I have some questions regarding some additional symptoms that I have that may or may not be related.

1. Do you notice that your symptom severity increases with, or can be set off by, hunger?

2. Do you experience a gradual buildup of severity or are you just suddenly hit with it?

3. What are the most common triggers for you?

4. Have you tracked your food intake and sleep quality for the periods prior to symptoms?

5. Do you have sleep apnea?

6. (This one is bizarre) Do you feel pain under your tongue when running?

7. Do you ever experience shakiness or weakness during an episode?

8. Have you had bloodwork that indicated inflammation in your body?

9. Does cold air and/or ice cold water alleviate symptoms?

10. Do you notice post nasal drip accompanying the occurrences?

11. How old were you when you began taking a deeper breath for every few “normal” breaths?

12. Do you cough anything up or clear your throat during episodes?

For me, cold air and/or cold water helps. I have varying degrees of severity and my symptoms ramp up slowly.

The “one big breath every few breaths” has been happening since I was a kid. The older I’ve gotten the more frequently it has progressed from just that (which is ever-present) to severity of a level that prevents me from getting out of a chair. The more severe level includes shakiness/weakness and lightheadedness.

My O2 is always normal during these severe episodes, as is my blood sugar.

My blood work has indicated some inflammation.

I’m really looking forward to hearing what everyone’s experiences are regarding these questions!