...I tried to find something funny or witty to toss in here but I got nothing. 
Short vers.: Having trouble breathing, getting a move on finding a solution but it's slow-going.
So for the past week and a half, two weeks I've been having some issues. Working nights, I try to drop off sometime around 10 to midnight to get a few hours of sleep before going in, but on the night of the 7th I found myself laying frozen in bed, breathless and starting to panic. Having had asthma since 2009 (due to some nasty pneumonia), my first thoughts were that it was getting worse or that something else was developing - possibly sleep apnea. Unfortunately (or perhaps not so much) the specialist I had been seeing after the original incident left town, and since I haven't had any real issues since then I just assumed I'd be on meds for good.
Since this latest episode, I've been using a recliner to sleep in, been through two doctor's visits and a few trips to the hospital for a chest xray and breathing test, and finally gotten hold of a new pulmonologist/sleep specialist - but not before things got worse. This past Wednesday night I was trying to get some sleep, but when I woke up I found I could barely breathe, and it felt like my chest was squeezing itself or someone was sitting on my chest, leaving me at half-breaths or worse unless I forced myself to breath. It scared me enough that I called in twice for work before having to pretty much go in anyway.
It hasn't gotten much better since Wednesday; I've gotten back to work but it's more torturous than usual, partially because I have to go slower and pace myself a lot, and also obviously because I'm down to about half as much breathing as I was previously. Since exercise and stretching hasn't done anything, my guess right now is that one of my meds isn't working as well as it used to (or at all).
I could joke about how the reduced oxygen to my brain is making me stupider with every passing second, but truth is I just haven't been feeling like myself lately. I'm trying to do some small stuff around the house occasionally to stay somewhat active, but the fact that I have to think about taking full breaths (and even then it doesn't feel like it does much) leaves me just plain exhausted and underwhelmed. Nevermind that sleeping is sometimes a pain, but that's always been an issue for me. Hopefully the appointment I have next week with my new pulmonologist will clear things up and get them back on track before symptoms gets any more problematic.
Short vers.: Having trouble breathing, getting a move on finding a solution but it's slow-going.
So for the past week and a half, two weeks I've been having some issues. Working nights, I try to drop off sometime around 10 to midnight to get a few hours of sleep before going in, but on the night of the 7th I found myself laying frozen in bed, breathless and starting to panic. Having had asthma since 2009 (due to some nasty pneumonia), my first thoughts were that it was getting worse or that something else was developing - possibly sleep apnea. Unfortunately (or perhaps not so much) the specialist I had been seeing after the original incident left town, and since I haven't had any real issues since then I just assumed I'd be on meds for good.
Since this latest episode, I've been using a recliner to sleep in, been through two doctor's visits and a few trips to the hospital for a chest xray and breathing test, and finally gotten hold of a new pulmonologist/sleep specialist - but not before things got worse. This past Wednesday night I was trying to get some sleep, but when I woke up I found I could barely breathe, and it felt like my chest was squeezing itself or someone was sitting on my chest, leaving me at half-breaths or worse unless I forced myself to breath. It scared me enough that I called in twice for work before having to pretty much go in anyway.
It hasn't gotten much better since Wednesday; I've gotten back to work but it's more torturous than usual, partially because I have to go slower and pace myself a lot, and also obviously because I'm down to about half as much breathing as I was previously. Since exercise and stretching hasn't done anything, my guess right now is that one of my meds isn't working as well as it used to (or at all).
I could joke about how the reduced oxygen to my brain is making me stupider with every passing second, but truth is I just haven't been feeling like myself lately. I'm trying to do some small stuff around the house occasionally to stay somewhat active, but the fact that I have to think about taking full breaths (and even then it doesn't feel like it does much) leaves me just plain exhausted and underwhelmed. Nevermind that sleeping is sometimes a pain, but that's always been an issue for me. Hopefully the appointment I have next week with my new pulmonologist will clear things up and get them back on track before symptoms gets any more problematic.
