Started to throw up in my sleep!

[Mari]

Yipes, people. So I was having a dream last night. Kind of a weird dream like we all have. I'm going along in this dream that was actually kind of a good dream when all of the sudden I had that burning sensation from stomach acid coming up my esophagus from out of nowhere while I was asleep. Leapt out of bed terrified I was going to vomit before I could get to the bathroom.

What the hell? My nightmares are almost always a normal everyday thing is overlaid with horrifying creepiness that I can't connect to what's happening in the dream and at some point I'm overwhelmed and I wake up. But I've never had such a strong physical reaction like almost vomiting when I was asleep. Scary AF. What would've happened if I'd vomited while on my back?

Holy moly.

 

[joeylittle]

Have you had problems with acid reflux in the past?

You might want to try a low-acid food plan, to see if it prevents the issue from recurring. Basically, don't eat 3 hours or less before bed, and avoid tomatoes, alcohol, spicy, fatty, and chocolate.

 

[Mari]

I haven't had acid reflux issues in the past. But I have noticed that I get that painful burning when I feel afraid now, and that's new. When I was unpacking the dream it seemed that I caught a flash of a man I don't know who's face I can't see wearing a Members Only jacket and then whammo! All of the sudden in a dream that had been fairly pleasant up to that point. Suddenly this man is there and I'm going to violently vomit.

 

[Cannottakethis]

Yipes, people. So I was having a dream last night. Kind of a weird dream like we all have. I'm going along...

This sounds very similar to what happened to me a few years ago. I was waking up almost every night choking and vomiting and feeling that acid during the day. It turned out to be GERD and now I take Omeprezole (Pepcid) at night and it's way better. Id never had issues before but now I do. @joeylittle is spot on about the diet and not eating close to bedtime. If you try to sleep in a more upright position it can help but I'd encourage you to see a dr about this Because it can be a precursor to other things like ulcers or something called Barrett's Esophagus.

 

[Fadeaway]

My husband does this routinely and he has Barrett's Esophagus. It's the number one reason I disappear from chat. He always aspirates and can't breath from it. It gets scary when it takes a while for him to get a breath, but I can always hear his fighting for breath in the other room. I can usually predict when it is going to happen because his breath smells awful and acidic just prior.

Most likely you just had a case of acid reflux. You would most likely know if you Barrett's Esophagus because my husband says swallowing feels like getting kicked in the upper back.

 

[anonymous]

@Mari So long as you aren't unconscious from drink or drugs. As in so drunk you pass out, or so sedated you can't be roused, it's not too dangerous.
The biggest risk is aspirating vomit into your lungs, and possible risk of choking but that's a risk anytime anyone vomits. Even then, if it went down without getting stuck, it should come out without getting stuck. Aspiration of vomit is treatable.

If you're worried about drowning? No. If you can wake up you won't drown. No more dangerous than falling asleep in the tub. You'll just come up sputtering.

Best thing I can think to suggest would be to abstain from spicy food, caffeine, nicotine, or anything else that can increase gastric acid production or irritate the digestive tract close to bedtime.
Might be a good idea to keep a bucket next to the bed for a little while as well.

*Disclaimer*
*I am not a doctor or other licensed medical practitioner. Do not take any advice I give over that of a qualified physician.*

 

[ParalyzedMind]

I will also add here that avoiding food too close to bedtime and keeping regular bowel movements can do a lot to alleviate reflux.

The vomiting is common in PTSD due to hyper-acidity as you get excess Vagal stress stimulation. This is another paradox with this illness as a Vagal response is really supposed to be the "calm" part of the body, but intense fears, dreads and anxiety may over stimulate this response.

As others above have said, reflux at night CAN be a dangerous thing. Maybe not so much when you are healthier, but again, with PTSD your health, even the physical aspect is very jeopardized as I am sure we all know.