FORUMS > Gay Men's Health Forum Rules

This has been going on for a few nights it seems. If I lay down to go to bed, my chest starts feeling like I am not getting any air. I have no problem moving air in and out but I feel like I'm not getting any air.

After battling with it for about 20 minutes, I decided to go to bed anyway and whatever happened happened. 10 minutes later I woke up shaking . I stood up and was fine.

I stand up all day, I go to the gym, etc with no problems but for some reason laying down causes this.

Hey Cspyny, Get to a doctor today and get that checked out.

I like your pink computer

But seriously, get your ass to a doctor.

Mike

I'm not much of a doctor person. Maybe if I can get an idea of what's going on, I'll go to a doctor. I'm slightly worried of it being congestive heart failure - VERY common in my family.

The pink laptop might be for sale in around 6 months.

"congestive heart failure"

Get to a doctor, and I do not want to hear no for an answer

Now that I think of it, I have a leaky heart valve and when I go for my checkup, they ask if I have problems breathing at night or do I need to be propped up in bed.

There, is that enough reason for you to see a doctor

cspyny saidI'm not much of a doctor person. Maybe if I can get an idea of what's going on, I'll go to a doctor. I'm slightly worried of it being congestive heart failure - VERY common in my family.

The pink laptop might be for sale in around 6 months.

There is no way for people on this website to know what is going on since we don't have the expertise. I could think of a couple of things it could be without much effort, including a problem with your heart, or an anxiety attack.

You really need to see a doctor, that is what they are there for. They will run tests on you to see if there is something you really need to worry about.

Take yourself to a doctor. You've obviously got some concrete symptoms.

And in cases like this you go to a doctor to find out what's wrong, not the other way around. Otherwise the Doc would just be telling you what you already know.

If you don't trust doctors, go, and once they've told you what they think you have, and what they're going to do for it, you can research the drug or the procedure.

Go to a doctor right away.

Did you hear me?

Make an appointment now.

That's like, right now.

I'm joining the chorus: please get over your doctor phobia and get this checked out. Trying to self-diagnose is NOT smart for so many reasons. If it turns out to be nothing, you've worried yourself for no reason. If it is something, then the earlier you get it treated the better. Please take care of this.

Something changed a few nights ago and you need a doc to tell you what. You're too young to have gone through med school so I know you can't diagnose it yet. ;-) If you don't trust docs, get two or three docs' opinions and then handle it according to the best info you have at that point.

Feel better!

cspyny saidI'm not much of a doctor person. Maybe if I can get an idea of what's going on, I'll go to a doctor. I'm slightly worried of it being congestive heart failure - VERY common in my family.

The pink laptop might be for sale in around 6 months.

orthopnea (shortness of breath when laying flat) can be a sign of a couple different things as simple as sleep apnea or asthma, or a heart condition.

the fact that it doesn't go away right when you sit up tells me it might be a heart condition like a heart murmur or "leaky valve" like mike said.... so you really need to get seen for it can be worked up and they can figure it out.

good luck

GO TO DOCTOR NOW

Is it possible you can't afford to see a doctor? No health insurance?

Your local hospital can discuss payment plans with you.

I just read about this last night in...



I see that you are overweight.

Fat is actually deposited on the neck and soft palette at the back of your mouth. While sleeping, everything goes limp in your mouth, throat, and neck. This can shut off your breathing for up to 10 seconds. This is called sleep apnea.

The book describes how being overweight and sleep apnea becomes a vicious cycle.

The fat causes apnea.

Apnea disturbs your rest.

This makes you tired during the day.

You eat high sugar and fat foods to give you energy.

You get fatter...and the cycle continues.


Go to the bookstore and look at Chapter 5 on Fat. Pages 118 - 120 have the specific info I cite above.

When I was overweight (about 10-15 lbs.) I used to snore and had trouble sleeping, as soon as I lost the weight my snoring stopped and my sleep improved. I suspect I may have had sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea can be potentially fatal so if you have it you should either combat it by losing weight, or get the machine that forces air into your lungs to ensure you don't stop breathing!

Need to see a dr buddy

It did go away as soon as I sat up.

I have an appt. sometime next week for it and hopefully something can get figured out.

I have health insurance (through parents), but I'm just deathly afraid of doctors. I've never been in a fight in my life, but I have punched doctors and nurses with some force.

Thanks for the tips

cspyny saidThis has been going on for a few nights it seems. If I lay down to go to bed, my chest starts feeling like I am not getting any air. I have no problem moving air in and out but I feel like I'm not getting any air.

After battling with it for about 20 minutes, I decided to go to bed anyway and whatever happened happened. 10 minutes later I woke up shaking . I stood up and was fine.

I stand up all day, I go to the gym, etc with no problems but for some reason laying down causes this.

Pulmonary Diseases are classified as Restrictive or Obstructive, what you describe sounds restrictive "not getting air" and can be from a number of causes.

Bc of your age your not at a high risk for anything "major" but you may want to think about a few things,

Last check up?
Smoke?
Did you cough? was it dry or wet?
Palpatations?
Dizziness?
Do your feet swell?
Do you sleep with pillows under your back?
These are a couple of things you may want to think about.

