posted
Ive been on doxy now for 8days and i thought my air hunger would subside. Does anyone know how I can get some relief from this?? I feel like im suffocating!
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
I was the same way when I started.
Honestly, I didn't get better with the air hunger until LLMD added Rifampin, and then it even took a couple weeks to get some relief.
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
I can deal with all the other symptoms but this air hunger is the worst! Some days are better then others. But today i felt like I needed to go to the ER! I just want to give up!
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've had air hunger for years. Up till I found this board I always called in anxiety. Anyway, now I'm starting to wonder if it's really something else.
Anyway, the way i've learned to deal with it is to do a meditation of sorts, calming myself, reminding myself that I'm ok and finding those places that I can breath into. Just one little spot in my lungs where the air can get to.
Hope you feel better soon.
Posts: 252 | From New York | Registered: Apr 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
thanks! It helps to know people understand! ive got checked by a lung specialist and he said my lungs are completely fine. I know its because of the lyme. I just cant take it anymore!! Frustrated!
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
Jane2904
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15917
posted
Our daughter is having some air hunger. She just recently started Cipro for Bart.
Dr. said she is herxing. Hope he is right and it goes away.
Feel better, Jane
Posts: 1357 | From Massachusetts | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
- See some of the suggestions at this link, especially Cordyceps and Curcumin/Turmeric:
posted
I am on 400mg doxy and artesunate,although air hungers not been one of my main symptoms it is sure giving me a hard time at the moment.started on antibiotics 8 weeks ago
Posts: 65 | From Sussex UK | Registered: Apr 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Agree air hunger is Babesia, in my case only after treating the lyme and the the Bart, did I link the night sweats,cough,jaw tremor, to and fro dizziness and air hunger together as one symptom complex caused by Babesia, looked at my blood smear and there it was looking back. Now on Artemisinin, bactrim ds (and zith). These symptoms are now getting better. Did not have a Babesia blood test, just looked at my blood under a microscope and there it was.
Beachinit.
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
i tested positive for bart and Ehrlichiosis but not for babesia, although i have had air hunger on and off for years it seems to be worse now than ever. the doxy has got rid of the bad neck aches and brain fog that i was getting but air huger is now becoming an issue
Posts: 65 | From Sussex UK | Registered: Apr 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have had this since last night and am still doing a lot of sighing. I have taken both my Xopenex/Flovent and still having issues. Took a Claritan and getting some relief.
I am on low dose Mino every other day because of my sensitivities. It has been 3 weeks now and this is the first time any issues. Concerned because my reactions are heart issues or breathing if I start becoming allergic to something. But also know it can be a herx at 21 days out. I can take prednisone only for a reaction as I cannot do epi at all.
Mino can cause issues in some people I hope i am not one of them because I do not have a lot of choices.
Part of me is thrilled because some of the bone pain has gone but now the breathing issue. We are treating for Myco P. too so it may be the bugs are upset and starting a cytokine cascade.
This has always been the most scary symptom as all of you know. I have had this for 24 years and my ILADS doc is wonderful. We are just starting to tackle this after building the immune sys back up ( I was bedriddden) and almost did not make it 2x last year. Then I found this ILADS dr. She has gotten me up and moving.
I wish we all had labs in our homes to test right away for eosiphinols and CPR results as we go thru reactions to see if it is a true allergic affect and not always having to run to ER or dr offices when we react. Will see how the rest of the day goes.
OF COURSE it is on a weekend!!!!! Going to an ER for me is not safe but breathing is important!!! LOL Praying for all of you!!!
Posts: 871 | From orange county, ca. | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Same thing happened to me. Got rid of shin pain, swollen gland went down - eg. Bart was hit but not knocked out and it was then that the various Babesia sx came shining thru. It was only a partial presence up until then. As I was on Zith, and Bactrim DS I just went ahead and added Artemisinin 3 wks ago and it is helping with Babs. Will be very long treatment course though.
Hanging in there.
Beachinit.
-------------------- Ideas not advice. Posts: 448 | From Downeast Maine | Registered: Jul 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
I just got my test results back for the co-infections and they were all negative. Could this air hunger be caused from just the lyme or could the tests be wrong??
