headache after hyperventilating breathing technique

[word2moth]

i have done 2-3 rounds of Wim Hof's hyperventilating, after 30 deep breathes, he says to just stop and breathe in when you feel you need to (probably didnt breathe for 60-90 seconds due to such saturation, he then directs you to hold this breathe and squeeze your brain for 10-15 seconds.

stupidly i did this for what must have been 30-50 seconds and have had a bad headache since, i did it last night and 24 hours later i still have the same pain which actually feels like it is slightly towards the front but more central (which is where all the blood supply is) i also have been a bit dizzy/unbalanced this morning but have run 5k this evening.

reading on the internet you obviously stumble upon some very worrying potentials, i do not want to go to the ER for a headache and look stupid, i am going to leave it 24 more hours and if the same pain exists, i will begin to worry and will no longer doubt i have caused a serious issue and will have no qualms about visiting, especially since i dont suffer with head aches.

so this is a word of warning against that I suppose, and also some documentation for my family in case I die, although I am not sure they will ever see this post :D.

[GregLB]

Curious to know how this worked out for you. Did it resolve? I had the same experience yesterday and I am concerned.

[steve_canada in reply to GregLB]

I am doing the Wim Hof method on a 30 day challenge before I go for my next blood test.

I wake up and do 3 cycles of 30-35 deep breaths followed by breathing out and hold for 2-3 minutes then breathe in for 15 secs.

Followed with meditation and then hot and then cold shower .

Yes I get headaches sometimes but I believe this is a detoxification that’s going on.

But I can tell you that I feel great and sleep better.

[GregLB in reply to steve_canada]

Thanks. I stopped doing Wim’s method because the headaches I was getting were severe enough to have to go to ER for an MRI. Unfortunately. I did enjoy it while I was doing it but I began to feel that for me it was risky. After three weeks the headache surfaced suddenly each breathing session. Admittedly I was going at it hard. But, the migraine-like headache was accompanied by a tingling on my left side, as with a stroke. The ER doc said that what I was doing was in fact constricting the blood vessels in my brain, and potentially emulating a stroke.

Best wishes for success with the program. As I said I did enjoy it and have nothing bad to say about Wim or his method. Even though I am very fit and active, perhaps age 69 is too old to start it. I had never before in my life had a migraine headache.

[FrostyHeart in reply to GregLB]

I'm 27 and had been doing Wim Hof method sporadically for about 4 years. After a Iong while doing mostly just cold showers I must say, you're not alone and I had this happen to me today for the first time in my life -- I had an optical migraine followed by dizziness and numbing of fingers on the left hand. I'm starting to think I had too much coffee that morning + vaped some salt nicotine just before the exercise, after breathing I did my morning routine of leg raises and the optical migraine hit me about a minute later. It could be the sum of all these factors + not being ready for a full, all-out session of 3 cycles.

[Bertoes]

Been loving the WHM but got the same head problem 5 days ago, I think I did the after breath wrong. Anyway, I’ve had a dull frontal sensation in the head ever since. What ever happen to you?

[Annichasuki in reply to Bertoes]

Hi....I am glad to have found these posts. I did 9 days of the 10 day program and loved the results. Such great energy all day! But, when I let my head get wet on day 10 I was teeth-chattering cold and too, developed a migraine-like headache (like a nonstop ice cream brain-freeze). The next morning, I did the four rounds of breathing and cold shower but didn't let my head get wet. I still got the headache and woke up with it today. Will take a break today.

I fell 8 months ago and perhaps the aftereffect of the concussion is part of it? I'm 5'1", 60, and 109 pounds? Who knows.....other comments?