Over Breathing

[funkymonkey]

I've had this for as long as I can remember now, but I was wondering how many other people experience something similar.

I will quite randomly start feeling almost out of breath and light headed, it's a very uncomfortable feeling that usually last 10-15minutes. I just have this urge to take in deep breaths of air. The main thing that worries me about these is that the can come at a time when I am not feeling anxious. Also when it stops I get quite shakey.

[johndeere216]

I've gone thru times of that.  I also catch myself holding my breath which has pretty much the same effect.  I think it's common.

[olethros]

Yes, I dealt with this very recently - just kept feeling the need to get a deep breath, even if I had just gotten one.  I really think it was just some OCD type of thing, where I just had to get that feeling of a deep breath.  But of course doing that made it harder to ever breathe properly, and often would make me feel weird (lightheaded, and out of breath, for example) due to breathing like that so much.  Thankfully the issue was resolved before it became a long standing habit!

[funkymonkey]

I've been googling and I'm a little worried. It would seem some of my symptoms tie in more with having low blood sugar levels. This would fit with my extreme hunger after these episodes...

I'm not too worried because I've had this since I was young and I know I'm not diabetic (been tested). going to follow the advice for hypoglycemia and see if it helps.

[jaybird]

I've had this often too. I feel like I need to yawn and I keep feeling like I need to sigh or take a deep breath. I have no explanation, but people have told me it was anxiety. I have this happen even if I don't feel anxious. Maybe it could be related to blood sugar levels.

[johndeere216]

I do the yawn and the sigh too.  I think it's just plain old anxiety.

[funkymonkey]

I do yawn a lot. apparently any more than 12 breaths in a minute is too much. When I get my 'episodes' exercise doesn't help, it just makes me breath very fast gasping for air almost. The advice says exercise will help use up the extra oxygen but it doesn't with me. The only way I can get rid of it is to sit down and close my eyes and just relax.

[funkymonkey]

So I've just been on this page: http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/Hyperventilation.htm

And it presents interesting things about hyperventilation that are not commonly known (or at least I don't think so). It talks of exercise induced hyperventilation, much like what I experience. It also says that secondary to this it triggers hypoglycaemia and this would explain my exercise related over breathing followed by intense hunger following the event.

It days it can be cardiac related, but is much more likely to be a psychological issue. I've recently had an echocardigram because I have an innocent heart murmur, so I know everything is OK.