Strange breathing sensation

[sammyj]

I dont even quite know how to explain how I am feeling really but will try my best.I think I am an over breather, I always concentrate on my breathing and find myself needing to take huge deep breaths frequently and sometimes I cant quite get one, but wait awhile and then can take another? Anyone else experience this? Also occassionaly I feel weird, like my chest is vacant, empty etc. Its wierd, almost like there is no air going in or out...or atleast I can feel this anyway. Does this happen to anyone else or can you explain it better?It makes me really paranoid and I feel I am just going to drop and stop breathingworried x

[NoPoet]

Hi, don't worry too much, it's just a symptom of anxiety. You won't "stop" breathing. If you start feeling like this try to take slow, steady breaths for a few minutes and clear your mind of worry. Imagine each breath going into your body like a white light and filling your lungs. You'll learn over time to control this and then it won't bother you so much :)

[CJH86]

I get a similar thing...sometimes i cant feel the air going in an out.

Im an over breather to the point it hurts sometimes......and i must be the only one who doesnt like having a better lung function due to giving up smoking, it makes me feel like i am not breathing enough!!!

The sensation i get is kinda similar to when you are in a humid place and the air is close to body temp so you dont feel like you are breathing...is the only way i can explain it :shrug:

[sammyj]

thanks for the replies, still wonder if others get the same thing?why does it feel that I just cant take full depp breath sometimes then a few minutes later I can. sometimes it hurt like I am causing damage. I know normally people dont go around with every breath being a huge deep one but I keep making myself yawn or am so concious of the need to take a deep breathits horrible when i feel numb almost and cant feel myself breathing

[AlexandriaUK]

Hi I am new on this site but not new to your symptom or what ever you want to call it I have suffered from panic attacks for over 30 years and the breathing thing has always to me been the worst part about panic attacks it feels like you cannot get your breath and as you say you take one deep breath after another and still 2 minutes later you take another to the point where you cant physically take one and then I find myself yawning over and over again which is all part of the anxiety, well I have not had a full attack for over 8 years and to find myself back there again with the breathing thing has knocked me for 6 but its all part and parcel of it.
I want say relax because probably at this moment in time you cant but you can try we are all in the same boat and the thought that some one else is going through it at the same time does help a little and it will wear of and then try to remember next time you get it how it felt and that will make it easier to deal with it want kill you though so try to stop worrying and enjoy life.
I had 6 weeks of councilling did it help I dont know but the wasted years letting it control me is quite sad LOL
Hope this helps Sandie

[sammyj]

Sandiethanks for your reply. it is so frustrating and I cry sometimes as just want to be normal...or whatever that is. But you know what I mean. 6 months ago I walked down the street thinking of other things and now no matter how hard I try the thought of something being wrong with me always creep in. I think everyday is this going to be my last and its so upsetting. My true fear is mistaking something else for anxiety. Sam

[Nicola_lou]

Hia hun, this symtom is called air hunger, I posted about it in top tips, have a read it might help with I find it helps with me.

[judipat]

Hi
I have suffered with this for years - I think it is one of the most common symptoms of anxiety. Have you read anything about it, there are several books about it, but the two I found most helpful are "hyperventilation syndrome" by Dinah Shore and all the books by Claire Weeks.
If you hav'nt got asthma and you dont get out of breath on exhertion, you can be rest assurred that its anxiety. Its all about the levels of carbon dioxide - because, like me, when you overbreath, you upset the chemical balance. There are several things you can you, but I strongly advise you to read more about it then you will understand what is going on and begin to accept it. That dos'nt mean it will go away, but you will learn how to control it and not add more panic which makes it a 100 times worse.
Hope this is helpful, take care.
Judi

[sammyj]

thank you everyone for your replies, i will read into it more as I dont get out of breath easily and I even go for a run after work sometimes which is fine

[borricua]

I get a similar thing...sometimes i cant feel the air going in an out.

Im an over breather to the point it hurts sometimes......and i must be the only one who doesnt like having a better lung function due to giving up smoking, it makes me feel like i am not breathing enough!!!

