breathing stopping!!

its extremely scary, im also waiting for my test results seems to be taking ages, even though they told me at the time, my blood pressure and sats, did drop, my breathing stopping is getting worse, my symptoms increased during menopause, so sure its something to do with why its flared up, but my breathing stopping, has started waking me from sleep which, it never has before, and its been happening since the age of 39, and im now 56, my worry is, what if one day it doesnt wake me, sometimes it feels like its my lungs, then my heart which, i know its not as ive been seen by a cardiologist, and then i think its my diaphram, and dysautonimia affects all those areas, so yes scary, i mean why is it now waking me? it use to be as i fell asleep, so how can it be anxiety im pretty sure it isnt, i feel like im suffocating when it happens, that isnt anxiety, its like i breath past my feet, it stops for seconds, my body nudges me, then i take a suffocating breath in my heart goes very slow at the same time as well, is that how it happens to you by any chance?? to me its either respirtory failure, or, cardiac arrest about to happen, and maybe one day who knows!! anxiety does not make your heart go very faint and slow, totally the opposite, let me know how your test results go?? thanks for replying

 

I fully sympathise with you. I have had this for several years, it feels like your brain is forgetting to tell your body to breath. I was told it was anxiety, another said I was overweight and so on. Eventually I had an overnight sleep study done (even though it happens day and night I knew at least they would see what was happening in the night). I was offered one at home which I declined as it isn't as comprehensive and doesn't measure brain, respiratory drive etc and googled until I found a great hospital and doctor (Dr Venn) where I had a full polysomnograph (totally spelt wrong) and it showed numurous issues, I was prescribed a cpap which I use each night. I also have diuretics for mild heart failure as irregular high blood pressure pushes blood back into lungs making it hard to pull in a breath. I wish you luck as it has taken me years just to get to this stage, I'll be following this link too as though I have treatment for nighttime breathing, I have the same issues in the day and still unresloved. I've been fortunate in my GP who can see how I am physically effected and has kept referring me to get to the bottom of it.

Finally had my tilt test results, it has showed i have dysautonomia, my vagus nerve is damaged, its responsible for the parasympathetic nervous system in the spine, which, slows everything down in the body, to counteract this, the sympathetic nervous system, also in the spine, then overcompensates by quickening things up, but due to the malfunctioning nervous system it quickens up too much, so, im finding that both of these systems, are done to the extreme, there is never any inbetween, everything is either working too fast, or too slow, its causing problems with my sugar level, dijestion, bowels, and i have chronic fatigue syndrome, my heart slows when standing due to blood pooling in my legs and lowered bp, my breathing also then slows, and this is why my breathing can stop, its due to not enough oxygen in the blood getting to the heart and brain.  Ive been told to drink 3 litres water per day, and be liberal with salt on my food to bring blood volume back up, i know from past experience that doing this only works so long then it stops, the drs said, that is because our bodies re adjust so we dont need to continue with the water after this, however, it all comes back, menopause, trauma, stress, medications, over exertion, viruses.     She also told me that my quality of life will get worse with age, due to the nervous system deterioating when were older.................my concern is,  if it gets any worse, is my heart, or, breathing one day going to stop all of a sudden for good?? couldnt get a straight answer from the cardiologist, except to say there is no treatment for it, im sure there is, but i do live in the UK and this is the NHS after all, found homeopathy works well though! i know for sure they could fit me with a pacemaker, but got a no on that, as after trials it only helped 30% of people tested out of a 100, so it was stopped, beta blockers another one, certain steriods, wouldnt want them anyway due to bad side affects, already got problems with my sugar level due to this, dont want it making worse by meds, its all down to lifestyle changes, but water and salt definately help me! 

Thanks marianne found that helpful, i had my tilt test 10 weeks ago now, seen by the cardiologist today, to confirm my diagnoses, and, results were not in my notes, got to go back in a couple of weeks, part of me thinks, well ive waited 36 years for this diagnoses, whats a couple more weeks, but, on the otherhand totally gobsmacked, dont they care, this is peoples health they are dealing with.................so annoying, the nurse at the time suggested compression stockings, will try them tonight as i was given some by the hospital wen i had an op couple of years ago and kept them, thankyou for the tips.............take care Elaine