Sleep paralysis? There's another name but I can't remember it offhand. It's a sort of state between sleep and awake, when the body is shut down but the mind is partly awake (note: not lucid dreaming). In that state, people are prone to visual and auditory hallucinations, but one of the most common things is the inability to move and a feeling of pressure on the chest, sometimes described as a person or child sitting on the chest. It's generally considered terrifying, but the only time it's happened to me, I only had the auditory hallucination and was pretty cool with it.
As I recall, it's supposed to be rare-ish, though. But it's been a long time since I read about it, so I don't know, maybe those who experience it once are more likely to experience it again.
That's just one possibility though. It is still good to look into ways to keep yourself breathing right, though.
As I recall, it's supposed to be rare-ish, though. But it's been a long time since I read about it, so I don't know, maybe those who experience it once are more likely to experience it again.
That's just one possibility though. It is still good to look into ways to keep yourself breathing right, though.
Novalyyn wrote:
Sleep paralysis? There's another name but I can't remember it offhand. It's a sort of state between sleep and awake, when the body is shut down but the mind is partly awake (note: not lucid dreaming). In that state, people are prone to visual and auditory hallucinations, but one of the most common things is the inability to move and a feeling of pressure on the chest, sometimes described as a person or child sitting on the chest. It's generally considered terrifying, but the only time it's happened to me, I only had the auditory hallucination and was pretty cool with it.
Hoping some answers come with the visit scheduled this week, because it's becoming an nuisance >_<
I wish you luck figuring it out and getting it taken care of. ^^
Sleep paralysis is a state where the body is between sleeping and waking, but it can't wake up properly. Whether you've been asleep five minutes or five hours usually doesn't matter. It can be triggered by stress, and you may be suffering from anxiety that manifests itself through sleep paralysis. Doctors are notoriously bad at diagnosing either anxiety or sleep paralysis, so make sure to ask your doctors about these things and get a second opinion if you don't trust it.
These things suck, and while not life threatening in most cases, if there's nothing the doctors can find physically wrong with you it may be mental issues exhibiting as physical symptoms. Doctors don't always think of that.
These things suck, and while not life threatening in most cases, if there's nothing the doctors can find physically wrong with you it may be mental issues exhibiting as physical symptoms. Doctors don't always think of that.
But I wasn't even asleep - I'd just laid down and five minutes later I'm in a panic with my breath frozen and trying to get my body to sit up. And I've tried to lay down (somewhat) flat since then, and it seems to come back, though I'm nervous about forcing it to reappear.
It may be stress, as work has never been kind to me, but I don't think that's the only factor; maybe not even the main factor. Unless I'm really beat and sure that I'll just pass out on my own, I play some quiet sleep music (also helps shut up outside sounds such as cars passing by and whatnot) and try to avoid stuff that would stress me out before bed, and it doesn't have much of an effect either. Some things help, such as mild exercise and what emergency meds I do have (basically a backup puffer and a nasal spray that counteracts the normal one), but it hasn't gone back to "normal" either.
As mentioned, working is somewhat torturous (though I guess I can at least do so), because I'm simultaneously not confident enough to go at full steam, but I really want to dammit! and even going slow doesn't fell the same as it used to. Maybe I overwork myself sometimes, but since I'm always achy and tired I'd probably never know it
Also, recliners are not comfy for sleepies. Or at least ours isn't
I don't know how dem old persons can fall asleep in them for so long...
EDIT: maybe some rambles. I'm not sure... Brain is being finicky and not picking up rambles as it normally would, so I'll just go ahead and apologize for any done here anyhoo ._.
It may be stress, as work has never been kind to me, but I don't think that's the only factor; maybe not even the main factor. Unless I'm really beat and sure that I'll just pass out on my own, I play some quiet sleep music (also helps shut up outside sounds such as cars passing by and whatnot) and try to avoid stuff that would stress me out before bed, and it doesn't have much of an effect either. Some things help, such as mild exercise and what emergency meds I do have (basically a backup puffer and a nasal spray that counteracts the normal one), but it hasn't gone back to "normal" either.
