Shortness of Breath

[cdh4r]

I feel as if I've been experiencing shortness of breath* since i started the recommended high fat diet 12 days ago. I'm also using the supplements recommended by Dr. Hyman's, The Ultra Mind Solution. I'm not sure if the diet is the culprit and if this is just one of the detoxifying side effects of it or perhaps, I'm just psyching myself out as I'm being aware of myself as i breathe since i first noticed it around the time i started the diet. I don't eat greens or veggies. Mostly eggs, bacon, fatty meats such as ham, ground beef in sour cream, etc and accompanied fat sources most of those being butter, cream, and coconut oil/milk. Would it be recommended to incorporate specific greens and veggies or other foods?

*By shortness of breath, i mean that when i breathe, i don't feel as if i'm getting a "satisfied" breath and that i'm having to take huge breaths to compensate in order to feel "O2 satiated". I've thought about it and tried to search possible reasons on the net and maybe low potassium levels are the culprit or maybe i'm dehydrated (though i don't believe that i am as i drink water regularly).

When i get a good night sleep, that being ~9 hours give or take 30 minutes, it doesn't seem as apparent and i feel as if my breathing is more "satisfied", but i also notice when i below 8 hours of sleep, my breathing seems short. I've no history of asthma or irregular breathing like this before. But i do smoke one to 3 cigarettes a day consisting of organic tobacco and organic rolling papers.

If it means anything, I'm a 24 year old male, 5'9" and ~208 lbs/94.5 kg.

I also have 3 amalgam feelings (could it be mercury poising? but shortness of breath didn't seem to be a side effect from what i re"searched").


Any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Galaxia2002]

Hi cdh4r. How long are you been smoking? I ask you because I undergo that when I started and if I change brands or smoke few a day. If you are not taking it yet, I recommend you N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) to help clean your lungs. Try to remember if you have inhaled some solvent lately as thinner, chlorine (bleach) or any strong parfum, that can irritate the lungs.

 

[cdh4r]

Thanks for the quick response Galaxia2002. I've been smoking 2.5 years. I've looked into and considered buying NAC. I don't recall coming into contact with any such chemicals/solvents.

Did you also experience shortness of breath when you changed your diet? If so, how long did it take for breathing to feel normal again? Did you take NAC? If so, did it appear to help?

 

[Carl]

Do you exercise regularly, and if so what do you do?
And do you stretch well in the morning?

Since youve only been on the diet for 12 days, this is very likely a changeover symptom. As I understand it, shortness of breath can be caused by low blood sugar, which would certainly be something that your body is dealing with when switching straight to a high fat diet.

I get exactly the symptoms you describe now and again while smoking, generally when I'm in a hurry and taking big pulls on a cigarette.

Also do you do the EE program?

 

[Alada]

Also do you do the EE program?

Just what I was wondering. EE goes a long way towards helping restore proper breathing.

Are there any other factors in life at the moment that could be adding to your stress load? Generally, the more stressed we get the more we tend to breathe badly, in more shallow way and higher in the chest (using all the wrong muscles to boot). Shallow upper chest breathing is associated with the ‘stressy’ side of the autonomic nervous system (the sympathetic), whereas deeper belly breathing (utilizing the diaphragm - the way we were designed to breath) is associated with the 'rest and digest’ side of the nervous systems (the para-sympathetic).

Regular practice of the Éiriu Éolas program can help re-train the body how to breath again more fully and freely. Plus it provides a ‘tool kit’ of techniques that can be used to balance the stress of day-to-day life, as well as focusing our attention on the way we breathe which can be beneficial in itself - you can’t fix what you can’t see. Maybe you always breathe this way but have only just begun to notice.

Are you eating a lot more cream and butter than before? Eliminating that for a period might be worth a try to see if anything changes.

If it persists and is worrying you, you should definitely consult a medical professional. After all, it may have no relation to the change in diet.

 

[Chrissy]

Are you eating a lot more cream and butter than before? Eliminating that for a period might be worth a try to see if anything changes.

I was thinking along these lines as well. Sensitivity to dairy produces skin and respiratory problems. As Alada stated, eliminating the butter and cream for a while might give you more insight. When you look up "dairy allergy shortness of breath" on the internet, quite a few pages come up listing shortness of breath as a symptom. From _http://www.foodreactions.org/allergy/milk.html

What Are The Symptoms Of Milk Allergy?
An allergy is caused when an allergen enters our body system. The symptoms of a milk protein allergy fall into 3 types of reactions:

Skin Reactions: * Itchy red rash * Hives * Eczema * Swelling of lips, mouth, tongue, face or throat * Allergic "Shiners" (black eyes)

Stomach and Intestinal Reactions: * Abdominal pain and bloating * Diarrhoea (usually very runny) * Vomiting * Gas/wind * Cramps Nose,

Throat and Lung Reactions: * Runny Nose * Sneezing * Watery and/or Itchy eyes * Coughing * Wheezing * Shortness of Breath

 

[Laura]

Dairy products definitely affect the whole breathing apparatus.

