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. The doctor thought asthma, especially given my family history of lung problems, so though my lungs sounded clear I tried advair/albuterol.  No change in condition.
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.

[prreethi]

Thanks a lot. Will try the Buteyko method and hope it works for me.
I am suffering from the problem from October 2014. I was medicated for asthama.but didnt work.  then i tried ayurveda. even its not helping.
let me try this method.
thanks a lot

[MSUfounder]

I am a 61 year old clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders.  First, I'm glad to find this site.  For as long as I can remember I've experienced mild SOB which is relieved by yawning (I have very little, if any, anxiety associated with this).  I've asked a handful of physicians about it but none had experienced it themselves, nor had patients who complained of it.  There are, of course, many different medical conditions that result in SOB, including anxiety disorders and pulmonary disease.  Some posts on this site suggest panic attacks.  I recommend looking up the DSM criteria for panic attacks and other anxiety disorders and, if one meets criteria, seek treatment with a clinical psychologist who uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).  However my primary interest is in the actual experience of the satisfying sense of a deep breath one achieves through yawning, or through a regular deep breath that does produce that feeling.  I've noticed that the volume of air taken in is not necessarily related to achieving that feeling.  I wonder if the feeling is a function of something (diaphragm, or bronchi) relaxing?  Have any of the readers been told, definitively, what happens physiologically to produce that satisfying feeling?  And I'm not talking about the chronic SOB which accompanies COPD, asthma, etc., just the phenomenon of having the SOB sensation be relieved by yawning.

[kucingjayuz]

Hi Salghu, may I ask how you run? How far, how fast, how you breath when you run.

[Salghu]

Thanks for your thorough comments. I find running and bikram yoga to help a lot.

1 hour of running a day that's your medicine.

[margypops]

I would ask for a heavy metal toxicity test ...we are all being bombarded with aerial spraying, I am sure you can see the extraordinary skies, they have in fact said they are spraying toxins ,it is possible many of us are allergic to the stuff they spray ...look it up .anyway that's my theory now ...good luck   look at the video 'What on earth are they spraying'

[lonely_boligna]

hi. i found this forum by googling my issue, yawning a lot and SOB. it's kinda comforting to know i'm not the only one struggling here. the first time i noticed having SOB was mid 2009. i was living my normal everyday life, then out of no where, i had really bad SOB. i almost went to the ER but it got better after like 30-60 minutes. it's happened on and off since then only lasting a day or two. but now i've had it for over a week and i'm yawning like every few minutes. it usually happens more so at night when i lay down for bed, but it happens also throughout the day. i've read it could be many thing and haven't yet went to the doctors for help. i'm not sure actually which type of doctor to go to first. i don't have a normal doctor i go to. should i try a primary care? or the hospital? i was on an anti-depressant the beginning of this year which caused me to stop breathing in my sleep. i woke up gasping for air, feeling dizzy and confused. i was taken off the medicine but i now as get freaked out about not being able to breathe at night. could it just be anxiety causing my yawning and SOB? i know when i yawn it usually helps the SOB for a moment but then it comes right back. i've been yawning so much lately i almost feel like i'm going to throw up now when i make big yawns.