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
i also tested negative for babs but not for others, i am sure as some symptoms are dropping from doxy my air hunger is becoming far worse. Go to see my lyme doc on 7th may.
Posts: 65 | From Sussex UK | Registered: Apr 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
igirl do you find yourself having to yawn to take in a deep breath, on a bad day is it constant all day or does it come and go??
i find mine comes and goes throughout the day and i cant seem to find a pattern to it.
Posts: 65 | From Sussex UK | Registered: Apr 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
It really just comes and goes. Some days are better then others. I do yawn alot. When i have a bad day with it fresh air seems to help.
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
karenl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17753
posted
Air hunger can also be from another infection called chlamydia pneumonia, it is very often in lyme patients. cpnhelp.org
My air hunger is gone since I am on low dose minocycline, I do not tolerate more, probably die off gets too bad.
Posts: 1834 | From US | Registered: Oct 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
hmmm...I never heard of that before. I just read about it. It said doxy can be used to clear it up and that is what im on. I did read the symptoms and i dont have any of them. So who knows its all a mystery.
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I have asthma and for many years the docs kept saying that the air hunger was "just" asthma. I tried all kinds of asthma meds, albuterol inhalers, advair...nothing really helped.
Then I found Theophylline. It is an old time asthma med. I helped me immensely. It is in the same chemical family as caffeine and it can make you jittery. An anti-anxiety like xanax helped with that.
The other thing that helped was the mechanical nebulizer where you inhale albuterol that is made into a mist. It is much stronger does than you get in an inhaler.
Theophylline is listed as reacting to a variety of meds but it just increases or decrease the theophyllines efficacy.
I know this air hunger is not asthma but these asthma meds helped me get through that time. Regular doctors are usually very happy to prescribe asthma meds so I just say my asthma is bothering me and I get scripts renewed no problem.
-------------------- Treelady Posts: 39 | From California | Registered: Dec 2009
| IP: Logged |
littlebit27
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 24477
posted
Treelady- I was the same way. I have Asthma so all the doctors said oh ok you can't breathe asthma, then it was pleurisy. I wonder what those same docs would say now seeing as I am still have trouble and that was 4 months ago!
I even though it was asthma at the beginning I kept taking my inhaler but it was worthless, nothing happened. I did end up going to the ER, this was before the Lyme DX and that is when I was DX with pleurisy, three times.
posted
littlebit27, it was going on prednisone for the "asthma" that finally triggered all the other lyme symptoms. I was on that nasty stuff for a year with no results and then started with neurological sypmtoms.
The other asthma meds still help a little bit (ha) when the air hunger gets bad.
-------------------- Treelady Posts: 39 | From California | Registered: Dec 2009
| IP: Logged |
posted
Babesia tests are not always true - there are many strains of babesia that are not tested through Igenix. My daughter's test came up negative but she has all the classic symptoms of babs and her LLMD agrees.
Posts: 163 | From Central New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Air hunger is the worst symptom I ever had. I seem to be free of it and havn't had it since Mepron/azith/artemesia, which ended a year ago. I associated it with Babesia.
Posts: 152 | From West Palm Bech, FL | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Tell me about it!! This air hunger is the worst symptom ive had so far. I just wish there was something I could to ease it alittle bit.
Posts: 42 | From Southern NJ | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
mine makes me feel like my ribcage is locked, like it doesn't want to glide up and down the way it's supposed to- and it's tighter on the right, so i lean towards the left to compensate- hot showers help some- but laying on my side and applying deep pressure with my fingertips between each rib to release some of the tightness helps quite a bit- most times to the point that the air hunger quits-
deep pressure along each side of the spine helps me to -- when i can reach it ...! (shoulder pain)
also, breathing deeply into the abdomen instead of the chest helps too-
Posts: 94 | From shaker heights, ohio | Registered: May 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
I believe mine is from babs as well, it took a good year of hitting it hard with treatment, It is a
very gradual thing but it can get better! I remember a kid pointing at me a year ago and saying
"you have ashma, huh!" I remember feeling like it would never go away. I have a touch of it now but
nothing at all like I did. So relieved. Hope you can kicks it butt too, hang in there.
