Thyroid and Adrenal Issues Connected to Shallow Breathing

[greygoose]

thyroidnation.com/thyroid-a...

Wish this man was my doctor!

But it would seem that it is a chicken and egg situation...

journal.publications.chestn...

[hunny59]

Back in the day when I was suffering with CFS and finally managed to get a referral to a fatigue specialist, he diagnosed that I was a hyperventilator and sent me off to have my breathing retrained. At the time I was highly offended at the diagnosis (to me, hyperventilation meant being hysterical and having to breathe into a paper bag) but I have to say that learning to breathe properly (i.e., diaphragm breathing) has helped in numerous ways subsequently. That said, I still have thyroid and adrenal problems so maybe it's just another one of those things that's a small piece of a much bigger puzzle?

[greygoose in reply to hunny59]

Oh, I would say it most definately is just one piece of the puzzle. And I wish I'd had someone to teach me to breath when I was a kid. I've always had breathing problems but doctors and such just look at me as if I'm a cute little oddity and tell me I have 'asthma'. Well, no. I actually doubt I have asthma. My brother has asthma so I know exactly what it looks like and I Don't have it. But, my breathing is compromised and nobody cares!

Example : When I was about 11, I went if for a big poetry reading competition in London. The judges praised me quite highly for my interpretation of the poem but said I would have got better marks if I'd known how to breath properly! My teacher just smiled and said 'Hm.' It went no further.

Fast forward to the age of 68, and I was in hospital. I came out of the bathroom one morning and there was a male nurse in the room. He said 'have you been running?' I said do I look like I could go running??? Besides, I've just come out of the bathroom, there's no room to run in the bathroom! He said, 'oh well, that heavy breathing must just be natural for you'. No, dude, that heavy breathing ain't natural for nobody! But, it went no further. Sigh.

I wish I could see a specialist in the field but I Don't even know what one would be called in French. And maybe it's a bit late now, anyway. Maybe I should just be grateful I'm still breathing in any way at all! lol

[hunny59 in reply to greygoose]

Try this:

breakingmuscle.com/cycling/...

Basically, once you've got the technique, then you need to slow your breaths down. I started off around 24 breaths per minute. The specialist advised that ideally it should be 4-12 per minute and anything over 15 is classed as hyperventilation (there are a fair few articles that would disagree with those numbers however). Now I can get it down to 4/5 at night (I still have to give my body a "refresher" fairly regularly!). The hardest bit to get over was the feeling that I was suffocating when I was first trying to slow it down - if you're a hyperventilator the brain has spent years keeping your CO2 at a specific level so that when it rises, your blood pH drops and your brain tries to get you to breathe faster and you have to fight the urge to yawn, sigh or take a deep breath.

[greygoose in reply to hunny59]

Thank you, that looks interesting. I shall have to study that in more detail later.

[Hidden]

Oh wow greygoose...so do I !! Thank you for sharing this x

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

You're welcome.

[Hidden]

Hi greygoose, this item is bang on for me at the moment. I am getting terrible rib pains and stomach trouble. I feel like I can hardly take a good deep breath. Recently diagnosed with the helicobacter pyloris bug and a stomach ulcer, gall stones. Taken the anti biotics and waiting for 4 weeks to have the breath test to see if bug has gone. I don't think it has because I can't eat anything (sensible eating still painful). A couple of times in the recent past I thought I had a return of shingles, my GP agreed the first time not the second but said it's general inflammation ?? This is how I am feeling now only plus stomach issues.

I'm just compiling notes for appointment on Tuesday, because thanks to Clutters' help and advice with recent blood test results, I actually have Hashimotos and by my reckoning have had for years without diagnoses. Only had thyroxine increased this last week from 25 mcg to 50 mcg after low dose for 5 years. The Doctor hasn't called me in to discuss these results, but I am going to discuss them regardless.

Feel like I have a little more ammunition now.

Thank you again. x

[greygoose in reply to Hidden]

Well, I think you need more ammunition! Leaving you on 25 mcg for 5 years is negligence! It should have been increased after six weeks. Not surprised you've developed all those other issues.

So, be polite but firm! Don't take anymore nonsense from him! Good luck.

[Hidden in reply to greygoose]

Thank you greygoose, he'd better watch his step x I appreciate your support x

[Marz]

Time to get on that yoga mat GG x

[greygoose in reply to Marz]

If I got on that yoga mat, I wouldn't be able to get up again!

[Marz in reply to greygoose]

....we could find a way ! - especially after all that correct breathing ! You could fly to the moon

[greygoose in reply to Marz]

Not with my knees I couldn't! Although I Don't think knees are really involved in flying, are they...

It's my knees the problem. I haven't been able to put any weight on them since I was 40 - not that that interests any of the doctors I have seen! They are... large. lol Not swollen but large. But not a problem unless I put any weight on them - kneeling, I mean. And that, plus the problem I have with my feet, is why I thought I had a Bartonella infection. But, as Tony Saprano said 'whatcha gonna do, eh?'