Is it asthma

Lately I've been waking up in the middle of the night first, maybe choking on a bit of saliva.  After my first cough, I can't take a breath.  I gasp for air. I don't know how long this lasts as it seems like an eternity at times. The doctor said it's asthma, but after having used Albuterol (with a nebulizer) every four hours, Prednizone 3 times a day... and Singulair in the evening for 2 nights, I still had a frightening episode.  
I feel like the hand soap pump in my bathroom (the foamy kind).  When I pump the soap out, the pump stays down.  I have to hit it on the counter for the pump to come back up. When I wake up and cough because of what feels like a little spit, no air can enter back.  Next time this happens I'm going to jump up and down before I reach for the Albuterol.  Still I'm scared I'll not make it another night.  This is a horrible feeling.

[ChitChatNine]

Hello, I can only imagine how awful this is .... if you sleep with a semi reclined position might that help at all ?  Just a thought as I'm reading your post in case reflux or other is also at play but I'm not a physician or in the medical field.

Another more uncommon thing that can happen and happens among asthmatics sometimes is called laryngospasms which are triggered by the fluid or the drip or whatever coming near the airway opening and the body involuntarily reacting to the fluid causing this gasp, etc. along with asthma meds being needed, too.

Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing .. I'd call your Dr. to day and let him/her know this is happening and how frightful it is for you .. it could be a bronchiospasm and that is awful when it happens.

C~

[Tootsie175]

Thanks for your response.  I will try sleeping in a semi reclined position tonight as last night was not a good night either.  I will also be consulting another doctor today (actually a PA because the doctor's not in).  I will mention the bronchiospasm and laryngospasms.  
I met someone yesterday who suffers from CF.  She suggested I have bloodtests done (CBC and ... something else), as it would indicate if my body is fighting an infection.  She said I might also need an actual sterioid that I can inhale.  
I'm new to this awful illness.  I just want things to get back to normal.  Again, thanks for your input.

Tootsie175

[mike160]

The same thing happened to me but only twice and it is very scary! Be sure and read the posts on the meds your taking most particularly the Prednizone , and ask your doctor about side affects.It seems the asthma meds all take some time to start working. I was finally diagnost with excersise induced asthma after thirty five years of astma torture and it took abuterol 5 days to have any affect and Advair almost a month(which is all I'm taking now). Stay positive it will get better! mike

[lonote]

my lung dr. told me to get six inch bricks at Menards and prop up the head of my bed, cause along with my asthma I have that acid reflux. Nothing has come up in my throat like a little throw up since, It works well, you just feel like ur sliding out the bottom of ur bed. In otherwards you get used to it.    Cathy

[bird582]

Same thing would happen to me then was given the recline advice and I been good, Good for acid reflux sufferers also

[josh96821]

i had this for months when i was a kid. it was a cough that i had and some how it would cause my throte to get stuck closed. i would also wake up in the middle of the night not breathing. this is a very scarry thing to have but for me it whent away on its own in about 2 months. it was the worst at the begining. after a while i just sleep through it. i would wake up at people would tell me i was gasping for air and i wouldent remember it. my doc said it was related to asthma but he didnt think it was life threatening he said if i ever do pass out i would start breathing again on my own. its the same as choking on water. its a muscle spasm of the throte.

[caregiver222]

The symptoms you describe are typical of cor pulmonale, a disease of the right ventrical. Typically there is sudden onset of "air hunger" in the middle of the night, replicating the symptoms of asthma, and the problem is often resolved by asthmatic medications and misdisgnosed as "asthma". In this disease it is typical to "wake up in the middle of the night" with the suddenly developing symptoms. You begin the slide down the roller coaster until you fall "off the cliff" in six to ten minutes after the onset. You will find that Foradil Aerolizer (formoterol fumarate inhalation powder) will be helpful. It is not possible to make a diagnosis over the internet and this may NOT be the problem, but you would be remiss in not consulting a cardiologist.