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I know it was acid reflux because I could taste it, but I never get or have reflux during the day and this is the second time this has happened to me.Once 7 years ago, (anyone who has gone through this knows that once is enough) I woke up in the middle of the night gasping for air. And nothing. Not even a small bit. I of course done what most people do and walk around flailing my arms and I could hear my husband say are you OK are you OK.. I of course cant answer cause I'm just trying to breath here.. Eventually after a long minute or so, I start to breath with only bits of air at a time.. I am sure pretty its scary for the one hearing me but even more terrifying for me.. Your life literally flashes before your very own eyes. I guess my question is , will I just pass out and start breathing automatically on my own, or If I dont evenually get air or a breath... thats it.. I'm toast.(not to make light of it).. I was terrified to go back to sleep last night(it happened last night).. I have never suffered from acid reflux or have coughing spells. I didint even have the urge to cough after I finally got my breath.. But I could taste the acid in the back of my throat though. I did just have a dairyqueen blizzard about 2 hours before bed.. Maybe that had something to do with it.Any suggestions or advice out there? I know, no blizzards at bedtime!! Any suggestions would be great!
Doctor's visit to make sure it is reflux. In the meantime, Prilosec or Prevacid daily will help control symptoms (OTC, any grocery or drug store) and can't hurt you if it's something else..
Maybe you aspirated on some reflux material, or the acid or other environmental allergen triggered an attack of asthma. Maybe you have sleep apnea. An excellent idea to see your doctor.
Get one of the foam wedge pillows to sleep on that props you up a bit while waiting for your doc appt. Stacking pillows would work just fine too. Its not just the blizzard. Overeating/eating anything 4 hours before you have to go to sleep can give you issues, but there are food that are worse for it. (like a chocolate blast from a blizzard) Also if you are overweight or smoker = tend to have issues.
Before you get meds I suggest to just drink water and change your habits that bring it on. Those bad habits affect your health in other ways. Meds should always be last resort as it really can come to that for some. Plus its cheaper to drink water. That prilosec etc is $$$$! Try some digestive dairy free bacteria first too.
MAN! That sounds exactly like what happed to me only under different circumstances and not caused by acid reflux..
I have use Flo-Nase nose spray for many, many years since I have year round allergies with seasonal flare up and chronic sinusitis. Recently when I got a new Rx for it and took it to be filled, my insurance has switched to generic but I didn't think anything of it until I had my THIRD spell, of that just as you described, happen to me! Every time I was at work and alone. All three times it was like I choked on something and my throat just slammed shut! I could cough out but trying to take a breath in, I had to actually had to FIGHT to do and when I did, it sounded horrible! I was to busy fighting to breathe to think of anything or do anything else (like running for help).. The last time it happened I started questioning WHY I had 3 of those spells in 2 weeks, suddenly, out of nowhere. What had I been doing? What was I putting in my body to cause this reaction to some ordinary every day things.. Each time I was drinking something and the only thing NEW I was doing was the generic nose spray that I had started 2 weeks prior and 3 of those spells in 2 weeks.. BINGO! I haven't used it since and haven't had another one of those spells.
Those scared me like I have never been scared in my life! I could have died and they not know why, even with a autopsy, would they have found what happened or what caused it?
I have acid reflux problems but never the way you have explaned you problem.
With me, if I don't sleep with 2 pillows at night it bothers me, but when it happens I get a bad case of heartburn, and I eat a piece of bread or a couple of crackers and within 2 minutes its gone.
But I never had a bought were I could'nt breath.
That's the way it effects me.
Hope you can get yourself straightened out, good luck.
I have always had acid reflux (since I was a child) but I never had symptoms as bad as you describe until I moved into my new house (close to that bad but not quite the same). I would wake up at night unable to breathe. It was absolutely scary. I felt better during the day. Dr. ran all kinds of tests and could not figure out why the symptoms were getting worse. Turned out that I was actually having episodes as a result of low-level carbon monoxide poisoning. The last time it happened, I went straight to the urgent care when I regained my composure and my blood oxygen level had dropped which ended up in a trip to the emergency room in an ambulance. Of course I was better by the time I got there.
My AC guy found a 10 inch crack in my gas heater in the attic. The carbon monoxide level in the house was fluctuating but was lower than fatal level.
Just trying to point out possible environmental causes. Keep an eye to the rest of the folks in your house.
I have acid reflux problems but never the way you have explaned you problem.
With me, if I don't sleep with 2 pillows at night it bothers me, but when it happens I get a bad case of heartburn, and I eat a piece of bread or a couple of crackers and within 2 minutes its gone.
But I never had a bought were I could'nt breath.
That's the way it effects me.
Hope you can get yourself straightened out, good luck.
I agree; it doesn't sound like acid reflux.
Sounds like her throat closed.
What to do when acid reflux keeps you from sleeping
I had the same thing and had it frequently, i opted for a holistic approach, i don't trust pills anymore. One way to have piece of mind when sleeping is to purchase a wedge pillow, it work for me.
there are numerous natural ways to treat and get rid of acid reflux, Moderator cut: too new tom make specific recs, read the TOS
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 07-16-2010 at 01:47 PM..
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What to do when acid reflux keeps you from sleeping
