This article about thyroid function and breathing caught my eye, because I know I've always been a shallow breather, or a non-breather for that matter! I take tiny, almost unnoticeable breaths, unless I remember to breathe. When I was a kid, any fright or injury left me holding my breath, turning blue in some cases, and my dad administered CPR a few times. As a high school athlete, I often ended up hyperventilating, and breathing into a paper bag during basketball games or track practice. I attributed it to my now non-existent Mitral Valve Prolapse. I think I need to work on a deep breathing/relaxation regimen. I've started with barefoot strolls in the backyard to get the benfits of electrical grounding from the earth. I will add deep breathing to that.
This article also mentions that much of our thyroid hormone is made by bacteria in the gut -- could this explain why so many with MC are hypothyroid? or have hypothyroid symptoms despite normal blood tests? I'm freezing all the time with dry skin and hair...but normal thyroid tests.
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/ ... sfunction/
Are you a shallow breather? I am
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Hi Zizzle,
I definitely have breathing problems, though I'm not necessarily a shallow breather. I often have what is called "air hunger" (dyspnea, or shortness of breath), and I'm unable to take a deep breath. This is also sometimes associated with hypothyroidism (though it can have much more serious causes, of course).
It's also possible for neurological damage caused by gluten to interfere with the proper functioning of the diaphragm, resulting in the inability of the diaphragm to perform at normal levels. I have a hunch that this is my problem, because I have other nerve damage to my enteric nervous system, (I lost my ability to feel hunger pangs early on during my reaction days, and it never returned after I achieved remission). If I don't check the clock, I never know when it's meal time, and I also don't receive the normal signals to tell me when I'm getting full, while eating.
The problem is that precious few doctors are even aware of this possibility, let alone qualified to treat it. When you show them an article about it, they just stare at it like a cow looking at a new gate.
Thanks for the link.
Tex
I definitely have breathing problems, though I'm not necessarily a shallow breather. I often have what is called "air hunger" (dyspnea, or shortness of breath), and I'm unable to take a deep breath. This is also sometimes associated with hypothyroidism (though it can have much more serious causes, of course).
It's also possible for neurological damage caused by gluten to interfere with the proper functioning of the diaphragm, resulting in the inability of the diaphragm to perform at normal levels. I have a hunch that this is my problem, because I have other nerve damage to my enteric nervous system, (I lost my ability to feel hunger pangs early on during my reaction days, and it never returned after I achieved remission). If I don't check the clock, I never know when it's meal time, and I also don't receive the normal signals to tell me when I'm getting full, while eating.
The problem is that precious few doctors are even aware of this possibility, let alone qualified to treat it. When you show them an article about it, they just stare at it like a cow looking at a new gate.
Thanks for the link.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
You have no idea how many American's would love to have this condition!I lost my ability to feel hunger pangs early on during my reaction days, and it never returned after I achieved remission
It would make eating Paleo a lot easier, because I'd only eat when safe food was available.But seriously...
I have been told by more than one doctor that I have "air hunger" too. Whenever I exercise I start yawning uncontrollably throughout the workout. My husband keeps telling me to take deeper breaths, and I try to, but the yawning continues. It was kind of embarrassing years ago when I frequented a gym.
When I try to take extra deep breaths now, I can do it, but I start feeling dizzy after a few breaths so I stop.
There is a scary link between Dermatomyositis and Interstitial Lung Disease, as if the autoimmune disease and skin rash is just an early warning sign/side effect of the lung disease. I haven't looked into it because I assume my lungs are A-OK.
I think I'll focus on more mindful breathing....
Jenny,
I think about it all the time, but I keep waiting to get a bacterial infection that requires an antibiotic to make the decision easier
. There is the antibiotic approved for IBS, Rifaximin or something, but while it may eliminate symptoms temporarily, they always come back, and who knows if they'll come back worse than before. I've always gotten some level of remission from D on antibiotics, but I haven't had to take them in many years. In fact, I haven't taken them since before my MC diagnosis 3 years ago. Looking back, it may have been 2004 when I had multiple courses for mastitis. Can it be? Maybe I had a UTI since then. Amazing to go this long...it's a testament to my overactive immune system!!
I think about it all the time, but I keep waiting to get a bacterial infection that requires an antibiotic to make the decision easier
. There is the antibiotic approved for IBS, Rifaximin or something, but while it may eliminate symptoms temporarily, they always come back, and who knows if they'll come back worse than before. I've always gotten some level of remission from D on antibiotics, but I haven't had to take them in many years. In fact, I haven't taken them since before my MC diagnosis 3 years ago. Looking back, it may have been 2004 when I had multiple courses for mastitis. Can it be? Maybe I had a UTI since then. Amazing to go this long...it's a testament to my overactive immune system!!I haven't been sick in foever either, funny though bc I created that post the other day and I woke up with a bit of a sore throat. Typical.
