couldnt catch my breath

[molly36]

Hi there i have been a panic and anxiety sufferer for about 20 years ,i am 36 now and over the last 5 months the panic attacks are waking me up in the middle of the night .Mostly i all of a sudden am awake and i realise my heart is totally racing and i mean racing sometimes ive went to a&e as it was so bad ,But lately i have started having different symptoms last week i awoke and my heart was so slow and i felt faint and strange and then went in to full blown panic attack.But last night i was all of a sudden awake ,im not sure if i was fallen asleep or asleep but i felt this horrid feeling creep over me very fast and forcefull like when you get winded in your solar plexis .The air was knocked out of me and i was gasping for breath it lasted around a minute and i had to take a diazipan which i rarely take.It was like when say you have cycled to the top of a hill and and you have to try and catch your breath it was like that ,totally fast and out of control ,i really thought i was dying.I really cant express how forcefull it was .Im now terrifed ,i know when i go to doc he will say it my panic attacks but this was so much worse i felt ,i was literally gasping for air.It did pass but what was it .Has anyone else suffered such a severe panic or attack at night.I just feel i am never going to win this battle .kind regards molly

[b4eve]

I've had this from time to time and I tend to assume that it's sleep apnoea. I think if you have regular, ongoing sleep apnoea (the sort that requires treatment) then you get so accustomed to the sensation that you don't even notice but if it just happens when you have a cold or allergies or occasionally "just because" then you notice it. It's awful! I'd say see your Gp for reassurance

[molly36]

Thank you ,i have said to my doc about sleep apnoea but he just says no its anxiety.thank you for your reply.kind regards molly

[b4eve]

What a charming GP! No, I've woken with the standard adrenaline panic on and it's nothing like that is it? The "apnoea" attacks are sometimes linked with periods of anxiety for me so sometimes there may be an element of anxiety but sometimes it happens when I'm in the middle of a period of perfect calm in my life.

[molly36]

Thank you for your reply ,i am very gratefull but does anyone else suffer from this ,i am really starting to get anxious again as its bedtime and im terrified it will happen again.Would be very gratefull of anyone elses experience of this.

[fightfear]

Hi Molly,

I get what you described, especially the slow heartbeat feeling.I dont feel like the wind has been knocked out of me but I have awoken breathing quickly, thinking my heart has stopped.
My GP put me on Deralin 40(betablocker) , 20ml twice a day, its been close to 3 months and so far so good.

[molly36]

Thank you for yor reply ,i am going to gp tomorrow i cant go on like this kind regards molly