DEFINITELY SEE YOU DOCTOR ASAP, ESPECIALLY IF ITS IMPEDING ON YOUR DAILY HABITS.
Hopefully nothing serious,

cuidate,
md

cspyny saidbut I'm just deathly afraid of doctors. ....I have punched doctors and nurses with some force.

And you think you are afraid of doctors? Imagine their side. ...

Cspyny, If you are ever planning to travel to Kingston, Ontario, Canada let me know. I want to warn my brother and his wife that you are coming. I would hate to see them get hurt!

cspyny get your BUTT to the DOC today You might hate to see the doc BUT trust me it will be nothing like the pain your Mom will have seeing the Undertaker Yeah little bit of DRAMA but you and I do not knopw what it is. Get your butt to the ER NOW

Its stress me dear and this thread is not helping you.
I have the same issue at the second as I am having an episode of high blood pressure at the moment. (not saying you have that in the slightest)

But because you are focussing on the issue and worrying about it then your breathing becomes short.
Stress can be caused by anything and even unbeknown causes most commonly when it manifests itself like this it is labelled Panic Attacks.

The best thing I find, and yeh this is girlie, but to have a warm bath with either camomile or lavendar in it before bed. the steam opens the air ways and the oils relax the body.

Try not to worry about a potential illness, easier said than done but mine was stressing over a potential HIV scare which I am glad to say was unfounded, but go to your doctor for peace of mind. Most of all though believe what he says and listen to him. Dont go away thinking he is wrong.

Before you go to see your doctor right down all the things that are worrying you health wise wethere its what you think you may have or what may potentialy be causing you stress as its easy to get scared and not mention things and then you go away feeling no more relaxed than when ya went it

here's hoping ya sleep well

x

I didn't want to post in a public forum, but the fact is, finding a GOOD doctor isn't easy. It's still a very good idea to do some analysis on your own and at least have some better idea of what your body is trying to tell you before walking into the doctor's office and hoping that he gets it right. Doctors are NOT gods.

Most American doctors can't even follow CDC guidelines for treating an ordinary sore throat (I went through total hell this spring trying to find a doctor who would respect my reluctance to take antibiotics without confirmation that I had a bacterial issue - which it turns out I didn't). Most are way too quick to write a prescription in some attempt to deal with symptoms, and way too reluctant to take the time to intelligently and methodically look for underlying causes. Misdiagnoses and overdiagnoses are far more common than most people realize, but because many common ailments run their course on their own, the doctor ultimately gets credit even when the body has healed itself.

NY is having a serious heat wave at the moment. That (perhaps in combination with the start of air conditioning -- which could trigger all kinds of things depending on exposure to air temperature, molds in the filters) I think is the most likely culprit.

It's a good idea to get checked out, but don't freak out to the point where you make the issue worse and become a hypochondriac about it.

bfg1 saidIts stress me dear and this thread is not helping you.

We were just trying to help

And he did say "congestive heart failure - VERY common in my family"

I used to get Panic Attacks. Never in bed, but just standing up would not get it to go. I would have to breath into a paper bag to stop it.


Anyway, welcome back bfg1 Where the heck have you been I missed ya

cspyny saidI'm not much of a doctor person. Maybe if I can get an idea of what's going on, I'll go to a doctor. I'm slightly worried of it being congestive heart failure - VERY common in my family.

The pink laptop might be for sale in around 6 months.

I am no doctor but have done research on acute coronary syndrome and other heart related issues. Shortness of Breath (SOB) definitely raises red flags, especially since CHF does run in your family. However, it could be a respiratory ailment. Did you choke on something recently? Did you get hit in the neck area? Pneumothorax maybe?....heck I don't know!!!!

But I do know I would not avoid going to go see the doctor until I have an idea of what idea of what is wrong with me. You are definitely asking for trouble the longer you put it off

best of luck to ya

italmusclebkn saidI didn't want to post in a public forum, but the fact is, finding a GOOD doctor isn't easy. It's still a very good idea to do some analysis on your own and at least have some better idea of what your body is trying to tell you before walking into the doctor's office and hoping that he gets it right. Doctors are NOT gods.

Most American doctors can't even follow CDC guidelines for treating an ordinary sore throat (I went through total hell this spring trying to find a doctor who would respect my reluctance to take antibiotics without confirmation that I had a bacterial issue - which it turns out I didn't). Most are way too quick to write a prescription in some attempt to deal with symptoms, and way too reluctant to take the time to intelligently and methodically look for underlying causes. Misdiagnoses and overdiagnoses are far more common than most people realize, but because many common ailments run their course on their own, the doctor ultimately gets credit even when the body has healed itself.

NY is having a serious heat wave at the moment. That (perhaps in combination with the start of air conditioning -- which could trigger all kinds of things depending on exposure to air temperature, molds in the filters) I think is the most likely culprit.

It's a good idea to get checked out, but don't freak out to the point where you make the issue worse and become a hypochondriac about it.

