hyperventilation - Lung & Respiratory Disorders / COPD Message Board

couger2347 · 06-09-2003, 10:21 PM

Has anyone been diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome? I have had many years of difficult breathing with the sensation of not getting satisfactory breaths. I'm not sure which one came first but I am anxiety prone which leads to rapid breathing episodes and proably periods of breath holding which I'm not even aware of most of the time.What really interests me the most is what I think I discovered by accident and that was during a routine blood test I had a below normal range of co2. I asked my doctor what that meant and he more or less dismissed it as hyperventilation due to the arousal of taking a blood test. I became curious as to what lowered co2 levels really meant and why he made light and said I would not have symptoms. He knows I have had difficulty with my breathing for many years but he has not recognized how breathing difficulties would lead to greater anxiety levels. I have also been to a pulminary doctor who first thought I had allergies who after many tests came to the conclusion it must be the anxiety. Has anyone had a equal problem with their breathing which lead them to explore the possibility that it might be whats called Hyperventilation syndrome. I did a little research on HVS and they spoke of low co2 levels and how years of stress could cause improper breathing and a long list of symptoms which can be cuased by chrionic low levels of co2. I for one had severe fatigue and many muscular problems which got them to diagnose me with fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue. My search on hyperventilation+syndrome got me to question what might be the cause of long periods of difficulty breathing. Any insights would be appreciated.

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kellie2 · 06-13-2003, 11:44 PM

Hi Couger - I had that also, but mine was caused by asthma, which I was diagnosed with last year. Needless to say, the inability to breathe correctly and feeling like I was suffocating not only caused me to develop CHS but also panic attacks and high anxiety. My breathing patterns were all over the map. My pulmonologist put me on Xanax for awhile to stop the panic attacks and treat the anxiety, and I also did breathing exercises to retrain myself to breathe correctly. I've been fine every since.

How are you doing now?

[This message has been edited by kellie2 (edited 06-15-2003).]

plm · 06-14-2003, 08:17 AM

I also just became aware of the hyperventilation syndrome. I'm having shortness of breath and the doctor put me on asthma medication 3 weeks ago (I tested positive for asthma). But I don't have asthma "attacks", just this constant feeling of not being able to breathe deeply enough. This medicine has not made any difference in my breathing. Now I'm getting anxious, and I'm sure the anxiety isn't helping matters. I read about hyperventilation syndrome on the internet and found mention of a good book by Susan Bradley called "Hyperventilation Syndrome." It is in its third printing and apparently the new revised edition has some self-help exercises, etc. I ordered it and haven't gotten it yet. If you are interested, Amazon.com has a copy for $8.99 plus $3.49 shipping. It might be worth your while to read it. Half.com has a copy for $1.99, but I believe it is the first printing and I wanted the newer edition with self-help exercises.

jboon · 06-14-2003, 08:18 PM

You may want to read the posts in this forum under the topic "Air Hunger" started by Johnl1. Many people, myself included, have had similar breathing problems on and off for years, with various diagnoses or unknown causes (which usually lead doctors to assume it's anxiety). It was comforting to at least know that many others have the same problem and don't know the true cause of their "air hunger" either. My husband is hoping we can find a doctor who will think "outside the box" enough to figure out what is causing me to feel as though I can't get enough air when I breathe normally.

couger2347 · 06-16-2003, 11:02 PM

Thanks for your replies and much more for letting me know I'm not alone when it comes to what I believe is directly linked to what may be thought of as just a bad habit of improper breathing. I've tried to find someone who could relate to "hypertventiating syndrome" but my shouts have generally fallen on deaf ears. By doing a search on HVS I came across a doctor out of Russia whose name is Buteyko. He researched the effects of improper breathing and how this has far reaching negative results on the health of many individuals. His followers can also be found at yahoo groups under Buteyko + breathing. On contacting a Buteyko practictioner the first thing I was told was to breath through the nose and keep the mouth shut as much as possible. From that day on I concentrate on not breathing in with my mouth open and breathing out but also keeping my mouth closed. This was very difficult in the beginning but I was determined to try this anyway. I also concentrated on slowing down on the number of breaths I took per minute doing reduced breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes twice a day. I thank you again for for those who replied. Its nice to know your not alone. I wish more people in this group would find the time or look into the HVS problem it sure seems it would simplify what doctors are good at making complicated.