The SOLUTION: Excessive Yawning and Constant Need to Breathe Deep!
Posted , 68 users are following.
All, Flutterbypie started this thread and there have been hundreds of responses: https://patient.info/forums/discuss/excessive-yawning-and-constant-need-to-breathe-deep-299705?page=0&utm_source=forum&utm_campaign=comment-notification&utm_medium=email#2776377
I needed a way to get my message out to everyone and thus wanted to start a new post. Many people suffer from this ailment which causes people to contantly (usually in 4-7 minute intervals) to take a deep breath in order to just "trigger" that satisfying feeling in their upper lungs. But it's not that simple, because sometimes that feeling doesn't come. And we keep forcing that deep breath, trying to get the satisfaction - a forced yawn, contortion of the body, whatever it will take. It always comes eventually, but the cycle starts over. We all say it's worse when we eat. We all say it's not a problem while sleeping. We all say it goes away at times when we are heavily focused on something.
Trust me, I HAD it for almost 2 years, and it wasn't just once in a while. I literally had this thing NON STOP EVERY DAY until a few weeks ago.
One caveat before I say what I did - I've talked to many people with this condition, and it's true it's not a one size fits all solution - some have hiatial hernias, others have GERD, and I'm sure others have other conditions that cause it. But if you have any inkling of a thought that it could be anxiety, keep reading.
The reason why you will never hear someone say "here's the cure for it" is because it's not that simple. But I'll just throw it out there right now. YES IT'S A COMBINATION OF ANXIETY AND LIFESTYLE. STOP seeing doctors (again, caveat - unless you think it might not be anxiety per the above), STOP reading on the internet about what people do to fix it (pepto bismal, breathing exercises, just STOP). It's ANXIETY AND LIFESTYLE. And I didn't believe it either because, sure I was anxious about a few things every now and then (who isn't?), but this thing lurks around all day even though you don't think you are particularly anxious. But I guarantee there are things you are anxious about. For me, and I bet for many of you, I was anxious about my overall health. Why wouldn't I be? I was grasping for a satisfying breath every few minutes thinking this must be the end, so it makes sense. But I did something drastic, and I admit that I am a little bit in shock that it ACTUALLY worked!
I completely turned my lifestyle upside down. I am not suggesting all of you are fast food junkies, but I was. I wasn't obese (196 weight 5'10 male) but I could stand to lose 20-25 pounds. I was drinking coffee, diet coke, some water here and there - but burgers, fried foods, some good foods here and there - ZERO exercise. My waist was 38 and I remember it being a 36 for years, so this was a relatively sudden expansion.
For the past three weeks (which isn't long), I've 100% cut out:
1) Caffeine and carbonated drinks
2) Soda
3) Fast food
4) Fried foods
And added:
1) Vegetables and fruits to diet
2) Exercised vigorously on an eliptycal for 20 min a day
As time went on and my weight dropped (now at 190.3), the need to deep breath almost exponentially vanished. I still breath deep every now and then mind you, but you have to remember, everyone breathes deep every now and then. I talked to a doctor who said people breath deep once every 20 minutes. But we are hyper focused on it, so we will think "Oh geez, it's back". It's not.
I never in a million years thought I would beat this thing, especially as quickly as I did, and a couple people I know did a massive lifestyle change and they said things look better. I wish this worked for everyone, and I'm sure there will be someone who says "but I am super fit and already eat well". You might have a different issue, OR, it is still anxiety but as I said - I was nervous about my health - now that my blood pressure has visibly dropped and I'm sure my cholesterol levels have too - I am NOT SO NERVOUS ABOUT IT and that's why my deep breathing went away. So you need to find out what you worried about and address it.
I hope this helps folks, and it can't hurt to try this if you think you might be worried about your health. I also feel there's a component of your stomach expanding (from food, extra fat around waist, etc.) that changes your breathing patterns - I don't know if it's more that or anxiety, but I don't really care as this works. Please do try it for a couple of weeks and let me know how it goes!
Again as a final disclaimer: I am not a doctor so if your deep breathing is totally unrelated to anxiety or diet/lifestyle, then you should definitely get it checked out. I can speak for myself, and many others, we've had our fair share of doctors and there's nothing they can give you to fix it. You need to fix it yourself and I am living proof that I was able to beat it! Good luck!
