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shortness of breath/frequent yawning
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.
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.
I am so glad that I found this site. I do not have SOB, but I do take deep breaths and yawn a lot. When I do this, I feel a little bit of resistance, and then I feel the breath going in. I do not have pain, but I find this very uncomfortable deep breathing and yawning all the time. I just noticed that I am having some discomfort to my left lower side in the back, when I am taking these deep breaths. My physician also told me that it was from anxiety, and it probably did start when I was having a lot of anxiety. I do agree that I have anxiety, but I do not feel that I am anxious all the time, and I do not understand why this occurs when I do not even feel anxious. Okay, if it is caused by chronic anxiety, how can I make it stop. I have been trying to do controlled breathing techinques, but I do not feel like that is really helping. I just want this to stop, and I would not think that doing this deep breathing and yawning is good to do all the time.
The first thing we need to do is give this a name. If having restless legs can be a syndrome and get an congressional investigation, we ought to get come visibility. How about Frequent Yawning Syndrome? FYS. SOB means shortness of breath and I don't have that. I have Frequent Yawning so SOB doesn't really describe. Any other ideas on what to call it???
As far as figuring out what causes it, modern science hasn't even agreed on WHY we yawn in the first place. Maybe I'm just perpetually bored with life. Perhaps bungie jumping would help?
As far as figuring out what causes it, modern science hasn't even agreed on WHY we yawn in the first place. Maybe I'm just perpetually bored with life. Perhaps bungie jumping would help?
hi, I am new here but I am so glad I found this page. I have been researching the internet for almost a year trying to find out what is wrong with me. I have been reading all of the postings above and I am astounded. I have the exact symptoms as every one of you. I yawn excessively to get a deep breath, actually make myself yawn. I sometimes feel I am going to smother and it scares me to death, this in turn causes my heart to race. It will wake me up out of a sound sleep. I am 37 years old and I went to the ER one year ago in December for shortness of breath and of course was told it was anxiety. I have had anxiety most of my adult life and knew that was not what it was. I had a CT scan of my lungs, chest xray, EKG, nuclear stress test, PFT, labs and all said I was as healthy as a horse, couldn't find anything wrong other than being a little overweight. I have also attended sleep clinic because my Dr. thought maybe it was sleep apnea, which I do have and have the CPAP but that has not stopped the problems. I am going back to the doctor this week to let my doctor know SOMEONE has got to figure out what is wrong with me. If someone has any new information please share.
I have had this problem since 1997. I've always had it a little, I think, but it never caused me a problem. Then in 1997, I took a cold run in November. Suddenly it plagued me for days, waking me up at night needing to yawn and feeling that I was suffocating or drowning. I got dizzy from the disruption of my normal breathing cycle. I thought I was having heart problems and had every test done. Everything was fine. Heart. Lungs. Upper G.I. all okay.
That was ten years ago, it is still with me, and no one seems to know what it is. When I exercise it gets worse. I can lift weights and be pretty much okay. Even play soccer and it doesn't get too bad. Cycling can make it worse. But jogging makes it unbearable. I'm fine when I'm running - plenty of energy - so it isn't my heart or lungs. It comes on after I exercise and can hang around for days, eventually subsiding but always lurking there in the background. But it doesn't seem to be anything life threatening, so don't worry about dying from this. It won't kill you. Or hasn't killed me yet.
I can say that I too have suffered from anxiety so there seems to be a common thread there. But I'm now on medication for it and the SOB hasn't changed. (Doctors did try to tell me it was anxiety and even tried to relate that to the exercise.) But there are certain foods that make it worse. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Coffee. Beer. Sometimes spicy food. Interestingly, chocolate, coffee, and beer all alter brain chemistry. But they also alter stomach chemistry.
My own theory is that I have some mild gerd. I do have infrequent severe heartburn, but running nearly always causes some esophogeal discomfort. (Chocolate, coffee, and beer are all hard on the stomach.) So I've got a mild acid problem, and the routing of my vagas nerve is such that the reflux irritates it, stimulating among other things, a yawn reflex. I think some of my anxiety might result from this as well.
