Aa
Help.."mini" panic attacks as i fall asleep
Hi, i am a 23 year old man whose had bad anxiety and panic attacks for a while now. I found a method that has pretty much eliminated my panic attacks, every once and a while ill have a panic attack but lately ive been having these what i call mini panic attacks almost right after falling asleep. literally a couple minutes after. its almost the same feeling as a panic attack normally would be with the drop in the stomach and adrenalin rush then the rapid heartbeat. sometimes they happen once and sometimes they happen multiple times in the same night. I rarely(only once or twice) have waken up in the middle of the night with them, only right after i kind of drift off it hits me like a frieght-train. I have had my anxiety and panic attacks under control for a while now but these new sleep feelings are drivin me crazy and bringing up some of those feelings i thought id kind of left behind... =( any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you!
I know exactly how you feel. I've suffered with major panic attacks for several years now. It usually a happens 30 minutes to an hour after I fall asleep at night. I am woken up abruptly with a feeling of sudden terror and realize that my heart is going at a very high rate. I get the sense that I'm having a heart attack and am about to die. When this first happened I had my wife call 911 and was rushed to the hospital. They found nothing wrong with my heart and sent me back home. This happened twice more a few months apart and again I was taken to the hospital for checkup. This time the doctor gave me a shot of beta blocker which almost instantly brought my heart rate back to normal.
Here is the best way to deal with this disorder:
1. Get your heart checked by a Cardiologist to rule out heart problems. In my case I was diagnosed with a benign mitral valve prolapse. This is a common heart problem affecting 5% of the population that is harmless but can trigger panic attacks. Knowing that your heart is normal will help you deal with the panic attacks when they happen because you can tell yourself that your heart is normal and you're not about to die. This fact alone has reduced the severity of my panic attacks from a 10 to about a 2.
2. Consider asking your doctor to put you on a beta blocker drug like Atenolol. These drugs are very safe and work by blocking adrenaline from reaching your heart. So when your brain sends a false message to your heart that danger is looming your heart will ignore it. The drug also slows down and regulates your heart rate. Many people who don't have any heart conditions or panic attacks take it because it helps them deal with daily stress. For example, singers take it before a performance to help them calm down.
3. When you have an attack stay calm and re-assure yourself that this is only temporary and is going to pass. Drink a cup of water with lemon and pace around the house until your calm down. This can take between 5 to 30 minutes. Once calm go back to bed. If you are afraid to go to sleep read a book, watch tv, or listen to some music to make you sleep again. Then try to lie down and relax.
4. Pray and ask God to help you with this disorder which is rooted in fear. If you have faith in the afterlife then the fear of death will fade away. This is easier to say than to live out but it helps me deal with this problem. Knowing that God is in control of my life and my destiny gives me a sense of peace .Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Wishing you all the best!
Here is the best way to deal with this disorder:
1. Get your heart checked by a Cardiologist to rule out heart problems. In my case I was diagnosed with a benign mitral valve prolapse. This is a common heart problem affecting 5% of the population that is harmless but can trigger panic attacks. Knowing that your heart is normal will help you deal with the panic attacks when they happen because you can tell yourself that your heart is normal and you're not about to die. This fact alone has reduced the severity of my panic attacks from a 10 to about a 2.
2. Consider asking your doctor to put you on a beta blocker drug like Atenolol. These drugs are very safe and work by blocking adrenaline from reaching your heart. So when your brain sends a false message to your heart that danger is looming your heart will ignore it. The drug also slows down and regulates your heart rate. Many people who don't have any heart conditions or panic attacks take it because it helps them deal with daily stress. For example, singers take it before a performance to help them calm down.
3. When you have an attack stay calm and re-assure yourself that this is only temporary and is going to pass. Drink a cup of water with lemon and pace around the house until your calm down. This can take between 5 to 30 minutes. Once calm go back to bed. If you are afraid to go to sleep read a book, watch tv, or listen to some music to make you sleep again. Then try to lie down and relax.
4. Pray and ask God to help you with this disorder which is rooted in fear. If you have faith in the afterlife then the fear of death will fade away. This is easier to say than to live out but it helps me deal with this problem. Knowing that God is in control of my life and my destiny gives me a sense of peace .Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Wishing you all the best!
Hi, this was all happen to me also then my friends suggest me to try hypnotherapy and it really works for me......now I am almost fine..no worries, stress depression..now i can easily handle the troublesome situations without panicking up :) friends do try hypnosis but choose the expert one who have far experience as hypnotherapist...all the best
2 Comments
I realize this is a several year old thread, but it's a good source of information and i feel it is helping people.
