breathing question

Loobie · Post by **Loobie** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 8:56 am

Question for all, and I have no idea if it's MS related or not. I want to find out if others have experienced this. It's not really that big of a deal, but an annoyance.

You know those 'deep breaths' you take every so often (usually after a yawn) where you just breath way down until your lungs feel filled? There are times throughout the day here recently where I can't get the last 10% of air and then I go on an absolute yawning rampage and get my vision and everything else all screwed up. It always goes away, but it's starting to happen basically every day. Sometimes in the morning, sometimes evening, just whenever. I don't feel like I have the hug going on and don't have any tightness in my chest and back or anything 'restricting' my breathing. It's just at times I can't get that full breath, even when purposefully trying to take it. Then it goes away as quick as it came on and I just wanted to find out if others experience this due to MS and what could be the cause.

I don't smoke (ciggarettes) and have no history of breathing issues. Hell, I don't know if this is really an issue or not, but it feels weird and I was curious if this was MS related in that others have experienced this before.

cheerleader · Post by **cheerleader** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:54 am

Hey Lew-
Jeff's a brass player, and sometimes he can't get a full breath...he says it's because his diaphragm (the muscle sheet under your ribs) won't expand all the way all the time. It's an involuntary muscle, except for when you really want to fill up your lungs, you suck in and the diaphragm moves south...so this could be an MS thing. Try pushing your gut out when this happens, that can release the diaphragm, too.

Do you have any allergies? That might be another explanation. Jeff's on a sneezing jag this week....he's letting 'em fly right now.

Yeah, life with MS sure can be a puzzle, huh?
AC

Terry · Post by **Terry** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 2:35 pm

Hey Lew,
There was a time that I felt I couldn't fill my lungs. I didn't have the yawning or the vision issues though.
More recently, I went through a phase where if I breathed deeply, the last of my inhale was like I remember from being a crying upset child. I think it is called huffing, but I'm not sure. Do you remember being a child and crying and your inhale was in gasps? It was like that. I haven't noticed it for a bit- must be gone for now.
I do smoke (cigarettes). Took it up again AFTER my MS diagnosis. How smart was that?

Terry

Post by **jimmylegs** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 3:04 pm

i have had the "ms hug" back in '06, but not lately

the "can't take a proper breath" thing has affected me too. when i take enough magnesium it goes away. i hear potassium works hand in hand w/ mag, and b-complex is supposed to be able to help also.

JL

CureOrBust · Post by **CureOrBust** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:18 am

jimmylegs wrote:i have had the "ms hug" back in '06

always wondered what was meant by "MS Hug". Its not one of my symptoms.

Loobie · Post by **Loobie** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:31 am

Thanks for all the feedback! I have been doing the 'pushing out the gut' thing and that is the only thing that will let me (sometimes) take a full breath when it's happening, so maybe it is diaphragm related. Oh well, sounds like others have experienced similar things and it seems to not escalate into anything major, so it goes into the don't worry about it folder. Thanks again!

MrsGeorge · Post by **MrsGeorge** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:00 am

Pushng gut out is best - when you breath in your diaphragm flattens and stretches, causing your ribcage to expand, which in turn allows your lungs to. Try getting your ribcage to expand when you breathe and see if that helps.

What does jeff play Cheerleader? (I am a trombonist)

Post by **jimmylegs** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:29 am

ya cure, the ms hug is like having tape wrapped tight around your rib cage. but it just seems like the muscles won't do what you tell them to expand.

i never felt the ms hug when i had that specific issue re: not being able to breathe in all the way. i just couldn't get that last kind of tight stretchy feeling of a deep breath. but the magnesium really made it go away. i don't have to strategize with my muscles at all to get the lungs to fill now. relief! i have felt it start to come back a little once or twice over the past year, and i bump up the mag intake, and it goes away again. weird!

cheerleader · Post by **cheerleader** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:01 am

MrsGeorge wrote:

What does jeff play Cheerleader? (I am a trombonist)

trumpet and horn. Yeah, brass players

Loobie · Post by **Loobie** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:45 pm

Joan,

If he knows Chris Botti, tell him to get an autograph and I will have to post in the "sexuality" thread. We just saw him last month. #1 he is awesome live, and #2 my wife had the screaming thigh sweats so bad from watching him that his autograph could get me laid twice as often for at least a month!