Your symptoms are not consistent with autonomic problems associated with breathing. Autonomic dysfunction typically causes symptoms of central apnea, but that doesn't present like you describe...it is basically your body forgetting to breathe. Glad you are seeing a pulmonologist. They will do some basic breathing tests right in the office and prescribe whatever you need.

If you use the inhaler, be sure to rinse your mouth out after use...especially if it is one with steroids. These can cause thrush.

I get this during flare-ups, shortness of breath that comes and goes.

This got me thinking about your case. I don't have that problem but I did get incredibly stressed and anxious about my symptoms etc. I decided I would start breathing in a better fashion where it could relax my body. And it has greatly helped but it's also seemed to make my general breathing deeper and stronger. I'm wondering if it could be of any help to you? Whenever I have stress my blood glucose skyrockets and fast. It's changed my beliefs about what is causing my condition. I have a strong feeling now that I know why I have this monster in my life now. My docs wasted a year I could have been treating myself by telling me that my blood sugar was fine when in fact it is not fine. Well it's much better now but it was not back a ways.

What you explain as "the body forgetting to breathe", happens to me. I actually have to consciously breathe for my body several times during the day. I am positive this has nothing to do with anxiety. There really is no rhyme or reason for it. I never even told the doctor about it because it sounds insane. It started slowly probably as far as 2 years ago. The first time it happened I was driving and I felt kind of dizzy and irritated and I realized I wasn't breathing. I thought I was having a panic attack for no reason for the first time in my life. Well, it continued happening every now and then and I thought it must be something like hormones or thyroid (always something simple) I am the kind of person who just blows everything off and thinks things aren't a big deal.

It took me until the neuropathy and numbness spread all the way up my leg and into my groin, heart palpitations, incredible weakness, muscle spasms to seek medical attention. So I consider myself the opposite of anxious in my belief that the body will take care of what ever is going on. Even after everything I've gone through, I still believe it.
I have some anxiety now in anticipation of pain, shakiness, weakness, wanting my life back..... but my anxiety is being caused by literally "frayed nerves" all over my body. It's not the other way around. I'm sure there are many of us here who were going along fine, dandy, and on top of the world before this struck. I would think, of any condition that would provoke anxiety in a pretty stable person it would be one that damages the nervous system. It's like it turns you into someone else at times.

As time went on I just learned to live with it and now it happens more often. I never had a way to explain it so I didn't bring it up as I refuse to hear that it is anxiety. As soon as I realize it's happening, I calmly take about 10 breaths and it kicks back into normal. I was diagnosed with autonomic disorder- so I guess that is part of it. No one really discussed that part of my diagnosis. I just have the report.

That is very different than what is happening with the not getting air in. This is a new issue. I feel like I did when I was 9 months pregnant walking up a flight of stairs. I will try the darn inhaler next time it happens.

Anyway thanks for listening

I also have this thing when I'm sleeping that all of a sudden I wake up from the sound of myself making a gasping sound. I guess its happening in my sleep. This I did tell my neurologist and he just said it sounds like my whole nervous system is "irritated" and to try Lyrica to calm it down. The Lyrica made me feel terrible so I don't take it.

Central apnea, does commonly happen when asleep...or just falling to sleep. I don't think what you have going is anxiety at all. If you have other autonomic dysfunction, then you may have some central apnea as well. The pulmonologist can do a sleep study to see if you stop breathing at all...this would confirm it.

It's your other symptoms that didn't sound like apnea...but clearly there is some sort of abnormality. I feel confident the pulmonologist will be able to tell you exactly what is going on and offer ways to help relieve your symptoms.

They don't discuss it because not much can be done about it, at least that has been my experience. I suffer from similar, forgetting to breathe until I realize I am not breathing, I then have to consciously take a full breath. That happens during my flare-ups.

I also have an inhaler. I believe it can help with constricted airways or diagnosed asthma but otherwise the jury is out whether it does anything for this.

What do you think about the daytime "forgetting" to breathe is about? Is that apnea during the day?

I have never heard of it happening in daytime.

The difficulties of breathing that typically occur with autonomic dysfunction are usually secondary to heart and/or BP related problems. Like shortness of breath in exercise because the BP drops and heart rate increases...which in turn cause shortness of breath.

Your pulmonologist should be able to determine if your breathing is autonomic related to other cardiac problems...or a problem of it's own.

Do you notice any other symptoms when you are short of breath...like your heart racing or lightheaded?? Have you taken your BP and heart rate when you are experiencing symptoms??