Hyperventilation

Have you ever really, truly hyperventilated? I’m not talking about a mildly ragged-edged breathing, what I’d call merely a respiratory hiccup.

No, I’m talking about an “Is This A Heart Attack Or Is This Death?” episode of Dear-Lord-I-Must-Be-Blue-By-Now absence of life-giving air. The kind where you’re gasping and panting and sucking the energy out of the room, and then running to the next room where surely there’s some O2 left, but NO!! Nothing.

I’ve only hyperventilated that badly twice, the two episodes occurring a few years ago, within 24 hours of each other. The second time, the trend was not my friend. In fact, I freaked out and Doug had no choice but to take me to the ER!!!

They couldn’t find anything remarkably wrong with me, except that I, well…couldn’t breathe. Afterwards, during a routine non-patient/client chat with a shrink friend of mine, I learned that hyperventilation often accompanies panic attacks.

All I could say to that was, “It figures.”

So far, June has got me on the ragged edge. Breathing isn’t a fluid operation these days, but one which requires conscious thought. Even then, it arrives one tiny puff at a time, with what seems like an eternity between puffs. Makes a girl a little bit chicken to fall asleep, I’ll tell you!

One week from today, Kevin graduates in Switzerland!! He’ll have a dual bachelor’s degree in business administration and hotel management. We are SO proud of all he’s accomplished in a short time! And excited for him to be back in KC soon—just in time, in fact, to have his tuxedo fitted.

Four weeks from today, our darling Carrie gets married to Marc!! The wedding promises to be beautiful. It’s going to be held in the downtown library in Kansas City, in an historic building that was originally the First National Bank Building. My parents met there, circa 1946! The main lobby looks like an elegant church, with chandeliers and ornate pillars. It’s even called Kirk Hall.

The reception will be in an upper level event room, adjoining the rooftop, which we’ll use for dancing! Fun, huh?

Now, with “real life” thown in for good measure, two big events in a few weeks time would be more than enough to trigger a bit of a breathing/panic problem for me!! So, what the heck? Might as well throw ALL caution out the window and take a whirlwind trip to Switzerland, right?

Right! Doug and I decided to go on the cusp of the moment. We’ll only be gone a few days, but they will be full and exciting. And when we return home, we’ll be on the same flight with Kevin!

Sorry about all the exclamation points contained herein!!! Call me irrational, but I’ve acquired this bizarre hope that maybe each skinny point will somehow function as a mini breath substitute!!!

What do you think?!? Anyone else here ever really, truly hyperventilated?!?!!

Posted by Katy on 06/02/07 at 01:52 PM

Fallible Comments...

I love spur of the moment trips.

This may seem off topic for a bit but stick with my ramblings...

The term "Holy Spirit" I've been told has been mistranslated...or at the very least done a certain injustice.
In Hebrew I think the word is ruah (although I may not be spelling it right); in Greek, the term k'numah is used. Both of these are powerful descriptions when teamed with the Lord. They literally translate to the very breath or wind of God.

Let the Holy Spirit guide you...breathe it in. Settle your soul and trust.

In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. - Job 12:10

Enjoy the journey...that's what it's all about.

Grace & Peace,

Michael
Posted by Michael Main on 06/02/07 at 05:23 PM
In answer to your question: Yes.

Have fun in Switzerland. Go see Chateau de Chillon on Lake Geneva for me, okay? Take a photo for your pal.

Breathe!

In a month's time, it will all be over and you can relax...
Posted by Suzan on 06/03/07 at 11:45 AM
Love the cozy feel of your blog!

I've had panic attacks, but they always feel like intense adrenaline surges. A couple have lasted on and off for several days keeping me up at night panting and moving. Made my heart feel heavy and tired, like it would stop.

Only recently had I considered the possibility of hyperventilation after reading about some research by Russian doctor Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko. His research was about over-breathing. Bottom line is, when we get anxious we tend to breathe more rapidly, shallow and erratic. The blood gets over alkaline, the body has trouble getting enough O2, calcium doesn't reach peripheral areas very well (hence, tingling feeling) and this makes you breathe harder which makes it even worse.

