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Momentary breathing difficulty

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paul75665
paul75665

Hi All

Hoping someone out there can put my mind at ease after what was quite a scary 20 seconds or so that I've just experienced.

I had been asleep for about 30 minutes when I suddenly woke up not being able to breathe properly. It was as if something was blocking my throat or my throat had closed up, and when I did try to breathe in and out there was a crackling / rattling sound and feeling. Best way to describe it was like the feeling you get of food going down the wrong way, but with restricted breathing. I sat up quickly, still struggling for breath, then got on my hands and knees, panicking quite a bit by now, and then it just went away as quickly as it started. I don't feel ill at all right now, even though I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, CFS and IBS. Current meds I take are mebeverine and omeprazole. No sign of a cough or cold, breathing is now fine, but it has left me with a tickly, slightly irritated feeling in my throat about 3 cms below my Adam's apple. I'm now worried about going to sleep, just in case it happens again. it was quite a shock.

Has anyone else experienced this or knows what might have caused this? Any thoughts and views on this would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

0 likes, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • yvonne81394
    yvonne81394 paul75665

    Posted

    Hello Paul.  Sounds to me like you have sleep apnea.  It's a common condition affecting many people, mostly males.  Since the sense of not being able to breath happened during sleep, I would presume that would be the case most likely.  I too have woken up gasping  for air.  They say most people will stop breathing for a short time during sleep and it's pretty common but it is only a few seconds and goes unnoticed.  When the brain gets the message, it wakes you usually if the duration is long enough to be problematic.  I would recommend a sleep study and probably a CPAP will be recommended and that should fix you up.  Don't be afraid to sleep because sleep deprivation can be unhealthy and cause day time sleepiness.  Your brain will "signal" you to awaken but don't panic.  Your breathing will resume.  Try a chin strap to keep your mouth closed too which might help the soreness in your throat.  Also, is you are a snorer, that is a sure sign it is most likely sleep apnea.  Good luck to you.

    • paul75665
      paul75665 yvonne81394

      Posted

      Hi Yvonne.

      Thank you so much for your reply. Do you really think it could be sleep apnea?

      That never crossed my mind, mainly because it felt like there was actually something blocking my airway. I do get a lot of post nasal drip which is making me have to clear my throat frequently. On top of that, I have a few health problems, two of which being almost constant IBS and infrequent bouts of Acid Reflux. Because of these I have to have the head of the bed raised which helps alleviate the symptoms of these, but I am only elevated by numerous pillows, not by putting something under the mattress as is recommended (my partner doesn't like the mattress elevated, I do have to accommodate her needs too). Thing is with so many pillows, and lying on my back, sometimes my head ends up being tilted backwards and I wondered if the nasal drip had built up in my throat, then dried out due to breathing through my mouth, which I do, and eventually led to a bit of a blockage. When I woke and tried breathing there was rattling / crackling noise and sensation coming from my throat, also I was making wheezing sounds, are these sensations normal for sleep apnea?

      I do snore, apparently, but not much. I haven't let it affect my sleep, I slept like a baby for the last couple of nights after this happened, but I have changed my sleeping position to make sure my head won't tilt back, and lying on my side.

      I'll mention it to my doctor next time I see him, see what he has to say.

      Thank you again for your comments, I do appreciate them.

  • debora82968
    debora82968 paul75665

    Posted

    Sleep apnea.... My brother in law has it.... You need to see Dr
  • chris2
    chris2 paul75665

    Posted

    Hi I had something similar. Google laryngospasm.  In my case I believe it was brought on by coughing and a respiratory infection but apparently you can wake up in the night with it. In some people it can be brought on by acid reflux or post nasal drip. Briefly your larynx goes into spasm cutting off your air intake and the automatic reaction is to gasp for air making the spasm worse. I was sat up in bed trying to pull in air and making awful noises. It was terrifying. Tips for dealing with an episode include taking a sip of water and breathing in slowly through the nose.   
    • paul75665
      paul75665 chris2

      Posted

      Thanks for the info Chris, much appreciated.

      What you described sounds exactly what has happened to me on a few occasions now, and they have only happened lately (last couple of years), since I've been having digestive problems. It certainly scares the life out of me when it happens, but only lasts about 10 seconds or so, although that can feel a lifetime when it happens. When it does happen it feels like there is a physical obstruction in my throat.

      I'll certainly be mentioning this to my doctor though. Thanks again.

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