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

folks, there is another thread that goes over this topic that may prove useful to you. it is also on this forum:

https://www.steadyhealth.com/Choking_on_Saliva__Uncontrollable_swallowing_and_air_in_esophagus_t223964.html?utm_medium=web&utm_source=steadyhealth&utm_campaign=relDiSimDiscussions

 

If you have been sick, or have heavy mucus secretions check it out, particularly the site that covers laryngospasms. That is what most of us are having happen to us. I was just finally diagnosed today with Pertussis, or "Whooping cough" which, though once mostly gone from our Country through vaccinations, is making a strong comeback. I believe many of us are experiencing the common symptoms associated with Pertussis. If you believe you may be sick or infected contact your Doctor immeadiately and ask them to check and treat for Pertussis. There is also excellent information online regarding this infection, and I urge you to look and educate yourself to it's symptoms. Though Laryngospasms are not listed specifically there is a link to a Doctor that has an online demo of what is happening when you have one of these occur. It was exactly what has been happening to me, and 2 of my 3 children in my house.

 

Best regards,

 

Reed

This happens to me a lot. Last night i woke up and it has been the worst so far. I was gasping for air like if i was having an asthma attack. I thought i was gonna die. I am 20 years old and don't take any pills, so i don't think it has to do with that. I think we have to go to the doctor. If u have already gone and resolved ur issue let me know plz.

Are you sick with Cold Symptoms and congestion, or are you healthy with no symptoms?

reedg wrote:

Bere wrote:

This happens to me a lot. Last night i woke up and it has been the worst so far. I was gasping for air like if i was having an asthma attack. I thought i was gonna die. I am 20 years old and don't take any pills, so i don't think it has to do with that. I think we have to go to the doctor. If u have already gone and resolved ur issue let me know plz.

Are you sick with Cold Symptoms and congestion, or are you healthy with no symptoms?

Also, Check out the link in your attached post. It has A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION!!

Best Regards,

Reed

Hello

have you been to the doctor yet maybe you should go? if so what did they say?

i have been in the past they do nothing, i think they think allergies, post nasal drip, they dont do anything, i just continue on telfast and nasal drops.

My 21 years old daughter have a ruff time breathing too. She was making her self cough so she can breath. But that would work for a few seconds then she would have trouble breathing her chest would hurt . Like a tighting in her lungs she said.  She does have aliges to peanuts but today we have not startEd to cook or clean... So I don't know what happened for her to get that way. She didn't want to go to the hospital ... She took Benydrill and it seemed to work after taking 3 of them and waiting for about 30 mins .... That's too long to do anything Im just glad nothing too bad happened to her... She can be sooooo.... Does any one know what is could of need? ??? She is here with me now and sleeping ok .... I'm keeping my eye on her. Her husband is here with her....

Any help will be great full. young you

T. Russo

 

Hello Sunshinett, how's that cough these days?  You know, last winter ('11) I had this exact same cough.  I don't know if doctors can help yet or not.  I went to 2 different doctors, and had a return visit to one of the 2 over the phlegm.  Neither had heard of my problem, which, I'm guessing, is probably a combination of 2 or more ailments(?).  Basically, in the night, phlegm builds up in your lungs.  Normally, during the day, you would just cough and take care of it.  In the night, it builds up while you're asleep.  Your upper lungs fill up with too much phlegm and it closes off the wind pipe.  Most of the time, I would be woken up by that irritating feeling you get when you feel phlegm in your throat and you know you need to either cough or go.. 'ahem' to get rid of it.  Unfortunately, because I'm asleep, I'm not in complete control of my ability to resist the need to cough.  So I cough, basically while still asleep, and my wind pipe gets flooded with phlegm.  It felt like I was drowning, which is actually true.  A liquid (phlegm) was flooding my wind pipe and blocking air from getting into my lungs.  This cough lasted about 1 1/2 months and I would wake up coughing a few times each night, struggling for air.  One thing to think about is that if something is blocking your wind pipe (throat), you can still breath through your nose.  I did this last year and it was basically a life-saver.  Things get much worse if your nose is stuffed up, needless to say.  At times, I would cough and a large amount of phlegm would block my wind pipe.  Remember that coughing is emptying your lungs of air.  After coughing, with my lungs empty of air, I would try to breath air back in.  Often, it would feel like I was breathing in through a straw.  After about 30 seconds, I would cough again and I would be able to breath fine.  Other times, after the first cough, I wouldn't be able to breath in at all.  That drowning feeling really sets me in a panic mode.  I cannot breath (fill my lungs back up).  My wife wakes up to me fighting to breath, and basically stay alive.  It is distressing to hear that yours is reoccurring.  I was just assuming that my cough last year was just some strange bug that went around.

The reason I look for info online and found your entry is because I'm getting a cold and cough.  My wife mentioned to me that she hopes it doesn't turn into what I had last year.  I see that yours has happened several times over the course of a few years.  So what medicine have you used to combat this bug?  z-pack?  Do you suspect that because it's reoccurring, there is some correlation between that phlegm build-up, cold weather, ...you mentioned a rash?  I live in Oregon and we've had a dry summer, but it just started raining heavily about 2 weeks ago.  What climate do you live in?  Do you eat healthy foods?  I am guilty of sometimes skipping a meal but eating a small snack instead.  I know diets do have a great impact on your body's overall health.  Do you take vitamins?  Vitamin C?  Have you tried sleeping in an inclined position?  Does a vaporizer help?  Thanks for any info you can give me.  

