Waking up, can't breath?

OUT OF HOURS HEALTH AND FAMILY (INTERACTIVE)
21

truckerjimbo:

jrt:
this post is not really about trucks but I still wounderd what people might think. I have been waking up recently in the middle of the night not being able to breath soaked throw with cold sweat and my head seems to be raceing lightening fast with lots of bad thoughts of worring about anything and everything and after waking up it takes being awake for about an hour or so befor I feel back to normal :frowning: seems to happing every night for a while now. just wounderd if anyone new or had similar thing happen to them ? many thanks

My money is on: Sleep apnoea

Sleep apnoea - NHS

Do you snore??

thanks for the input. If I explain alittle abit better about the breathing. As its not that I can’t breath or that I have not been breathing, I am very able to breath its just that its really fast but I still cant get enuff air like I’m gasping and my heart beat is going really fast, like I have been running. and my brain feels like its over loading with negative thoughts so bad it takes a good hour of being awake for my brain to carlm down. thanks for all your feed back. thjink it might be cronic painic attacks, I have been really stressed recently. or maybe post traumatic stress as I suffered a violent robbery when I was sleeping acouple of months ago in the middle of the night :frowning: thanks all I will see the doc soon as pos.

22

I’d say it is definitely anxiety/panic attack. Had these symptoms couple of years ago. Had problems with my ears, hearing was virtually non existent and getting worse. Convinced I was going deaf, waking up at 3am just pacing the kitchen floor, sweating and rapid breathing - bad times :open_mouth: Was under quack already for ears, he prescribed sleeping pills for the anxiety attacks (didn’t use them). The whole episode ended as quick as it started. You don’t say how long it’s been going on.

23

Dave55:
I’d say it is definitely anxiety/panic attack. Had these symptoms couple of years ago. Had problems with my ears, hearing was virtually non existent and getting worse. Convinced I was going deaf, waking up at 3am just pacing the kitchen floor, sweating and rapid breathing - bad times :open_mouth: Was under quack already for ears, he prescribed sleeping pills for the anxiety attacks (didn’t use them). The whole episode ended as quick as it started. You don’t say how long it’s been going on.

Its been about 3 months now. almost none stop. wake up at least once a night about 2 or 3 am like you.

I was going throw a long period of feeling really depressed for one reson and another then after the robbery happened I got really paranoid and seem to freak out and over react really badly, wired stuff like I don’t like people walking behind me or I jump if some one dose walk passed from behind me, I don’t seem to trust anyone and everything seems creepy and wird like there are bad people lerking eveywere waiting to jump me.

I know this must sound like I’v gone completley crazy, maybe I am half way. But I am still going about daily life healthy and well. eating good and don’t drink or smoke, I’m always clean shaven and tidy and look after myself and my famerly best I can . house is always clean and well kept.

I just don’t want to sound like some total nut that has gon to pot with everything. thanks for all the advise. it has been going on for alog time now, just want it to stop :frowning:

24

You need to see someone who can help you, sounds frightening what your going through, do it as soon as possible, a few quid to the doc and a chat with him might make all the difference.

25

It could be gastric acid reflux that wakes you up.
I wake gagging for air and sometimes choke and can’t breathe.
Lanzaprole or Gaviscon to treat the stomach acid.
Avoiding spicy food, and coffee .
A consultant may put a pipe with a camera to check for ulcers .

26

You have to think positive and get a grip when these attacks happen, easy for me to say, I know. I thought I was going nuts, it is a bad experience to go through and also a lot more common than you’d think.
Think straight, be positive, you’re fit,healthy - what’s gonna happen?

27

maybe someone tryed to knock you out with Gas?

28

Dave55:
You have to think positive and get a grip when these attacks happen, easy for me to say, I know. I thought I was going nuts, it is a bad experience to go through and also a lot more common than you’d think.
Think straight, be positive, you’re fit,healthy - what’s gonna happen?

Thanks, will stay positive, just at night when asleep it seems to become over welming. hoping it will just take time. :confused:

29

Given the attack and your reaction to stimulus, I would guess PTSD. It’s not overreaction, it’s a natural reaction to trauma, been there, had the sweats, got the teeshirt. When you see your doctor (and I sincerely hope you WILL see your doctor) make sure you tell them everything. It does pass, but most need some form of help. Take care of yourself, Bud

30

Hi jrt,

First of all, I echo the advice given by all above to see a GP. They’re generally useless, but they take anything like that seriously and are the gateway to more specialist help.

