Asthma Attack Whilst Asleep

Former Member

Last night I dreamed I had an asthma attack (I'm quite badly asthmatic). It was really realistic, and felt exactly the same as they do when awake.

Now I'm scared that it'll happen again, and because I'm lying down and asleep, so can't take my reliever, I'm going to pass out and die.

Do you think this was a real attack, or just a total dream?

Former Member

Sorry to hear that Grace, as someone with asthma myself and quite badly as a teenager, I can imagine how upsetting that could have been.

I had a quick look around and sadly there's not a lot I could find about sleeping asthma attacks. Well, at least not a lot that isn't just a fake blog selling US medication :grump:

E-how have a guide on avoiding night time asthma attacks, but it's pretty basic stuff and personally it wouldn't fit with my asthma, but it might be worth a read -
http://www.ehow.com/how_5639883_sleep-asthma.html

It does read more like a guide on how to avoid being woken up by an attack though, rather than having one when asleep.

I don't think you should assume that it was real though, did it feel part of your dream or did it feel like something just seperate from the dream? When you woke up did you feel like you had just had an attack? Realise that might be hard to remember but it might be a useful starting point to try and figure it out.

You could always call NHS Direct to get a nurse's view of the problem and see if there are any risks - 0845 46 47.

Hope that helps a little.

Former Member

Thanks for the linky, it'd probably be worth doing those things just in case, and anyway, it might help with my breathing throughout the day as well.

In my dream, I was doing something that doesn't normally trigger an attack, but then my breathing just randomly got worse and worse. When I woke up, it didn't feel like I'd had an attack, but it was so realistic that it's hard to believe it wasn't real.

Former Member

I don't know for sure, but whenever i've had a panic attack/something go wrong with my breathing when asleep, i've automatically woken up gasping for air- i would think your body would 'wake you up' like this if you could not breathe, unless it had been compromised by sedatives or something.

Former Member

If you woke up breathing normally I'd say it was just in the dream. Do you have bad asthma? Do you have your inhaler next to your bed? How is your asthma controlled on a daily basis? I've been told if you take your inhaler more than twice a week you should discuss prevenative measures along side your rescue inhaler. My asthma used to be really bad and I took the pill singulair to help with it. I found it helped a lot and really decreased the amount I had to use my resuce inhaler.

Former Member

my name wrote: »

If you woke up breathing normally I'd say it was just in the dream. Do you have bad asthma? Do you have your inhaler next to your bed? How is your asthma controlled on a daily basis? I've been told if you take your inhaler more than twice a week you should discuss prevenative measures along side your rescue inhaler. My asthma used to be really bad and I took the pill singulair to help with it. I found it helped a lot and really decreased the amount I had to use my resuce inhaler.

I take the brown preventor, and singulair as well, which do help a lot.
Oh, I'm glad that everyone seems to think it was just a dream, hopefully it won't happen again!

Former Member

ahh is singular a lil pink pill? like, tiny? I used to take a tiny pink pill for my asthma when i was in primary school, so from 5 upwards, but then i guess my asthma got better and i only had to take the brown inhaler, and now, only the brown during summer (pollen) and the blue sometimes during summer or when its really really cold.

Former Member

skakitty wrote: »

ahh is singular a lil pink pill? like, tiny? I used to take a tiny pink pill for my asthma when i was in primary school, so from 5 upwards, but then i guess my asthma got better and i only had to take the brown inhaler, and now, only the brown during summer (pollen) and the blue sometimes during summer or when its really really cold.

Yep, the kids' singulair is pink.