To recap, it all started for me after a session at the gym. Countless tests and several ER visits later, and I still had no real answers for why I would experience dyspnea for days after exertion. I recently started breathing exclusively through my nose (in AND out) while exercising, and that action alone has prevented the dyspnea. I believe I was hyperventilating during exercise, and since it overinflates your lungs and changes the levels of gas in your blood, it's a self-perpetuating. I did some googling, and apparently it's not uncommon to hyperventilate during exercise, and nasal-only breathing helps prevent too much carbon dioxide loss. I did try a Buteyko program years ago, but it didn't help resolve it once it started. It's the same principle, though. I am able to run now without symptoms, as l
sarah4336
Posted
oops, got cut off -- "as long as I keep my mouth closed" is how it should've ended.
Again, I firmly believe a lot of us here have different issues, but if there's someone out there with post-exertion air hunger, I hope this helps!