Air Hunger-- help please

For those of you who have has air hunger from a tick borne illness, please tell me how you got rid of it!
I am having it terrible right now for the last month. I had it severe two years ago and traveled across the country to a dr who helped me, but he is currently in between clinics, and even when he is at his new clinic I cant really afford to go there again.

So I am trying a bunch of herbs that he had me on the other time, I will list them in a minute.
I am also 13 days into a constitutional remedy with classical homeopathy, for my first time ever I did a skype session with a homeopath who has been practicing for 47 years and is also an MD and is respected as a master in his field. He said no matter the cause of my breathing troubles, tic borne or other, the remedy should eventually help it. He said to expect 10-20% healing in 6 weeks, 50% healing in 4 or 5 months, and a cure in 1-2 years. I have never done or really believed in homeopathy but I figured it is worth a try. I have had some good days and good periods since starting it--- the air hunger started up again about 2 weeks before getting on the remedy, but now the air hunger is so bad it is waking me up at night and terrifying.

It feels like my upper bronchials are just seized up all the time. And exercise makes it worse. I was good for years after my other treatment, able to work out- I always had a feeing lie I couldn't breathe great, but I was able to live. This is severe and unmanageable.

All my local dr;s don't get it. My oxygen levels are at 98. My other vitals are fine. My blood tests don't show signs of infection. My iron levels are even fine, which 2 years ago when this happened they were low, so for a while I was doubting this is the same thing. but the severity of this and how long it is lasting can only be this thing.

So the herbs I have been taking have been somewhat sporadic- because for one I didn't want to interfere with the new homeopathic remedy and I was waiting for that to wor.
So I have on hand:
Buhners babesia tincture, a bab, curcumin, black seed oil, gan mao ling, pneumo-ven, vitamin c, iron,
There are the crux of what I took last time to get better, though I also spent a week at my doctor's clinic which I cannot do now.

I also have been getting chiropractic adjustments 2 times a week- I have one today- and I feel some improvement after that for a day or so but then it goes away.

I was told maybe getting on oxygen would help, has anyone done that? I am not sure if my drs would give me oxygen since my oxyen levels are fine, Even the well versed in lyme ones say that if it were babesia I would have sweats and fevers, or at least an indicationon my blood tests. But I never had that- and I know there are tons of forms of tick borne illnesses and they all present differently.

I recently had a basic blood test for lyme and babesia ( butI heard they only test for 2 strains of babesia when there are like 50) and both were negative.

But- I cant breathe- and I don't have asthma, copd, a cough, anything. No other symptoms other than tired. Just a severely restricted upper bronchials and feeling that I cant breathe. I was getting a few good hours in the day but it kept me up all night and is stil bad today.

I am looking for specific experiences of those of you who had air hunger or breathing difficulties caused by a tic borne illness, and what you did for it, specifically, and for how long and what made it go away! I know this can go into remission as my one from 2 years ago did for a while, but I don't know how to get it there.
Thank you

I have had this babesia thing for years. I did abx first but it was not the right way for me.
I have had better success with the herbal route for myself. so I guess I should clarify my question to: what natural methods for air hunger have people had personal success with?

Recently I guess I have been too sporadic with my treatment because part of me was doubting that it was this again, and so I was doing some and stopping and starting. Also not wanting to take too many things at once while I am waiting to see if the homeopathy helps.

But I think right now my plan is I will go consistent for a while- with at least the cucrcumin ( turmeric) twice a day, and the buhner babesia tincture.
I had thought the a bab would be good but I am a bit scared of it-- it seems to herx me quite a bit and some research I did showed people talking about it flaring up symptoms more than helping.

So what natural supps worked for you for air hunger? I need to get myself out of this and back to living. Thank you

Mine was at the worst before I knew I had tick diseases. I went to a pulmonologist, who did a methacholine challange test for asthma. It was negative. He still put me on high dose of steroid inhalers for one month, which cleared it about 90%. I don't recommend that, as steroids can be bad for Lyme/co.

I've had flares of it now and then, but nothing like I had at that time. It's flaring now, as I've been taking some antiparasitic herbs.

I just checked all of Buhner's books and was surprised that I saw no mention of air hunger and few mentions of shortness of breath, even in the babesia book. However, many people here report air hunger (often severe) in relation to babesia.

The only herb I consistently found Buhner recommends for lung involvement is Bidens pilosa.

Have you tested for chlamydia pneumonia and mycoplasma pneumonia? I have both of those. My titers came down after starting Buhner's protocols but were still positive when last tested in April.

Hopefully others will report what stopped their air hunger (most likely treatment).

Post Edited (WalkingbyFaith) : 11/5/2018 8:52:23 AM (GMT-7)

I felt like air hunger was related to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. I believe bartonella can also cause ANS dysfunction. Do you know or suspect you have bartonella?

What Buhner babesia formula are you referring to? Is it CSA? How much are you taking? Did you recently increase the dosage?

Oh sorry, I didn't see your post about preference for the natural treatment. Some other good treatment options in that vein include allicin (good for both babesia and bart it seems), nauclea latifolia from Woodlands Essence (as well as CSA). I've been drinking matcha tea, and find that I herx a bit but I think it is effective for babesia in certain cases (one study indicated EGCG in green tea was effective against babesia). Could be worth trying?

Given your symptoms, I'd go very slowly with whatever antimicrobial you start with.

Also would recommend (if you don't have it already) checking out Buhner's Coinfections book on babesia. Has a lot of good info. But as WalkingbyFaith mentioned I'm also surprised he doesn't talk about air hunger or suggest anything to help for that symptom. He talks about pretty much every other symptom and things to do for symptom relief...

May want to try things like ashwagandha and motherwort to see if they can help calm the nervous system (as I mentioned I do think air hunger is tied to babesia's effects on the ANS).

hi to clarify the symptom didn't recently pop up-- I have had it for years and years. It is just the extreme severity has increased in the last month, but I had had air hunger for months prior and always have a low level sense of it- but now it is full force.

Can someone please clarify about the ANS and how this is connected? I have also ready that the babesia affects the ANS and this is why we get the 98 oxygen levels but still can't breathe, but I still don't understand the mechanisms of it . Also I read it sucks oxygen from the red blood cells and depletes iron, but this time my very recent bloodwork shows my red blood cell count is fine, and my iron is fine too so it is confusing to me. If I could understand more about how it affects the ANS maybe I could do something to support that more-- I was reading about humming?
But also why would it only affect my breathing and nothing else?

sebreg-- nope, I never got any of those symptoms. Just the severe breathing difficulties.
I have a sauna at home and do lots of detox eat well rest a lot etc.

Thanks for your insight-- how is your breathing and you probably already said but since I am bit weak at the moment did you say the abx cleared it for you?

thank you sebreg for your helpful responses. I never officially got diagnosed with babesia in the past, but just symptom wise and by talking to others I knew it was that. thank you

That's such a good point WalkingbyFaith, while babesia commonly causes air hunger it is not the only infection that can cause it (per some of what I've read, including Buhner).

And it's my pleasure flowergarden, I'm sure you'll find a path forward. Sometimes it takes some trial and error, but there are many ways to get better!

And if you guys are ever able to find out more info in regards to babesia and ANS dysfunction I'd love to know about it. I've bounced around all over the net and in the books I have on these diseases, haven't found much info except for broad generalities in a few articles (like the interview with Wayne Anderson, ND). It was like being struck with lightning when I read that, perfectly explained how I experience this stuff.

does anyone know how safe it is to use a supplemental oxygen tank while I try to heal this? I am planning to ask a dr about this-- is it dangerous in any way?