Have you read the entire threads on the diet topic AND the recommended books?

 

[Gaby]

A few people reported shortness of breath either in the Ultra simple diet, Life Without Bread or Ketogenic threads. It could be part of the transition of energy source or a mineral imbalance. L-carnitine is helpful when it comes to muscle cramping or tightening (including breathing muscles) because it can't use the fatty acid energy fuel just yet. L-carnitine takes fatty acid into the mitochondria for fuel. You'll find more info about it in Life Without Bread.

 

[Nook]

Are you eating a lot more cream and butter than before? Eliminating that for a period might be worth a try to see if anything changes.

I was thinking this could be one of the main reasons as well. I've been on the diet for a year and a half but my shortness of breath sometimes, dizziness didn't go away until I cut out dairy entirely, it seems I am also sensitive to it as many others are. Since I've stopped consuming - even though it was organic - heavy cream and butter, all my symptoms went away. Do you have any other symptoms? Like the dizziness mentioned, headrush sometimes when you get up fast from a seated position, etc? If so, this definitely might be the problem.

Plus, you've been on the diet for 13 days and you don't eat any veggies, so you're not slowly integrating fat into your diet, eventually shifting the fat-carb ratio. afaik, doing that, slowly lowering your carb intake and upping the fat intake helps you through transition more 'smoothly', it helped me fwiw.

L-Carnitine as Psyche has pointed out would definitely help as well. Also, healing your gut with L-glutamine, Cod liver oil (for balance between omega 3's and 6's), etc.

 

[cdh4r]

Do you exercise regularly, and if so what do you do?
And do you stretch well in the morning?

Since you've only been on the diet for 12 days, this is very likely a changeover symptom. As I understand it, shortness of breath can be caused by low blood sugar, which would certainly be something that your body is dealing with when switching straight to a high fat diet.

I've been off my exercise routine for a month and a half now due to busy work schedules via holiday madness but hopped back in the gym last Sunday and my breathing never got rapid or asthmatic but it did still feel as if it was "lacking". I usually do high intensity, low rep power lifting such as squats, dead-lifts, bench press, and standing shoulder presses with the accommodation of other resistance exercises at a 12 rep range such as bicep curls, tricep exercises, and back extensions. And occasionally, on separate days, I'll hop on the treadmill or bike and do some high intensity interval training for 20 - 30 minutes. As far as stretching goes, i rarely if ever do it.

Also do you do the EE program?

I haven't done EE in a long while. I've watched the video and know the technique but it was always a challenge as i've always had "chronic stuffiness"/congestion of the nose and have always been a mouth breather. Not to make excuses for lack of doing the EE program, it's especially difficult to do it correctly never being able to breathe into ones nose. As a result of this, it was frustrating attempting to do it and found it pointless to try when i couldn't do the technique right. It's most likely allergies of some sort b/c i had my nasal passages straightened when i was 16 and still had to continue to breathe out of my mouth after surgery. Afterwards, the same doctor who performed the surgery prescribed me something to take to clear up the sinuses but it never kicked in or worked. Therefore, I've not dealt with the problem as one eventually gets accustomed to living with it. Probably, and most definitely, not a good thing avoiding this problem... but i suppose we'll see how the diet affects it. Today, i felt i could breathe out of it better than usual. Being forced to be more perceptive of my breathing due to this shortness of breath, I try to incorporate the technique, but the feeling of shallow breathing still persists.

[/quote]

Maybe you always breathe this way but have only just begun to notice.

Could very well be a possibility!

Are you eating a lot more cream and butter than before? Eliminating that for a period might be worth a try to see if anything changes.

Dairy products definitely affect the whole breathing apparatus.

I was thinking this could be one of the main reasons as well. I've been on the diet for a year and a half but my shortness of breath sometimes, dizziness didn't go away until I cut out dairy entirely, it seems I am also sensitive to it as many others are. Since I've stopped consuming - even though it was organic - heavy cream and butter, all my symptoms went away. Do you have any other symptoms? Like the dizziness mentioned, headrush sometimes when you get up fast from a seated position, etc? If so, this definitely might be the problem.

