Bizarre Breathing Sensation

[GreenMachineX]

Hello,
I’m now dealing with this weird breathing sensation. It’s not difficult to breath, but it’s an awareness of it and a feeling like I literally don’t need to breathe, and if I don’t actively breathe, maybe I’ll stop? The funny thing is, it happens far more frequently when I do a low carb diet, and when I’ve tried apple cider vinegar in the past it set it off to the worst it’s ever been. I also thought certain veggies or just veggies in general set it off but I’m not sure. Occasionally, after experiencing it for an hour or 2, I’ll burp a few times and it goes away. I have no other symptoms of reflux/GERD/anything.

I’ve been told by my doctor that my blood is slightly acidic going by electrolyte panel but wouldn’t ACV and veggies improve the symptom? A lot of my symptoms I’ve dealt with the past few years were simply b12/folate deficiencies and potassium/magnesium deficiencies. Pretty sure those are good to go because I don’t have those symptoms anymore.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GreenMachineX]

I went back and looked at my labs from the past year. When I was told I was slightly acidic, everything was in range and I felt good. But, about 6 months ago I went through this weird breathing thing and my blood carbon dioxide was 1 point under normal. So, am I experiencing respiratory alkalosis of some kind and all alkalizing foods are bad for me? Those high pH alkaline waters do the same thing!

 

[valentinelynx]

Are you hyperventilating? Hyperventilation blows off CO2, thereby suppressing your urge to breathe until your CO2 rises again. If you hyperventilate enough, you can hold your breath until you pass out. I did this once as a swimmer in a challenge to see who could swim the farthest without taking a breath. I passed out just as I finished 50 yards: fortunately I was at the wall, so my coach grabbed my arm and pulled me my head up!

 

[GreenMachineX]

Thanks for the reply. No, definitely not hyperventilating. I did find some research last night saying a ketogenic diet lowers blood carbon dioxide thus reducing the need to breathe and how it could be applied for Navy SEALs, so maybe it’s not as dangerous as it feels...

 

[taniaaust1]

You don't even need to think to breathe, it's a subconscious act (otherwise you would die in your sleep) so I think you are over worrying about this. It sounds like anxiety causing you to think you are going to stop breathing.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Maybe I phrased it wrong. I’m not sure whether I’ll stop breathing or not, but the desire to breathe while it’s happening is gone. The sensation gives me a little marginal anxiety, but the issue is more how to fix it or if anyone else has felt it before. I can literally hold my breath longer than normally possible while it’s happening and the “uh oh, I need to breathe!” (Read:normal feeling) is gone.

 

[PatJ]

my blood is slightly acidic going by electrolyte panel

That's at the time they drew blood and then later tested it. I think people with ME/CFS may have odd fluctuations in our bodies that most doctors don't understand. So maybe your blood was slightly acidic at the time of the blood draw but isn't now. It's hard to know without ongoing testing.

feeling like I literally don’t need to breathe

So, am I experiencing respiratory alkalosis of some kind and all alkalizing foods are bad for me? Those high pH alkaline waters do the same thing!

It sounds like respiratory alkalosis. Maybe you are are extremely sensitive to alkalizing foods. You might be able to compensate by taking pure ascorbic acid and/or eating acidifying foods along with alkalizing foods.

 

[GreenMachineX]

Thanks for the reply. Today I took extra vitamin C and ate peanut butter with breakfast instead of macadamias and I didn’t experience it. I’ll keep testing. Thanks again.

 

[percyval577]

@GreenMachineX I had the same occasionally, also one member has told this here somewhere in the forum too.

A slightly other thing might be the difficulty to breathe, when the chest is narrow, and it does not happen that much air comes into the lung, very annoying in itelf, but usually I experienced this along other uncomfortable things, not able to sleep and being unwell in generel (difficult to put into words). The breath does not go around, but only up and down. But it may be only slightly different.

My interpretation is, it´s neurological. I still have it to some small degree, although I am comparable well.

 

[taniaaust1]

Maybe I phrased it wrong. I’m not sure whether I’ll stop breathing or not, but the desire to breathe while it’s happening is gone. The sensation gives me a little marginal anxiety, but the issue is more how to fix it or if anyone else has felt it before. I can literally hold my breath longer than normally possible while it’s happening and the “uh oh, I need to breathe!” (Read:normal feeling) is gone.

Maybe try to distract yourself from the sensation rather then focusing on it could be a help (focusing on any 'feeling" at all can amplify sensations). One distraction technique is to try to find as many things in the room you are in starting with a certain letter.

best luck

 

[GreenMachineX]

Thanks again everyone for their thoughts and suggestions. I’m starting to wonder if I was going the wrong direction with the whole electrolyte thing and it is related to the GI tract due to the resulting burping that clears it up. Could a GI issue cause issues with breathing or at least the feeling of something off with breathing? I stopped taking probiotics about a week ago, the type that reduces histamine. Is it possible I’ve taken histamine too low since it’s needed a little for digestion? How long after stopping probiotics does it take for the gut to normalize?

Thanks in advance.