8 likes, 127 replies
jesse73639 steve91931
Posted
Ive been STRUGGLING every day with this for years now, its the worst thing i have ever dealt with by far. Breathing excercises do give me some relief but as soon as i stop thinking about it the need to take a deep chest breath every so often comes back. That deep breath feels so good, but its like i can only take about 3 of those at most in a row and then my chest feels constricted again. The worst part about this for me is that pretty much every time i speak its like i dont have enough air so i run out of air just by saying a small sentence, horribly affecting my communication. Ive tried inhalers, xanax, and had chest x rays and pulminary tests and no doctor has been helpful. Does any one else feel out of breath every time they try to speak like i do? I am not over weight at all by the way.
rawroy steve91931
Posted
I don't think it's anxiety because I don't have much of that at all. I just don't worry about things until they happen. I've also been 100% Plant Based for the last 5+ years and eat mostly fruits, veggies and whole foods so my lifestyle is very healthy and devoid soft drinks and only 10% processed and fast food.
Now my wife, on the other hand, doesn't have this issue but has had panic attacks that have scared the living daylights out of me. It's definitely not the same because what I have is more of that annoying feeling of having to yawn but can't trigger it! It's exactly like having to sneeze but can't!! I just look at the sun for that to sneeze instantly. Not being able to trigger a yawn is sooooo annoying that I've developed "tiks" trying everything possible to get that full yawn out. From closing my eyes tight, tilting my head, pounding my chest or squeezing something. I literally drive sometimes with one eye open when that feeling comes.
My wife tells me it looks like it hurts but nope, I'm just trying to yawn!! Well, the only thing I haven't tried is giving up Caffeine!! I'll bet that's it! I go to Starbucks every morning religiously to get my Venti Ice Coffee!! I'll just have to give up Caffeine for a month and report back.
rawroy
Posted
By the way, my wife's anxiety is under control using natural remedies. I'm no Dr. but when we switched to a Plant Based Lifestyle 5+ years ago it has helped her out tremendously with her daily anxiety!! It was so bad she couldn't drive to work sometimes! She still has some anxiety but not at all like before! It's much more normal now!! We tried everything we could naturally to avoid prescription meds. The only other supplement we found that worked was a nootropic that she only takes whenever we go out to relieve her social anxiety so we don't have to leave events early anymore. It's been a lifesaver! It's amazing to see her socialize more and more!
bryan62758 rawroy
Posted
I relate and feel exactly like this word-for-word. How did it go? Did you get any relief?
lauren1090 steve91931
Posted
Hello steve91931,
I hope you are still in this forum. I am suffering from this horrible thing as well. its been now 9 months and i constantly feel the need to yawn ( sometimes thats not satisfied) leaving me in panic wanting to take a deep breath and not being able to. Its a vicious cycle that hasn't stopped since march. i need to take deep breath all the time from the moment i wake up till when i go to bed. During the night when i am sleeping i dont have any episodes. I have been told its anxiety but i am not anxious about anything. So im kinda lost.
I have gone through multiple doctors, 2ER vistis, and cardiologist. i have done EKG, ECG, Echocardiogram, holter monitor, 2 CT scan for the lungs, and all the blood work everything comes out as great and doctors tell me i dont have anything! How did you beat this?? What other tests did you undergo ? Any information that you could provide would be great as i am struggling everyday taking deep breath that leave me so tired!
Thank you so much!
sidd23393 lauren1090
Posted
Hi @lauren1090 even I am suffering from this strange and unusual disease even after all the tests coming out normal...it goes on and off... sometimes for many days this air hunger will be there and sometimes it will go away like it was never there.... it's so frustrating...even healthy diet is not helping...but I do believe that it is due to excessive anxiety as I got few times panic attacks 2 years ago due to excessive stress of studies... I hope you are doing good and if something works for you please reply to my message... I know I will be able to beat this one day but when? God knows... please reply if you know some solution.