I like how you spend most of your post basically degrading physicians and their ability to practice medicine and then offer your own diagnoses...how ironic...and funny!

Still have the doctors appt and we'll see what happens with that.

These past few days I've had my window open and my fan going full blast (no AC here ) and I haven't had the problem.

I have been to the gym twice since my initial post and didn't experience anything.

When I have the doctors appt, no doubt my blood pressure will be through the roof - it always is high when I'm there.

I'll give an update on thursday with what's happening.

Could be Sleep Apnea.

sounds like you're being hag-ridden by a witch's familiar. do you have any enemies? :p


"Such nightmares were widely considered to be the work of demons and more specifically incubi, which were thought to sit on the chests of sleepers. In Old English the name for these beings was mare or mære (from a proto-Germanic *marōn, related to Old High German and Old Norse mara), hence comes the mare part in nightmare.
Folk belief in Newfoundland, South Carolina and Georgia describe the negative figure of the Hag who leaves her physical body at night, and sits on the chest of her victim. The victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a perceived heavy invisible weight on his or her chest, and is unable to move i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. This nightmare experience is described as being "hag-ridden" in the Gullah lore. The "Old Hag" was a nightmare spirit in British and also Anglophone North American folklore." -Wikipedia on Nightmares


though today, i think its called sleep apnea. you should see a doctor, as everyone else's advised.




though if you start feeling pinching or hair-pulling i'd call in a priest or magician. and a good protective amulet in the mean time couldn't hurt ;)

Well, looks like it might be my bedroom.

He doesn't think it's sleep apnea or congestive heart failure or fluid retention.

Blood pressure, pulse, sugar (yes I swung) were good and they took blood (yes I swing again).

So that kinda doesn't leave me anywhere

cspyny saidI'm just deathly afraid of doctors. I've never been in a fight in my life, but I have punched doctors and nurses with some force.

Lol! You sound just like me! I hate doctors and injections! Brr!

I remember back in Form 2, we had the first injection for the TB test, and I hid in the bathrooms until the whole school took the injection. In the end, I had 8 teachers (women ) holding me down on the reception's sofa, while the nurse gave me the injection. Hehe! Once I even just fainted by looking at a couple of stitches that my sister got on her leg! They said I just slipped out of the chair, like a dead person, hehe.

Well, I guess now I have to get used to doctors, considering HIV tests and other such procedures.

cspyny saidWell, looks like it might be my bedroom.

He doesn't think it's sleep apnea or congestive heart failure or fluid retention.

Blood pressure, pulse, sugar (yes I swung) were good and they took blood (yes I swing again).

So that kinda doesn't leave me anywhere

Well good job conquering your fears and hopefully no lawsuits from all the fist swinging are pending. We are all breathing easier now (no pun intended, but once noticed, mildly enjoyed). Thanks for the update.

As for where you go now that you've eliminated all the scary things that were in our heads, I suggest:

1) Reading up on incubii
2) A laying of hands. On you. Preferably attached to a hot guy.
3) Feng Shui adjustments in your bedroom
4) A Chinese Herbalist. Preferably built. Wearing only a red silk robe.
5) A dream analysis. With machines that go "bleep"

I'm sure I'll think of others, after I finish grooming this marmoset.

czarodziej saidsounds like you're being hag-ridden by a witch's familiar. do you have any enemies? :p


"Such nightmares were widely considered to be the work of demons and more specifically incubi, which were thought to sit on the chests of sleepers. In Old English the name for these beings was mare or mære (from a proto-Germanic *marōn, related to Old High German and Old Norse mara), hence comes the mare part in nightmare.
Folk belief in Newfoundland, South Carolina and Georgia describe the negative figure of the Hag who leaves her physical body at night, and sits on the chest of her victim. The victim usually wakes with a feeling of terror, has difficulty breathing because of a perceived heavy invisible weight on his or her chest, and is unable to move i.e., experiences sleep paralysis. This nightmare experience is described as being "hag-ridden" in the Gullah lore. The "Old Hag" was a nightmare spirit in British and also Anglophone North American folklore." -Wikipedia on Nightmares

Mara was a demoness actually, related to or identical with Lilith in other folklore.

In the Philippines we call it 'Bangungot' and is personified as an ogre sitting on top of your chest.

I have experienced it several times and it really does reek of the supernatural (as far as to actually make me see the 'malevolent presence').

Call your nearest voodoo woman, now!

Dial 1-800-VODUN4U

20% off for psychic people*

*offer open to American and Canadian customers only

I do have enemies haha. I like the suggestion of the laying of hands - I am taking applications for hand layers

I took the time to completely empty the room and do a lot of cleaning ... even under the floor. Hard to explain, but there was a lot of crap actually under the floor. Also washed all blankets and clothes stored in the room.

Had it happen once after the visit to the doc and decided that getting rid of the dust would help.

On a sidenote, spending an entire day rearranging was enough work that I hit 200 pounds

Maybe the gremlins in your plaid are getting all funky and multiplying while you sleep?

cspyny saidI do have enemies haha.

I can think of a few nurses who would disagree