So, that's another reason why I am confused...If we had an overgrowth of bad bacteria wouldn't we be sick all the time? or is the bad bacteria just taking over and getting rid of everything (good and bad)?
I am going to look into that antibiotic you listed below...The more I read about leaky gut, overgrowth of bad bacteria, etc...I really think that's what is causing all my problems!
So, that's another reason why I am confused...If we had an overgrowth of bad bacteria wouldn't we be sick all the time? or is the bad bacteria just taking over and getting rid of everything (good and bad)?
I am going to look into that antibiotic you listed below...The more I read about leaky gut, overgrowth of bad bacteria, etc...I really think that's what is causing all my problems!
Same here, (except that no one keeps telling me to take deeper breaths). The yawning is a natural reflex because it allows us to take a deep breath (or a reasonable facsimile), when we can't take a deep breath otherwise.Zizzle wrote:I have been told by more than one doctor that I have "air hunger" too. Whenever I exercise I start yawning uncontrollably throughout the workout. My husband keeps telling me to take deeper breaths, and I try to, but the yawning continues. It was kind of embarrassing years ago when I frequented a gym.
When I try to take extra deep breaths now, I can do it, but I start feeling dizzy after a few breaths so I stop.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Jenny,
As far as I'm aware, you can't effectively treat a leaky gut with an antibiotic unless you have an infection of really potent bacteria that are known to cause increased intestinal permeability, such as cholera, for example.
Tex
As far as I'm aware, you can't effectively treat a leaky gut with an antibiotic unless you have an infection of really potent bacteria that are known to cause increased intestinal permeability, such as cholera, for example.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Tex,
I think I also have a bit of candida. I feel really strongly that I got that and my leaky gut from the years and years I was on birth control. Would an antibiotic take care of that? I ALWAYS brush my tongue but, in the morning I always wake up with a bit of white film on it. I think that's a symptom of the candida.
Jenny
I think I also have a bit of candida. I feel really strongly that I got that and my leaky gut from the years and years I was on birth control. Would an antibiotic take care of that? I ALWAYS brush my tongue but, in the morning I always wake up with a bit of white film on it. I think that's a symptom of the candida.
Jenny
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tex wrote:Hi Zizzle,
I definitely have breathing problems, though I'm not necessarily a shallow breather. I often have what is called "air hunger" (dyspnea, or shortness of breath), and I'm unable to take a deep breath. This is also sometimes associated with hypothyroidism (though it can have much more serious causes, of course).
It's also possible for neurological damage caused by gluten to interfere with the proper functioning of the diaphragm, resulting in the inability of the diaphragm to perform at normal levels. I have a hunch that this is my problem, because I have other nerve damage to my enteric nervous system, (I lost my ability to feel hunger pangs early on during my reaction days, and it never returned after I achieved remission). If I don't check the clock, I never know when it's meal time, and I also don't receive the normal signals to tell me when I'm getting full, while eating.
The problem is that precious few doctors are even aware of this possibility, let alone qualified to treat it. When you show them an article about it, they just stare at it like a cow looking at a new gate.
Thanks for the link.
Tex
I have this problem with breathing too Tex. In fact it happened last night after I went to bed. It felt like I just couldn't take a deep breath. I have never been able to put a name on it and it doesn't happen too often, but often enough for me to notice it. I also suspect enteric system damage, strange neuropathic pain stuff that I can't even describe let alone get a doctor to pay attention to so I never mention it any more. Just an exercise in frustration. Even though I seem to have managed to get the D under control through dietary restriction, these neuropathic symptoms (for lack of a better term) are perhaps even worse now that the were 6 months ago. Since my gastro-intestinal problems date back 40 years I suspect that I may have caused my self some irreparable damage that diet may not be able to heal. I am glad to not be spending most of my life running to the bathroom but achieving normal in that area seems to be only part of the problem, one dimension to a multi-dimensional problem. Gotta just keep on trucking I guess.
Jean
Jenny,
That surely does sound like Candida, all right, but an antibiotic won't touch Candida. For that job you would need a fungicide, such as fluconazole, itraconazole, or flucytosine. With or without an antifungal treatment, it's almost always necessary to cut carbs and sugars in the diet down to an absolute minimum, in order to starve the yeast. It usually takes at least several months of a very restrictive diet to resolve the problem.
