Hello, I just found this site today and thought I would pick some of your brains.  I am a 27 yr old female and I experience this weird thing sometimes when I sleep.  It usually happens right as I fall asleep and then I jump up gasping for air.  It is not every night but I would say 4 out of 7 nights a week.  Also if I go to bed before my boyfriend and he comes up in the room and I wake up I feel like I have to gasp for air, my heart is punding and I feel really jittery.  I do not snore but I do always feel tired and achy, in fact I just got a new mattress to help the muscle pains and it hasn't made a difference.

Some med history background;  I have had thyroid problems pretty much all my life, I had Graves'(hyper) as a child and now have Hashimoto's (hypo), so I have always assumed that most of my symptoms are due to the thyroid but I am starting to wonder.  I also have had anxiety problems since I was in high school off and on, I was put on Paxil a few years ago and basically didn't like it so I went off.  I wonder if the waking up gasping for air is just an example of my anxiety or if it could be SA.  If anyone has any idea about these symptoms I would really appreciate your input.  Thanks in advance.

Well yes, your symtoms could be due to any or all of your medical issues.  First, take the snore score test (link in links to left of forum headings) and see how you score.  Has anyone noticed that you stop breathing and gasp for air when sleeping?  Anxiety attacks can wake you up in the way you described.  So it is important to rule out metabolic (throid)/anxiety issues in addition to sleep apnea issues.  It is possibe to have metabolic/anxiety issues and sleep apnea issues so depending on your snore score a sleep study may also be in order.  An overnight sleep study is the best way to rule sleep apnea in or out.

Vicki


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That which does not kill you makes you stronger-Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich must of had apnea.

many docs know very little about sleep apnea or sleep disorders and seldom think of them, you may need to ask doc to keep them in mind as being a possibility for you, asthma could also be possible
also read up about panic attacks on the net, these come from anxiety