-------------------- abbyjo Posts: 255 | From Southern CA. | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
I'm sorry you are suffering with air hunger.
Copying a previous post of mine about how I got relief from air hunger:
Air hunger for me is related to babs AND acetylcholine. I only know this because I use muscle testing and found that things that increase my acetylcholine help a great deal to alleviate the air hunger.
Later, I read the article at the link below that explains that the borrelia toxins affect acetylcholine.
I'm cutting and pasting just a fraction of the article:
http://www.townsendletter.com/FebMar2006/lyme0206.htm Dietary Supplements in Lyme Disease One of the known actions of the Lyme spirochete toxin is to diminish the release and availability of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, a simple organic compound (see above for chemical structure).
This substance is biosynthesized by the body as required in nerve activation and transmission.
Supplementation by the precursors of acetylcholine synthesis would be of value to Lyme patients since they have a deficiency of this substance. (See Listing 1.)
Listing 1: Dietary Supplements Increasing Acetylcholine Synthesis Improving Neurologic Function
If the inhibition of acetylcholine release were total, Lyme patients and those suffering from food poisoning would not be able to move; they would be completely paralyzed.
Since the blockage is only partial, any increase in the amount of available neurotransmitter would benefit anyone experiencing neurotransmitter blockage. For this reason, dietary supplements increasing the amount of available acetylcholine have been shown to benefit Lyme patients.
END OF QUOTE
----------------------------------------------
I'm not sure why it causes air hunger but there is some info related to anxiety and air hunger symptoms that show a relationship to acetylcholine. I think acetylcholine does control breathing to some degree.
My air hunger started out not lasting very long but as time went on and before I figured out how to stop it, it would last for weeks at a time.
I was able to control it most of the time with supplements but it is so much better since babesia treatment.
The supplements that have helped me the most to control it are Huperzine A choline/insositol Citicoline Seriphos
I also take many of the supplements listed in the article.
I find that boosting acetylcholine also helps brain function a great deal.
Adding: I've had to add more inositol to balance choline.
I notice sometimes that my breathing is impaired when my chest muscles feel tight. Sometimes I can get some relief by rubbing the sore spots on my chest. I've also been using a product called zellulisan (pekana) to clear toxins from the collagen and reduce inlammation in the muscles of my chest. It sometimes gives me immediate relief.
There are lots of threads here with ideas about air hunger in the archives.
blinkie
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14470
posted
My air hunger is 95% gone since treating for parasites. Two weeks Ivermectin and 5 days biltricide.
Posts: 1104 | From N.California | Registered: Jan 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
thank you for sharing the info blikie, but i just read that Ivermectin could possibly worsen asthma symptoms as a side effect- so, i don't think i should go that route! since i do have asthma too- but my asthma symptoms i experience are much different than the symptoms of what feels to me like air hunger- asthma effects my airways- air hunger doesn't seem to- i do not wheeze when i experience what feels like air hunger- with air hunger i feel like i take in plenty of air but that my lungs fail to recognize the air-
if that makes any sense ... ?!
Posts: 94 | From shaker heights, ohio | Registered: May 2010
| IP: Logged |
TerryK
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 8552
posted
Interesting blinkie. I've been treating for parasites for 2 years (pulsing) and they seem to be just about gone but the air hunger still bothers me sometimes. Starting treatment for babesia still brings on air hunger for me despite lots of previous treatment. The acetylcholine precursers seem to keep it under control most of the time.
I think it's one of those things that may have many different causes in lyme patients.
novy - The zellulisan that I mentioned in my post really helps with tight muscles - at least for me. Trigger point therapy is useful as well if you have extremely sore spots in your chest like I do. Sometimes working on a trigger point near my underarm will give me relief. I just figured that out recently when the normal stuff was not working.
Also couldn't hurt to have it checked if one cannot get relief because not everything is lyme or a co-infection. Pulmonary hypertension along with many other things can cause air hunger.
Terry
Posts: 6286 | From Oregon | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
(shoulder pain) 
Printer-friendly view of this topic