You're correct — a yeast overgrowth definitely will cause a leaky gut, because the roots of the yeast penetrate the tight junctions and force them to remain open.
Tex
That surely does sound like Candida, all right, but an antibiotic won't touch Candida. For that job you would need a fungicide, such as fluconazole, itraconazole, or flucytosine. With or without an antifungal treatment, it's almost always necessary to cut carbs and sugars in the diet down to an absolute minimum, in order to starve the yeast. It usually takes at least several months of a very restrictive diet to resolve the problem.
You're correct — a yeast overgrowth definitely will cause a leaky gut, because the roots of the yeast penetrate the tight junctions and force them to remain open.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Jean,
Last fall, since my TSH had slowly decreased to below the normal range over the past few years, (even though my Free T4 was still below the normal range), I got the bright idea of reducing my thyroid supplement (Armour), to see if that would be beneficial, I skipped taking it for two days, and then started taking a tablet every other day. Unfortunately, after less than a week (I don't recall exactly how long it took, but I posted it somewhere), my breathing problem became so bad that I couldn't sleep at all, because of the labored breathing. It didn't dawn on me that the problem was connected with the lack of adequate thyroid supplement for several more days, so I had some miserable days and nights until one day the light bulb came on, and I increased the dosage again. After about a week or 10 days of regular dosage, things got back to normal — not great, but at least it doesn't keep me from sleeping.
A few months ago, I doubled my dosage, to see what that would do. It didn't completely alleviate the problem, but it's better than it was, and at least I haven't had any more bad episodes, so far. I read somewhere that damage of this type (due to inadequate thyroid hormone) can be permanent, or at least very slow to reverse, so the jury may still be out.
One side effect that I've noticed is that 10 pounds of lard vaporized during the first couple of months, and I seem to have stabilized at what I considered to be my normal weight before the hypothyroid issue came along (without any changes in eating habits — if anything, I'm eating more now, because my metabolism is higher).
Tex
Last fall, since my TSH had slowly decreased to below the normal range over the past few years, (even though my Free T4 was still below the normal range), I got the bright idea of reducing my thyroid supplement (Armour), to see if that would be beneficial, I skipped taking it for two days, and then started taking a tablet every other day. Unfortunately, after less than a week (I don't recall exactly how long it took, but I posted it somewhere), my breathing problem became so bad that I couldn't sleep at all, because of the labored breathing. It didn't dawn on me that the problem was connected with the lack of adequate thyroid supplement for several more days, so I had some miserable days and nights until one day the light bulb came on, and I increased the dosage again. After about a week or 10 days of regular dosage, things got back to normal — not great, but at least it doesn't keep me from sleeping.
A few months ago, I doubled my dosage, to see what that would do. It didn't completely alleviate the problem, but it's better than it was, and at least I haven't had any more bad episodes, so far. I read somewhere that damage of this type (due to inadequate thyroid hormone) can be permanent, or at least very slow to reverse, so the jury may still be out.
One side effect that I've noticed is that 10 pounds of lard vaporized during the first couple of months, and I seem to have stabilized at what I considered to be my normal weight before the hypothyroid issue came along (without any changes in eating habits — if anything, I'm eating more now, because my metabolism is higher).
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Boy my head just spins when I read all these posts about these other issues you folks have and the knowledge you have about them. I don't even know what your talking about with most of this verbage but it absolutely amazes me the knowledge that pours out of your typing. I just hope you folks are still around if and when I start having some of these other after-affects. So far to my knowledge..........just the CC and knock on wood I've been 500% better since GF and Entocort. I can't imagine what you all have to suffer and I'm sorry that you are all suffering from so many after-affects.
Cathy
I also have intermittent breathing issues, but I only have gotten it when I am eating. just have a hard time getting a decent size breath. If I really had connected it to thyroid, Maybe I would have known my meds needed to be adjusted. I don't seem to have the problem lately though. it comes and goes, but now I know it may connected to thyroid. Thank you!
And Jenny, I took a Fluconazole once a month for a couple of years. It's a pretty safe drug, but I don't know if many doctors are willing to do something like that. At the time, I was being treated for a "mysterious vaginitis". Now we know it's autoimmune and bacteria based.
Leah
And Jenny, I took a Fluconazole once a month for a couple of years. It's a pretty safe drug, but I don't know if many doctors are willing to do something like that. At the time, I was being treated for a "mysterious vaginitis". Now we know it's autoimmune and bacteria based.
Leah