Hi Everyone,

I'm mainly active on the TBI/Post Concussion forum, but thought I'd post here.

I sustained a fairly bad concussion back in the Spring, which I'm still recovering from. Ever since July or so, I've had a weird shortness of breath during the day at times, in addition to what I can only describe as some kind of disturbed breathing during sleep at night. This is usually only a problem if I'm sleeping on my back and actually only happens in the early morning. It is like I just can't get a breath and I wake up startled.

Before the concussion, I was in perfect health and a masters level athlete, with just some snoring issues that plagued me mainly during the winter. I do not have any trouble on my side or stomach and mostly sleep very soundly when I get good chunks of sleep.

Is this gasping for breath/shortness of breath some kind of central sleep apnea? I am also able to exercise fairly regularly without any shortness of breath. The concussion symptoms also included a great deal of anxiety, so I wonder if this is causing the breathing difficulties.

Thank you for any input!

Nice to meet you. I'm usually in the PN section but read all threads just because

My husband told me for years that I needed to get checked for snoring. I thought he was just being mean and that my snoring just 'bothered' him.

Well about 10 or so years ago he looked at me and said loudly "You have to do something ! You STOP breathing and wake up grasping for breath even if you don't remember it". Well that got my attention !

I did the sleep study and was actually having a really hard time while I was asleep from the report. I've been on a CPAP unit since then.

I can't say but the startling awake could be from that.

Hope this info helps some.

Keep us posted.

Debi from Georgia

I had a concussion over 4 years ago and now seem to suffer from shallow breathing when sleeping which wakes me up 2 or 3 times a night. I also experienced waking up gasping for breath a year or so ago which was not nice, which thankfully it passed. I used to find myself waking in the same position I'd fallen asleep in which is weird and not normal, I think I was tense. I think it's related to residual anxiety from the concussion and not being completely relaxed. I notice my sinuses seem to be restricted when I lay down for a period of time too.

It might be an idea if you got checked out by an apnea specialist.

If you do have sleep apnea, then (as Debi mentioned above) CPAP units are often highly effective.

This sleep apnea subject seems to come up everywhere say in the last 20 yrs or so. Before that and in my parents time and all their relatives, no such studies and people snored. A case is in it's final closing this week in Los Angeles against a sleep center for frauding over $11million.

WEIGHT LOSS seems to ring out loud and clear in all this.

And as I see it and from my own experience of taking antioxidants which helps inflammation and breathing issues my breathing is clear as a bell and I'm 81 soon. I can't imagine living without Vit C and Grape Seed Extract which I have been taking over 24 yrs.

NPR Choice page

Two Charged with Running $11 Million Sleep Study Scam that Billed UPS and Costco Health Care Benefit Programs for Unneeded Tests | USAO-CDCA | Department of Justice