I have a slightly different problem than the majority of the ones mentioned here. I have some type of (self-diagnosed) self-worry OCD. I've read that it can be called somnimotor. I can basically cause these things to happen just by thinking about them. I was stable for the past 5 or 6 years, but a recent benign health scare started it all over again. Last time I ended up going on Serzone for 3 years.
I physically cannot sleep when this happens, because there is a nearly constant level of anxiety. Even after I lay in bed for hours (sometimes even with the help of a sleep aid), and have made myself feel groggy the most I can get is 10-15 mins dozing each try before my body becomes aware i'm falling asleep and wakes me up. It's almost automatic. Ambien is the only thing that has allowed me to sleep for the last week and a half. I'm starting to fear sleep convince myself that normal sleep is not possible. Even last night, on an entire ambien, the "sleep" i had was more of a dream playing out in my head for 7 hours while I felt as if I was still half-conscious. Although my dad told me i was snoring away.
FWIW, lately I've been feeling like total crap, every day, during the day as well. Thought I was going to pass out at work yesterday. Came home, took blood sugar, and blood pressure, normal. I'm guessing it's either anxiety, or the daytime effects of the Ambien. I didn't used to take very much of it, so have only been taking an entire pill for the past week or so.
I've read that it can be adrenal fatigue, or possibly magnesium deficiency. Any ideas.
I have a slightly different problem than the majority of the ones mentioned here. I have some type of (self-diagnosed) self-worry OCD. I've read that it can be called somnimotor. I can basically cause these things to happen just by thinking about them. I was stable for the past 5 or 6 years, but a recent benign health scare started it all over again. Last time I ended up going on Serzone for 3 years.
I physically cannot sleep when this happens, because there is a nearly constant level of anxiety. Even after I lay in bed for hours (sometimes even with the help of a sleep aid), and have made myself feel groggy the most I can get is 10-15 mins dozing each try before my body becomes aware i'm falling asleep and wakes me up. It's almost automatic. Ambien is the only thing that has allowed me to sleep for the last week and a half. I'm starting to fear sleep convince myself that normal sleep is not possible. Even last night, on an entire ambien, the "sleep" i had was more of a dream playing out in my head for 7 hours while I felt as if I was still half-conscious. Although my dad told me i was snoring away.
FWIW, lately I've been feeling like total crap, every day, during the day as well. Thought I was going to pass out at work yesterday. Came home, took blood sugar, and blood pressure, normal. I'm guessing it's either anxiety, or the daytime effects of the Ambien. I didn't used to take very much of it, so have only been taking an entire pill for the past week or so.
I've read that it can be adrenal fatigue, or possibly magnesium deficiency. Any ideas.
A new post will get more help than jumping on an ancient one, but I saw it. It's not likely adrenal fatigue. Magnesium deficiency is very common in our society because people don't eat their green leafy veggies and do eat a lot of dairy. Dairy is very high in calcium but not in magnesium, and they are in electrical balance in the body. Too much of one leaches out the other. Also, the meds we take that affect our brains also tend to affect magnesium absorption. The more you rely on Ambien, the greater the chance your insomnia gets worse in the long run, so if you can find something that works other than that it would be great. It's possible, though this is probably way overdiagnosed these days, that the fact you snore means you might have sleep apnea, which can explain why when you're sleeping you don't feel like you slept. But the way you describe yourself, it sounds like anxiety. By the way, you really can't self-diagnose, and what you're describing does not sound like OCD, it sounds like, if it has a name at all other than just anxiety, something called GAD. You don't mention if you're seeking therapy for this from someone who specializes in treating anxiety. You don't mention what your lifestyle is like -- whether you meditate or practice other relaxation techniques, whether you eat well and avoid too many stimulants, whether you exercise or not. I'd also, if I felt like I was going to pass out when you were at work and feel awful all the time, get a thorough check-up from a really good doctor -- a lot of things can go wrong, and a very thorough blood test can tell you if there's reason to suspect a nutrition deficiency, or a thyroid problem, or a blood sugar imbalance, or hormonal problem, etc., all of which can cause anxiety and the symptoms associated with it. Ever tried melatonin for that sleep problem? Some gentle relaxing herbs? More than one way to deal out there.
