Waking up not being able to breathe!

[xBettyBoopx]

I've been waking up during the night struggling to get my breath, it's horrible and scary. I also get it sometimes during the late evening after I've eaten. It's not anxiety so am scared what it is, it's only been happening lately and I feel something strange going on in my stomach and sometimes I feel a burning in my upper stomach so I thought it might be acid/indegstion but that wouldn't make you breathless would it?

I'm so tired of symptoms, especially different ones to what I've had before. When it happens my heart races and I shake like a leaf, I feel vibrations over my body. It;s 4.50am and I'm sitting on the computer typing this coz I daren't lay down again..............so tired after all these years..........:weep::weep::weep:

Anyone else get this or just me? Or anyone know what it could be please?

xBettyBx

[MyNameIsTerry]

I think GERD can cause breathlessness because the acid comes up into the esophagus and causes it to temporarily narrow slightly. I think my GF mentioned this as she started having GERD a couple of years ago and with her being a long term asthma sufferer she understands the feeling.

She used to get it when lying down, if I'm remembering it correctly. And with you saying it happens after meals, this sounds a likely cause.

Speaking to your GP would be a good idea.

As for the internal vibration, which I know you raised a recent thread about as I meant to post & forgot :doh:, it's been a symptom of my GAD from pretty much the beginning. So, that's 10 years now. It's a very common anxiety symptom and I've seen many posts about it. One member termed it "the buzzing bees" which I found good.

It always comes when sitting or lying but goes if I move around. Always assumed it's the adrenaline.

[xBettyBoopx]

Thank you so much for your quick respone terry and for putting my mind at rest about this. It's awful to think that gerd can cause this breathlessness but better that than what I was thinking!!

Eeeek vibrations are so weird!! Buzzing bees yer does sum it up!

Thanks again :hugs::hugs:

[MyNameIsTerry]

No worries, glad to help.

You can change your diet to stop the GERD and there are very effective meds for it too. So, it's something you can address pretty quickly if you have a chat with your GP.

I bet there will be some natural remedies out there too.

I think my GF mentioned sleeping position too. I've seen plenty of GERD threads on here over the years so I bet you can get some good advice off others on here.

Yes, it's certainly scary waking like that. When I first started with my breakdown I was having sudden not quite panic attacks lying in bed or waking up with them and they scared me. I also wake like that from dreaming sometimes, much like how you wake from a nightmare where your breathing has quickened because of it. It doesn't bother me now but it certainly did back then. It's that "oh god I'm going to have a panic attack" type thoughts that hit you.

Probably best to get up for a bit and walk around to burn off some of the adrenaline.

I hope you feel better soon. :hugs:

[xBettyBoopx]

Thank you again for the valuable information. I certainly will speak to the doc when I go. I think maybe acid and adrenaline considering I'm having such a bad time at the moment. Never get any peace nowadays and my body's taking a hammering. It's gone on far too long and is exhausting, but I'm not giving up!!

When I wake up with heart racing and not getting air I am also dreaming and they are usually not nice dreams. I expect it's too much to ask a terror filled mind to give you peace in your sleep with lovely dreams :blush::blush:

Thanks again.

xBettyBx

[Carnation]

I would also say that the internal vibrating/shaking is due to the adrenaline.
I had a lot of it a couple of years ago when my anxiety was high.
Normally when sitting or lying down, but basically it tends to strike when in a still position. The symptom does eventually fade away.

As for the sleeping and waking in a breathlessness state.
That could well be GERD and just a slight change in diet will definitely help.
I found that I had to sleep on my side like a baby.
The foods that made it worse for me was; chocolate, fizzy drinks, fruit, red meat, processed foods, alcohol, coffee and dairy.
Seems a lot doesn't it? But, I found that I could eat most of those things earlier on in the day, so I changed my evening meal to a more gentle one.

I hope this helps. x

[xBettyBoopx]

Thank you Carnation for your valuable input. I am going to have to take a look at what I eat and how late I eat if I don't want this happening all the time and for my health anyway.

:hugs::hugs:for you.

[ChildOfTheKing]

This happens to me too, could be night terrors or GERD or just our plain old anxiety. Personally I have way too much of a fixation on my breathing, not sure if you have the same as well.

Have a talk with your GP if it worries you Hun.

---------- Post added at 09:30 ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 ----------

One more thing do you have allergies? The mucus in the throat can definitely jolt you sometimes.