shortness of breath/frequent yawning

[kellb]

I am a 41 year old female with a 2 year old, in good health other than being about 10 pounds overweight.  Two months ago I began experiencing shortness of breath. I yawn constantly in an attempt to get air.
I had a ct scan to check for a pulmonary embolism and everything looked good.  I have been taking previcid for 2 weeks to treat possible acid reflux, but there has been no change in my condition. I feel better when I sleep and wake up feeling great, only to have the sob return within a few hours.
A possibly relevant fact: the day before this started I was at yoga doing a twist when I felt a very, very sharp pain in my right side under my rib, along with a feeling as if a rubber band had been snapped in the same place.  The pain was excruciating and traveled through my breast and shoulder, but was gone in a few minutes and I was able to continue class. Also, I was in the desert for a few days and it went away but returned about a week later.  I fairly certain it isn't stress/anxiety as the trip out of town was not relaxing.  The breathing seems better when I stand/worsens sitting down, and I may have been standing more than usual on the trip.  I am feeling so frustrated, scared, and depressed.

[Kassora]

I did have some mold in my bathroom that I thought I got rid of...

I did mention it to my doctor but, he said I had no spores in my lungs. Interesting direction.. I look forward to seeing what others say.

Kass

[maxangel]

Wow! And here I thought I was the only one!! LOL

About two months ago, I found I had a DVT/blood clot in my upper leg - that's when my symptoms started. Yawning excessively, the feeling that I can't get a 'satisfying" breath, "confusion" and lack of focus, and rapid heart rate.

My doctor's first thought was that an errant blood clot had traveled to my lungs, however, several X-rays and Spiral CTs quickly disproved that theory. Subsequent EKGs show my heart to be in perfect shape, as well.

Right now, he is looking into anemia, caused by the drugs I'm taking to control and dissipate the clot in my leg . . .  I have a blood test tomorrow to check my red blood cell count. I think it's only fair to mention that I've been anemic almost all my life - I've "controlled" it by eating iron-rich foods when I feel "low."

Since the red blood cells carry oxygen through the blood to the heart, I think this is a fair assessment - if your blood is low on oxygen, I could easily see yawning excessively and not getting the feel of having a "satisfying" breath. And when the brain is low on oxygen, I would assume that the average person would have a hard time concentrating . . .

The only problem I see with MY diagnosis (as tentative as it is) is that I CAN breathe and get a fairly normal "satisfying" breath if I'm sitting straight and tall - and breathe abdominally, rather than "through the chest." Does anyone else here have it similarly? Do you all have an easier time breathing if your posture's perfect? Or if you're not breathing "through your chest?"

If you haven't already, I would suggest that you have your doctors do a red blood cell count . . . anemia, from what I understand, is actually rather common.

I hope you all find answers!!! : )

Good luck!!!!!!!

[Dirtbikin]

It might be interesting to collect information on when this malady onsets. Several people in this list, including myself, can point to a specific day and time when this happened. We'll call that Rapid Onset FYS. Rapid onset points to something environmental. Something changed and something caused it. I know that when my FYS started, I was working in a building with a lot of mold and a strong musty smell. I was under a lot of stress. And, the building had recently been treated with Dursban, an insecticide since banned from use.

1) Mold/musty
2) Stress
3) Dursban (insecticide)

Anyone else?

[mianlee]

I too fine that at times during the day I need to take deep, HARD breaths just to satisfy my need to breathe.  This usually happens when I am about to start eating.  I feel like I cannot breathe when I eat and therefore have to take deep, hard breaths in between each mouthful of food.  Eventually I just stop eating as it gets too uncomfortable and I start getting anxious.  I feel like I am not getting enough oxygen.  I went to a lung specialist and she did not think there was  anything wrong with my lungs as the spirometer test I dis was very good - got to 500..  I don't get out of breath like panting or breathing short and fast.  I just feel I need a lot of very deep breaths from time to time and I also do not breathe from my chest but from my abdomen which is supposed to be really good breathing.  So, I don't know what's wrong.  I also suffer terribly from chronic anxiety and hd been on Zoloft for 2 years ...not on it now , so anxiety is high but even on the Zoloft I still got this breathing thing going on though not as often as now.  

Does anyone find that they get this need for deep hard breaths while eating and eventually have to stop because it is unbearably uncomfortable???

[Kassora]

Some of the symptoms are the same.. but there are problems.  I have no cough at all, I dont weeze... I dont have asthma.. I have been tested. Plus, I dont think it is related to stress.. my tightness does not come on at any particular event.. including stressful ones.

There is no particular rhyme or reason for it really.

Now, I do know that the pulmonologist (sp) did say I had a very nice oxygen intake and my lung capacity was a little higher.. so that part is similar, but I dont think it is related to what they say it is related to. I have also tried to breath through my nose and to relax my breathing to test this to see if it helps.. nothing so far. It does say it can take up to 8 weeks of managing your breathing to help... who knows.

Thanks for posting this, maybe there is something to it, but I honestly think it is not due to stress or any enviromental issues.

Kass

[leslieannwill]

I went to the site that junglist suggested and it sounds like this may very well be the problem, but it did not really give you any suggestions on how to stop the breathing problem.  I would like to know what techniques you can try to correct, just to see if it works.