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    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

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  1. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    Do you know if I’m allowed to share my phone number or email address? It will take me awhile to type everything I have to say.
  2. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    I am going through old emails and came across this thread on air hunger. I would love updates on how your air hunger is doing. Have you discovered the cause or what helps? I know that my air hunger involves high cortisol and low adrenaline/epinephrine levels. I can explain how I know this if...
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    air hunger/shortness of breath

    ALL OF YOU NEED TO CONSIDER VOCAL CORD DYSFUNCTION. The key symptom is difficulty breathing air in. An allergist can diagnose this.
  4. S

    Third Metabolomics Study Info (Gordon Medical Study)

    Thank you for this! I am a 55 year old woman and will participate in this research.
  5. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    Thanks for all this info! I'm sure your professor's friend was grateful after some time had passed! Caffeine doesn't increase adrenaline for me. I feel it increases cortisol and possibly norepinephrine because I get a tense feeling in my chest/air hunger, but I don't get an increase in heart...
  6. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    Thank you for your reply! I really feel that we have the same thing going on and an interested endocrinologist could figure it out. I have had highish cortisol since starting to have hot flashes with perimenopause, which has been 5 years. I've had some degree of air hunger since then. When air...
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    air hunger/shortness of breath

    Can you please tell me what brand of vitex agnus castus you take? Are you sure that you aren't experiencing high cortisol during times of breathing distress? Unless you've actually done a cortisol test during these times, you can't know for sure. Another way to see if high cortisol makes...
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    phosphatidyl-choline or serine raise acetylcholine?

    Seriphos has changed its formulation. I believe it now contains ps with some other stuff. Do any of you know if phosphatidyl CHOLINE has an effect on cortisol?
  9. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    Have you checked to see if your cortisol runs high during these episodes? How about your pulse during these times? Is it slow?
  10. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    See, high cortisol is very much a part of this!!! Ashwagandha is supposed to lower cortisol. Please check your pulse during episodes of difficult breathing. Mine is always slow and weak.
  11. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    I think it's called mayo clinic meditation. It's purple! Try doing the breathing part without shutting your mind off, perhaps while watching tv. Have you had cortisol testing while your breathing symptoms are bad?
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    air hunger/shortness of breath

    This breathing exercise was suggested by dr bergstrom at mayo clinic. You can download a 15 minute meditation ap from mayo clinic to help pace your breathing. Start by breathing out to a count of 5, forcefully, then pause for a moment, then breath in to a count of 5 as much air as you need to...
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    air hunger/shortness of breath

    Lol, you definitely don't sound nuts. If we were "nuts" we could all just take a pill and be better! Oxygen would not help because you are not lacking oxygen. When I had to go to the emergency room a few years ago for something unrelated, I was given oxygen because I said I was sob. My...
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    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

    That is how I would describe air hunger too. I believe air hunger is caused by a dominant sympathetic autonomic nervous system. This has been implicated in cfs.
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    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

    I wanted to add that air hunger is NOT the same thing as hyperventilating. Hyperventilating is fast shallow breathing. The way I would best describe air hunger is that you have to work very hard for each breath until your chest relaxes and you can then breath more freely.
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    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

    Were you having air hunger at the time you did the testing? You might want to consider trying isocort for a couple days. If you truly have low cortisol it will help you. If your cortisol is not low, then you might experience air hunger.
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    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

    What is Pem? I have noticed the air hunger correlates with high cortisol. High cortisol tilts your autonomic nervous system in favor of sympathetic over parasympathetic. You can order a 5 point cortisol test from zrt laboratories. I would bet you will find your cortisol runs high when you are...
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    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

  19. S

    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

    My air hunger is much worse when in hot weather. Have any of you noticed the same?
  20. S

    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

    I have come to realize that my air hunger is due to a lack of adrenaline. My heart rate is slow during these episodes and there is no panic. A plasma catecholamine test showed decreased epinephrine after standing 10 minutes, which is not normal. Two 24 hour catecholamine urine tests showed zero...
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    My Air Hunger has improved dramatically !!

  22. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    You mentioned that all of us cfsers have adrenaline overload. This is not true! I used to have too much adrenaline at times, but I don't have enough now. When I have air hunger it's because I don't have enough adrenaline! My heart rate is slow and weak during these times. Adrenaline is what...
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    air hunger/shortness of breath

  24. S

    air hunger/shortness of breath

    I have this same thing with my CFS. Heat is the main instigator. I have also had it bad since menopause began 3 months ago. My heart rate is always slow during these times, so it is NOT anxiety! Since perimenopause began, I have had no noticeable adrenaline. I believe the shortness of breath is...
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    Progressive SOB, fatigue, tremors, yikes.

    I have shortness of breath almost always in the heat. When I have shortness of breath, my heart rate is ALWAYS very low! This is definitely not anxiety. When I have had anxiety, I have NOT had shortness of breath. Please check your heart rate when you have shortness of breath and tell me if your...
  26. S

    oxygen hunger/shortness of breath question

    I have had occasional shortness of breath/air hunger for 20 out of the 30 years I've had CFS. Heat was always guaranteed to bring it on. Allergies could also. After rare incidents of tachycardia, I would have shortness of breath for a week or so. With the onset of menopause, I have had constant...
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    Perimenopause and CFS...ughhh.

    Well, I don't know how to email only you. My email address is Suekmurphy@cox.net. Please email me! :0)
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    Perimenopause and CFS...ughhh.

  29. S

    Perimenopause and CFS...ughhh.

    Hello Sushi, So, did you have CFS before you went through the change, and now you're done with hot flashes? Did you experience increased CFS symptoms during that fun time of change? Is your fatigue level now comparable to what it was before you noticed your hormones changing? Thank you!
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    Perimenopause and CFS...ughhh.