Very Low Respiration

[potsgirl]

Hello Everyone~

I've always had pretty low respiration, but these last 3-4 days I'm down to taking 5-7 breaths per minute. Normal is 12-24. Do other people has this problem? I have a call in to my doctor, and I know that the ANS controls functions such as breathing, so I was wondering if anyone else knew anything more about this.

Any insight would be helpful. My arms and legs feel weak, and I'm dizzier than usual (that's pretty dizzy!), and feel like passing out. So it's hard to tell if this is just my dysautonomia or the respiration or both.

Thanks!

Jana

[EarthMother]

The "heart breath" -- which is the ideal respiration rate for relaxation that is in harmony with your hearts natural rhythm is FIVE breaths per minute.

If I EVER tried to breath 12-24 breaths in a minute I'd pass out from hyperventilation!!

For me, even 5 breaths a minute tends to feel fast (that's an inhale to six seconds and an exhale to six seconds.) But I tend to breath hold a bit anyway. In my deep states of meditation I breathe only about 3.

I think the folks who breathe in the fatster 12+ range tend to be upper chest breathers. While those of us who breath less per minute tend to take fuller breaths through our abdomens.

But that's just my two cents. Which doesn't buy much in today's economic downturn.

~EM

[morgan617]

I don't think I have ever counted my own respirations. I think as long as you feel ok, it's nothing to worry about. if you are short of breath, your body will pick up on respirations, even though that part of us is a bit out of whack. If you can get access to an 02 sat monitor, it can tell you whether it's a problem or not.

EM, if we had had patients with respirations of 3, we'd have had you on a ventilator! The usual is 12-24, but that's like saying if you aren't 98.6, there has to be something wrong, or if your bp isn't 110/70 every time it's taken, it's a problem. Our bodies are in constant flux and I can tell you, having done 1000's of these measurements no one is the same.

I say if you feel ok, it's ok. Our bodies are pretty good at letting us know when things aren't ok. Interesting though.....morgan

[firewatcher]

Jana,

Like EM, I take fewer breaths per minute than most. (6-8) HOWEVER...I have a high hematocrit and I am an abdominal breather. If I breathe as fast as most people, I too would hyperventilate. I breathe once for every two counted breaths in Pilates or I hyperventilate. I tried to match breathing with my husband one night, in an effort to get to sleep and got really light headed. Most people breathe faster than I do.

Jennifer

[potsgirl]

Morgan~

My respiration rate is usually low, but the last three days it has been noticeably slower. I don't feel well, either. Do you have medical training? I wasn't sure if I should have that blood test that measures acidity, oxygen and Co2 or not. What do you think? Thanks again!

Jana

[potsgirl]

How interesting. Thanks for your input!

Jana

[potsgirl]

Jennifer,

Have you always been this way or do you associate it with POTS? Thanks for the reply.

Cheers,

Jana

[firewatcher]

Jennifer,

Have you always been this way or do you associate it with POTS? Thanks for the reply.

Cheers,

Jana

Jana, since I've probably always had POTS, I've been this way as long as I can remember. I only really noticed it since my teenage years though.

[morgan617]

Jana, I was a nurse for 30 years, but have been out of the loop for several years. A lot of things have been relaxed I think, which is not always a bad thing, but not always great.

I am guessing you are talking about doing blood gases? Where they take a small amount of blood from your radial artery. (wrist)Very few doctors will order that test unless your sats are low and they can get those by sticking a little non invasive monitor on your finger. If you are feeling bad, you should probably get it checked and my guess is, your doctor has the machine in his office. Most do now, because it makes it easier to check pulses and stuff too.

You should be able to give them a call and explain what's going on, although with the history I've had with docs, I would just say I'm short of breath. And then ask if there is some way to get your oxygen levels checked. They will either offer or scoot you a minor ER or a regular one. I'd make sure he doesn't have one in his office first though, it will be much cheaper and much less traumatic. They are typically very accurate, so they will see right away if there's a problem. Good luck! morgan

p.s. I've always been told my resps are very shallow, but no one's ever told me how fast. I didn't think of myself as a light breather, but they all comment on it. I guess it's good I seem to be in the upper chest normal range. I have tried the yoga and meditation where you concentrate on breathing and slow it down and that makes me light headed. We are all so different.

[potsgirl]

Morgan,

Thanks for your input. I think I will try to have the test done the next time I'm in the doctor's office. It seems better now, so perhaps my drug changes were causing it.

Cheers,

Jana