In hospital trying to sleep; afraid i'll stop breathing

[Freaked]

I've gotten about four hours sleep the past three days. Was admitted to hospital yesterday for an ongoing condition, but I always worry something's wrong with my heart that they haven't seen. My ECGs looked kind if alarming, but the people dismissed it as a malfunctioning machine.

Every time I try to sleep I wake up feeling like I stopped breathing or my heart stopped beating, and I'm not hooked up to a monitor so I don't know what's going on. I went through a phase or two of this before and I like to think it's just panic, but I don't know. Starting to hallucinate I'm so tired.

Anyone get this?

[RVP]

I get this all the time if I'm worried stressed or anxious, and especially if I'm worrying about my heart.
And it wont just happen once through the night, at least 5/6 times.

For the breathing one, try going sleep but focus on breathing more than normal and I'm sure that will help.

[eastofeden]

Sorry to hear you're in hospital I know from experience it's terrifying and depressing but look at it this way - 1. you're not going to be in hospital forever. You will be out quicker than you think. 2. they are going to make you well and 3. if anything should go happen which it won't, you are in THE best possible place for it to happen, with the best resources and experts all immediately around you to fix it. Would you rather get sick in a hospital surrounded with doctors and medical equipment or alone on top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere?

It's hard but try to stay positive.

I know hospitals are miserable but the nurses are going to look after you and you will leave this place feeling better than when you came in. This is just temporary.

I wish you all the best and heal well sweetheart. hugs.

PS - I've seen some of your previous posts about bp drops and fainting - I am almost certain you have what I have - pots syndrome. It often occurs after a bad virus and causes racing heart, fatigue, breathlessness, dizziness, difficulty staying upright without fainting and many more symptoms. The good news is that it's completely harmless. The bad news is it causes fainting and is unpleasant. you can Google it. or message me for more info. I'm trying to raise awareness of this invisible illness. Please mention pots to your doctor and ask for a tilt table test to confirm. it is very common in young women. I control my symptoms with beta blockers which have worked fabulous for me.

[Freaked]

Thanks for the replies, made me feel a bit better. Yep I do indeed have POTS, it's more previous cardiac-seeming stuff getting mixed up in it that worries me. I have this lifelong history of chest and referred pain when I run.


Well I managed to get to sleep for about 2 hours only to wake up to a team of docs round the poor woman next to me. She'd been fine when I went to sleep but then the nurse found her badly hypoxic, unable to speak and drowning in fluid. She's only in her fifties. They took her to ICU. They really should have everyone on monitors here; that woman could have died if the nurse hadn't come in when she did. Hope she's okay.

Trying to ignore twinges in worrying locations :-/ Least I got a bit of sleep.