Waking gasping for breath sometimes all night

[hollygirl1972]

I have problems with my breathing - often all the time feeling like I cannot get a good breath and have been told I have chronic hyperventilation syndrome.  However for the last three years I have expereinced terrible night time symptoms.  I often drop off tired but wake about half an hour or forty five minutes later gasping for breath.  Once this has happened it then can continue to happen - sometimes all night long.  I cannot get back to sleep because as soon as I drop off I take a big gasping breath and wake myself up.
I am worried this will effect my heart etc as my breathing is so bad.  It is also like torture as I am so tired and am aware it is happening to me but cannot seem to stop it and just get some sleep.

Have seen three docs who all say they do not know what it is but unlikely to be sleep apnea as I am not overweight and do not snore at all.  They say it is probably anxiety.  the weird thing is it occurs in clusters so for weeks I sleep fine and then suddenly it starts and then it can last for days or weeks before it disappears again.  Does anyone have a clue?

[dad4real]

tell your doctor's to check your thyroid, i was doing that too including snoring, it would drive my wife and kids crazy when i took a nap during the day, then through out the night and through the weeks, i thought i was fatigue because i would wake up after 2-3 hrs of sleep every night, my legs would hurt, heart rate would fluctuate, went to a great hospital here and they found out it was my thyroid, i took 2 radiation treatment,went from hyperthyroid to hypo in which i manage each day, but the leg pain, the snoring all went away. and they put me on beta blocker for awhile for my heart until my thyroid was leveled and manageable. check it out, it dosent hurt to ask