Hello everyone! I am so happy to have stumbled upon this thread, because i feel like many of these posts are SUPER relatable, especially since sometimes these symptoms are so hard to explain.

I too have been experiencing "air hunger" symptoms for two years now, but recently over the past year I have been having severe panic attacks associated with them. My symptoms include air hunger, feeling like I need to yawn or sigh to get a "good" breath in, and if i'm really struggling with the breathing I will start to feel dizzy, heart racing, sweat, panicky, and also issues with swallowing/fear of choking. I've seen multiple doctors and they all seem to think its anxiety... which I dont disagree... but I think the "air hunger" is CAUSING the anxiety, not the other way around. I've been prescribed xanax which definitely helps calm me down and helps with the panic, but the air hunger, yawning, sighing... that never goes away, which makes me think its not just anxiety.

I am really wondering if I have this "silent reflux" like so many of you have posted about. I have an appointment with a pulmonologist and allergist this month, I think if I get no answers from them I will consider scheduling an appointment with a GI doc. otherwise Im not sure what else to do. I definitely feel defeated and hopeless, as this interferes with my life on a daily basis. I am a graduating physician assistant student, and it has been awful during job interviews. I obviously dont want to yawn or sigh often during an interview, so i have not been obtaining my sufficient deep breaths, which causes me to have these AWFUL panic attacks while interviewing... makes me very scared for my future as a medical professional 🙁

I have noticed that when I am focused on something or busy with my hands its not as bad. Thinking about it definitely makes it worse for me. Does anyone else have things that make the air hunger better or worse?

Thanks again for letting me join in, it feels so good to find others who experience something similar, as I feel that everyone around me thinks Im crazy.