The sensation i get is kinda similar to when you are in a humid place and the air is close to body temp so you dont feel like you are breathing...is the only way i can explain it :shrug:


Ok I have been looking on google everywhere and have not found anyone describe what these attack feel like for me until I read your post. I get a feeling all of a sudden of a humid sensation in my mouth and lungs when I have an attack. It feels like I cant swallow and the breaths aren't getting in. Then it feels difficult to breath regularly. Sometimes there is lightheadedness and hallow feeling in chest or lungs..is this what you have? is it an anxiety disorder or panic attack? any ideas? Thanks - B:unsure:

[xfilme]

I have a sensation that I have had since january. it feels like suddenly someone quickly squeezes all the air out of my lungs. like a rapid exhale. ive been to the docs a few times and mentioned it and also a few times to nhs direct, and im wondering if it could be due to the fact im not using abdominal breathing when im anxious and so my diaphragm is tight. i notice its quite uncomfortasble when i breath using my diaphragm and it gives me a buzzing sensation. i have had buzzing for about two months now... but never been able to induce it until i tried the abdominal breathing techniques. maybe it is just diaphragm tightening due to anxiety and shallow breathing.

[xBettyBoopx]

Hey sammy

I am exactly the same. It's so horrible, isn't it? The vacant feeling you talk about, to me it feels like there's a big hole in my chest.

Sometimes I can't even get a good breath even when I 'sigh' or yawn. I think it's because we concentrate on the 'in' breath rather than the 'out' one. We get tense & don't breathe out enough of the air so next time we breathe, we can't take in as much because there's still loadsa air in our lungs, so anxiety/panic hits..........vicious circle from then on. I do it all the time. But I try & remember (almost impossible when I panic) to breathe out the same number that I breathe in.

When we think about our breathing it just goes, doesn't it? Like if I think about blinking, I blink more! If I think about swallowing, I swallow more, it becomes an obsession. But how do we stop thinking about it? Don't know the answer, all I know is that you will ALWAYS get enough breath, I have had it for 34 years & I'm still here.........well........:scared15: :scared15:

Els

[robelros]

i feel exactly like this too, sam, you are not alone! i take a lot of shallow breaths when i don't feel like i can get enough air and try to "build" myself up to a good strong breath, but then when i try to take the big breath i can't! it is definitely a little scary and extremely uncomfortable. i haven't quite solved this problem with myself yet so i don't have any words of advice, but wanted to let you know that i feel it too :)

[blondie47]

I get a similar thing...sometimes i cant feel the air going in an out.

Im an over breather to the point it hurts sometimes......and i must be the only one who doesnt like having a better lung function due to giving up smoking, it makes me feel like i am not breathing enough!!!

The sensation i get is kinda similar to when you are in a humid place and the air is close to body temp so you dont feel like you are breathing...is the only way i can explain it :shrug:

Nope, you aren't the only one. I seemed to breathe fine when I was a smoker, it wasn't until I quit smoking that I started hyperventilating. Smoking was a big crutch for me over the years and when I gave it up unfortunately anxiety took its place. Its been 9 years and it has gotten better, but I still have days where I'm overbreathing and can't get a deep, satisfying breath to save my life!

[Juan5845]

Hi my name is juan I'm 14 going into 8th grade I am in shape love football hopefully ill be one anyways well Im going thru anxiety it sucks. I used to feel so weird I still do but now I'm worried about my breathing like its hard to explain but her it goes it feeld like Im not getting air even though I now I am also It feels like I'm not breathing it gets annoying the worry about this but I get no attacks. barley started to worry about this 2 or 3 days ago idk wants wrong with me I went to the doctors before they said I was really healthy nothing wrong. Still idk why I worry still I hope I'm will be alright

[butterfly00]

Nope, you aren't the only one. I seemed to breathe fine when I was a smoker, it wasn't until I quit smoking that I started hyperventilating. Smoking was a big crutch for me over the years and when I gave it up unfortunately anxiety took its place. Its been 9 years and it has gotten better, but I still have days where I'm overbreathing and can't get a deep, satisfying breath to save my life!

that because you focus on the breathing out. Blowing smoke out long and slow. Almost makes me miss it actually. To balance out your co2 you need to breath out longer than you breath in.
Air hunger is a buggar. I hate it. sometimes it feels as if my lungs are too weak to cope with all the overbreathing.

[stars22]

i wonder if its the kind of feeling i get is all yours all the time or just like a second i just had it now it is just the one breath although it happens all day randomly it feels like that breathe is humid like when you feel your not getting no air like your diagram has a pause then its out its like when your shocked and do the breath in to do the shocked noise ?
i dont get a noise but the feelings there