Gasping for Air after cough in middle of night

[Paul451]

2 weeks ago I got sick, about one week ago I started waking up coughing, then gasping for air.  It makes this terrible whooping noise and it takes me about 30-60 seconds to get a full breath of air, then it slowly goes away.  I went to the doctor and they said no pneumonia, i have perfect breathing, my lungs are clear, my throat is clear, they did a chest x-ray.  They think it might be bronchitis, but they're not sure.  The breathing attacks keep getting worse.  If I can't get enough air next time will I pass out and start breathing fine again?  What could this be?  Could I die if I don't get enough air next attack?  Could this be vocal cord dysfunction, (VCD)?  

[justwrite]

You said it in your description: "whooping noise."  Everyone in my family has had this Whooping Cough, a.k.a Pertussis, this season.  It started with my 16-yr.-old; then to my 1-yr-old (vomit inducing), then my husband and me.  It skipped my 2 1/2 yr. old, but he also had an extended high fever, which must have killed the bacteria.  

I only realized it was whooping cough today.  When I first read the description, I mistook the "whooping" sound for the "seal bark" of Croup, and thought, nah, that's not it.  But, I'm pretty positive that's what it is.

[Tammy2009]

VCD isn't generally felt in the middle of the night (at least from what I've read).

A possibility is whooping cough.  Especially if you haven't been vaccinated against it, there are a couple different phases with different symptoms.  

There are a lot of doctors that don't believe it is something adults can get but I have got glimpses of articles that saw otherwise.  

Don't know much more than that but you could reasearch a bit more and bring it to your doctor, I believe there is a quick culture you can do to test for it.  

Hope you feel better soon.