Losing sleep

[62_63]

I'm having trouble getting to sleep and also waking up in a fright feeling like I'm not breathing properly causing panic/anxiety. I've had medication from my doctor but I don't like taking them as I get constipated and also don't think it has helped the root cause...

[indigo22]

Hi 62_63,

Welcome and thank you for reaching out to us.

I am sure others will chime in also but there are 2 things I would like to suggest:

A sleep study - you are monitored while you are sleeping to check if there is a problem with your breathing or other functions during sleep. To my knowledge this can be done in a clinic or at home. It would be worth looking into.

The other suggestion would be to get a second opinion from another doctor, mentioning that you don't feel the medication has been helpful in your case.

I hope this helps a little and I hope you are able to resolve the issue soon, ongoing lack of sleep will be very debilitating for you.

Take good are of yourself,

indigo

[therising]

Hi 62_63

As indigo suggests, a sleep study sounds like it could be a good way to go. As a gal who suffers from sleep apnea, being treated for such a condition is a life changer. Before treatment, there were definitely occasions where I'd wake up gasping for air while feeling my nervous system go into overdrive.

While struggling to get to sleep and waking up through the night, I imagine you're becoming pretty exhausted due to good quality sleep deprivation. I actually went to a GP complaining of extreme fatigue and was advised 'Life is naturally exhausting for a woman taking care of a family and 2 aging parents'. It wasn't until I got to the front desk to pay for this 'advise' that I saw a poster for sleep apnea. I wondered, organised an at home sleep study, went to a sleep apnea clinic with the results and was treated for the condition. The reason I mention this is to reassure that doctors aren't always right with a diagnosis. Sometimes we need to keep investigating in order to get to the bottom of what we're experiencing.

Wishing you the best as you take on some detective work of your own 🙂