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Heart or breathing stops during sleep?
I am having a problem where my heart or breathing stops after I've fallen asleep, and I wake up panicking. I've tried to include as many details as possible.
I first experienced this on a business trip. I went to China for the first time in February, 15 hour plane ride and 12 hours time difference. I took 5 or 6 Dramamine during the trip so that I wouldn't get sick and slept the whole way. So after arriving, I felt on schedule; I fell asleep at night and woke up in the morning. But in the evening, I would get this "weak" feeling in my chest, similar to what I feel when I have bouts of heart palpitations. It felt as if my heart was slowing down or skipping more often the more I fell asleep, and then after I fully fell asleep, I started waking up in the middle of the night feeling as though my heart had stopped, and was pretty terrified. I think I had panic attacks right after I woke up, which I have never had before. I think I had one during dinner one day, too. I felt as though I could not let myself fall asleep or I would never wake up again, and so I would jerk myself awake all the time (like trying to not to fall asleep in an early morning class in college).
They took me to the Chinese hospital, which did an EKG and a blood test, and said I'm fine, though I don't know how far to trust them. (And of course my heart never skips while someone is watching it. Only when no one is around.) I have had EKGs in the past to look at the heart palpitations, and they didn't show anything, either. (I have been getting palpitations for a few years, either a "skipped beat" while beginning to exhale or a fast heavy beat that feels like THUMPTHUMPTHUMP instead of THU-thump .. THU-thump .. THU-thump.) My brother gets premature ventricular contractions, so I wouldn't be surprised if I do, too. They gave me Chinese xanax, anti-psychotic, antibiotics, and ginseng. The anti-psychotic helped to relax me. I tried to go to sleep early that night, but woke up suddenly again and was in a trembly panic state, so I took the pink pill, and warm calmness washed through my body, but it made me feel drugged and strange and I only took it once. The Chinese xanax seemed to help, so we thought maybe it was just stress, but the same thing happened while recovering from jet lag at home, too, when I was not stressed. My mother's doctor said that sometimes people get sleep apnea from the pollution in China, but it's been happening since I got back, too. While riding in the limo home, I would doze off and be woken by the tingling sensation in my hands.
Since then, it has been happening more and more often, though, just at home. I am not sure if it is my heart that has problems or if it is my breathing, since I am fast asleep when it happens. Sometimes I wake up and feel as though my body has "forgotten" to inhale, and I breathe in deeply a lot in a panic to try to counteract it. Other times I am woken up by my heart fluttering or skipping, though maybe this is caused by the lack of breathing? I don't know much about medicine, but my impression is that my body's normal system for regulating breathing has stopped, I breathe out and it never tells my lungs to breathe in again, and then my body parts panic from the lack of oxygen and wake me up with some kind of chemical signal since the normal nervous system paths aren't working correctly. I feel a strange emptiness or numbness in my left hand and right foot, kind of like pins and needles from poor circulation, but not really. It still feels strange half an hour after I woke up. I went to bed around 1 AM, probably fell asleep around 1:30 AM, and then woke up suddenly around 3 AM. If I intentionally breathe out and never breathe back in again ("hold my breath out"), I get the normal reflex of feeling a need to breathe in, so I don't know how this could actually happen during sleep.
I am 26, 6 feet tall, 155 lb. This is certainly not the kind of apnea where your throat gets blocked. I don't smoke, don't drink caffeine, don't do drugs, and drink alcohol rarely. My heart rate an hour after I woke up suddenly (4 AM) is 72 beats per minute. I don't really feel lightheaded when I wake up. I often have anxiety of various forms. I do spend the majority of my time on the Internet on a laptop, probably with poor posture, bending my neck at odd angles (is there ANY good posture for laptop use? probably not.) I try to exercise, but only do a little. Running on an elliptical for half an hour maybe once a week, lifting small weights and doing sit ups maybe twice a week.
It seems to happen more often if I go to bed late and if I don't eat enough dinner (bad habit from procrastination, I sometimes ignore it, go to bed hungry, and eat more in the morning so that I don't have digestion problems while sleeping).
I know I should see a doctor about this, but I apparently have some kind of doctor phobia. I went to the doctor just last week about a puncture wound in my toe, and fully intended to ask about the sleep problem during the same visit, but chickened out while sitting in his office. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't want to die in my sleep.