Hi, I’m fourteen and have struggled with irregular heartbeat for almost a decade. I understand how it can be terrifying to feel like you’re having a heart attack on the middle of the night, wondering if you should go to the ER, or if something’s seriously wrong. The anxiety that comes with constant heart palpitations can be extreme. But what I have done is I have accepted that it’s all just medical. My body is responding to things in my life a certain way. It’s trying to tell me something. When I get palpitations—and I do, a lot—I first ask myself, what’s going on in my life right now? How am I feeling? I drink water (hydrate), and I use positive self-talk to work through the stress. I am also on atenolol a beta blocker. The most important thing is to know there’s nothing severely wrong with you, but Im no cardiologist. Hope this helps.
Don't know what it is, but have the same problem trying to nap. I take trozadon at night and it works. There is also a claustrophobic feel to it as well.
Exact same thing here. I've read through all 11 pages of replies and summarized some things that i'll try out:
-earhphones, music,
-check medicines im taking
-not wake up to a clock, get all hours you need
-relax 2 hour before sleep
-l theanine/magnesium
-betablocker
-take a break, eat, relax, try again,
I've had this before but not as heavy as now. For 3 days, then ive been fine 3 days, now iv'e had it for 3 days again etc. I can't think of any reason for when it shifts other then maybe I did not exercise the days that I were "fine". So ill stop exercise and follow the tips above and see if it works, tonight was 0 hour sleep..
26 years old, (had it first time half a year ago?)
Ask your doctor to change the Zoloft for Deseryl (Trazodone) that you take at bedtime. It should eliminate the night attacks :-) Good Luck!
A beer or 2 will def do it, it's the only thing for me or I'll most certainly have them and they get progressively worse every time I go back to sleep
Could be triggered by sleep apnea. Air blockage can trigger the physiological symptoms of breathing, then your adrenaline kicks in and you're jerked awake with no hint of why and thus begins the panic where you search for a reason and find none. Check this :)
Hey , Iv had anxiety attacks now for the past two years and the first year was absolutely the worst . I couldn't even enjoy life cause I was to busy stuck in my own head Panicing half the time. I just started getting anxiety attacks before I fell asleep or right after I fell asleep if wake up frantically searching for answers and my heart would be racing and I'd be terrified to go back to sleep . I find it helps if you have a partner to have them run you back comfort them. My boyfriend knows how bad my anxiety gets and he runs my back every night so I can fall asleep it's defiantly a labor of love . If you don't have a partner make up breath for a sec let yourself calm a bit tell yourself it's gonna be ok don't check your pulse every 5 secs and analyz it , it doesn't help to do that . Once your at a calm state go get a cold glass of water and read something on your home for a bit or watch t.v for a little like a couple mins however OMG it takes you to get tired again once you do lay down keep on some sound whatever comforts you and breath and start thinking of something u wanna dream of (believe it or not I count shee and I works , crazy I know , literally count bouncing sheep in my head LOL) and just work your way to sleep I hope I helped a bit I know how bad anxiet can be that's why I took the time to try to express what I do just so maybe I can help someone else
To all of you I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I'm currently 43 years old and I've been dealing with this disorder since my early to mid 20's.
I have the exact same symptoms that have been mentioned. As well as one that hasn't. I also have these tourrettes type nervous ticks that can happen for periods of time. An example of those would be blinking too much or twitching my neck to one side. They are brought on by stress as well as the panic sleep disorder.
I always thought I was the only person out there with these strange and debilitating problems.
I can tell you something that has helped me with both the sleep disorder and tics. I got on a beta blocker and it almost permanently ended the problem. I haven't had an episode for years until recently.
And it can get worse than anyone on here has described. I am dealing with that right now. I have been under a ton of stress lately as well as a botched surgery. I think all of this pressure I have been having is the reason why my beta blocker doesn't appear to be helping me right now. Very strange because I haven't had a single attack since I got on it several years ago.
So you know that feeling that you get, not feeling like you can get oxygen in your lungs, adrenaline rush so strong that it makes you want to jerk your whole body or go into a fit of rage, feeling like you're going to die if you fall back asleep. It can get much worse I have recently found out. For the past 3 days I haven't slept more than 4 to 5 bad hours. And there has been nothing that I have been able to do to get rid of it. I'm on the verge of going to the hospital to get some Xanax or Valium. This is pure torture and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.
I have the exact same symptoms that have been mentioned. As well as one that hasn't. I also have these tourrettes type nervous ticks that can happen for periods of time. An example of those would be blinking too much or twitching my neck to one side. They are brought on by stress as well as the panic sleep disorder.
I always thought I was the only person out there with these strange and debilitating problems.
I can tell you something that has helped me with both the sleep disorder and tics. I got on a beta blocker and it almost permanently ended the problem. I haven't had an episode for years until recently.
And it can get worse than anyone on here has described. I am dealing with that right now. I have been under a ton of stress lately as well as a botched surgery. I think all of this pressure I have been having is the reason why my beta blocker doesn't appear to be helping me right now. Very strange because I haven't had a single attack since I got on it several years ago.
So you know that feeling that you get, not feeling like you can get oxygen in your lungs, adrenaline rush so strong that it makes you want to jerk your whole body or go into a fit of rage, feeling like you're going to die if you fall back asleep. It can get much worse I have recently found out. For the past 3 days I haven't slept more than 4 to 5 bad hours. And there has been nothing that I have been able to do to get rid of it. I'm on the verge of going to the hospital to get some Xanax or Valium. This is pure torture and I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.
I am having the EXACT same thing happening to me. Mine just started about 2 night ago and I hate it. I am dealing with a sinus infection currently and thought it was some weird side effect from the meds that I'm on. But its good to know that I'm not the only one feeling this way. What did you find helped you?
1 Comments
Nocturnal anxiety attacks are fairly common. Normally when this happens the thing to do is to wake up, calm down, and do some breathing exercises. But the better way is to actually prevent it from happening. There are many medications out there that can help with this and for those who are not fond of medications, there are countless natural remedies. Kava tea, chamomile tea, and lavender tea are great beverages that promotes better sleep. Endoca hemp products also have anxiolytic properties that calms you down and relax your body it also help alleviate anxiety. You can also try music therapy, aromatherapy, and meditation.
Hello ! Don't worry, it's nothing but stress ! I might only be 11 but i've been though it before. When you wake up suddenly and your heart is racing and your to afraid to go back to sleep in case you " Die " or you have another panic attack. But you might want to go to the docter incase it might be something else but because your still young I doubt that you will have anuthing wrong with you :) Do not worry ! I go to a phycologist and she has really helped me so if your feeling panicky after you wake up in the night imagine your walking down a dark corridor then you see a door framed by light, you walk towards it, turning the door knob and gazing out at the beautiful garden with bright flowers surrounding it and big curtains of ivy hanging down. You stare out at the waterfall that lands into a deep, blue lake, nothing can hurt. Now sit down, anywhere you like and imagine there is a light beam shooting out of you It can be your favourite colour if you want ) and your slipping further and further away, nothing can harm you. Hope this helps :) Good luck !
Hello ! Don't worry, it's nothing but stress ! I might only be 11 but i've been though it before. When you wake up suddenly and your heart is racing and your to afraid to go back to sleep in case you " Die " or you have another panic attack. But you might want to go to the docter incase it might be something else but because your still young I doubt that you will have anuthing wrong with you :) Do not worry ! I go to a phycologist and she has really helped me so if your feeling panicky after you wake up in the night imagine your walking down a dark corridor then you see a door framed by light, you walk towards it, turning the door knob and gazing out at the beautiful garden with bright flowers surrounding it and big curtains of ivy hanging down. You stare out at the waterfall that lands into a deep, blue lake, nothing can hurt. Now sit down, anywhere you like and imagine there is a light beam shooting out of you It can be your favourite colour if you want ) and your slipping further and further away, nothing can harm you. Hope this helps :) Good luck !
Ps. Re my last post my problems have all started since having surgery and being on intravenous diazepam for 3 hours. Interesting that surgery is connected to your problem also.
Several years have passed since your post but it's the closest thing I can find to my problem. Your description fits exactly what I have. I don't suffer panic attacks but have developed an unpleasant sleep disorder that I can't seem to do anything about. As you say as soon as I fall asleep (and I can be very tired and relaxed) it's as if someone has switched a bright light on in my brain and I am brought rushing back to full wakefulness. At first I panicked a bit but after a while I got used to trying to return to sleep with the minimum fuss. This happens for hour after hour falling asleep within a minute and waking up a few mins later. Took a Valium last night which I suspect just masks the problem. I can see no correlation to anything that I'm doing or is going on in my life. Just wanted to let you know you were not on your own. Ps I am 51 and had this for the past month.
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This is happening to me now - are you better and what did you do to get better? Thank you!
