Help for constant yawning/ deep breaths/ not panic attack?

After SEVERAL doctor and hospital visits; complaining of constant yawning ( or incomplete yawning), and deep breaths... none of the doctors would listen to EXACTLY what I was telling them. My symptoms were constant but were  worse after eating. It seemed like my abdomin (abdomen) was somewhat bloated, and pushing upward, making it harder to breath. As of 5 days ago, and a NEW doctor, we have finally narrowed that I either have "silent reflux" or "celiac disease".  All my problems started when I decided to take my healthy eating to the next level, by eating whole grain wheat bread/products... I was very healthy before all this started, with absolutely no reasons to have a panic attack... i hope this helps some of the other people having the same problems and not getting the right answers.. Go to your doctor and REALLY explain your symptoms... maybe even ask about "silent reflux" and "celiac disease".... I'm already on Prilosec, and eating a "gluten-free" diet.. my symptoms are minute now, and just waiting for an exact diagnosis....


This discussion is related to Yawning and Shortness of Breath.

[Dan681]

I thought I would post what has helped me (not a fix, just some help)

Try this:
In a sitting position, place your right and/or left hand on your thigh. If you are using your left hand, place it on your left thigh. If you are using your right hand, place it on your right thigh. Now, straighten you arm(s) completely  and push down on your thigh(s). Use your stomach muscles to help push. It should be like doing crunches in a sitting position. Take a deep breath......ahhh..feels good

Also, I noticed after getting a back massage I can breathe better. And I put my self on prilosec (14 days) - after the 14 days was up, I could breathe again. The only problem with that was that is stopped working for me. Taking Prilosec actually MAKES me short of breath now.

I am just trying to figure this out for myself, too. It must have something to do with the diaphram. I am a 36 year old ex-smoker (smoked for 20 years), am 25 lbs over weight.

Here's the thing, though. When I am not paying attention to my breathing (when I am singing, talking, jogging, etc) I breathe fine....no yawning at all...

[MSjrsygirl]

You are not alone. I had the same problems, plus some. I'm in the gym 5 days a week, and eat healthy.  My problems started when I wanted to eat even healthier. So I increased my food consumption ( eating 6 small meals a day), including, I "upped" the amount of protein I was eating, and changed my workout rountine.  I would say that within 5 days of the change, that I started to go down hill. I've been to several doctors, and they all except one, said that this "breathing problem" was a panic attack. I have no financial, mental, marriage or physical problems... But I kept telling the doctors that it felt like it was coming from my abdomin (abdomen)... like something was pushing on my diaghram!  But after telling a friend some of my symptoms, she suggested I go see her doctor.  Now I have been diagnosed with "gluten-intolerance" which is similiar to Celiac disease. And on top of that, I am now allergic to tree nuts and peanuts.
You really wouldn't beleive how much of what you eat can affect your body.  The gluten and nuts actually wreak havoc in my small intestines, which does put pressure on my diaghram!
Although I have to go have more testing done, I've been doing my own homework with this. The gluten-free diet has helped tremendously. I've been on it for about 2 months now. And have been symptom free since I started it.
Oh, my doctor put me on Prilosec too... and it did the same for me... but you take it for the 14 dys, then stay off it for 14 days, then back on it again... I have to do that too for 3 months, so, I'm almost finished.
If I can make one suggestion, so you don't think that I'm crazy, go to the book store and find a book called "the Gluten Connection"... it will explain everything. including what will happen if you let things go.
     I'm back in the gym now, and stronger and have more stamina than before. The new diet isn't easy and takes some time to get use to, but it is soooooooo worth it. I hope you try it...get better soon.

[evilsanta224]

Been trying to figure out how to post to this thread.  I hope people read your posts!!  I think you are dead right on the Celiac/gluten intolerance.  I've seen thousands of posts with this yawning problem with variations in things they've noticed (ie. stops for some people when lying down, worse after eating, worse with alcohol, etc.) and you are the second person I've found in 2 days who said what you are saying.  Whomever is having this problem, you really need to consider this possibility.  It may be an unknowned or overlooked symptom of Celia/gluten intolerance.  I've just discovered that my uncles have figured out that they have issues with carbohydrates and gluten giving them reflux or causing them to fall asleep and I've always gotten what I call carbohydrate headaches.  

[Pampots]

I am 52 years old and have suffered on and off since I was 15 with shortness of breath and the constant need to yawn.I first visited the doctor aged 15 and he recommended sessions in a sauna.The sauna was very nice but the symptons always returned.I just put up with it for a couple of years.I  returned to the doctors after a particularly bad bout when I was exhausted from the constant need to yawn.This time I was told it was psychological and referred to the local hospital for group therapy sessions with a psychologist called Dr ****. There I sat with  people with thoughts of suicide,others battling alcoholism and other terribly sad states of mind.I can remember sitting there trying to think of something to say which could compare in anyway to their plights.The worst thing that had happened to me was missing the bus! In the intervening 30 years I have been given inhalers,antedepressants and other bits and bats but the problem has always returned(never gone away).The reason I am on this site today is because I am having a particularly bad 'do' today and googled  "constant need to yawn". It is very comforting to know that I am most definately not on my own.I have paid for allergy tests and nothing transpired from those.I was a smoker but this problem predates my smoking days and hasn't improved since I stopped.I have no idea what triggers it.I have been fine for weeks and a bout came on yesterday whilst walking my dogs-I hardly slept a wink because of the need to yawn all night.Having read the various posts I'm off to find the Gluten Connection tomorrow thanks to previous posts.I have had a brain haemorrhage and cancer but it is this problem that causes me most stress!!!

[Mokey1002]

Google "suffocation false alarm disorder" to find people who take this miserable malady seriously.  Dr.  Donald Klein of Columbia University has specialized in this research.  But now I'm also going to look into the gluten connection.  Hmmm.

[Jacky1587rules]

Well I have kinda the same problem as you guys. I like always have trouble breathing, but my breathing problems happened after I switched schools, I went from living with my mom to living with my dad; oh and I went from a smoke free environment to a smoke filled environment. Well after I switched I started to have trouble breathing, I couldnt sleep at night, I was always yawning, and I always felt like my breathing was going to randomly stop at any moment. (I still feel that way today). Well I'm 15 and I've only had this problem for a few months, and I gotta say it *****. so on the 30th of March I was at my grams getting ready for bed and I couldn't sleep then it was like 2 a.m. and I still couldn't sleep, then I couldn't catch my breath at all. So I panicked a little bit. I kept yawning and yawning, taking deep breaths trying to actually catch my breath. Well finally I couldn't stand it anymore, I woke my gram up and she called 911. So I was taken to the hospital and had my lungs checked, they said I was perfectly fine and nothing at all was wrong with me. All that happened was I had an anxiety attack. But then the breathing got worse so I went to the dr and he said I have to get a breathing test and chest x-ray done. So I get the stuff done, and turns out I have "Obstructive Lung Disease". Now, my breathing did get a little better after school was over and I moved back to my moms. but then it was like a rollercoaster. one day it'd be good, then the next not so good. So today I went to an amusement park with my dad, my dad's friend, and my bf. Then after I got back home it felt like I was exhaling more air than I'm supposed too. It kinda feels like my throat is being tickled. And I can't sleep 'cuz of it.