I first experienced this on a business trip. I went to China for the first time in February, 15 hour plane ride and 12 hours time difference. I took 5 or 6 Dramamine during the trip so that I wouldn't get sick and slept the whole way. So after arriving, I felt on schedule; I fell asleep at night and woke up in the morning. But in the evening, I would get this "weak" feeling in my chest, similar to what I feel when I have bouts of heart palpitations. It felt as if my heart was slowing down or skipping more often the more I fell asleep, and then after I fully fell asleep, I started waking up in the middle of the night feeling as though my heart had stopped, and was pretty terrified. I think I had panic attacks right after I woke up, which I have never had before. I think I had one during dinner one day, too. I felt as though I could not let myself fall asleep or I would never wake up again, and so I would jerk myself awake all the time (like trying to not to fall asleep in an early morning class in college).
They took me to the Chinese hospital, which did an EKG and a blood test, and said I'm fine, though I don't know how far to trust them. (And of course my heart never skips while someone is watching it. Only when no one is around.) I have had EKGs in the past to look at the heart palpitations, and they didn't show anything, either. (I have been getting palpitations for a few years, either a "skipped beat" while beginning to exhale or a fast heavy beat that feels like THUMPTHUMPTHUMP instead of THU-thump .. THU-thump .. THU-thump.) My brother gets premature ventricular contractions, so I wouldn't be surprised if I do, too. They gave me Chinese xanax, anti-psychotic, antibiotics, and ginseng. The anti-psychotic helped to relax me. I tried to go to sleep early that night, but woke up suddenly again and was in a trembly panic state, so I took the pink pill, and warm calmness washed through my body, but it made me feel drugged and strange and I only took it once. The Chinese xanax seemed to help, so we thought maybe it was just stress, but the same thing happened while recovering from jet lag at home, too, when I was not stressed. My mother's doctor said that sometimes people get sleep apnea from the pollution in China, but it's been happening since I got back, too. While riding in the limo home, I would doze off and be woken by the tingling sensation in my hands.
Since then, it has been happening more and more often, though, just at home. I am not sure if it is my heart that has problems or if it is my breathing, since I am fast asleep when it happens. Sometimes I wake up and feel as though my body has "forgotten" to inhale, and I breathe in deeply a lot in a panic to try to counteract it. Other times I am woken up by my heart fluttering or skipping, though maybe this is caused by the lack of breathing? I don't know much about medicine, but my impression is that my body's normal system for regulating breathing has stopped, I breathe out and it never tells my lungs to breathe in again, and then my body parts panic from the lack of oxygen and wake me up with some kind of chemical signal since the normal nervous system paths aren't working correctly. I feel a strange emptiness or numbness in my left hand and right foot, kind of like pins and needles from poor circulation, but not really. It still feels strange half an hour after I woke up. I went to bed around 1 AM, probably fell asleep around 1:30 AM, and then woke up suddenly around 3 AM. If I intentionally breathe out and never breathe back in again ("hold my breath out"), I get the normal reflex of feeling a need to breathe in, so I don't know how this could actually happen during sleep.
I am 26, 6 feet tall, 155 lb. This is certainly not the kind of apnea where your throat gets blocked. I don't smoke, don't drink caffeine, don't do drugs, and drink alcohol rarely. My heart rate an hour after I woke up suddenly (4 AM) is 72 beats per minute. I don't really feel lightheaded when I wake up. I often have anxiety of various forms. I do spend the majority of my time on the Internet on a laptop, probably with poor posture, bending my neck at odd angles (is there ANY good posture for laptop use? probably not.) I try to exercise, but only do a little. Running on an elliptical for half an hour maybe once a week, lifting small weights and doing sit ups maybe twice a week.
It seems to happen more often if I go to bed late and if I don't eat enough dinner (bad habit from procrastination, I sometimes ignore it, go to bed hungry, and eat more in the morning so that I don't have digestion problems while sleeping).
I know I should see a doctor about this, but I apparently have some kind of doctor phobia. I went to the doctor just last week about a puncture wound in my toe, and fully intended to ask about the sleep problem during the same visit, but chickened out while sitting in his office. I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't want to die in my sleep.
Just for clarification, obstructive sleep apnea happens at all ages, sizes, and fitness levels.
Heart arrythmias are common in sleep apnea.
You will see the doctor when your fear of dying in your sleep is greater than your fear of doctors. The irony is the thing you fear (the doctor) could rid you of your other fear (dying in sleep). Embrace a good sleep doctor as your best friend.
If I were you I would run and not walk to get an overnight sleep study in a lab. The more you stop to think about things, the more you'll procrastinate. The study can distinguish between ostructive and central apnea, and monitors your heart and brain waves. Everything you need to know.
Most people with sleep apnea don't die in their sleep - but some some do, so your concern is legitimate. Most just find their health and their life deteriorating over time.
The sleep study involves no pain. No needles. It is a royal pain to try to sleep all wired up, but not painful. Just consider it an investment in your health and your future. You seem very detail oriented, so I'm thinking you will be fascinated with so many details the report will give you. Ask your doctor for a copy to peruse as much as you are interested. Just do it.
Heart arrythmias are common in sleep apnea.
You will see the doctor when your fear of dying in your sleep is greater than your fear of doctors. The irony is the thing you fear (the doctor) could rid you of your other fear (dying in sleep). Embrace a good sleep doctor as your best friend.
If I were you I would run and not walk to get an overnight sleep study in a lab. The more you stop to think about things, the more you'll procrastinate. The study can distinguish between ostructive and central apnea, and monitors your heart and brain waves. Everything you need to know.
Most people with sleep apnea don't die in their sleep - but some some do, so your concern is legitimate. Most just find their health and their life deteriorating over time.
The sleep study involves no pain. No needles. It is a royal pain to try to sleep all wired up, but not painful. Just consider it an investment in your health and your future. You seem very detail oriented, so I'm thinking you will be fascinated with so many details the report will give you. Ask your doctor for a copy to peruse as much as you are interested. Just do it.
Today my heart feels very "weak" and is "skipping" a lot. I only got 4 hours of sleep and was sick to my stomach from being nervous, so I stayed home from work.
I'm pretty certain it's not obstructive. I don't feel anything in my throat, I don't believe I snore, I don't have a choking sensation or anything. It feels as though my body is relaxing so much it stops trying to inhale.
When I first started getting heart palpitations a few years ago I went to a doctor about it. He did an EKG and basically just shrugged me off and said I'm fine. He had me wear a Holter monitor but I never found out the results of that, and I don't think it caught anything anyway.
Maybe a year later I was having lots of palpitations one day, several per minute, and went to the emergency room. They did an EKG and X-ray and said I was fine, made a mistake on a test and lectured me about doing drugs, even though I don't, and it was just a waste of time and money.
Then a few months ago when I was having the sleeping problem in China I went to the Chinese hospital. They did an EKG and a blood test and said I'm fine.
I think a sleep study would be a good idea, but I don't know how to find a place or sign up for one. I don't have a regular doctor and have only been to this guy at a clinic three times. He doesn't seem very thorough.
I'm pretty certain it's not obstructive. I don't feel anything in my throat, I don't believe I snore, I don't have a choking sensation or anything. It feels as though my body is relaxing so much it stops trying to inhale.
When I first started getting heart palpitations a few years ago I went to a doctor about it. He did an EKG and basically just shrugged me off and said I'm fine. He had me wear a Holter monitor but I never found out the results of that, and I don't think it caught anything anyway.
Maybe a year later I was having lots of palpitations one day, several per minute, and went to the emergency room. They did an EKG and X-ray and said I was fine, made a mistake on a test and lectured me about doing drugs, even though I don't, and it was just a waste of time and money.
Then a few months ago when I was having the sleeping problem in China I went to the Chinese hospital. They did an EKG and a blood test and said I'm fine.
I think a sleep study would be a good idea, but I don't know how to find a place or sign up for one. I don't have a regular doctor and have only been to this guy at a clinic three times. He doesn't seem very thorough.
I used the elliptical for 10 minutes and measured my heart rate at 170 bpm afterwards. It seems to be more stable now? Not sure.
Follow your gut feelings. Tell your doctor you have an irregular heartbeat and you want a complete cardiac workup. An EKG is not a complete cardiac workup. Tell them you're having periods of weakness (which is what I do with PVC's). You should at least have a stress echo. And if that's ok, asks what else can be done. Don't be blown off. See a cardiologist and tell them you feel you have not been taken seriously. Go from there.
What your heart does or does not do during ok periods does not erase the symptoms of your concern.
Again, a sleep study would monitor your heart overnight. Whoever this doc is at the clinic, just tell him you wake during the nite with irregular heartbeat and you want a sleep study. If he balks, ask him what you have to do to get one. This is not the time for you to bow down. Stand up for yourself.
Again, a sleep study would monitor your heart overnight. Whoever this doc is at the clinic, just tell him you wake during the nite with irregular heartbeat and you want a sleep study. If he balks, ask him what you have to do to get one. This is not the time for you to bow down. Stand up for yourself.
Yes, I should really see a doctor, and I'd like to, but I don't know where to go or how to find one.
This may seem silly, but I've suffered from this on and off for years. I find, however, when I don't sleep on my back or stomach the problem rarely arises. Don't suppose you've noticed anything like this?
I haven't noticed a correlation like that. I've tried a few different positions and the same things seem to happen. Not sure though.
Go to your insurance company's web site for a list of providers, then start calling. See who can get you in first.
That's what I tried first. I ended up knocking on the door of some house, because they listed an old address, and then when I went to the doctor's office the doctor I was trying to see was dead. Another one at the same place saw me, and was the first one to tell me I'm fine and brush me off. Is there a better method? I am pretty sure I have bad social anxiety.
Who do you know and trust who is good at taking care of business? Tell them you need help. Your social anxiety may improve once all this is resolved.
Sigh. My heart has been skipping all week. It's an off-and-on thing. I wish I knew what triggered it.
Glad you are feeling better at the moment. Still need to follow thru with getting checked out. Can't the clinic doctor refer you to someone? Let us know how things go.
Yeah I really should get this checked out. The heart palpitations are on and off for days at a time, and the sleep thing happens every few weeks. I guess I can go to the clinic doctor. I wish I weren't so irrationally fearful of making simple phone calls. It's not that I *can't* call and make an appointment, it's that I avoid doing it, and procrastinate indefinitely.
You know, I work with lead solder a lot over the past few years. I read that lead in the body can cause nerve problems. Does this sound like a likely connection?
I was having sleep apnea and didn't know I was having it. Thank goodness I went to the dr. I quit breathing over 280 times in 3 1/2 hours. That was on my back. I would of never dreamed I had this problem. Hey listen to KatEyes she is very in tune with sleep apnea and all that's associated with it. I'm sure glad I listened to her.
I hope you pick up the phone and call before your body starts to have major problems like mine.
Hey KatEyes where was you in my life when I needed the best advice I ever got. I know I've only been a member since June.
Good Luck Dun!
Dee
I hope you pick up the phone and call before your body starts to have major problems like mine.
Hey KatEyes where was you in my life when I needed the best advice I ever got. I know I've only been a member since June.
Good Luck Dun!
Dee
Hi,
The symptoms that you are experiencing are quite possible due to sleep apnea. Other causes can be acid reflux and excessive anxiety.
Please consult a doctor as soon as you can.
The symptoms that you are experiencing are quite possible due to sleep apnea. Other causes can be acid reflux and excessive anxiety.
Please consult a doctor as soon as you can.
I finally mustered up the courage and got an appointment for tomorrow morning. We'll see what happens.
He said the EKG is within normal range and he thinks it's just anxiety and not sleep apnea. He gave me a prescription for xanax and a blood test for thyroid problems.
Meanwhile my heart says:
skip
skip
skip
SKIP
SKIP SKIP SKIP
:(
Meanwhile my heart says:
skip
skip
skip
SKIP
SKIP SKIP SKIP
:(
Ok, I'm going to try to stay off my soapbox, but daggone it, even people with anxiety can have other reasons for poor sleep, and it is a doctor's responsibilty to rule out those possible medical causes. You did good making this appointment - I know you said this was difficult for you to do. An EKG that takes minutes is just a screening tool - not your final answer. It is good they are testing your thyroid, because it could account for some of your symptoms. If it comes back normal, please tell your doctor that you need answers and that you'd like to either be referred to a sleep specialist or have them order a sleep study so that you'll know everything possible is being done to make your life better.
Dee, glad you're on your way to getting better. Better late than never, right? Just wish it didn't have to be late for so many of us. Take care.
Dee, glad you're on your way to getting better. Better late than never, right? Just wish it didn't have to be late for so many of us. Take care.
To summarize:
* Went to a doctor in like 2004 about heart palpitations, did an EKG and said I seemed fine, I was too awkward to follow through with more appointments.
* Went to the emergency room about palpitations in 2005, waste of time and money as they made a mistake on a urine test and lectured me about being on drugs, I had to spend the rest of the night there doing more urine tests to prove that I wasn't, and just wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. They also did chest x-ray, EKG, and blood tests. They eventually changed their minds about the drugs, told me I was fine and to avoid stressful situations.
* Went to hospital in China in February about sleep problem and palpitations, did EKG and blood test, they said I looked fine and gave me antibiotics and ginseng.
* Went to doctor yesterday about sleep problem and palpitations, did EKG and said i seem fine and it's just anxiety.
Ugh.
They're certainly right that I have anxiety (hell, they probably conclude that my problem is anxiety the instant they meet me because of my personality), and it certainly makes the palpitations worse, but this stuff happens while I'm relaxed, too! Caffeine and alcohol make my heart skip, too. Does that mean the problem is caused by caffeine?
There's gotta be something medically wrong with my autonomic nervous system that is *aggravated* by these things, not *caused* by them. Lots of other people are stressed and drink caffeine and alcohol every day of the week without anything like this happening to them.
