How to cope with air hunger

I've observed that withdrawal has a way of causing people to think (and worry) a lot about bodily and mental functions that they normally take for granted.  Difficult as this may seem - Ignore the air hunger.  Put your concentration on something else (chocolate, puppies, cooking, anything).  Your body will take care of itself.  Holding one's breath is another fairly common breathing tendency during withdrawal.  Again, best to simply ignore breathing. 

I've observed that withdrawal has a way of causing people to think (and worry) a lot about bodily and mental functions that they normally take for granted.  Difficult as this may seem - Ignore the air hunger.  Put your concentration on something else (chocolate, puppies, cooking, anything).  Your body will take care of itself.  Holding one's breath is another fairly common breathing tendency during withdrawal.  Again, best to simply ignore breathing.

This is great advice and highly relatable.

I've observed that withdrawal has a way of causing people to think (and worry) a lot about bodily and mental functions that they normally take for granted.  Difficult as this may seem - Ignore the air hunger. Put your concentration on something else (chocolate, puppies, cooking, anything).  Your body will take care of itself.  Holding one's breath is another fairly common breathing tendency during withdrawal.  Again, best to simply ignore breathing.

I have "air hunger" also.  Don't notice it in the day when I'm busy doing something, but when I am lying down, waiting for the "sandman" to come, my mind dials in on my "shortness of breath" which creates anxiety over every breath, which becomes a dog chasing its tail.  I found this post below which has a pretty good description of how we breathe and how anxiety affects our respiration. I think the more we understand what "air hunger" is and what causes it, the easier it will be to help alleviate this awful sensation.

So in a nutshell, its  all about anxiety causing shallow breathing and diaphragmatic tension.

What to do about it?  Besides trying to ignore it, what I have found helpful is sleeping in a recliner.

Seem like this reduces the "weight of gravity" on my lungs and makes it easier for them to inflate

on an incline instead of a prone position. It stands to reason that anything you can do to relax and calm yourself down to reduce anxiety will help.  ( In our situation, that is easier said and done!) 

"...Hello, The most common cause of air hunger in the absence of the more characteristic underlying causes is due to shallow breathing and diaphragmatic tension. Patients begin to feel that they can't get enough air and intentionally try to obtain a deep, inspirational breath or force themselves to yawn in order to gain full tidal respiration volume.

The sensation of not getting enough air can establish the type of anxiety you are experiencing, which only serves to cause further artificial restriction. It's important to realize that the lungs fill with air due to the diaphragm contracting downward and creating less pressure inside the lungs than outside, consequently air rushes in. The point in telling you that is when the diaphragm is tense, it feels difficult for the lungs to expand and subsequently, the person senses that they can't get a sufficient expansion of the lungs. The tension is most always due to stress factors or acute anxiety.

One important fact to always remember is that people are both socially trained to associate physical symptoms with physical causes, as well as respond innately to changes in what a person senses to be normal for them. Indeed, physical symptoms can be present without an underlying disorder, illness or disease being present. Respiration is also associated with the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system. When you become frightened or stressed that something is wrong with your breathing, it alters the response by the nervous system and respiration can sort of feel out of sync with what you know to be normal. Think of it as an occasion where you might have been suddenly startled or frightened. Many people under such conditions will exclaim that it made them suddenly gasp or feel that they couldn't get their breath or that they were breathing hard and fast.

Does that make sense? In the absence of any tests which would otherwise explain the reason for your dyspnea, or air hunger, then the most likely cause here is stress-related. I also note that you stated you don't feel anxious. It's important not to confuse the symptoms of situational anxiety with what is alternatively occurring with you relating to stress capable of invoking the "fight or flight" response. Incidentally, the "headrush" you are experiencing is something known as orthostatic hypotension and is highly consistent with symptoms of shallow breathing. You're going to be just fine. Try to relax and realize that your symptoms are not due to an actual deficiency in oxygen or related to any type of disease. Best regards, J Cottle, MD"

Air hunger is probably the worst symptom that I currently experience. It happens almost always at night. It is just awful and has caused me so much anxiety and stress. Thank you topofthebottom for posting this because this has helped ease my mind like you wouldn't believe!

I've found that these things help me with my nightly air hunger:

- Breathe Right nose strips (I also have sinus issues which seem to flair up at night and make my anxiety/dyspnea even worse)

- Vicks VapoRub

- Essential oil diffuser with lavender oil that is on my nightstand which I turn on every night

- Playing a video game, reading, watching movies, or anything else that gets my mind off of my breath. I know it's bad to watch TV or play video games at night before bed, but it does help me in alleviating this symptom

Happy healing