Sporadic air intake

[Tessie62]

Good morning all!

I have a question. Does anyone else experience sporadic air intake. It happens sporadically throughout my day. It occurred to me to try to find an answer as it's happened several times this morning while at work. It reminds me of when a child can't catch their breath from a crying tantrum. Only, I'm not upset. Years ago, when this first started happening, I chalked it up to my heart catching up on a missed beat. I have mitral-valve prolapse and on the days I'm tired, I'll palpitate more than normal. But I'm not experiencing this currently. Could this be related to my diagnosis of Lupus, Sjogren's, MCTD, Interstitial lung disease, or even Mobitz I or II?

[PMRpro]

Not sure I understand what you mean - is it a deep sighing breath? It is absolutely normal to have an extra deep intake of breath up to 12 times an hour! It is your body balancing out the oxygen in and cardon dioxide out. Often happens if you are a bit slouched in a seat.

[Tessie62 in reply to PMRpro]

Thank you. No. It's like involuntarily sucking in air two times in succession...with good posture. See what I did there? I'll check my oxygen levels when I get home. Last week it was hovering around 94%. Also, my white blood count is always low. A Lupus thing. Maybe it's time for another iron infusion.

[PMRpro in reply to Tessie62]

Well yes - that's what I meant really, you take the second breath in before you have finished the first.

[Petrof in reply to Tessie62]

Oh yes. I know exactly what you’re talking about. It happens to me too.

[Minnie2000]

Omg, yes! I get exactly this every day. How you have described it is exactly what I said to my rheumatologist - like a child who has been crying. I was sent for lung function tests but they couldn't find any issue. I take a steroid inhaler everyday for my allergy induced asthma. I also get pain in my chest when I lay on my back - like I have a heavy weight on me. Additionally If I walk on an incline my chest tightens up straight away and I have trouble breathing. If you get any answers please let me know as this has been going on for so long now and I don't know why. Take care.

[SF1000 in reply to Minnie2000]

Hi Minnie 2000. I was just a bit concerned hearing that you have trouble on an incline. Have you had your heart checked too to make sure that’s not contributing to these symptoms?

[Tessie62 in reply to Minnie2000]

Thank you. I will let you know if I get an explanation. Albeit, OldTed60 offered me food-for-thought. I hope your condition gets less troublesome with time. That condition certainly must be uncomfortable.

[Tessie62 in reply to Minnie2000]

Also, that heaviness you get while lying down? I brought that up with my Rheumatologist Aug. 30th. Now I'm wondering if the changes in my spine may be the reason for the heaviness? It's always something. 🤔

[OldTed60]

I used to do this a lot and still have occasional bouts. For me it’s the out breath that I’ve come to realise is key. I get it very noticeably when I’ve fractured a rib but sometimes mildy with chest pain due to costochondritis or arthritis in my spine causing muscle spasms. I don’t worry about it now because it reminds me of when I used to do tai chi years ago and we had to exercise our lungs by seizing an extra breath and grunting it out hard over and over. To me my extra intake of breath is similar but spontaneous and I don’t grunt it out after as taught in tai chi.

After normal range annual respiratory function and occasional echocardiograms and too many EGGs to count for monitoring my Systemic Sclerosis, I’ve concluded that it’s vagus nerve related ie autonomic. My instincts say that this small kid’s sob / shudder breath is my body’s way of getting in some extra air to protect my lungs and heart. However I do tend to err on the glass half full side. My next PFTs are in ten days time so 🤞🏻. I have Systemic Sclerosis, Sjogren’s and hypothyroidism plus HSD/EDS and I used to be a brass player once upon a time - am told we are extra good at breathing and using our diaphragm well! 🎺

[Tessie62 in reply to OldTed60]

Wowzer! I hadn't even thought about hypothyroidism, costochondritis, lung/heart, or my worsening spine issues. I had another MRI, September 28th and found the report on my condition to be more progressive. Several lipomatous rests were noted in the lower sacrum. Likely due to past epidurals. But what I discovered in reading this report is I have an levoconvex curvature of the lumbar spine with apex at L3. This is pointing to the heart side which apparently is detrimental on so many levels. Perhaps the extra breath intake is related to this? It's got me wondering.