anxiety in the middle of the night

[mia193]

anyone ever wake up between 2 and 3 am and have their heart rate up and feel nervous?  I am trying to talk myself out of this, but it sometimes feels like my heart is quivering and i also feel bloated/gas bubbles too.  I have had a cardio work up and nothing but the usual "you have to learn to live with it" PVC's/tachy rhythms!  I used to work night shift for 12 years and stopped as of Jan 07.  i think this has something also to contribute toward it.  Anyone have any suggestions or ever had any of these symptoms?

[Shanay19]

what is it when you wake up in the middle of the night with the middle of your chest hurting at 3 a.m

[Bethannsam]

Absolutely.   I so agree with you.

[Bethannsam]

Boy do I know what you mean.  I have only had this for a couple of weeks.  Usually, it's after 3-4 hours of sleep.  I have tried Ambien and it still happened.  Finally, I read enough online and followed advice a  bout just getting up out of bed.  I get  on the pc.  Sometimes, I'm lucky and there's a friend on FB.  After being up for awhile, I take a small Xanax and go right back to sleep.  It is scarey.  I can feel my heart beat loudly but have no change in BP as we have a digital monitor.   I have my yrly doctor's appt. in May, so maybe I'll know something then.  I don't know if I'll ever find this sight again  but  my e-mail is: ***@****  Let me know how you're doing.

[Bethannsam]

Thanks for your info.   I also have been doing Slim Fast.  I dropped my Sweet and Low and now am beginning to use Truvia.  I love red wine and drank a couple of glasses last night, hence the 3:00 am awakening with racing thoughts and a kind of trembling feeling in my back, nerves.  Thanks again.

[Barbarella]

There is another one that raises my BP, cheddar cheese or any aged cheese especially if I eat chocolate, especially dark chocolate the same day I eat the aged cheese.  Of course I stopped eating that in the meantime.  BTW, it effected me when I was still young, its not something I experienced lately.

I never could drink any wine it gives me a bad headache.  Some people are also very sensitive to red wine and aged cheese.

[mia193]

WOW Barbarella!!  You sound like me too- I can drink coffee till the cows come home (LOL), but I do notice now that you said that, that I drink diet soda's, (to not waste calories) but it actually is doing me more harm than good!  And the SlimFast thing- I thought I was nuts feeling the way I did too w/that one- I got a strange sensation, I thought it was cause of the high vitamin content or something, but I bet it is what you said!  Thanks for the heads up on that!  I also love red wine - and I do notice if I drink too much, that I get symptoms as well, and I believe it because of the sulphites.

[Barbarella]

Some people also get high anxiety when eating or drinking anything with "Sucralose" in it like Splenda for example.  I get high anxiety.  It took me awhile to find the cause.  I did not know beforehand that Sucralose can give anxiety in "some" people, in other words I did NOT know about and therefore imagined it.

Also watch out for "Phenylanaline" don't know if its spelled right, its in lots of Sodas, that can bring on anxiety and even raise your BP in "some" people.

Its not just the caffeine, there is so much ingredients in certain foods.  For example I cannot drink Slim Fast, anything which contains "hydrochloride" gives me anxiety.  Yet I can drink coffee (not the strong stuff like Starbucks) but coffee at home and I'm fine, no anxiety, no increased heart rate, no rise in BP, and I don't fix weak coffee just not as strong as places like Starbucks etc.

[mia193]

thanks for the information!  I think i will search for a list of foods that have MSG too.
My mind swirls w/stupid thoughts alot too- glad to hear i am not alone!!
have a good one!

[cat33]

Conforting to know I'm not alone. And there are so many people up at 3 or till three. Anxiety is really a problem and any who has not experienced it can not comprehend the overwhelming feeling. OH BY THE WAY MSG DOES NOT GO WELL WITH ANXIETY. AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY THING HAVE IT. Anyway no full moon tonight but the mind is still swirling on stupid thoughts.