This simple "breath in a paper bag" trick had never occurred to me until reading about this. So, I read about that. As long as you know you don't have a heart problem and have been cleared of any real diseases, this can help a lot. It's important to make sure the O2 level in you blood doesn't get too low when breathing in a paper bag or you'll have temporary hypoxia (low blood volume!). There are relatively inexpensive finger sensors called oximeters often used by mountain climbers and pilots that could be used for this.

Admittedly, this could be embarrassing in public! So I cam up with a curious alternative...breathing into a sealed water bottle with a couple holes in it. So it looks like I'm just taking a sip of water.

Since CO2 is heavier than air, the straw picks up the CO2 that you re-breathe with some O2 mixed in and is very calming and reverses the vasoconstriction and calms the system.

The key is having an air tight bottle with straw, about 600ml and a couple holes the size of a pencil eraser to give you enough air, but not enough to defeat the purpose.

I keep my breath as smooth and regular as possible because this helps in itself.

Just be careful not to breathe this way too long, because having too like 02 in your blood for long is not good either.

Hope this helps someone else!

Panic / hyperventilation is HORRIBLE!
Posted by Steve on 06/03/07 at 01:13 PM
Most of my panic attacks are in public, so Steve's suggestions wouldn't help me very much. I have a general idea what triggers them, and try to avoid those situations. I am constantly annoyed by people who liken panic attacks to "a case of the nerves." When I'm alone, I feel like I'm going to die; when I'm in public, I hope I die.

