Such a stupid symptom but GP won't take me seriosuly

[Janefromdowntheroad]

I've had this for about a year now. Excessive yawning

Without exageration I'd say I yawn upwards of 100 times a day. Sometimes 4-5 times a minute. Starts from when I get up until I go to bed. The more I yawn, the more I need to yawn. If I force myself not to yawn I feel hot and uncomfortable. Also get what feels like a tightness in my head and then a headache.

I've been to the GP and she just looked at me like . I don't think I got across how much of a pain it is. People comment on it all the time! It's really anti social to be yawning all the time. GP seemed to think it wasn't a problem.

I take Sertraline 50mg a day. GP doesn't think that could be causing it as I've been taking it for five years.

Any ideas?!

Sorry, I forgot the link - 7/11 breathing

Excess yawning happened to me on citalopram. I hated it, people at work thought I was unprofessional because they assumed I was staying out all night midweek.
Did the onset coincide with the sertraline?

citalopram does the same for me. not quite so bad on escitalopram

I think it is CHS after reading some of those links.

Possibly from years of under reaching after worrying about hyperventilating when having a panic attack?!

No didn't coincide with sertraline been on them for years.

Yawning and sighing has nothing to do with too little oxygen, but may be related to too much carbon dioxide i.e. not breathing off your used up air out of your lungs properly.

Do some nice slow belly breaths, ideally when standing up.
Personally I find 7/11 too slow, but 5/9 works for me: the numbers don't really matter, but your breath out should be longer than your breath in IYSWIM.

If it's a listed side effect then that's probably what it is. IME GP's always say side effects are rare

I would ask to try something else, it sounds exhausting!

I get something a bit like this with chronic hyperventilation. The breathing exercises can be good but the first thing to do is to switch to only breathing through your nose, and never through your mouth. That does a lot to stop chronic hyperventilation. If doing that doesn't make a bit difference then I'd look into it possibly being the drug side effect.