Plus, you've been on the diet for 13 days and you don't eat any veggies, so you're not slowly integrating fat into your diet, eventually shifting the fat-carb ratio. afaik, doing that, slowly lowering your carb intake and upping the fat intake helps you through transition more 'smoothly', it helped me fwiw.

L-Carnitine as Psyche has pointed out would definitely help as well. Also, healing your gut with L-glutamine, Cod liver oil (for balance between omega 3's and 6's), etc.

Reading the first response on about dairy affecting the respiratory system... i'm had a big "duh" moment, hitting myself upside the side. I've read about this connection SOOOO many times, that i feel so stupid that i missed the connection myself. I suppose that b/c i was strictly eating fat from dairy, the i unconciously labeled it as harmless b/c it's JUST

Have you read the entire threads on the diet topic AND the recommended books?

 

[cdh4r]

Are you eating a lot more cream and butter than before? Eliminating that for a period might be worth a try to see if anything changes.

Dairy products definitely affect the whole breathing apparatus.

I was thinking this could be one of the main reasons as well. I've been on the diet for a year and a half but my shortness of breath sometimes, dizziness didn't go away until I cut out dairy entirely, it seems I am also sensitive to it as many others are. Since I've stopped consuming - even though it was organic - heavy cream and butter, all my symptoms went away. Do you have any other symptoms? Like the dizziness mentioned, headrush sometimes when you get up fast from a seated position, etc? If so, this definitely might be the problem.

Reading all your responses about dairy affecting the respiratory system... i had a big "duh" moment, hitting myself upside the head. I've read about this connection SOOOO many times, that i feel so stupid that i missed the connection myself. I suppose i unconciously labeled it as harmless b/c it's JUST fat right?! Wrong...

I have been incorporating more dairy butter in my diet since the beginning mostly as a result of being unable to find lard that has not been partially hydrogenated and containing plant fats. I just started using cream on Saturday.

Also, having read your responses this morning before work, i have excluded all dairy products all day. My nasal passages/ sinuses seemed to have cleared up a bit (though who's to say if it was b/c of cutting out the dairy as it's only been a day; or who's to say that it's not the diet itself clearing up allergens in connection with wheat and gluten as I've been void of them both since starting).

 

[cdh4r]

Have you read the entire threads on the diet topic AND the recommended books?

I've read Life Without Bread and the Ultra Mind Solution. I've also read a lot of the Life Without Bread Thread and the Ketogenic Diet Thread, though, not both in their entirety . I've been listening to and watching extensive interviews of author Nora T. Gedgaudas as I'm unable to currently buy the book as funds are low having spent money on supplements but i feel I've required a great amount of knowledge on behalf of the interviews. I've also read threads regarding the book, fiber menace. But i haven't read all the required books...

I suppose it's safe to say that i was being cocky, hot-headed and stupid, b/c it appears jumping into the diet with no transition period has brought out my foolishness and ignorance. Thinking i was young, i thought i could brush past the signs and symptoms of such a drastic transition. Wrong. There very well could be a large amount of things wrong with my body.

 

[cdh4r]

Are you eating a lot more cream and butter than before? Eliminating that for a period might be worth a try to see if anything changes.

I was thinking this could be one of the main reasons as well. I've been on the diet for a year and a half but my shortness of breath sometimes, dizziness didn't go away until I cut out dairy entirely, it seems I am also sensitive to it as many others are. Since I've stopped consuming - even though it was organic - heavy cream and butter, all my symptoms went away. Do you have any other symptoms? Like the dizziness mentioned, headrush sometimes when you get up fast from a seated position, etc? If so, this definitely might be the problem.

Plus, you've been on the diet for 13 days and you don't eat any veggies, so you're not slowly integrating fat into your diet, eventually shifting the fat-carb ratio. afaik, doing that, slowly lowering your carb intake and upping the fat intake helps you through transition more 'smoothly', it helped me fwiw.

L-Carnitine as Psyche has pointed out would definitely help as well. Also, healing your gut with L-glutamine, Cod liver oil (for balance between omega 3's and 6's), etc.

i don't recall having had any episodes of dizziness. i've cut out dairy all day today and will likely continue doing so.
i take an omega 3/6 supplement in the morning and evening

A few people reported shortness of breath either in the Ultra simple diet, Life Without Bread or Ketogenic threads. It could be part of the transition of energy source or a mineral imbalance. L-carnitine is helpful when it comes to muscle cramping or tightening (including breathing muscles) because it can't use the fatty acid energy fuel just yet. L-carnitine takes fatty acid into the mitochondria for fuel. You'll find more info about it in Life Without Bread.

i read throughtout the threads of constant leg cramps but have had none but told myself that if my body resorted to cramping, i would get L-carnitine but, as psyche and Nuke pointed out, it appears i may need it for breathing b/c of my lack of a transition period.

