I think I have sleep apnea, questions.

[jessejames222]

I recently moved out to vegas a few months ago and started a new job. I am 22 years old and have never had any problems like I'm experiencing lately. Whatever is wrong with me is making me absolutely miserable. Heres what started happening, I was working and suddenly I thought I was having a heart attack. I felt pressure on the left side of my chest and then it would move to the center, I for sure thought I was dying and went to the emergency room. Everything checks out fine. So for the next week this happens every day and I go to the emergency room (without insurance) only for them to tell me theres nothing wrong with me and say its anxiety. So I take the Xanax that was perscribed to me and it does help, but I don't believe its fixing the real problem. I've also been having stomach problems and it seems mostly after I eat, I have to burp constantly to feel better or it seems like it helps my breathing. Also at  times when my stomach hurts, when I bend I get a sharp pain in the center of my stomach.  And then for about a week they had me on paxil as well and I started feeling really weird in my head. It felt as if something was trying to break out of my skull, I was also getting a strange feeling in my head that was hard to describe, disconnected like i was losing my mind. So I stopped taking paxil and continued with the xanax. For the past few nights everytime I fall asleep, at the very moment I go from conscious to unconscious I stop breathing completely. I feel it deep within my nasal passage and throat. I suddenly struggle to wake myself completely so I can gasp for air. It happned the other night at least 10 times before I was able to fall asleep. I've been doing some research and it sounds like sleep apnea to me but I won't be sure until I go get this sleep test done  I'm wondering, can sleep apnea cause anxiety? If I get 8 hours of sleep, the attacks are worse and I'm miserable. If I get 12 hours of sleep I feel fine, but not rested at all.

[Steven Y Park, MD]

It sounds like you are beginning to have sleep-breathing problems, but you need to address all the conservative steps first before undergoing a major cardiac and sleep workup. Don't eat late or drink alcohol within 3-4 hours of bedtime. Don't sleep on your back. You're not able to get deep, efficient sleep, so it's understandable that you're feeling this way.

It's difficult to explain everything in this short amount of space, so without sounding too self serving, please consider reading my book, Sleep, Interrupted, which explains everything in much more detail.