sudden involintary intake of breath

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hey beky,i think you may have hit the nail on the head.

it happened again about an hour ago and it occured to me that it feels like the intake of breathe is being forced by the chest shuddering.

its just a tiny bit annoying sometimes and not knowing what it was.
but diaphram spasms i can live with.
i will mention it at my next appointment.

thanks beky:-D
 
This is weird....this happens to me and wakes me up almost every night. I do not have ALS. My Mom does. It is scarey but I am not sure it is ALS related...hmmm.
 
Thinking of how to describe it, I've come with: Normally we take breath - this breath takes itself.
 
Happens to my husband all of the time.
 
So this is strange because I have possibly what you are discribing and i can only describe it as it catches me off guard and it is a very nasily quick intake of air and it has only been happening in the past recent months. It is weird because it never happened until recent and it is only when I am awake and I am always aware when it happens.

I finally get to see the neuro this next Tuesday to find out what is happening to my body.

Rox
 
I saw the pulmonologist this week and he said the breathing was good and that the irratic breathing that I described is not from muscle atrophy but from fatigue. He advised to stop pushing myself to the point of feeling tired. Stop before I get tired. Easier said than done! Diane in SD
 
Hi Olly

I also have this as well. I did ask my neuro about this. For me it happens occasionally when I am taking a drink as well as what you are talking about. Her answer to me was that they are finding more and more that people with mnd have a problem with coordinating when to breath and when to swallow. Made sense to me. :?:
 
hi betty.
thankyou for your info,that makes some sense.
i suspect with some other things that i may have automic dysfunction,it was never ruled out.
i get it several times a week and noticed its more when i sit or lay back.
does not cause any problems really and got used to it now.
thanks.
take care.
caroline
 
It has been happening with me for 10 years. I have been checked by pulmonary and cardio docs. Nothing found. Still happens about every 10 minutes of everyday? I don't have ALS......
 
I have sudden deep intakes of breath when I am relaxed, reading, painting, watching TV. I assume that my respirations have slowed down to the point that I am not getting enough oxygen in, my level of carbon dioxide builds up and the brain automatically makes me take a deep breath.

It's the same automatic response as my husband or any sleep apneic person has before
they are given a cpap machine. His breath would stop for a minute or two and then when his blood level of co2 was high enough ( from not breathing out) he'd automatically take a huge breath. That's why sleep apnea patients are not dying in their sleep each night. They eventually breathe and wake up the next morning feeling unrested and crummy but alive.

Muscle relaxants and sedatives and antianxiety medications (even Gravol) depress the respirations and make respirations shallower and slower. That's when the breathing center in the brain kicks in and forces an automatic big intake of air. So we should really appreciate those big shuddering breaths. They're normal.

Northern Dancer
 
hey lorna,thats really good info and kind of good to know.
with me its not like a gasp of air or air swallowing as my gob is usually shut.
its my chest that shudders,sort of jump starting like a car would then relaxes with a forced involintary breath at the end.
it sounds like a combination of what betty and you said.
 
I had one of these intakes of breath again last night. It was very very deep - went on and on - and it was so strong I got cramp across my diagphram. It's really weird.
 
I love to come on to this forum and find things that I am experiencing. This happens to me a couple times a day, an involuntary, sudden intake of breath. It always surprises me!
 
This just started happening to me and I surmised it was my lungs wanting air and getting it by gulping. I don't want to stop it, I want my lungs to get alll the air they want.
 
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