@steve91931 @bryan62758
ydalia18044 steve91931
Edited
i have been experiencing this for almost 2 weeks now. ive been to 3 different doctors and my lungs sounded clear so they couldnt find anything and ruled it out to be anxiety. ive dealt with anxiety for a long tine but ive never had this problem before i feel like im constantly needing a deep breath and my chest feels tight.. im also having dizziness and pain on my chest on the right side when i press on it. ive been so miserable ghinking something serious is going on and doctors just aren't finding it. anyone else dealinf with these symptoms?
shansteid ydalia18044
Posted
I've had this exact problem for about a year maybe longer. its honestly the most annoying thing & at this point i think its more of a mind thing. if my mind is occupied with other things i don't pay attention to my breathing & therefore don't have that need or "craving" for a deep breath. i think its bad when i start paying attention to my breathing & start thinking that i need that satisfying breath so it causes me to start taking multiple deep breaths until i get the good one & then i just repeat the process over & over until i either forget or fall asleep. i don't think its a problem per se like with our bodies or anything i think it's more of a habit that we've some how created & don't know how to stop. the best thing for me is to just keep my mind occupied so i don't think about my breathing. it's honestly the most annoying habit I've ever had & it's so hard explaining it someone that doesn't do it because they don't understand that i can breathe fine like i don't feel constricted i just feel like i need more oxygen. like i need that perfect breath every time to be satisfied. I've been to the doctors & they've done the asthma tests that they do so i don't have asthma or anything & it's honestly even more frustrating because doctors don't even know what it is or why we or I do it. I do have anxiety but the breathing thing happens on a daily basis even when i don't have any anxiety or stress so I wouldn't say it's an anxiety thing. I think it's just a bad habit that we all somehow created & have no cluee how to fix lol
shansteid
Posted
i also get a sharp pain in my chest sometimes when I'm on the inhaling part of my deep breath but idk if that's related or what honestly. I don't experience any dizziness from it like other people have mentioned but i'm pretty sure that just goes with it because of the oxygen that either does or doesn't go into the blood. i read in an article that it's either too much or too little that it causes you to get dizzy & hyperventilate that's why they recommend breathing into the bag. I just get the constant urge to take deep breaths & to yawn but the yawns never come out so i end up just there with my mouth open waiting for it lmaoo
lisa07035 steve91931
Posted
Few years ago, I began to do a lot of research and came across HERBAL HEALTHPOINT (w w w. herbalhealthpoint. c om) and their COPD HERBAL TREATMENT. After seeing positive reviews from other patients, I quickly started on the treatment, i experienced significant recovery from symptoms, including the shortness of breath. Its been over 2 years since treatment, i live symptom free
lisa07035 steve91931
Posted
Few years ago, I began to do a lot of research and came across HERBAL HEALTHPOINT (w w w. herbalhealthpoint. c om) and their COPD HERBAL TREATMENT. After seeing positive reviews from other patients, I quickly started on the treatment, i experienced significant recovery from symptoms, including the shortness of breath. Its been over 2 years since treatment, i live symptom free
dan84262 steve91931
Posted
Klonopin is working for me, but it makes me feel drowsy. I'm also taking deep breaths not deep enough to get that "nice" feeling. Which makes my breathing feel normal again.
But I'm also starting to get depressed because this is awful. I'd already thought I had beaten depression and now it is back. I want to feel normal again, sometimes I get so desperate, specially yesterday.
hz21801 steve91931
Edited
This is a very helpful thread Steven!
I would suggest reading these published medical papers on the subject which would reassure us that it is highly likely to be psychogenic. According to the papers, merely being reassured that this is definitely no organic disease and that it's due to psychological reasons help ease the symptoms.
I am personally experiencing the same symptom and was reassured by my doctor in addition to these papers. My symptoms have become better day by day. Hope these papers help and we all get through it completely and quickly!
Naimer, Sody & Kiderman, Alexander & Biton, Amnon & Furst, Arthur. (2008). Sigh syndrome: Is it a sign of trouble?. The Journal of family practice. 57. E1-5.
Charles K. Maytum, M.D. Sighing dyspnea: A clinical syndrome. The Journal of Allergy. VOLUME 10, ISSUE 1, P50-55, NOVEMBER 01, 1938. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-8707(38)90466-6
Sahasrabudhe TR. Psychogenic dyspnea. Med J DY Patil Univ [serial online] 2013 [cited 2021 Mar 15];6:14-8. Available from: https://www.mjdrdypu.org/text.asp?2013/6/1/14/108627
dan84262 steve91931
Edited
In my case fluoxetine solved the problem in 7 days. I'm extremely happy and glad. At first I was worried that this problem was going to last forever, but now that it is gone I feel calmer. I think this problem is 100% psychological, and it can be fixed with proper medication.
rahul718 steve91931
Edited
Hello everyone,
I stumbled across this forum after searching for a very similar problem I'm having. Full disclosure, I do have generalized anxiety and OCD and very bad health anxiety. This is all stuff I’ve had for the past 10 years at least.
