Heavy breathing tick?

[Nickapassa]

No matter what, for the past 3 months now, I get the urge to take a huge breath.
A yawn or something of the like, for about every 3 minutes.
I used to breath regular, normal, far spaced yawns (often, every now and then.)
I've been told this might be a tick, or a habit, something like OCD.
Is there anyway to stop this "urge" to take a deep breath for good?

[Millie1968]

I am f,42 yrs.  Since a teen, i was having all the same symtoms, shortness of breath, excessive yawning, sighing, all to catch a deep breath.  I was diagnosed with Asthma my entire life, respiratory allergies, anxiety and heart issues.
After reading all the post on this website, i decided to research a little further and have agreed that what most of us are suffering from is called: Hyperventilation Syndrome with is related to panic disorder and anxiety.  Here are two websites that can help with further information you may need.:

dynamicchiropractic.com (it explains different symptoms for this disorder)
Type in youtube: buteyko, there is a video which can help us breathe correctly so we don't have to experience all these yawning, sighing mechanism to catch a deep breath.  I hope this all help and hopefully I can recover as well from this annoyance and being misdiagnosed for so many years.

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
Chronic yawning can be the first sign of a vasovagal attack. The complex group of symptoms are mediated by the vagus nerve. This nerve is irritated by prolonged standing, standing up suddenly, stress, pain, hunger, dehydration, intense emotion etc.  A tilt table test, holter monitor, echocardiogram etc are done for confirmed diagnosis.
It can also be a sign of sleep deprivation, improper sleep pattern, sleep apnea or nasal blockage. It could also be a sign of depression.
Electrolyte imbalance in the blood due to any cause like vomiting, diarrhea, kidney problems etc can cause this. Anemia too could be the cause.
On a more serious note, chronic yawning can be a sign of a brain problem like multiple sclerosis, progressive supranuclear palsy, opiate withdrawal, epilepsy,  Parkinson’s disease, infection in brain or even brain tumor.
This is not something you can ignore. Please consult a doctor immediately.
Hope this helps. Take care!

[Doc_T]

Nick,

Regarding your breathing/yawning tick, do you also get the urge to stretch the way people do when they have a large yawn?

If so, and mind you this is just guess work based on my own health problems and observations, I'd suggest you have your hormone levels checked by an endocrinologist.

I have problems with my hormone levels.  I'm on hormone replacement therapy to keep my hormone levels up.  One of the symptoms I have when things aren't quite right is sudden urges to yawn and stretch.  Sometimes the stretches are so strong I feel like I'm going to pull a muscle.

This may have nothing to do with what you're going through but it seems like it'd be worth a shot to have it checked out.

Good luck, my friend.

Tim