Hi Sunshinett, I have had this same issue since I was a child also. I would be dreaming that someone was telling me to hold my breath or that I was underwater etc etc and when I woke I would feel like my throat was closed and no air could get in. I would have to take deep breaths through my nose to open my airway back up. I would be in panic mode and also all the while I would be coughing like crazy, like I would take a breath, cough uncontrollably , take a breath, cough etc etc.....It seemed like I had it more frequently as a child, now I am 50 and have it maybe once every month or two and it still scares the c**p out of me. Like you I have told Dr.s throughout the years and they have never diagnosed it as anything. As I got older I wondered if maybe it was severe allergys or even stress... I just dont know and unfortunatly I still dont know exactly what it is...I do have an Albuterol Inhaler now that I use when this happens but of course I cant use it until I have caught my breath and the coughing fits stop...I came upon your blog today as I was once again trying to find answers to what this is as I woke last night with this happening to me once again....I have lived with this for 40 years ( it started when I was about 10ish) and it still scares me every bit as much as it did when I was 10.. its funny when I was young I would run into my parents room crying saying that I woke up not breathing and they never truly believed me, they would say oh you were dreaming etc.....Now I tell my husband this and he says the same thing...In fact he is sitting here right now telling me Im crazy.....LOL.....I can laugh about it now but trust me I sympathize with you on how terribly scarey it is when its happening....I have concluded that I shall never have a diagnosis......Good Luck.....Wendy

Yes it started in my late teens but it was diagnosed as 'Silent Asthma' in my 50's, Doctor's do not usually pick up on silent asthma. I now use an electric 'Nebuliser machine' l put one 2.5 Ventilin nebule in it and breath it in for 15 mins before l go to sleep and use it in the night if necessary. lt really works. l also find l wake up unable to breath if l am lying on my back l lie on my side or propped up with a few pillows. l also find it happens when the temperature drops in the night and l am on my back. l learned as a young woman 'not to panic' but instead to calmly try to move onto my side Sometimes l would feel myself floating up to the ceiling!'cased by lack of oxygen'. I have just noticed a few posts about this problem on the free 'Experience Project' under the heading l forget to breath when l am asleep. Kindest regards.

Hello you seem to be saying EXACTLY what i have

not had it for ages though
but liek you EACH TIME it happens i think this might be it, if i dont start breathing again get air in i have had it

i go to bed not knowing this is going to happen, not a sign, not a cold nothing

and then i seem to start dreaming thats what it seems like to me, dream that i cant breath, in my dream i may be under water for instance,

i SUDDENLY WAKE UP AND REALISE THAT ACTUALLY I CANT BREATH, THERE IS NOT BREATH IN MY AT ALL, AND I FEEL AS IF I HAVE NOT BREATHED IN AGES

panic, i have no air

so i try to get air in, try to breath, is like it is BLOCKED OFF MY AIRWAY, LIKE A FLAP HAS COME DOWN AND SHUT MY AIRWAY OFF AND THE AIR THAT I AM TRYING TO BREATH CANT GET DOWN

i can only take little breaths trying to froce the air down otherwise i will die

and then i start coughing like mad cant stop coughing
and then this

LIQUID, THICK LIQUID POURS DOWN THE BACK OF MY THROAT an d this in turn blockes my throat and i have trouble breathing becuase of this, more and more coughgin - DO YOU GET THIS??????

eventually it settles down, but for the rest of the night i keep thinking it might come back, but it never does not for a long time, but go into an uneasy sleep eventually

please do reply back it interesting to see if you are exactlyl like me

the doctors dont listen and dont mention it to them anymore

Yes, your symptoms are identical to mine...I too feel like something has blocked off my throat or that my airway has collapsed..I have to take quick deep breaths inbetween the uncontrollable coughing.....I too have stopped trying to explain this to my Drs. And a sleep study woudlnt work because like you I never know when this will happen, sometimes its once a month and sometimes nothing happens for 2 or 3 months......I have just learned to live with it and at times I surf the internet for an answer.....Wendy

If you look above at other replies, you will see that what is happening to you is called a "Laryngospasm" Clinical for your vocal chords having a muscle contraction or charlie horse spasm. You can find good info on it with Google, webmd or other sources. Good Luck ya'll.

I am also 48 and have had this same problem for about 25 years. I've been tested for asthma-negative. My Dr. doesn't have any idea what it is. Almost makes me feel like I'm making it up. I know exactly how you feel. It feels like you can't catch your breath. I usually sit up and just start coughing trying to breathe. It happened 2 nights ago and was the worst I've ever had. I think I wake from sleeping because I can't breathe. Mine don't seem to be related to a dream. I found the problem got much worse when I was pregnant with my first child (19 years ago).

its dry cough i believe....

i had it as well............same......... i am having severe cough for about last 4 months..........several medicines........but same....cough attacks at night as well as in day time..... this might be some msdicine reaction since i was also given Telfast with other medicines.after quitting all medicines the cough gets a bit better........and now these attacks r less frequent........what i use to tru during such attack is to try to breath deeply from nose..........

get well soon

This as happened to me allso I am 31 I seem to wake up coughing can't breath have to b sick and bring up thick white stuff after I seem bring it up I b ok but its very scary thinking wot if I don't wake up could I die in my sleep this as happend 3 times thinking is it acid from stomack. Or worse am I stop breathing when I sleep anyway off doctors tomoz try woke out wot happen