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.

[trishw148]

I've suffered with this on and off for about 20 years.  Went through lung fnction test and dr assured me it was stress.  Didn't believe him until I was in a supermarket with my three toddlers and had a basket full of food and my credit card didnt' work.  I couldnt breath!  I finally believed.  Since then, whenever it comes on, knowing it is stress helps me get over it.  I often do deep breathing and I think I now naturally breath way more deeply as a normal breath.  I just had a chest xray and the tech commented on my long lungs.  She had to take two pics from the back to get my lungs in.  I'm wondering if 20 years of 'over breathing' has stretched out my lungs.  I'm 5'7" 110lbs so not a big person.  I also saw normal breaths per minute is 12 - 18.  When I count, I'm at 9-10.  At resting.   I'm now worried about copd since I smoked for 9 years, quitting in 1988.  Anyone else have their lungs stretched out from all this frequent overbreathing?

[CuddleBug213]

I deginately understand your pain and fustrations. Mine all started with a panic attack leading me to the er. 2 yrs ago. Docs said I suffered from migranes and anxiety. Funny thing is, I always thought of migranes as being very painful headaches....But mine felt like a pulsating band around my head which caused me to almost pass out several times.
I also found out that I was suffering from depression.

About a year later, I started having trouble breathing as soon as I fell asleep or wake up bc I felt like I stopped breathing. While awake, I'd have trouble yawning, taking deep breaths, sharp pains/ spasm(only last 1sec & occurs randomly) or burning in my checst or left breast, slight pressure in chest from neck to above breast, constant burping, cant get that full yawn, sharp pain/ spasms through out my arm, shoulder, & jaw. This is in no way normal. I had been to the er sooo many times because I thought I was having a stroke, heart attack, or something terrible with my lungs. The docs did ekgs everytime and blood work which all came back normal... And diagnosed me with GERD, anxiety, &  lacking vitamin D. Even MRIs on my chest and head came back normal. I hate going to my regular doc cause everytime I bring up my issues, she refers me to a psychiatrist!!! She really thinks Im crazy.

The last time that I ignored my bodies warning signs(when I knew something was def wrong) and listend to a doctor instead when they said my symptoms were normal, I ended up having a miscarraige at 6month preg. So I no longer put all of my trust into docs. If you cant get answers from your doc and theyre treating you like a crazy person without showing proof of whats going on or actually showing enough concern to run test and rule out dyer issues......then you should def seek a 2nd or 3rd opinion or make them run test....afterall, you are paying for it.

[breathingagain]

I just saw a post you had about shortness of breath. I have had the same recurring issue for years...doctors were no help.  They always threw up their hands and said it must be stress.  I think I've finally found the reason.  Artificial sweetner! Asparteme, for sure.  I noticed that it would increase in the winter when I drank coffee, and became particularly bad if I added a diet soda in.  For years, I thought it was caffiene related, but there was no consistancy...at home I would drink a pot of coffee with no issues.  Well, at home, I drink my coffee black.  At work, I use artificial sweetner.  I also found that Fiber One, my favorite cereal, contains artificial sweetner.  So do the mints I eat, and other "diet" foods.  When I looked through my daily diet, I found tons of Asparteme!!! I cut it out...took a month or so to really notice...but the shortness of breath is gone!!! I've heard that Stivia is okay to use, but haven't tried it.  Took me 20 years to figure this out.  Take a look at your diet....Hope this helps you and others.

[JaymeJoanneJohnsonWarner]

This was very helpful.  Mine started at a very busy and stressful time at work.  Since I get full blood panels and workups every 3 months, I intend to find out what my pulse oximetry and other numbers are this month.  So narrowed down it could be stress and anxiety or it could be O2/CO2 levels.  I can deal with either of those much easier than my late stage 3b cancer diagnosis 5 years ago, There is a family history of COPD, emphysema, black lung, but that was environmental more that heredity.  Thanks for the helpful answers.  Best of luck, love and health to all my comrades in yawns and gasps.

[Maria82RO]

I`m actually having the same observation, it gets worse on a full stomach and it gets easier to breath when the eating is not excessive.
Otherwise, I`m having the same symptoms: SOB, yawning to get air in and feeling that i can`t fill up that last 25-30% of my lungs.
I am 31, female and my problems started during high-school, gradually worsening.
I know Chinese medicine says trouble with the lungs comes from too much sadness.. maybe it`s true, maybe laughter and joyfulness are the cure. Anyway, I will try the breading techniques indicated, even though I think my main setback is the fact that i have a constantly obstructed &runny nose

[Anat13]

I've had the shortness of breath and yawning for over a year however I remember times from previous years when I had to constantly yawned for air but failed. For example I remember eating some cookie dough when I was 8 and my dad asked why I kept on yawning. I'm 13 years old, I maintain a healthy lifestyle which includes a-l-o-t of swimming, a bit of running and a healthy diet.
Lately I have also realised that I get even more short of breath pretty easily after I run for a second (to catch a bus for instance).. I have a tiny bit of OCD buts its nearly gone now but I don't think I have anxiety.  
I also get headaches very easily (in the past it was caused from dehydration but now I'm trying to drink a good amount of water a day and I still get alot of headaches). Thanks for your time!