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
Guest FlutterbyPie
Edited
i have had this same issue for years caused by both oral and inhaler steroids. (Oral being prednisone.) It's an awful suffocating feeling, but after i stopped taking them, it dissipated after weeks or months, depending on how long I'd taken them. One pulmonologist called it a type of steroid-induced myopathy, which is usually pain and weakness in the shoulders, hips, arms, and legs. It's not rare, but the respiratory kind hasn't been diagnosed much. drs don't know what to do with it. I tried detoxing with daily sauna treatments at the gym, supplements, anti-inflammatory foods...nothing worked. It just wore off after a while of no steroids. once it took 6 months after a long dose of prednisone. A few other times it took a few weeks to a couple months after steroid inhalers i just know i can never take steroids again. Some drs call it anxiety, but i'm not anxious, and every test came back normal, including a pulmonary function test. Its a different feeling from asthma and asthma meds don't work. I hope this helps someone.
hellofriend22 Guest
Posted
was the suffocating feeling particularly worse at night by chance? im glad youre doing better now
Guest hellofriend22
Posted
I don't think so. I will say that at its worst, and especially at first when the reaction kicks in, I sincerely feel like I'm going to die, and nights are the worst. There's more of a feeling of impending doom than just anxiety. Then, when the severity wanes a bit, it's frustrating, annoying, and very uncomfortable. I am able to work out a little most of the time, and if I lie flat it releases the tension of the respiratory muscles and I get some relief. Coffee does exacerbate the feeling, so i stay away from it until the feeling is gone. But again, it takes a while to go away completely.
hellofriend22 Guest
Posted
yes, you explain it so much better than anxiety the feeling of doom i get and yeah the bad episodes etc. are you still going to the doctor for testing etc? when my gets bad i have the same feeling with the impending doom and feel like im not gonna be able to get a breath in and need to visit the ER
carol90268 hellofriend22
Edited
It's that feeling of doom that is the glue that is holding the whole thing together. It comes down to anxiety - it's nothing to do with what what percentage of calcium you are eating etc (if it was there would be millions of people around the world with breathing issues related to what they eat/take). The way OCD works/is diagnosed is
3.The next intrusive thought (obsession - breathing)) occurs
4.The obsessions/compulsions take up a lot of time and effort and get in the way of important activities/values.
You need to face the anxiety head on - short term pain for long term gain. It doesn't happen overnight - try and get 1% better each day - if you can do that you'll basically be on top of it within 3-4 months.
Think of that overwhelming feeling of needing to take a deep breath from now on as a "compulsion". You are obviously still breathing even while you have that feeling so you are not going to die it's just unbelievably uncomfortable (like wearing uncomfortable shoes - you can do it because you know it will end). It's nothing medical it just the OCD giving you the compulsion to do it. The longer and longer you can sit with that feeling you will eventually take the anxiety out of it. Like I said it will take a while and basically if you just aim to get 1% better at it each day it will pay off I promise you. You will then get to the point where you can get the feeling of needing to take a deep breath but say to yourself it's just a compulsion and you can rationalise it in your brain that it's something you DON'T have to do, that you will be ok not doing it.
It is strange that something so physical can be mental but it is. It has 100% worked with me and I struggled for 18 months going to doctors, taking medication, scans etc. Everyone seems to be looking for some magic tablet that's going to fix them overnight - it's not going to happen you have to put the work in to get the reward.
hellofriend22 carol90268
Posted
you're right it is very very uncomfortable, I'm sorry if I'm frustrating you with my responses and or questions it's just very stressful as I'm sure you know. Its just when it gets bad i legit feel like im suffocating and need to go to the ER. i do try your advicd though about basically doing exposure therapy and i do try to not make this limit me but you're very strong to able to go through all that. im trying to look for a psych etc that works with this sort of ocd to assist. thank you for this and helping people on here by answering us
carol90268 hellofriend22
Posted
You're not frustrating me at all - don't worry about that. It's a very slow process - maybe you need to get a combination of medication (for your anxiety) and exposure therapy going. I really think if you find a good psych you are heading in the right direction of getting in control of what is going on.In the meantime just try holding out on taking the breath - don't get discouraged if you feel like you're getting nowhere - every little bit helps. Even if you manage to do it for an extra 10 seconds you're still working towards your goal. Also notice if you can hold out and sit with that total feeling of anxiety but notice that you are actually still breathing. Even when you feel like you are suffocating you are actually still breathing it's just that you are focussing on that anxiety that has manifested itself as needing to take the deep breath and it's all you can think about. Baby steps but I promise it will get better.
hellofriend22 FlutterbyPie
Posted
does anyone have any triggers? that make the shortness of breath worse? or anything like that
sharon57161 FlutterbyPie
Edited
My triggers are calcium (both food and supplements/any amt), V B-6, V D, any thing w/excess iron (over 8 or 10%) ...Now a list of things that seem to help (I can tell within a hr or so) salty/spicy high sodium foods(I have to be careful w/blood pr), aspirin(but need high doses), benedryl, some antihistamines...I had already culled the trigger items (contrary to dr's advice) just not gonna take if I know making worse ..when seeing the post about excess serotonin read on line these items enhance serotonin and the others I have listed reduce ..what I understand is that excess serotonin causes the blood vessels in brain to constrict/tangle up thus not getting full oxygen to brain .. I have just started jujube, L-tyrosine .. (2 of the items that are supposed to decrease)also some diet changes (white rice, gelletin , less protein ....will keep posted on results...also think the prev post on steroid/prednisone interesting ... had several steroid shots when started all this but it has been 2 yrs ..prayers for all ..we are gonna 'crack the code' lol
hellofriend22 sharon57161
Posted
hopefully we can, as intense is your breathing when its bad?
jesse71370 FlutterbyPie
Posted
this is honestly bs that so many people struggle with this and absolutely no cure has been found. it has to be something fixable. even if its just anxiety, than this is a horrible manifestation of it. dont see how a body could just lose the abililty to do something so simple and taken for granted. has to be something physical ....
carol90268 jesse71370
Posted
read this - /beyondocd.org/expert-perspectives/articles/when-automatic-bodily-processes-become-conscious-how-to-disengage-from-sens
jesse71370 carol90268
Posted
yeah im definitely hyper aware of my breathing and it doesnt matter how hard i try to forget about it like i notice every breath im taking. could for sure be that but i dont get how my chest feels so tight all the time. unreal. thanks for the help i appreciate it
hellofriend22 jesse71370
Posted
very true i feel if we all rally up maybe some research team of doctors/researchers would be interested if we all petition them together. i don't know if anyone has ever recovered or found something that helped
joni55891 jesse71370
Posted
Hi guys,
i had little symptoms myself and it got me googling.
I read almost all your posts and i see a pattern here:
caffeine (heart rate = faster breathing)
anxiety (same)
GERD, reflux
Mouth breathing
pulled rib
oxygen/co2 ratio
etc..
its all same root cause... diaphragm.
If you have tight diaphragm or it is in "wrong position" or it has hernia it will cause lot of problems.
When your diaphragm is not helping your breathing it will become more shallow and faster..that causes this all.
There is several free diaphragm breathing exercises and massage tips in web. I always get my diaphragm dealt with when i visit my osteopath for other reasons.