Hello All,

I have been following this post for over a year and finally decided to comment in hopes that we can figure out what's causing this annoying symptom.

I first experienced this problem back in March 2021. I was in bed watching a movie when I felt the need to take a deep breath/yawn. I remember not being able to complete the yawn since it would get stuck at the last part . I didn't pay much attention to it but felt the need to yawn again a few moments later. The same thing repeated until I was able to get a deep breath. I assumed it was over once I took a deep breath, however, I had the same feeling of taking another deep breath a few moments later. It was a long night followed by my first panic attack. I remember laying in bed until I was finally able to fall asleep. The next morning I woke up and the feeling of taking a deep breath was still there. I tried to distract myself with work, but the feeling would not go away. I was so desperate that I asked my wife to drive me to the ER in hopes that they could sedate me and force me to sleep. Once I got to the Hospital, the nurse ran some blood tests and everything came back good. They mentioned that it was probably anxiety causing the urge to take a deep breath and prescribed me a low dose of Lorazepam. I don't know if it was the effect of the medication or how my body reacted to the panic attack, but I shut down. I didn't feel like doing anything and was just in bed for a week. I was also not able to eat without feeling nauseous. I felt numb during that time, but the feeling of taking a deep breath was still there. I decided to stop taking the medicine since I assumed that my low energy and depressed mood were a side effect of the medicine. I started using over-the-counter options instead to help with the anxiety that the panic attacks have created. However, the over-the-counter options were not as good since anything that would affect my breathing would trigger a medium-sized panic attack. I also started seeing a psychiatrist who recommended me to a Panic Group. The Panic Group helped me learn a few tricks to keep the panic attacks away. I managed to not have a panic attach for a few months, but the feeling of taking a deep breath was there daily, some days better than others. The feeling is not there when I'm busy doing something, but it comes back when I have time to think. For some reason, it's always there when I'm stuck in traffic, when I sit down to eat, or when I lay in bed at night. Not overwhelming, but it is there.

In August of 2022, I had another panic attack after dealing with the feeling of taking a deep breath constantly for two days. I had stopped taking my over-the-counter medicine for anxiety a month before the panic attack, so I believe that was on me. I started taking teas every day which is supposed to help with stress and anxiety. I have not had another panic attack after this one, but the feeling of taking a deep breath is still there.

For some time I believe this issue was caused by anxiety since both times that I felt the worse, I was going through some stressful times at work. The first time I experienced the issue, my department had just been outsourced and my senior techs had quit since they were not happy with the company's decision. Our new company brought in new people with no experience which required some time to train. The second time that I had the feeling of taking a deep breath every few minutes which caused the panic attack, I received news that our already short staff was going to be reduced more. However, I'm not so convinced it's caused by anxiety anymore since things at work have been more stable. I have also been taking time off to disconnect from work and go on road trips with my family, but the feeling of taking a deep breath is still there.

The main reason why I no longer think it may be anxiety is that I have noticed that the symptom feels worse when I eat junk food or red meat a few days in a row. I feel the need to take a deep breath more often than "normal" if I don't pay attention to my diet.

I have been comparing the bad days with the first time that I experienced the issue and I have noticed the following.
- I am overweight. 182 then, 160 now.
- I do not take care of my diet. I was eating lots of junk food during the pandemic which is why I gained so much weight. I also stop paying attention to my diet on the good days or weekends.
- My bad days seem to always be a Monday or Tuesday. I'm guessing due to all the junk I ate during the weekend.
- Bad days seem to happen when I'm dealing with constipation, which is often lately. I often need to burp too.

Based on the things that I have noticed, I believe my problem could be related to my stomach. Maybe GERD?

I did try to use some supplements to clean my colon a while back when I had not been able to use the restroom for a couple of days. I only used the supplement one time since my stomach ached and had to constantly use the restroom while at work. However, I do recall that the shortness of breath was 90% to 95% controlled the next day or two. I didn't think much of it at the time since I tend to ignore things when they are not bothering me.

I decided to try the supplements again to clean my colon since I have been dealing with constipation since the weekend. I have also needed to take deep breaths constantly since Monday. I think this will be a good time to try it and see if it actually helps. I'm planning to do the whole 15 days as mentioned on the bottle this time. I will update this post in a few days to confirm if it's helping me.