As mentioned, working is somewhat torturous (though I guess I can at least do so), because I'm simultaneously not confident enough to go at full steam, but I really want to dammit! and even going slow doesn't fell the same as it used to. Maybe I overwork myself sometimes, but since I'm always achy and tired I'd probably never know it
Also, recliners are not comfy for sleepies. Or at least ours isn't
I don't know how dem old persons can fall asleep in them for so long...EDIT: maybe some rambles. I'm not sure... Brain is being finicky and not picking up rambles as it normally would, so I'll just go ahead and apologize for any done here anyhoo ._.
It sounds like some sort of panic attack to me then. When I have attacks, they sometimes involve me not being able to breathe and move for a short while due to the panic, although usually when the adrenaline kicks in I'm on my feet real quickly. Stress manifests itself in many different ways, so I wouldn't discount it even if other factors may be involved. It's not unheard of that shit kicks in when you're finally able to relax. It's a moment for the body to release tension.
All I'm suggesting is bringing it up with a doctor in case they passed it over. (It took 4 different doctors to finally diagnose me with simple anxiety and god knows how crazy hospitals can be where doctors have to meet quotas and they just want you out and declared healthy to help their figures.) It may be the answer to your problems if it's nothing physical.
All I'm suggesting is bringing it up with a doctor in case they passed it over. (It took 4 different doctors to finally diagnose me with simple anxiety and god knows how crazy hospitals can be where doctors have to meet quotas and they just want you out and declared healthy to help their figures.) It may be the answer to your problems if it's nothing physical.
Anxiety/panic attacks can be odd. My mom can't drink coffee anymore because it gives her all the symptoms of a panic attack, to the point that she could potentially end up in the hospital, but she doesn't feel panicked.
@Nova: Caffeine does weird things period, but that's usually not an issue with me. Only time I've ever noticed a difference is when I've had waaaaay too much (like, 3 energy drinks' worth @__@), though age could be changing that. Stupid aging 
@Sanne: Wasn't blowing you off. Just saying it didn't really fit. The only anxieties I have are minute and petty, generally not warranting of panic attacks. I still brought it up with the specialist though, and he didn't seem to think it was the case.
But as I said, I hadn't even dozed off; my body just locked up on its own. Perhaps that could have triggered a panic attack, but I don't think it was the cause - only, in theory, the effect.
Just an (long overdue) update: Got off the booster pills this morning (six day's worth), and haven't had any episodes since seeing the pulmonologist, so that's good. Got some new meds too, mostly a combination of the old stuff - still using the nasal spray/puffer combination, but slightly different. Puffer is a bit more expensive than the old one, but at least it seems to be working.
Finally back to work as usual, though it's taking some time to build back up to where I was before this shitstorm. Hopefully this whole thing was just a weird, isolated episode, and there won't be any further issues for a while. Just have to stay on course
@Sanne: Wasn't blowing you off. Just saying it didn't really fit. The only anxieties I have are minute and petty, generally not warranting of panic attacks. I still brought it up with the specialist though, and he didn't seem to think it was the case.
But as I said, I hadn't even dozed off; my body just locked up on its own. Perhaps that could have triggered a panic attack, but I don't think it was the cause - only, in theory, the effect.
Just an (long overdue) update: Got off the booster pills this morning (six day's worth), and haven't had any episodes since seeing the pulmonologist, so that's good. Got some new meds too, mostly a combination of the old stuff - still using the nasal spray/puffer combination, but slightly different. Puffer is a bit more expensive than the old one, but at least it seems to be working.
Finally back to work as usual, though it's taking some time to build back up to where I was before this shitstorm. Hopefully this whole thing was just a weird, isolated episode, and there won't be any further issues for a while. Just have to stay on course
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