Secondly, from reading everything you’ve written, it definitely sounds like panic attacks. I suffered them terribly in the Summer of 2014. Apart from the lack of pain (although you may still experience chest pain during a panic attack), the symptoms are nearly indistinguishable from that of a heart attack; the difficulty breathing, the racing heart, the tight chest, the cold sweat, and the feeling of impending doom. It’s a very, very frightening experience.

Sometimes, an emotionally stressful event can precede them, sometimes by weeks, months or longer. Although, in my case, there was NO trigger. It appears it’s possible, for no specific reason, for the levels of various electrolytes in the brain to fall slightly out of tune for a period of time, and it is this alone which causes the attacks. It’s important to understand that panic attacks are the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, which sends your fight or flight response into overdrive, hence the very physical symptoms.

I was prescribed Sertraline (an SSRI, or anti-depressant), and took it religiously (still do) every day. It took a good six months for it to take effect, and after 12 months the attacks had stopped altogether. If you’re prescribed something similar (an SSRI), the doc will tell you it will take 2-3 weeks to a couple of months to take effect; this isn’t true in my (and lots of other peoples) experience, and it can take as long as a year of continuous use as it did with me.

My advice would be get yourself to a GP, where you’ll probably be prescribed an SSRI, more than likely Citalopram. If so, keep taking it, even if you think it’s not working. You can try other ways to treat this, but at the very least, if you keep up with anything you’re prescribed, you should get some relief in a finite (i.e. 6 months to a year) period of time. Start the treatment early!

Best of luck with it mate, and keep us posted.

31

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32

Javiatrix:
Hi jrt,

First of all, I echo the advice given by all above to see a GP. They’re generally useless, but they take anything like that seriously and are the gateway to more specialist help.

Secondly, from reading everything you’ve written, it definitely sounds like panic attacks. I suffered them terribly in the Summer of 2014. Apart from the lack of pain (although you may still experience chest pain during a panic attack), the symptoms are nearly indistinguishable from that of a heart attack; the difficulty breathing, the racing heart, the tight chest, the cold sweat, and the feeling of impending doom. It’s a very, very frightening experience.

Sometimes, an emotionally stressful event can precede them, sometimes by weeks, months or longer. Although, in my case, there was NO trigger. It appears it’s possible, for no specific reason, for the levels of various electrolytes in the brain to fall slightly out of tune for a period of time, and it is this alone which causes the attacks. It’s important to understand that panic attacks are the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain, which sends your fight or flight response into overdrive, hence the very physical symptoms.

I was prescribed Sertraline (an SSRI, or anti-depressant), and took it religiously (still do) every day. It took a good six months for it to take effect, and after 12 months the attacks had stopped altogether. If you’re prescribed something similar (an SSRI), the doc will tell you it will take 2-3 weeks to a couple of months to take effect; this isn’t true in my (and lots of other peoples) experience, and it can take as long as a year of continuous use as it did with me.

My advice would be get yourself to a GP, where you’ll probably be prescribed an SSRI, more than likely Citalopram. If so, keep taking it, even if you think it’s not working. You can try other ways to treat this, but at the very least, if you keep up with anything you’re prescribed, you should get some relief in a finite (i.e. 6 months to a year) period of time. Start the treatment early!

Best of luck with it mate, and keep us posted.

Thanks for the information and advise. It is looking like genral overload of stress and
PTSD from the Robbery witch has led to a bad depression. Thanks for all your input. Looks like there’s lots of people hat get this from time to time. just going start looking at how best to go about stoping it now. Many thanks

33

jrt:
Thanks for the information and advise. It is looking like genral overload of stress and
PTSD from the Robbery witch has led to a bad depression. Thanks for all your input. Looks like there’s lots of people hat get this from time to time. just going start looking at how best to go about stoping it now. Many thanks

Yup, PTSD with out a doubt, and hardly surprising given what you went through. Get yourself to the docs mate, theyll be able to give you something to help take the edge off, and get you referred to someone who can help. Nothing to be ashamed of, and you sure as hell dont need to man up, you need help to work through it, which is easy when you`ve back up from folk who know how to help :wink: