SWALLOWING AND SLEEP- APNEA,GERD or DRY MOUTH????

[BurgerChef]

In 2000, I would awake and have to gasp.  It turned out to be GERD.  I am sinceon  PrilosecOTC everyday.  In June this year I started having the gasping thing again, ....which I thought was apnea because I have had that on and off for years (mostly if I lay on my back).  But, it started to be every night.  I found if I stay up late I can sleep okay because the more tired I am I can fall asleep faster.  But, I "cannot" sleep in the day or early evening without it happening.  It is hard to have to stay up in order to get rest.  Once I am sleeping I don't have any problem.  It seems to only be when I first try to fall asleep.  I thought it was an apnea thing, ....but think it could be the reflux as the staying up late is hours after my last meal.  This would make sense about not being able to sleep in the day or early evening since I would have eaten then.  However, now I note when it happens, ....it is not as much a "breathing thing" as it is an inability to swallow while trying to fall sleep.  I wake and have to struggle to swallow then I am fine to try again.  I go through the struggling several times before I actually rest okay.  I don't have any problem eating or drinking.  I suspected a dry mouth or throat and I started using Oasis Mouthwash to moisten my throat and use the Oasis spray down my throat before bed, ....which does seem to help.  Could this be from a dry throat or the reflux, apnea, or all?????  Note: One side of my nose is blocked and will open if I change sides (deviated septum / have tried nasal strips and saline before bed).  In short, I mostly get my rest okay, ......but I am tired of not having the freedom to sleep "anytime" I want. Once I get up in the morning, I don't rest until a set time late at night.  Is spaying the Oasis down my throat each night safe to ingest for extended periods?  Is it safe to up the dose of PrilosecOTC to 2 pills per day to see if it works?  Any ideas?????

[Steven Y Park, MD]

GERD, laryngopharyngeal reflux disease and sleep apnea are all related. When you wake up gasping, you just had an obstruction, which causes a vacuum effect that literally suctions up your normal stomach juices into your throat. That's what wakes you up. Stomach juices in your throat lead to laryngopharyngeal reflux disease, which will give you the following: difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, cough, lump sensation, pain, post-nasal drip, or throat clearing. You can have one or all of the above. You also have to realize that it's not just acid coming up—there's also bile, digestive enzymes, and bacteria. If you stop breathing for 10 seconds or longer, that's called an apnea. If you stop breathing for 1-9 seconds and wake up, then it won't be counted as an apnea on a sleep study, but you'll still suction up your normal stomach juices.

Taking acid reflux meds is a start, but make sure you're taking it twice daily, before breakfast and dinner. Just realize that acid reflux medications don't do anything to prevent reflux—it just lowers the acid content in your stomach. This is why this regimen helps some people, but not everyone.

Sometimes, even slight nasal congestion can aggravate throat/tongue collapse in people with sleep-breathing problems. One quick test to see if you sleep better is to use a combination of Afrin and Breathe-Rite Strips for 2-3 nights only. If you sleep much better, then it's probably worth considering a nasal procedure to help improve your breathing. However, doing definitive nasal surgery "cures" sleep apnea in only 10% of people.

[JenB12]

i have that same problem, my throat feels dry and like it is going to close up when i lay down at night. also my nose does the same thing on one side. the dry feeling is so strange. i sleep with a glass of water at my bed side and am sipping all night. I cant seem to fall asleep until 2-3 am every night regardless of what my schedule it or how early i wake up.

let me know what solutions you find!

[rozbel]

your problem sounds identical to mine except that as far as i know i don't suffer from gerd. i went to see an ent doctor yesterday who said that it is either reflux or sleep apnea. to eliminate reflux i have to take omeprazole for 2 weeks, and i am to have a home sleep study done. he examined my nose and i have a deviated septum for which he has prescribed a steroid inhaler and if that doesn't work i'm probably looking at surgery. he didn't seem overly interested in the deviated septum and wouldn't have mentioned it unless i had asked about the blocked nose. i'm convinced that i wouldn't have the waking gasping for breath and feeling like i can't swallow if i could only unblock the left side of my nose. anyway hope this helps in some  way.