So, it won't kill me, but it does limit me. Something changed back there in 1997 because I have always been very active. Then, that day... and I've had trouble ever since. I can say I was under some SEVERE stress at that time, so there might be a relationship. Either way, I'm an author and if I ever get rich the first thing I'm going to do is check into the Mayo Clinic and find out what the hell this is! Even if they can't do anything about it, I still want to know. :-)
That was ten years ago, it is still with me, and no one seems to know what it is. When I exercise it gets worse. I can lift weights and be pretty much okay. Even play soccer and it doesn't get too bad. Cycling can make it worse. But jogging makes it unbearable. I'm fine when I'm running - plenty of energy - so it isn't my heart or lungs. It comes on after I exercise and can hang around for days, eventually subsiding but always lurking there in the background. But it doesn't seem to be anything life threatening, so don't worry about dying from this. It won't kill you. Or hasn't killed me yet.
I can say that I too have suffered from anxiety so there seems to be a common thread there. But I'm now on medication for it and the SOB hasn't changed. (Doctors did try to tell me it was anxiety and even tried to relate that to the exercise.) But there are certain foods that make it worse. Chocolate, especially dark chocolate. Coffee. Beer. Sometimes spicy food. Interestingly, chocolate, coffee, and beer all alter brain chemistry. But they also alter stomach chemistry.
My own theory is that I have some mild gerd. I do have infrequent severe heartburn, but running nearly always causes some esophogeal discomfort. (Chocolate, coffee, and beer are all hard on the stomach.) So I've got a mild acid problem, and the routing of my vagas nerve is such that the reflux irritates it, stimulating among other things, a yawn reflex. I think some of my anxiety might result from this as well.
So, it won't kill me, but it does limit me. Something changed back there in 1997 because I have always been very active. Then, that day... and I've had trouble ever since. I can say I was under some SEVERE stress at that time, so there might be a relationship. Either way, I'm an author and if I ever get rich the first thing I'm going to do is check into the Mayo Clinic and find out what the hell this is! Even if they can't do anything about it, I still want to know. :-)
There isnt much that seems to help. I have also found that I am a lot more sensitve to the cold lately.
I drink very hot tea (no sugar) that sometimes seems to take the edge off - although it does not kill the pain all the way. I sleep on my stomach (half way with one leg keeping the pressure off my abdomen).. If I lay on my right side it seems worse... although sometimes it is worse on the left.. but mostly the right. I lay down on the floor and stretch my chest area as much as possible. I take in deep breaths that although only help momentarily, it is a moment of peace. I dont exercise too much. I try to sit in a chair that leans back a bit so the pressure is not on my lower chest and abdomen. I dont eat much during one setting.. a full stomach makes it hurt.
If I think of more I will post it... but honestly, nothing takes it away completely... besides time. Although the tightness seems to always be there sometimes it is REALLY bad, and others it is just idle. There does not seem to be anything that triggers it.
It is weird... I want Dr. House.. :(
What are somethings you have tried?
I drink very hot tea (no sugar) that sometimes seems to take the edge off - although it does not kill the pain all the way. I sleep on my stomach (half way with one leg keeping the pressure off my abdomen).. If I lay on my right side it seems worse... although sometimes it is worse on the left.. but mostly the right. I lay down on the floor and stretch my chest area as much as possible. I take in deep breaths that although only help momentarily, it is a moment of peace. I dont exercise too much. I try to sit in a chair that leans back a bit so the pressure is not on my lower chest and abdomen. I dont eat much during one setting.. a full stomach makes it hurt.
If I think of more I will post it... but honestly, nothing takes it away completely... besides time. Although the tightness seems to always be there sometimes it is REALLY bad, and others it is just idle. There does not seem to be anything that triggers it.
It is weird... I want Dr. House.. :(
What are somethings you have tried?
Sounds all too familiar. What has everyone been doing to try to manage this while we are dealing with these maddning symptoms?
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