wake up gasping

[mariancollins]

Hello everyone. Last night I woke up gasping. What is it? Is there anything I can do to help? I am on BBs and SSRIs.

[MomtoGiuliana]

Is this a new symptom for you? I would recommend that you talk to your doctor.

Katherine

[dizzygirl]

have you ever had sleep study done?? Asleep stduy can rule out sleep apnea.. it might be a casue for waking up gasping at night.. always good to talk to your doc ...

good luck!

[Sophia3]

yes, waking up gasping is a very possible sign of sleep apnea. So is dreams of suffocating or choking.

Please talk to your doc about a sleep study. Keep us posted as to what you find out.

Sophia

[Guest Finrussak]

also can be "air hunger" common with a LOT of things...and not to be repetitive...tell your doctor!!! Many of us with Lyme/ Bartonella find ourselves putting our heads out the window trying to get a cool breath of air....especially at night...Unsure if its chemical ( acidosis can cause a dyspnea) or the chest muscles or even the nervous system ( similar to the way it screws up heart rate it may also mess with respiration)...due to the many possibilites and seriousness...after all ,we all have to breathe....call your doctor.

[Ernie]

Hi,

I would ask for a sleep study.

[Poohbear]

You definately need to discuss with your Dr. I've had this at times as well and for me sometimes it has been asthma induced by meds or allergy or some activity I did earlier in the day. I've also woken with a shortness of breath and my chest feeling tight like I was breathing very shallow during my sleep.

I had a sleep study done and they said I didn't have Apnea but then again, I didn't sleep much during the last two sleep studies I'd had done either.

Since dysautonomia can affect respiration it could also be that as was mentioned in a previous post.

There are so many things it could be which is why you need your Dr to help rule things out.

Good luck and I hope you don't have that experience again.

[yogini]

Also, have you checked your BP and HR when you wake up? I know many people here have gotten shortness of breath when taking a beta blocker. I don't have sleep apnea or asthma. I had SOB when I was first diagnosed, especially when waking up. But when I started on a beta blocker, it went away. I think I was getting short of breath because my HR was too fast.

[persephone]

I wake up in the night sometimes and suffer a syncopal turn that renders me paralysed. It only happens very rarely but it feels like OI'm falling off the edge of the world when it does, though.

wish I could offer more advice- no one has EVER mentioned a sleep study to me- maybe I should have that done?

I'm still here- so if it's what I have, don'T worry, it's not going to kill you!

[mariancollins]

Thank you everyone, your advice prompts me to take it seriously - as it happens I am seeing a doctor on Monday and get I will discuss it with him. Regards.

[Dawg Tired]

I am glad you are discussing it with your doctor, I had a sleep sutdy and I do have sleep apnea. I could not tolerate a c-pap so I just take my chances.

However, for the last several months mt cat Hector... Yes, the cat... seems to sense when I have an apneic episode and I will wake up a bit tachy and gasping (but not as bad as in the past!) with Hector licking my nose, pressed against my chest tightly, purring like a boat motor! Ever had your face licked by a cat?? Talk about exfoliation!!

I hope they find the cause of your problem, I know it is scary!

[India]

I have similar symptoms and had a sleep study performed. Based upon the results, the neurologist concluded that I did not have apnea but something called UARS: Upper airway resistance syndrome. The existence of UARS, as I understand the literature, is under dispute: some experts believe it is a distinct syndrome, some believe it does not exist at all, and others believe it is merely a milder form of apnea. Either way, it is a syndrome that has only relatively recently been "classified." UARS supposedly differs from apnea in that there is a lack of oxygen desaturation found during sleep studies. Thus, although I would wake up gasping, my oxygen saturation had not apparently significantly declined. UARS results in repeated arousals due to increased negative esophageal inspiratory pressure. This can lead to feelings of shortness of breath according to my neurologist.

Do you snore or have excessive daytime sleepiness? Do you wake up with headaches? Because these are other symptoms of apnea and UARS. I believe the treatment for both is similar and can range from breathing masks to surgery of the throat. I frequently have dreams where I am choking or where I am running and running and feeling very out of breath: these too are symptomatic of a sleep disorder.

From other literature that I have read, POTS sufferers also have a greater tendency towards apnea than the average Joe; I don't recall why this was so. But it is worth getting it checked out.

The following site describes some common issues in sleep disordered breathing:

www.clevelandclinicmeded.com/diseasemanagement/pulmonary/sleep/sleep/htm

Good Luck!

India