SHORTNESS OF BREATH, WAKE UP GASPING FOR AIR, LIGHTHEADED AL

have your doctor check you for Lyme disease.

Very similiar experience here.  I fall asleep on the couch 30 minutes later I jumped up couldnt breath..  i managed to sputter to my wife  that something was wrong as I felt I was passing out..  I could barely see..   she helped me to the couch again and I shook uncontrollably for about 15 minutes.  My hands felt like they were asleep.   I hyperventolated for a few minutes.  My wife called 911 and I had the same tests other folks mentioned here.  Bloodwork, EKG, xrays were normal.   I am following up with my doc for more evaluation but I am thinking this must be stress/anxiety related.  I am really worried because I had a milder version of this again yesterday (2 days after ER visit).   I dont know what im going to do if this is a recurring event...  I will be terrified to go to sleep. 

stress is your major factor. quick ways to relieve stress by experience are morning nature walks. it almost does the breathing for you. nature can be ones best friend in times like these because theyre so relaxing. sometimes we just have to let time play its role as well. staying in the present is the only real moment one can efficiently communicate with ones self. leaving the past in the past isnt easy but it doesnt do too much as we havent developed the time machine yet, and same with the future. lastly, " you are not your mind". perhaps you can strategize a schedule so that less thinking is involved through out the day. your mind is a tool for certain tasks through out the day not 24 7. this happens very often to many people

My symptoms are extremely similar to all being described.  Sitting on the couch doing nothing, not stressed, nervous or anxious, when all of a sudden I'm dizzy, short of breath, nausea, heart pounding and feeling like a heart attack.  In addition, I've felt generally sick and fatigued and have extensive periods of labored breathing with no apparent cause, despite being a healthy, active 30 year old.  After the ECG, blood tests, x-rays came back normal, my condition, similar to the above posts, was chalked up to stress, anxiety and panic.  Of course, I've had stress, anxiety, and panic in in the past, and those symptoms are not similar to the kind of symptoms I've been expieriencing -those were much milder, and could be linked pretty easily to a situation or event.  I think that either something is going on that needs further investigation, or, doctors do a poor job of understanding/describing chronic conditions such as these that can present severe symptoms, but are not necessarily life threatening. 

I have had this for a few years now but didn't know what it was. It started happening after my mom died. I lay down at night then began to doze off, i jump back up because it feels like i can't breath. I honestly thought i was having a heart attack. I have actually ran outside late at night when it happened just in case i was dying someone would find me. When it happens i believe i've been asleep for a few hours when in actuality it's only been about 30 minutes. Afters i'm scared to go to sleep and sit up all night. I nap a couple of hours during the day. The only way I can sleep at night is if I drink, then i feel sh***y the next morning. But for now it's better than feeling like i'm dying every night. I think what's really scaring me is that both of my parents died from heart related issues. I am terrified to sleep but i'm so tired.

Have your hormones checked. Low T or Low E can cause this. Also, make sure you are taking magnesium (90 percent of people are low).

There are some great articles on hyperventilation syndrome.

I had what you described. I got rid of it within two weeks by upping my hormones and breathing through my nose during the day and using my stomach instead of my chest for breathing. Hope this helps.

I think I know what this is. My husband had it and it took 9 doctors to diagnose it. It is call Larynospasum. It can be caused by a sinus infection or acid relux.

I feel you. I get lightheaded alot,feel like worlds gonna end,get panic attacks when in public. When I fall asleep, i get up out of nowhere like sumbody took my breath, happenee 3 times last night. My dads got some sh*t where he has to where an oxygen mask when goin to sleep, so I hope its not that. I do think tho, since ive been off wellbutrin,that thats where this stems from. While on it, Never had problems. Working out, too heavy a set,makes my heart race. Almost blacked out 3 times at gym. Think smoking too many cigs before bed contributes to weird spring up outta bed loss of breath c**p. And No antidepressant meds for the rest. Get yourself on a anti anxiety medication. Thats what im gonna do. Im not depressed,just have anxiety. That cud be causing ALL our problems

I have had the ear issues you talk about for years. However once I was properly diagnosed and treated, I was fine within a month and have been so since. You should try seeing a Ear, Nose and Thoat Doctor. You head, and dizziness symptoms seem like you have Ménière's disease. Which basically means you get water trapped in you inner ear. If so he/she will give you a mild diuretic to take (don't use the OTC diuretics because of the caffeine in them). You should also keep your sodium below 900mg a day, and try not to get water in you ears. I wear ear plus in the shower then clean my ears with baby wipes afterward. I hope this helps.

Im actually so glad that everyone has been posting on this, i've been experiencing the same symptoms you guys have, and i thought i was just wierd. Im also the same as another person on here, i can't sleep well unless i drink, but when i do i wake up and feel like im having the worst panic attack ever. this site has actually helped me so much, thankyou guys.

I'm glad to have found this post. I have been so confused because my symptoms only happen at night. I have thought that if it truly were just caused by anxiety it would happen during the day as well. It started 3 months ago, I woke up gasping for air and had a panic attack following. That month I had high anxiety at night, chest pain, short of breath, dizzy, racing heart... I went to the ER twice, saw a cardiologist and had the whole work up. Chest x-ray, blood work including magnesium test and thyroid test. The following month I had learned to stop reacting to the symptoms in panic and so the panic attacks stopped. But I still woke up short of breath about 3 times each night. Along with my hands being asleep/ tinging. Then I had a sleep study done. If I'd had sleep apnea they would have come in to set me up w/ the cpap and they did not. I have a consult on the test this week. But I'm pretty certain that will offer no answer either. I've wondered about MS... I just feel like every test I get will come back as normal. My hands and feet started feeling pin pricks during the day. I don't FEEL anxious anymore. So I have thought the symptoms should be going away. My Dr doesn't want to do any more testing. It was like pulling teeth to get the referrals that I had already. She just wanted to prescribe meds which is not the solution I'm looking for. I don't know where to go from here apart from making more effort to exercise and eat really healthy and hope that it helps. I may end up seeing a different Dr who doesn't treat me like it is a pain to get to the root of all this. Possibly see a naturopath Dr... I'm not sure, but I'm so glad to read all you the posts here and know that I am not the only one who is going through this at night, and when I don't necessarily feel anxious.

I was quickly dismissed with 'panick attack" after reporting this symptom. After having it for THREE years and constantly reporting it to anyone who would listen, I finally went to see a cardiologist. He scheduled me for a number of tests. Within days I had to have bypass surgery. I had had at least two heart attacks and my LAD was 100% obstructed. DO NOT let this go, and do not be satisfied with a diagnosis of panic disorder.

Following up on this post.... My doctor did a test for my vitamin B1 level and it was low. This is odd because I think I eat a prety normal diet and I don't drink. But all of my symptoms are on the google search of being low in B1... waking at night short of breath, panic attacks, night terrors, tingling in hands and feet. I'll be getting further testing to see if there is an underlying reason as to why was low on B1. But I have been taking a supplement and most of the symptoms are entirely gone or nearly gone.

i was on a low dose of zanix i got weened off them,then the dr didnt prescribe me more.this is my 2nd night off them and im going threw withdrawels ,what im saying is,if i could turn time bk i wouldnt go on them because at the end you have to come off them which isnt easy

i know exactly what you are talking about, i have been going through the same things for maybe not quite a month now. mine started randomly one morning, it was what woke me up that morning. i got this strange rush starting from the top of my stomach all the way up to my neck. i honestly felt like my chest was going to collapse and it was going to all be over. it would repeat this scary cycle about every 30 to 45 seconds til i made myself get up and do something. it does the same thing before i go to sleep every single night.