Last October 2020 I remember wanting to be able to take a deep breathe and it just felt unnatural to me. I thought it was Covid so I got a Covid test and it came back negative. The feeling went away after 2 days. Fast forward 5 months to 2 weeks ago and I had the feeling again, this time shortly after exercising doing squats. Feeling lasted for 2 days.
Fast forward again to 3 days ago. I woke up and went downstairs to workout and I was feeling a little uneasy and decided to workout anyway. The workout itself was fine but after the workout I just couldn’t catch my breathe. For the past 3 days I’ve been experiencing what everyone else here is describing: a sort of air hunger that a yawn will satisfy. I need to take deep breathes to get the satisfying feeling but on occasion I feel like I just can’t quite fully fill my lungs. I feel the need for this deep breathe maybe every 4 minutes or so.
I’m able to sleep no problem. The first minute of getting up and walking around all seems fine, then I remember about the breathing and it all comes back. I am able to complete my workouts with no extra difficulty though.
I am 35 years old and a male. 3.5 years ago I had a full workout from a cardiologist where he did an ultrasound, stress test, etc and all came back fine. 2 days ago I did speak with a family member who is a doctor in pulmonary and critical care and he said it sounds like nothing physiological and the fact that I was extensively checked out within 5 years means it’s unlikely something serious developed. I’m also not a smoker and a relatively healthy person.
But I keep thinking it is something with my heart or lungs despite what I’m reading here. Then I reason with myself saying I can still workout with no extra effort needed and the past 3 instances of this cleared up on their own - if it was truly something bad I’d like to think it wouldn’t go away. I don’t know.... it’s just a very uncomfortable feeling.
I would say I am a little more anxious these days due to a few reasons but if this breathing issue never bothered me years ago then why is it manifesting now? What can I do now to alleviate this? Appreciate any advice!
Thanks
nshan05335 rahul718
Posted
same here, been trying to fix it for over a year
chris2477 rahul718
Posted
Hi, Rahul, and others.
I just discovered these posts and have been somewhat relieved by people sharing their experiences with this problem. Although some people may have physical causes, I think our cause is stress and anxiety.
I have zero breathing problems when I am sufficiently distracted or entertained. If I am not distracted, I want that satisfying deep breath for relief. After reading these posts I have been trying to resist the urge for a few minutes; perhaps three, four, or more, and then I take that breath which usually comes. The longer I wait, the more likely it is that it will be satisfying.
So why is this happening to us? I am 51, and an experienced and active Judo player. I do a good amount of aerobic and anaerobic exercise each week. I consider myself mentally strong except for OCD (self diagnosed, yeah, I know) habits that eat up around one hour of my day.
In the fall of 2020, before Covid was really in the news, I was breaking down plaster from a wall, without a mask. My throat was irritated, and that night, and the following day, I had a severe cough that prevented my sleeping unless I was seated, distracted, and exhausted. Later, I thought it might have been Covid, but I never checked.
I couldn't shake the feeling for two weeks, and desperate, went to my doctor. My lungs were fine. I eventually learned how to sleep while distracted and exhausted. Daytime breathing thoughts were rare because I was busy.
Now it's nearly a year later. Getting to sleep has been difficult for two days, and the "satisfying breath" compulsion is more frequent during the day. After not getting any sleep, I found these posts.
I'm not a mental health expert, but I do think anxiety is the cause. However, I handle stress very well by dealing with it, or accepting it. After some thought, I remembered something from a two day long college depression episode of mine where I realized that it wasn't one thing that was bothering me, it was a lot of small things. Now that I'm older, I have problems such as mild chronic hip and shoulder pain, many household duties, political anger, lost friendships, work, an older mother and more. All together, it's creating undeniable anxiety, even though I am very functional.
I think it doesn't help that I have OCD, and I think that's the part of my brain that has locked onto the "need" to relieve stress with more "satisfying" breaths than I really need. I think that once this gets in your head, you question how often you used to be able to take deep, and satisfying breaths. Can anyone confirm this?
My plan is to use my need for distraction to tackle the problems on my to stressful to do list. I'm also going to try to increase my will to resist taking those deep breaths for longer periods of time. If I can't shake this in two weeks, I'm going to a mental health professional, but I am afraid of being put on medication.
I have a great deal of sympathy for anyone suffering from this, but I think we can beat it. Let's help each other out.