* Went to a doctor in like 2004 about heart palpitations, did an EKG and said I seemed fine, I was too awkward to follow through with more appointments.
* Went to the emergency room about palpitations in 2005, waste of time and money as they made a mistake on a urine test and lectured me about being on drugs, I had to spend the rest of the night there doing more urine tests to prove that I wasn't, and just wanted to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. They also did chest x-ray, EKG, and blood tests. They eventually changed their minds about the drugs, told me I was fine and to avoid stressful situations.
* Went to hospital in China in February about sleep problem and palpitations, did EKG and blood test, they said I looked fine and gave me antibiotics and ginseng.
* Went to doctor yesterday about sleep problem and palpitations, did EKG and said i seem fine and it's just anxiety.
Ugh.
They're certainly right that I have anxiety (hell, they probably conclude that my problem is anxiety the instant they meet me because of my personality), and it certainly makes the palpitations worse, but this stuff happens while I'm relaxed, too! Caffeine and alcohol make my heart skip, too. Does that mean the problem is caused by caffeine?
There's gotta be something medically wrong with my autonomic nervous system that is *aggravated* by these things, not *caused* by them. Lots of other people are stressed and drink caffeine and alcohol every day of the week without anything like this happening to them.
I mean, he asked other questions, too, like "do you wake up tired", and I answered no, so I'm sure he's not just guessing about it. But to say it's "just anxiety" seems wrong to me.
When I wake up, I don't feel tired or exhausted, like I've been exercising. The best way I can describe it is that I fall asleep and then wake up dead. I start to become conscious in the middle of the night, and feel as though I've exhaled without inhaling, my heart has stopped, and my hands and feet have died. Of course I then panic and wake up the rest of the way with a start, and inhale deeply and wiggle my fingers and toes and check my pulse, and after I move my hands they feel normal, and my breathing is normal, and my pulse is there and my heart is pounding. It's very strange and maybe it's all in my head, but it's frightening.
So I have to go to a lab for the blood test, and then what happens? Will the doctor's office call me when they get the results, or do I have to contact them?
When I wake up, I don't feel tired or exhausted, like I've been exercising. The best way I can describe it is that I fall asleep and then wake up dead. I start to become conscious in the middle of the night, and feel as though I've exhaled without inhaling, my heart has stopped, and my hands and feet have died. Of course I then panic and wake up the rest of the way with a start, and inhale deeply and wiggle my fingers and toes and check my pulse, and after I move my hands they feel normal, and my breathing is normal, and my pulse is there and my heart is pounding. It's very strange and maybe it's all in my head, but it's frightening.
So I have to go to a lab for the blood test, and then what happens? Will the doctor's office call me when they get the results, or do I have to contact them?
And the palpitations often occur right as I transition from inhaling to exhaling, which is why I feel like the breathing regulation and heart regulation are both involved. When I'm having palpitation episodes, I can usually feel a "weakness" or "tension" in my chest, and can almost predict when it's going to skip.
It is happening while you sleep. Get a sleep study. If you do stop breathing as you describe and have an episode during the study, it will pick it up. Hopefully you would have one during the study that could be observed.
Until you have a sleep study to rule out some sleep disorders, all else is a maybe. With anxiety, it is easy to overthink things. Please, give yourself a break. You need to be able to sleep without worrying - it's important to both your physical and mental well being. If it all comes back normal, maybe you'll be able to relax a little about it.
I know I can tend to be single-focused, and I'm not always right. I'm not a medical professional. But it doesn't take a medical degree to think if something happens only during sleep that any daytime tests aren't likely to capture the problems. I really think you should just get a sleep study. You need those answers to know where to go next in researching this. A good sleep doctor should hear your symptoms. I don't know what else to say to you except get a sleep study. Tell the same doctor you want to be referred to a sleep doctor or have them order the study.
Until you have a sleep study to rule out some sleep disorders, all else is a maybe. With anxiety, it is easy to overthink things. Please, give yourself a break. You need to be able to sleep without worrying - it's important to both your physical and mental well being. If it all comes back normal, maybe you'll be able to relax a little about it.
I know I can tend to be single-focused, and I'm not always right. I'm not a medical professional. But it doesn't take a medical degree to think if something happens only during sleep that any daytime tests aren't likely to capture the problems. I really think you should just get a sleep study. You need those answers to know where to go next in researching this. A good sleep doctor should hear your symptoms. I don't know what else to say to you except get a sleep study. Tell the same doctor you want to be referred to a sleep doctor or have them order the study.
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