I like to think it's my sensitive, artistic nature.
Posted by alison on 06/04/07 at 02:21 PM
Yes, I have. It must run in the family. The most recent time was when I got the call about Stephen, but we weren't sure it was him or what exactly happened, and Jim refused to get off his Nintendo game in a timely fashion to call the police dept and find out for me. I was going from room to room about to faint and literally to the point of not breathing.
Have an amazing, safe and wonderful trip!!!!!!!!! (Lots of exclamations just for you!)
Posted by Bridget on 06/06/07 at 08:30 AM
You do have a point here. I have read a lot about this on other articles written by other people, but I must admit that you have proved your point here! Will be back to read more of your quality information!
<a href="http://www.adagiointeriors.com/">Banner Prints</a>
Posted by Abbner on 08/14/11 at 09:24 AM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Hyperventilation Have you ever really, truly hyperventilated? I’m not talking about a mildly ragged-edged breathing, what I’d call merely a respiratory hiccup. No, I’m talking about an “Is This A Heart Attack Or Is This Death?” episode of Dear-Lord-I-Must-Be-Blue-By-Now absence of life-giving air. The kind where you’re gasping and panting and sucking the energy out of the room, and then running to the next room where surely there’s some O2 left, but NO!! Nothing. I’ve only hyperventilated that badly twice, the two episodes occurring a few years ago, within 24 hours of each other. The second time, the trend was not my friend. In fact, I freaked out and Doug had no choice but to take me to the ER!!! They couldn’t find anything remarkably wrong with me, except that I, well…couldn’t breathe. Afterwards, during a routine non-patient/client chat with a shrink friend of mine, I learned that hyperventilation often accompanies panic attacks. All I could say to that was, “It figures.” So far, June has got me on the ragged edge. Breathing isn’t a fluid operation these days, but one which requires conscious thought. Even then, it arrives one tiny puff at a time, with what seems like an eternity between puffs. Makes a girl a little bit chicken to fall asleep, I’ll tell you! One week from today, Kevin graduates in Switzerland!! He’ll have a dual bachelor’s degree in business administration and hotel management. We are SO proud of all he’s accomplished in a short time! And excited for him to be back in KC soon—just in time, in fact, to have his tuxedo fitted. Four weeks from today, our darling Carrie gets married to Marc!! The wedding promises to be beautiful. It’s going to be held in the downtown library in Kansas City, in an historic building that was originally the First National Bank Building. My parents met there, circa 1946! The main lobby looks like an elegant church, with chandeliers and ornate pillars. It’s even called Kirk Hall. The reception will be in an upper level event room, adjoining the rooftop, which we’ll use for dancing! Fun, huh? Now, with “real life” thown in for good measure, two big events in a few weeks time would be more than enough to trigger a bit of a breathing/panic problem for me!! So, what the heck? Might as well throw ALL caution out the window and take a whirlwind trip to Switzerland, right? Right! Doug and I decided to go on the cusp of the moment. We’ll only be gone a few days, but they will be full and exciting. And when we return home, we’ll be on the same flight with Kevin! Sorry about all the exclamation points contained herein!!! Call me irrational, but I’ve acquired this bizarre hope that maybe each skinny point will somehow function as a mini breath substitute!!! What do you think?!? Anyone else here ever really, truly hyperventilated?!?!! Posted by Katy on 06/02/07 at 01:52 PM Fallible Comments... I love spur of the moment trips. This may seem off topic for a bit but stick with my ramblings... The term "Holy Spirit" I've been told has been mistranslated...or at the very least done a certain injustice. In Hebrew I think the word is ruah (although I may not be spelling it right); in Greek, the term k'numah is used. Both of these are powerful descriptions when teamed with the Lord. They literally translate to the very breath or wind of God. Let the Holy Spirit guide you...breathe it in. Settle your soul and trust. In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind. - Job 12:10 Enjoy the journey...that's what it's all about. Grace & Peace, Michael Posted by Michael Main on 06/02/07 at 05:23 PM In answer to your question: Yes. Have fun in Switzerland. Go see Chateau de Chillon on Lake Geneva for me, okay? Take a photo for your pal. Breathe! In a month's time, it will all be over and you can relax... Posted by Suzan on 06/03/07 at 11:45 AM Love the cozy feel of your blog! I've had panic attacks, but they always feel like intense adrenaline surges. A couple have lasted on and off for several days keeping me up at night panting and moving. Made my heart feel heavy and tired, like it would stop. Only recently had I considered the possibility of hyperventilation after reading about some research by Russian doctor Konstantin Pavlovich Buteyko. His research was about over-breathing. Bottom line is, when we get anxious we tend to breathe more rapidly, shallow and erratic. The blood gets over alkaline, the body has trouble getting enough O2, calcium doesn't reach peripheral areas very well (hence, tingling feeling) and this makes you breathe harder which makes it even worse. This simple "breath in a paper bag" trick had never occurred to me until reading about this. So, I read about that. As long as you know you don't have a heart problem and have been cleared of any real diseases, this can help a lot. It's important to make sure the O2 level in you blood doesn't get too low when breathing in a paper bag or you'll have temporary hypoxia (low blood volume!). There are relatively inexpensive finger sensors called oximeters often used by mountain climbers and pilots that could be used for this. Admittedly, this could be embarrassing in public! So I cam up with a curious alternative...breathing into a sealed water bottle with a couple holes in it. So it looks like I'm just taking a sip of water. Since CO2 is heavier than air, the straw picks up the CO2 that you re-breathe with some O2 mixed in and is very calming and reverses the vasoconstriction and calms the system. The key is having an air tight bottle with straw, about 600ml and a couple holes the size of a pencil eraser to give you enough air, but not enough to defeat the purpose. I keep my breath as smooth and regular as possible because this helps in itself. Just be careful not to breathe this way too long, because having too like 02 in your blood for long is not good either. Hope this helps someone else! Panic / hyperventilation is HORRIBLE! Posted by Steve on 06/03/07 at 01:13 PM Most of my panic attacks are in public, so Steve's suggestions wouldn't help me very much. I have a general idea what triggers them, and try to avoid those situations. I am constantly annoyed by people who liken panic attacks to "a case of the nerves." When I'm alone, I feel like I'm going to die; when I'm in public, I hope I die. I like to think it's my sensitive, artistic nature. Posted by alison on 06/04/07 at 02:21 PM Yes, I have. It must run in the family. The most recent time was when I got the call about Stephen, but we weren't sure it was him or what exactly happened, and Jim refused to get off his Nintendo game in a timely fashion to call the police dept and find out for me. I was going from room to room about to faint and literally to the point of not breathing. Have an amazing, safe and wonderful trip!!!!!!!!! (Lots of exclamations just for you!) Posted by Bridget on 06/06/07 at 08:30 AM You do have a point here. I have read a lot about this on other articles written by other people, but I must admit that you have proved your point here! Will be back to read more of your quality information! <a href="http://www.adagiointeriors.com/">Banner Prints</a> Posted by Abbner on 08/14/11 at 09:24 AM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: OK. Now She's Scaring Me! Previous entry: Citizen Kate, Revisited << Back to main


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Hyperventilation

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri