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sleep panic kill you?

Can anxiety kill you? Ive had severe anxiety for six months now i have aleast two panic attacks a day will get better and worse threw the months but the worst is wakeing up in the middle of the night felling heart attack heart beating so fast cant breath shakeing. Ive been to the er so many times i cant fet this under control please please help.
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Avatar universal
Please help im afraid to sleep.
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4205995 tn?1351169508
NO IT CAN'T KILL YOU I've been there and still am in the same place but anxiety can not kill u
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Avatar universal
What do they tell you at the ER, what do they test for and how many times have you gone?
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Avatar universal
Alot i have a few health problems and im pretty young witxh is why im so scared. I had two torn retinas one hole in the retina 6 white matter lesions on my brain that the doc said looked like ms lessiins did a spinal tap and it didnt heel had to get a blood patch witch felt amazing. Then went to doc and have neurocarsiigentic near synscope also have chronic pelvic pain syndrome witch is what there blaming the bllod in the urine on. But the anxiety of when i wake up cant breath hearts racing so fast crying numbness jerky feeling this is what scares me that im waking up to die i cant sleep.
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Avatar universal
You have had a few heart checks I presume, based on your racing feeling and the fact you go to the ER lots. Correct me and if so, what do they tell you about your heart? I don't know about all those other things you mention, so let's focus on one thing for now.
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Avatar universal
Bradicardia heart rate in the 30s bout it they cant put me on beta blockers because of it stress and echo came back ok stress test heart rate got up to 180 had a holter the had ome pre beat and one irregular beat not sure what thoae mean.
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Avatar universal
I just cant sleep these last few days it wakes me no matter what so scary.
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Avatar universal
Your heart chart is too technical for me and you didn't use sentences so hard to follow. Do you have a diagnosed heart problem?
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Avatar universal
Bradicardia just a slow heart rate.
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Avatar universal
Sorry for the panic type.
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Avatar universal
The slow rate is nothing to be concerned about? The anxiety is getting the better of you if you keep going to the ER for the same problem, heart checks. Additionally, 2 panic attacks a day is murder so no wonder you wake up with heart fears.
Have you tried counselling or a psychiatrist, because the right person in a one on one session might be able to point you in a direction that resolves this. It is beyond this board to deal with that kind of thing, but I don't mean to tell you not to write as often as you want for advice. I just don't think you will get advice that will deal with the chronic panic here, other than advising you to see professional help.
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Avatar universal
I forgot to ask, are you on meds to deal with either anxiety or depression, as they feed off each other?
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Avatar universal
Im on xanax for the severe panic attacks. It helps but dont control them. I do see a counselor once a week. Im currently trying to stop all meds do to what they make me feel like. So i have really bad panic compared to the people on here? Thanks for the help.
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Avatar universal
What do you mean "due to what they make you feel like?" There are lots of meds to choose from so instead of stopping doesn't your doc want you to try another? It sounds like you have forgotten what it means to be happy and need a break.
I had bad panic for 4 months once but it was situational. Someone made a threat and I was looking over my shoulder and worked myself up over time into a frightening state. Ativan worked to stop attacks but it is not a permanent solution when you take them frequently so I used them until an SSRI kicked in. Welbutrin did nothing, but Celexa solved everything within 3 weeks so there can be unexpected hope for anyone. It is not a rule book so don't take false heart, however don't give up now either, just keep slogging and hoping.
Don't compare your anxiety level to others and worry if yours is too deep, just work through your own situation.
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Avatar universal
Sleep is mine is still cant im on my 5th time of waking up dramatically i cant sleep this is day two of no sleep at all. Im afraid to talk a xanax and go to bed
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4651080 tn?1357599210
I recently was prescribed Xanax .05 twice a day. I started having daily panic attacks, and then my attacks were lasting 6-8 hours a piece. Miserable. About a month ago, I started suffering from nocturnal panic attacks (what you are speaking of).  One thing I would highly recommend is talking to a doctor about being on Xanax. In my own personal opinion, xanax is good for the short term, but if you need a long term solution due to all the panic, sounds like you need something longer lasting, like Klonopins.  I was on xanax and was taking more than twice as much as I was prescribed by the time I switched. It was like over night my panic started to reduce. Benzo's aren't always the easy way out. They are highly addictive, especially to the body, which can actually cause panic when you withdraw.  

No reason to be afraid of the meds.  If you cannot sleep, get up and do something. Your adrenaline is at work and over worked, might as well try to put your mind off to something else.  Do not TRY and distract yourself, just start doing something like cleaning.  Breathing exercises help a ton.  

Panic attacks suck. I suffer from Panic disorder. Stress makes me have constant heart pounding anxiety that is detrimental to my day and allows me to accomplish nothing.  

Lots of information on the internet about self-help.  Read up on that while your mind is over working. Allow your mind to be at ease with the fact that anxiety, adrenaline, and panic cannot kill you.  It's very natural.
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Avatar universal
I can't figure what you are saying partly in your first line. You don't use sentences so not easy to tell when one thought ends. Hoop is right, you need more than short term Xanax, until you learn how to feel happy again.
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480448 tn?1426948538
Without a serious underlying medical problem, no, anxiety can NOT kill you, neither can a panic attack, as scary as they may feel.  

Obviously, what you're doing right now isn't managing the anxiety at all, therefore, you need to have a discussion with your doctor about how to proceed.  I also highly recommend trying an SSRI type antidepressant, like Zoloft, Celexa, Prozac.  They have been very effective in treating anxiety disorders.  Zoloft is the most commonly prescribed SSRI for anxiety, specifically panic disorder, because it works for so many people.  That's a more reasonable option than a benzodiazepine, like Xanax, IMO, because they come with issues such as dependency and tolerance (the need for a higher dose to maintain the same level of effectiveness).  Xanax is best used as a rescue med, taken "as needed". here and there, that way, it maintains its efficacy, and there are no issues with tolerance or dependency.

As posted above, Klonopin is a better choice for regular use, as it builds in the plasma, to allow for a more stead state of calm, versus the ups and downs you would get with the Xanax.  However, before I would ever recommend sticking with a benzo, I would suggest that you ask your doc about trying an antidepressant.  As for long term use, there are many more benefits, and less issues, compared to the benzos IMO.  Make sure a psychiatrist is managing your anxiety disorder, instead of a PCP.  P-docs are much more knowledgeable about the meds and they can also refer you to a proper therapist who has a lot of experience in dealing with chronic anixety.  CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is ideal for management of anxiety disorders, you can ask your doc about finding a therapist who is well versed in that method of therapy.

As for the bradycardia, continue working with your doctor to see if they can determine a cause.  Once in  while, something like that will happen out of the blue, with no cause or reason.  

Just an an example, there is something called a vagal response, which involves the vagal nerve.  Stimulation of the vagal nerve (which can happen when doing certain things, like bearing down for a bowel movement, holding your breath, very exerting exercise that causes one to hold their breath or bear down)....can cause the heart rate and/or the blood pressure to drop.  If you haven't seen one already, ask your doc for a referral to cardiologist.  It never hurts to have a specialist give you a thorough work up.

Along with the therapy, and meds...to manage an anxiety disorder well, YOU are going to have to do some work as well.  That includes doing any exercises or activities a therapist asks you to do, learning how to retrain your thinking, and learning how to get through a panic attack.  It IS possible.  There are LOTS of self help books out there also...one I would highly recommend is "The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook".  It is an interactive book, like a study guide almost, with lots of information, and different exercises that you can do to help work through your anxiety...everything from breathing exercises, to journaling...all kinds of things.  Another suggestion is any book by Claire Weekes (sp?).  She has authored many great books about anxiety.  You have to empower yourself while also depending on a team of professionals to help guide you in learning how to coppe, and learning how to take the power away from a panic attack.

I also want to say don't be afraid of the meds..while they are not a cure or a quick fix, they can help tremendously...as they allow for some symptom control while you get down to business with a therapist.

Please let us know how you're doing!
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Avatar universal
I get bad rashes from ssri's thats been a big problem for me. I think all of you for the posts. Im starting to figure them out a little bit. Im also worried about artery contractions.
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Avatar universal
You are wise not to take anything that gives you a rash. How many SSRI did you try in your 6 months?
I don't know anything about artery contractions but maybe you could explain why you are worried about them. Did the doc say that is happening?
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Avatar universal
I took paxil zoloft amd another one not sure what it was. I have a heart phobia and the artery contractions happen when people are under stress it can make ypu have a heart attack. Panic disorder is nrw to me and i.have no.clue what it can do. I have a consoler but just started seeing her
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480448 tn?1426948538
I have a heart phobia and the artery contractions happen when people are under stress it can make ypu have a heart attack.

