asleep wake up and cant breath, start coughing, cant get air in

I had this happen twice, some soda went down the wrong way and my throat just closed!!! So hard to get air in but it only last for a few seconds and then I can breathe. I noticed that if I remain calm my throat releases fast but one time I panicked and almost needed 911. I thought I had asthma but I went to a lung specialist who ran test and did a chest xray and he told me no asthma and my lungs were clear..

Hello

good that you had some checks and that it only happened twice. a different experience to myself, waking up not being able to breath, you were awake and due to the soda going the wrong way down your throat. hope it does not happen again for you.

My 10 year old daughter has been having these symptoms for 5 years and I was just told it was post nostril drip, they gave her nose drops to take a nite and she takes allergy meds.throughout the day and it hasn't happen since and its been about 4mths.now. .....

Hello I take steriod nasal spray, for years on and off and also 180mg of telfast and also cimidine (this can be used in adults dont know about children with certain allergy tablets for certain allergies).

i have not had the not breathing episode for a bit,but all the episodes have happened whilst on all my medicines.

you cant tell when you go to bed when it will happen. i often get a big gap in episodes.

glad that your daughter is progressing well now, lets hope that her prescription medicines, sprays will work for her and that it is due to post nasal drip and that you have succeeded in keeping the horrible attacks at bay.

regards

sunshinett

let me know what you find. I ahve the same thing!!

It sounds exactly like sleep apnea...at least what I have that has been diagnosed as sleep apnea. It's a pain wearing the mask, but now I'm used to it and it's comforting. Sounds crazy, but it works. You need to get a sleep study. Good luck!

I was told it happens to me because of silent acid reflux in my sleep and I am basically aspirating (some reflux gets into my windpipe) and then the spasms occur and it feels like an asthma attack.  

I know what you have been going through, I was the same, I think the thick mucus was coming from my middle ears through the eustachian tubes and maybe also from the sinuses, when I found it really hard to breathe I put my hands on the side of the bath and leaned forward til I got my breath back, also leaning on my forearms on the kitchen worktop did the same, I now think having my shoulders lifted up ( I am round shouldered ) must be opening something up, things I do now are, when reading I sit with my arms resting on my knees ( Like lot's of people do ) when I sit in a chair with armrests I use them and when I sleep on my side, I put the top arm up in front of my pillow.

I used to have a problem even walking round a suppermarket, thats another thing that helps to lift your shoulders, pushing the trolly, but I am almost better now, I have been doing this for a month and haven't felt this good for years, I still have a bit of mucus but it is so good to be able to sleep and walk around and catch up on jobs in the house that have got behind.

Also I am a bit deaf and am hoping when the mucus clears that I will be able to hear a bit better.

 

Hope this helps someone, I will be interested to hear if it does.

I'm having a similar problem. I've had a cough for about a week or so now. Nothing major but seems to be a typical seasonal thing for me. I have asthma too but doesn't seem to be related. Not really a sore throat but it feels slightly inflamed and maybe that's because of the erratic coughing I do in order to catch my breath at night. During the day, I cough and I'm slightly hoarse but have no problems catching my breath. At night, I'm not sure if it's because I'm asleep and relaxed or what but I wake up needing to cough and when I do, I have to sit up and desperately gasp for air for several seconds before my airway opens up and I can breath again. This tends to happen about 2-3 times per night for the past 5 nights. I even started sleeping slightly elavated to see if that might help but I have the same result. I have become almost too scared to lay down and go to sleep at night because I feel I won't be able to catch my breath the next time. I literally gasp for air during my episodes and it really has become annoying to say the least. I have a dr appointment on Monday and I'm hoping I can get some answers.

I get this all the time in summer and fall. Ive determined its caused by a dust mite allergy. In fact im dealing with it as i type this. Came on around an hour ago, and have been coughin up fl ever since. Ive given myself a regiment of nsaids mucinex and claritin. It seeems to occur most often adter ive cleaned my room. Leading me to believe it is an allergy. I alos recently purchased an air purifier. I would suggest sleeping in another room with a feeshly washed comforter. That has been washed in scalding hot water. If you dont get the symptoms, my assumption is dust mite allergy. They are usually prominent in summer and fall. But depending on location it can be other times of the year. Hoped this helped.

Last night was my worst case. I'm in a nice deep sleep and suddenly wake up with one hard cough to be able to breath again. Last night I had to sit up and it still felt like I was not getting in air. This has been going on and off, and not every night for a couple of years now. I am a 54 female with no medical problems as of yet.
If its sleep apnea I would love to go to a sleep clinic to find out. It has gotten to be that scary!

Its going on w me too I can hardly sleep I cough just to take a deep breath

Hello there!

 I have read what you are suffering from and I swear to you I have the same thing! I was sound asleep for about 6 hours and I woke up coughing, gasping for air, I set up grabbed my chest and tried taking deep breaths. This is the second time this has happened to me, the first time was about a year ago. I just had my second child 6 months ago, I am a nursing mom so I do not take any medications. I found that taking a drink of water helps a little, but it's hard when I feel like I'm suffocating. I too cough up stuff. I don't understand what this could be either. I am assuming that it is allergy since I feel fine during the day, and start to get congested a little at night. I also have had a very annoying cough for about two days. I had no idea that being congested with a small cough would make me feel like I was literally going to die, and terrify me to the point that I start to go into a panic. I am actually very afraid to sleep tonight. I'm worried that I will wake up suffocating again or even that I won't wake up and I will suffocate. I also am thinking about getting a humidifier to put in my room, wondering if my room being dry could be a cause of this. If anyone has any input on what I can do, please PLEASE PLEASE!!!!! 

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Hi there, I have exactly the same problem! I seem to have a few weeks where I'm ok but the last week has been bad for me, I don't know if you get this but what happens to me is i'm asleep then I've flung myself so i'm sitting up and i'm making this horrible sound because I can't breathe, then I have to keep coughing really hard and drink loads of water. I also have a very odd sensation usually only down half of my neck which is like a burning but also feels very numb, down to about my collar bone. It is odd because I am on thyroxine as well which seems to be common here for this problem, maybe it could be a side effect? I'm a non smoker and have a healthy diet too. I'm not sure if it's athsma but it does feel as if I can't breathe and it is very scary! Hope you get this sorted (i'm going off to the doctors about it soon) x

I swear you just explained how I felt this morning at 5am I woke up and the very same thing happen to me. I'm going to the dr today to ask because I'm scared to go back to sleep.