Twice now in the last three months I have woken in the night in a panic. With the sensation that I have just been baulking or choking in my sleep. Have had some bile come out through my throat and nose. When it has happened I have woken up quite shaken and scared to go back to sleep, worrying that I won't wake up. I have had tests for GERD and results show nothing significant to worry about. I don't know if this could be a type of GERD, sleep apnoea or some form of night terror. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't even know if it could be another symptom of my hypothyroidism
Hi g3org
That does sound very frightening for you, I wonder if it is sleep apnoea cos my partner has that and he used to stop breathing and semi wake up breathless and panicky.
do you still feel tired after a nights sleep? do you snore loudly?.
If you tell the GP you think you have sleep apnoea they will give you a test thing to wear for a night and if you do have it you will be prescribed a breathing mask which will help you enormously. They take a bit of getting used to when you first get one but health improves massively if that is what you have.
Good luck hope this helps x
Hello g30:
i am an RN-nurse and I live in USA. The symptoms fit more with sleep apnea. When you are asleep your throat muscles are relaxed. In some people it blocks the airway. It will wake you up, and make you feel you are choking. They have places that can do a sleep study on you. Your doctor may need to order this test. In the meantime, do not eat after 8 p.m. and if you have bile coming up, you can take a long acting antacid like Prilosec or any other before bedtime. Some of them are in your local pharmacy. Try to avoid sleeping on your back. Do you feel tired when you wake up? If so, you most likely have apnea. Sleeping on your side is better for your airway and keeps your tongue from falling back into your airway.
GERD causes erosion of the throat and teeth if you keep having it. So it will help to elevate the head of the bed or sleep on a few pillows. you can place a few old books under the bed frame to prop up the bed. You can buy a pillow wedge in a bedstore that is helpful to keep you a bit raised.
It could be related to throid disease so get you blood levels tested also. it sounds more like apnea. Be well Shelly
Hi,I had this problem of bringing up bile,which would wake me alarmed because I thought I was being sick in my sleep.Since being given something for acid reflux,it's not happened.I also used to get a lot of sore throats at the same time.The acid reflux was causing them.This can be a problem with hypothyroidism.Hope this helps.Gill