The important part of that sentence is "I have a heart phobia".

Did your doctor tell you he is concerned about you having a heart attack?  Did he tell you he was worried about artery contractions? Did he tell you there is something very serious wrong with your heart?  Are you turning to Dr. Google?  

The problem with turning to the internet for medical info is that a lot of information can be taken out of context.  If you're not a medical professional, you won't understand what you're reading, which is why you let your doctor give you the appropriate info, and explain it...then you can ask any questions.  To work yourself up over an arterial "contraction" is unfortunate...because I guarantee you read info you didn't understand, tried to relate it to yourself, and ended up scared to death.  Doesn't really help does it?  Ahhh, anxiety.

Part of getting anxiety under control involves helping yourself and empowering yourself.  The last thing anyone with health anxiety should be doing is searching the internet...it will ALWAYS fuel anxiety, it will never give you a sense of relief.

So YOU need to make a concerted effort top STOP searching the internet about the heart, symptoms, health or medical topics in general, with the exception of seeking help for the anxiety.

Someone with an intense fear of snakes wouldn't be advised to throw themselves into a snake pit day after day while their anxiety is at a peak, right?  That's essentially what you're doing...throwing yourself in the snake pit every time you google something.

Let your DOCTORS manage your health and start puting forth some REAL effort into atacking this anxiety.  Instead of searching about heart conditions, start searching about health anxiety...that's the empowerment part.  The more you learn about anxiety and understand it a little better, the better you will feel.  It's NOT possible to just "snap out of it" as people may tell you...when anxiety is causing this much turmoil in your life and has you running to doctors, and spending hours online, it's affecting your life and needs managed.  You need to learn how to break the cycle of anxious worrying.  

Chronic anxiety, or an anxiety disorder does not have a CURE, but rather a treatment (many approaches).  Anxiety can absolutely be well managed, but it takes time, patience, professional help, and some hard work.  YOU can do it! You have to make the committment to make the changes though, and it won't necessarily always be easy...it's hard to break these kinds of habits and thinking processes.

You JUST started therapy...that takes time.  When you tried the meds, how long were you on them before you decided they didn't work?  Or, that you were not tolerating them?  Meds are another thing that takes some time and often, a good bit of trial and error for some people, to find the RIGHT one.

Another suggestion for you, print out this entire thread, and show it to your therapist.  That will really help her have a better idea what's going on...sometimes it's easier to express yourself in writing, verus in person...especially because you're new at therapy.

When is your next appt with her?  We'll concentrate on preparing for that now.  THAT is the next move....to plan for your appt.  How often are you going to be seeing her?  Once a week?  More?  Less?
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Avatar universal
This is a great idea. I will do this. Once a week is mostly when i see her sometimes every other. The problem is sometimes i have great weeks others not to great. I have had three retinal tears in two months that scares me. Also the lesions on my brain that there testing for ms scares me. Then everytime i take a new med it gives me rashes on my hands. I do turn to google more than i should and seeing that ive been on bed rest awile doesn't help. All these things i feel are over welming me. Ive been checked for everything else. The only other thing that was hard to learn to deal with was the nerocardiogentic near synscope but doc said alot of it could be anxiety and meds are hard to give for it but paxil was one that med worked ok but the rash and rapid heart rate made me hop of it. I also have auro migraines. I think thats what here called witch they had me on amityplin for that helpped fairly well with headaches but dropped my bp way to much so they pulled me of that right away. So my neuro git mri back and called for a spinal tap right away witch made me morr nervous. So when i do get anxiety under control one more thing kinda sets it off. I know its me but i cant keep these going blind fears under control and when i do there another tear. So then i get other wierd symptoms from the panic like as soon as i fall asleep i wake up sweating running crying cant breath. So its every other day i sleep witch i think makes me panic even more so im at a loss whrn i get to this point. Thanks for the help.
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Avatar universal
It is understandable that you have panic in your sleep, considering the fears you have with your retina etc. testing. Panic won't kill you, so that is not one thing to fear.
The rashes are allergic reactions to the meds so you shouldn't worry about that either, since you stopped taking the meds. That doesn't mean the next one will give you a rash, so why don't you ask for a new one? There are many of them, and you just tried 3 - paxil, zoloft and another.
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