I might be going through the same thing. I am not sure.. I hope someone can read this, my life has been ruined from anxiety since 2009..Over the years I have had different worries and different symptoms.. but my main fear and concern was always the heart.. Here is my latest symptoms.. I used to get this during the day too, but now mostly happens at night
Symptoms-
Right before I fall asleep or laying down trying to sleep.. I get this weird feeling that i can't describe. It sort of feels like a panic.. but it really is hard to define the feeling. Its like a feeling of dread that you know "its coming". It almost feels like a battle in your head and body.. and sometimes it feels like you can't win the battle at all and it takes over.. I will start feeling that (nervous / panic)'ish feeling and get very hot.. even maybe start sweating.. than it hits like a point of no return and my heart just starts racing.. A regular and steady but very fast pulse.. when that happens I don't know if i conditioned myself to relax and than it goes away pretty fast... or its a heart arrhythmia that stops.. but sometimes it doesn't stop and i get more nervous and i start sweating even more and feeling hot.. even feel a little bit like i can't breath.. usually these attacks don't last long.. they seem like mini attacks.. even the long ones i don't think last more than 10 mins or so lately.. does this sound familiar to anyone? My big concern is if it is a panic attack or a heart arrhythmia like SVT or VT.. atrial flutter etc.. But i always feel when its coming.. I feel that nervous feeling, butterflys sometimes.. feel hot, sweat,, and THAN my pulse seems to start going fast. Ive done so much researching about heart rhtym disorders and its all so vague. My big thing years ago was PVC's or skipped beats.. i used to get them and worry about them.. before that it was dizziness... than other times id fall asleep and get jolted awake like an electric shock.. Now my big thing, and the worst one yet are these damn episodes where my heart races..
Symptoms-
Right before I fall asleep or laying down trying to sleep.. I get this weird feeling that i can't describe. It sort of feels like a panic.. but it really is hard to define the feeling. Its like a feeling of dread that you know "its coming". It almost feels like a battle in your head and body.. and sometimes it feels like you can't win the battle at all and it takes over.. I will start feeling that (nervous / panic)'ish feeling and get very hot.. even maybe start sweating.. than it hits like a point of no return and my heart just starts racing.. A regular and steady but very fast pulse.. when that happens I don't know if i conditioned myself to relax and than it goes away pretty fast... or its a heart arrhythmia that stops.. but sometimes it doesn't stop and i get more nervous and i start sweating even more and feeling hot.. even feel a little bit like i can't breath.. usually these attacks don't last long.. they seem like mini attacks.. even the long ones i don't think last more than 10 mins or so lately.. does this sound familiar to anyone? My big concern is if it is a panic attack or a heart arrhythmia like SVT or VT.. atrial flutter etc.. But i always feel when its coming.. I feel that nervous feeling, butterflys sometimes.. feel hot, sweat,, and THAN my pulse seems to start going fast. Ive done so much researching about heart rhtym disorders and its all so vague. My big thing years ago was PVC's or skipped beats.. i used to get them and worry about them.. before that it was dizziness... than other times id fall asleep and get jolted awake like an electric shock.. Now my big thing, and the worst one yet are these damn episodes where my heart races..
1 Comments
Hey im jus starting to thru the Samething cant sleep for nothing feel all anxious and nervous soon as i fall asleep sensation go thru my body im back up.feeling all tingly and stuff did u find a cure please let me know im really scared
I should have mentioned that I'm also a life-long sufferer from panic and anxiety disorder. One of my surgeries was an emergency (talk about stress) and the other was exploratory for cancer. So my stress, anxiety and fear index has been off the charts for the past year in addition to the normal disorder!!
Imagine - I'm not the only one with this strange phenomenon! For me, the tiny attacks are somewhat infrequent - perhaps a few times a month. I'll be just on the verge of sleep and, as so many have mentioned, have the sensation of falling and feel panic and/or brief but profound feeling of depression. I know they don't last long, so I self-talk and tell myself that I've had them lots of times before and nothing bad has EVER happened. I remind myself that they go away quickly and they do. They are distressing, no question about it, but I've managed to talk/think my way through them. I am so relieved that I'm not the only one who experiences this.
I am 63 and have had two surgeries this past year and, over that time period (April through November), the mini-attacks have gotten somewhat worse. The residual side effects from the anesthesia (April surgery) coupled with pain pills (hate them, but needed them) in combination with my regular meds (Remeron and Xanax .25, TID) threw me into a major case of insomnia for about 10 days. That was resolved by upping my Xanax at night (didn't really want to, but it did the trick and I was able to ramp back down very easily), but I think the whole experience simply exacerbated the mini panic/depressive pre-sleep episodes. Since my second surgery (three weeks ago), I haven't noticed many episodes. I think this is because I had a MUCH better experience with the anesthesia (NO residual side effects - anesthesiology is as much an art as a science and the doc this last time was simply awesome). Just my two cents.