[mia193]

Wow- i have to check that out next time i get up in the middle of the night!  Actually i felt that way last night and there was a full moon!!  Thank you!!

[DonnieD]

There was a full moon last night.
Donnie

[DonnieD]

I hope that everyone will bear with me, but - you know, I can't stand full moons. I simply can not sleep and feel all wound up when there is a full moon. It really does have a strange sensation effect on me. As a matter of fact, one night years ago, I felt so anxious and did not know why (when trying to sleep), and for some reason, I decided to look outside and low and behold, a full moon - well I knew then what was causing my anxiety and then I was able to get my head straight and try to relax. I DID Not have a good night either - bad dreams, kept getting up - well, I have another full moon to deal with and then it will be fading away !! Whew !
Donnie

[axtywr]

Thank you for the good advice about writing everything down....I am going to try that.

[mia193]

I know how you feel- i have a husband of 15 years and although he has gotten a little better about it, he loves his sleep and i am all alone in the middle of the night when this hits!  I am very thankful for this site too-you are all great!!

i like the idea of writing it down- i will have to try that one.

i usually don't have trouble falling asleep, it is just i wake up and am in a tachy/scary/panic mode, for what i believe is no reason.

[be still my beating heart 13]

I hate that part of anxiety!  Sometimes my mind won't shut up long enough for me to even think about falling asleep!  I know I'm tired, I can feel it in my eyes and in my body but my mind won't let up!  I found one thing that does help me quite a bit is to get up and write everything down.  Whatever is on my mind, like what I need to do tomorrow, how I'm feeling about whatever's bothering me.  I go all out in writing about it to the extent that when I am finished writing there really is nothing left to say.  I helps to clear my mind, and I think the physical act of writing with pen and paper helps to burn off a little bit of that excess adrenaline we are all plagued with.  I hope you have a wonderful time with your in-laws, and wish you the best!

[axtywr]

I couldn't sleep last night either....worried upon worried about things and should have got up rather than suffered laying in bed for 3-4 hrs.  Also, was so stressed over trying to get my house in order for family that visits once a  year.  They arrive this Thursday and they are my in-laws.  It truly is a VERY anxiety/stressful time for me.  I feel such support from this forum.  It's hard to explain anxiety, even to my husband of 14 years.  He just doesn't "get it". .. he says.  I had chest pains and was hyperventilating trying to get everything done and just Friday I had to have a knee immobilizer put on as I injured my left knee at a softball game 3 weeks ago.  (too old for softball...LOL).  My husband finally said, "sit down, try to breathe, have a glass of water, stop for a while".  I just looked at him like huh.....no I have to keep going, get everything done.  In about 15 minutes though I really had to stop....was feeling like I was going to pass out.  
Nightime is bad for me a lot.  I have Lunesta before bed.  Otherwise I would be up for hours just trying to fall asleep.  Everything from the most mundane to the most serious can run through my mind for hours before I am just exhausted and finally fall asleep.

[mia193]

That is exactly what I do too- I have to get up check this forum now, or someothe info forum regarding my symptoms and it makes me feel better!  I truly think my body is not adjusted to sleeping, because for so long I was awake all night-
thanks everyone  for your help!

[Barbarella]

I used to get them EVERY night at 3 a.m. like a damn alarm clock except it was a full blown anxiety attack that woke me up.  Don't stay in bed.  Get up, go on the computer, check e-mails, send e-mails, anything to get your mind off somewhat if that is possible, but staying in bed with the anxiety attack is the WORST for me.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

my sister has it all the time , she gets woke up by panic and not just one she has them in 2-3 at a time. she says its the worse feeling she can deal with them when a wake but to be woke up with one she says is really bad. hope yours calm down.

[be still my beating heart 13]

I too had this symptom about a year ago.  It went away on it's own so I don't have any advice on how to combat it.  I cleaned up my diet (no caffine, no refined sugars, no MSG, etc) and it seemed to help quite a bit.  I now only experience this while I'm awake.  I hope this helps and that you felt well today!