 

[Nook]

Also do you do the EE program?

I haven't done EE in a long while. I've watched the video and know the technique but it was always a challenge as i've always had "chronic stuffiness"/congestion of the nose and have always been a mouth breather. Not to make excuses for lack of doing the EE program, it's especially difficult to do it correctly never being able to breathe into ones nose. As a result of this, it was frustrating attempting to do it and found it pointless to try when i couldn't do the technique right. It's most likely allergies of some sort b/c i had my nasal passages straightened when i was 16 and still had to continue to breathe out of my mouth after surgery. Afterwards, the same doctor who performed the surgery prescribed me something to take to clear up the sinuses but it never kicked in or worked. Therefore, I've not dealt with the problem as one eventually gets accustomed to living with it. Probably, and most definitely, not a good thing avoiding this problem... but i suppose we'll see how the diet affects it. Today, i felt i could breathe out of it better than usual. Being forced to be more perceptive of my breathing due to this shortness of breath, I try to incorporate the technique, but the feeling of shallow breathing still persists.

I've had similar problems when I first started doing EE in 2009 as I've had asthma all my life and found the Baha breathing especially hard to get through. But I persisted with EE - which in itself was helpful - and when the diet came along, my asthma seems to have been eliminated for life, osit. Now I run faster than anyone I know and never have trouble breathing. Also, not as medical advice for I am not trained, nor do I have the necessary qualifications or even the knowledge as others might here on the forum but I'd say it's better to try to stay away from medications. Maybe homeopathic remedies, herbs, etc. if you still have this issue in about a month as dairy can take up to weeks to totally clear from one's system.

Reading all your responses about dairy affecting the respiratory system... i had a big "duh" moment, hitting myself upside the head. I've read about this connection SOOOO many times, that i feel so stupid that i missed the connection myself. I suppose i unconciously labeled it as harmless b/c it's JUST fat right?! Wrong...

I have been incorporating more dairy butter in my diet since the beginning mostly as a result of being unable to find lard that has not been partially hydrogenated and containing plant fats. I just started using cream on Saturday.

Also, having read your responses this morning before work, i have excluded all dairy products all day. My nasal passages/ sinuses seemed to have cleared up a bit (though who's to say if it was b/c of cutting out the dairy as it's only been a day; or who's to say that it's not the diet itself clearing up allergens in connection with wheat and gluten as I've been void of them both since starting).

I have made the same mistake myself. Even though I made a connection relating my eczema - which became permanent - to the fact that I started drinking heavy cream around the same time this spring, I loved heavy cream too much and I easily brushed it away because I wanted to look for any other answer/possibility. It was also due to the fact that I couldn't really see myself making a discovery like that. So I started digging and found Candida and was lying to myself that this is it! Because also around the same time, I went from low carbs to basically no carbs at all.

And the aspect also that it's only fat and since there's no protein listed on the label, that's gotta mean it's not even dairy, no milk at all! Hurray! Wrong.

Now my head is clearer, I feel way much better that I cut out all dairy and my ezcema is almost gone. (I've been off dairy since Sunday, December 9.)

And as far as wheat and gluten goes, this might sound harsh but even without doing the diet you should stay away from them at all costs. As there are no excuses for consuming wheat, gluten, flour, etc... Even if you don't have time to prepare food at home and are 'forced' to eat at a diner/restaurant/cafe/deli.

 

[Nook]

I suppose it's safe to say that i was being cocky, hot-headed and stupid, b/c it appears jumping into the diet with no transition period has brought out my foolishness and ignorance. Thinking i was young, i thought i could brush past the signs and symptoms of such a drastic transition. Wrong. There very well could be a large amount of things wrong with my body.

Truth is, you're right. You are young, meaning you'll have an easier time transitioning overall but jumping into it like this will make it harder for your body. Because in the beginning, since you're body's so used to glucose as its fuel, it will transition protein and turn it into glucose, so the focus for you right now would be to get to ketosis as smoothly as possible.

You might also find some additional information in this thread

i don't recall having had any episodes of dizziness. i've cut out dairy all day today and will likely continue doing so.
i take an omega 3/6 supplement in the morning and evening

I mentioned Cod Liver Oil regarding the omega 3 and 6 balance, because afaik, through our diet - at least in the beginning - we get to too much Omega 6's, thus there will be an imbalance and Cod Liver Oil is high in Omega 3, fwiw.