Constant Urge to Take Deep Breaths

[RickM78]

Hi,

For the last week I've had a constant urge to take deep breaths, and fill my lungs so that they feel stretched. The breath gives minor satisfaction, but then the urge returns.
Sometimes, I feel like I need to yawn, but the yawns are not satisfying like they should be. I don't have any problems breathing, nor do I have any other symptoms, like coughing, raspiness or wheezing. Just this persistent urge to breathe deeply.

A lot of posts I've seen on related symptoms seem to think this is anxiety, but I really don't think that I have a lot of anxiety right now.

Any ideas?


This discussion is related to urgency to take deep breaths.

[uprabhu]

Hi I have the same symptoms. Do you feel any better after seeing the Naturopatnic doctor?

[webster322]

did you find out what was causing this as have similar symptoms as you and the throat clearing as well x

[melissaleighjohn]

Hi all, I currently suffer from this problem too.  From what I can tell through random Internet articles, we are suffering from chronic hyperventilation.  We are taking in too much oxygen, and our oxygen-CO2 balance is off.  Practicing long, shallow breathing is pivotal to re-training your body how to breathe.  We yawn because it gives us mental relief from the feeling of a full breath, but in reality, it is only exacerbating our hyperventilation due to the influx of more oxygen.  

Try breathing with your mouth closed with good posture.  Inhale shallow breaths over ten seconds (filling your belly, not your lungs) and then exhale through your nose slowly (deflating your belly).  This will be uncomfortable at first because our oxygen-CO2 balance is off and we have trained our bodies to breathe incorrectly.  The key to this is shallow, small breaths; this is counter-intuitive because it seems like we need more air and a complete breath, but we really need less oxygen. Commit to this method for a day and see if your breathing improves.  The goal is to re-train your body to breathe like this unconsciously.  Another trigger to our hyperventilation is being so conscious of our breathing; practicing correct breathing will help make it automatic and will further decrease our symptoms.

I have been using this method over the past hour and feel great relief.  Every few minutes, I still feel the need to take a large inhalation of air with my mouth open, but I have stopped feeling the need to yawn.  I have suffered from this for a little over a year now and was previously very healthy and not anxiety-ridden.  However, when I began a full-time Master's program while working full-time, I began having these breathing problems and have had them ever since.  Doctors have prescribed Zoloft and Xanax which helped, but I don't like taking prescription medication.  I hope the relief persists and I hope it helps some of you out there.

[Kimlaing]

I see we all have the same story, all I want to know is if there is hope and if it has gone away for anyone. I don't believe in anxiety. I think there is a cause for this. Does it go away? I read how people struggle with this for years and years? Is there any success stories?

[SCIENSITA]

I REMEMBER, WHEN I HAVE GIVEN MY OLEVEL EXAMS. I WAS FREE AND I DONT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO ME BUT I STARTED OVERTHINKING ABOUT MY BREATH PATTERN AND THAT MAKES ME FEEL TO TAKE DEEP BREATH JUST TO SATISFY MY URGE. I WAS CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME I COULD HARDLY FOCUS ON ANYTHING. I START HATING LIFE AND I FEEL LIKE ITS WORTH TO LIVE. I HAD FOUGHT FOR ONE YEAR BUT THEN SUDDENLY I FEEL LIKE IT WENT AWAY  AUTOMATICALLY. BUT THEN AGAIN WHENEVER THE THOUGHT TRIGGERS I BECAME ANXIOUS AND I TAKE TOO MUCH DEEP BREATHS AND THEN I FEEL LIKE MY CHEST GOT HEAVY. I CAME TO KNOW THAT RUNNING AWAY FROM THIS IS NOT A SOLUTION . I CAN NEVER EVER RUN AWAY FROM MYSELF AFTER ALL ITS MY THOUGHT. THEN WHAT SHOULD I DO? SHOULD I FOUGHT WITH THIS? NO FIRSTLY ACCEPT IT. THAT JUST YOU ARE HAVING IT AND THEN KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT ONE DAY IT WILL FADE AWAY. IT HAS TO BECAUSE NO THOUGHT REMAINS FOREVER. LIFE WILL BECAME BUSY AND IT WILL WENT AWAY.  STOP FOCUSING ON YOUR BREATH ITS NATURAL YOU CAN NEVER CONTROL IT. I REMEMBER I WAS SO AFRAID THAT I THOUGHT IF I TALK ABOUT IT. IT WILL START TO COME BACK AND GUESS WHAT IT REALLY DOES. BUT WHAT TOOK IT BACK . MY THOUGHT? WAIT NO. ITS YOUR FEAR. YOU HAVE TO BE BRAVE. DON`T TRIGGER YOUR BRAIN. YOU ARE NOT IN YOUR BRAINS CONTROL, ITS YOUR BRAIN THAT HAS TO BE IN YOUR CONTROL. I KNOW IT WONT FADE WAY IN A DAY. IT WILL TOOK SOME TIME BUT WHENEVER YOUR BRAIN TRIGGERS WITH THAT THOUGHT. DON`T RUN .EXPLAIN BRAIN. THAT ITS NOTHING.

[Uzzzz_619]

Scientia... how do you describe as urge??? For me it is like a sensation that i feel in the chest! Did you feel the sensations too or it was just a mental urge? Please let me know! I think it is a kind of ocd! Even if i am not taking deep breaths, i feel my normal breathing as unsatisfactory! i somehow stopped taking deep breaths To a great extent unless it gets too suffocating due to urges

[Xonos]

This will work - definitely. Another thing to note is that when people feel as if they're not getting that 'satisfying lung full of air' feeling - they tend to try to make up for it by inhaling a lot of air after an unsuccessful yawn. William is definitely right and another thing to note is that for those of you in an office or on the job that cannot lay down, simply stop breathing through your mouth and inhale very slowly. After 5-10 minutes, your heart-rate will calm down (even while on stimulants like nicotine + caffeine). Another thing to note which is vitally important. Breathing through your chest is horribly inefficient. You notice how your chest puffs out when you take a deep breath? That's a problem. Breathe through your stomach so that the stomach rises instead of your chest. You'll notice immediately that this feels less restrictive. So, breathe through your nose and let your stomach rise - not your chest. Breathe slowly and calmly for some time. While you're doing this, try to focus on something other than your breathing and try to forget you're doing this exercise at all. It helps to distract yourself. The idea is to get breathing off your mind because it is something that should happen automatically without your supervision. I've been suffering this condition on and off for about 3 years now. I've found hot tea with natural mint soothes the issue immediately if you need a quick fix.

[WilliamCDaniels]

Hello,

I just wanted to let anyone here who is still struggling with this know that I have cured it -- I used a very simple technique called the Buteyko Method. It has absolutely vanished. Basically, the reason all of us cannot seem to get a deep breath, is because we are breathing TOO MUCH. I know, it feels like we aren't breathing enough, and we are dying for air. But its the opposite, I assure you. One thing you can do right now if you are reading this is lay down on your left side on your bed, and, ONLY breathing through your nose, try to breath as little as possible. You will feel a shortness of breath at first -- don't make yourself uncomfortable. But do try to breathe less for ten minutes. You should do this with the aim of breathing so lightly that your can't even hear yourself breathing. Let the belly rise naturally and calmly, but slow slow slow down your breathing and try to make it light as a feather. Make it so you are breathing so little and so lightly. See how you feel. Email me anytime if you would like my further suggestions about this. I know how much it *****, and how totally euphoric I feel now every day after learning this techniquw. Email anytime. ***@****  --Will