I am 63 and have had two surgeries this past year and, over that time period (April through November), the mini-attacks have gotten somewhat worse. The residual side effects from the anesthesia (April surgery) coupled with pain pills (hate them, but needed them) in combination with my regular meds (Remeron and Xanax .25, TID) threw me into a major case of insomnia for about 10 days. That was resolved by upping my Xanax at night (didn't really want to, but it did the trick and I was able to ramp back down very easily), but I think the whole experience simply exacerbated the mini panic/depressive pre-sleep episodes. Since my second surgery (three weeks ago), I haven't noticed many episodes. I think this is because I had a MUCH better experience with the anesthesia (NO residual side effects - anesthesiology is as much an art as a science and the doc this last time was simply awesome). Just my two cents.
I just read fully your statement. This is a good conclusion, however, my attacks have been recent, though I have been a heavy computer user for a number of years now, and have always taken eh view that I should stop at least two hours before I sleep. though it is no doubt related, I would be more inclined to view it as a caffeine problem , more people now take heavily caffeinated products in order to get more out of their day. I was one such person and though I still suffer from these attacks , the lowered dosage of sugar and caffeine has greatly reduced the incidences.
I just googled this to see if I was alone. apparently I am not. There has been a few times where I drift off. And just at he point of falling asleep, I'm hit with this panic...no reason, no logic, just fear and sudden adrenaline, a feeling like I cant breathe. I have no idea what's wrong with me I've cut almost all caffeine out of my diet as I initially thought it was my caffeine intake, but after some time, I realise its not entirely that...though I am sure it did make it worse! If anyone knows why this is happening and how to stop it...It would be great! in mean time folks, reduce caffine...it DOES reduce these incidences I have experimented
Besides this board hasn't got all the facts because not everyone i going to come here to share and many who will share at all, maybe because they don't have a computer.
Hi, I understand why you have come to this conclusion but to me it simply doesn't make sense, right now I'm on the internet because I'm at a relatives, but when I'm at home I have no internet and therefore do not use my computer very much. I watch hardly any TV although I do play games but still not half as much as many people I know.
Hi,
Firstly I am sorry all of you are experiencing this awful feeling - I have had this condition for over 10 years and although I can see a pattern among you all being young, I myself am 49 - the "attacks" as I call them started once a week, then 1 a night, then at the height, 12 times in one hour. I think they are self perpetuating.
I have seen 7 doctors, I have had 3 sleep studies (wire you up to a point where it is not going to help you sleep) all the same, they could not pin point what was wrong. Had MRI scan - blood tests, the works - all 100% normal.
I have seen a neurologist and a psychiatrist (a few childhood issues he thinks are the cause - I doubt it)
- the name of what I (we have) is vague at best as it can come under so many names - but "night terrors" -"nocturnal panic attacks" I have even come across one called "exploding head syndrome" (I know - crazy!) - however they are close enough I guess but it is not an official diagnosis and having something wrong that has no name really adds to the problem, as seeking advice for it, is virtually impossible.
I have been on sleeping tablets since these attacks started - yes 10 years of them - I try to take half each night and live with a few attacks but when it is bad I can take up to 2 (7,5mg Zopiclone) - Sometimes they help but 90% of the time I still get these attacks but on the pills they are reduced and no so violent, the rare night I get none they do help overall but the attacks never really stop and the pills make me irritable the next day it is a battle all the time, I do get some good days though so it is not all doom and gloom yet I hate it and it scares me as much as the first time but now I have come to accept it as best I can. How nasty can it be that you are at your most relaxed when it happens - how can you possibly relax and calm yourself more! - I would not wish this on anyone.
My conclusions -
10 years ago when they started there was 1 post, like all the above - just 1 - sure the internet was newish - but it was from a girl talking about her boyfriend having this condition...the post was 3 years old at the time I found it not one post in reply to it was left. Now look how many we have here and no doubt countless other places, it could be just a coincidence with traffic on the internet or it could be something else is kicking this condition off.
Night time epilepsy has been thrown at me - this was later dropped as the cause- however flashing lights etc cause epilepsy I believe - so after reading many (not all) of the posts above,I have a theory, firstly I believe this a fairly new condition that is gaining momentum, in order to be sure that my theory has some grounds I believe that 1 thing could now be cause of these attacks for myself....
I really feel the cause is computer use - I work on them and use them far more than is probably healthy - I am self employed and have had 1 full weeks holiday in the whole 16 years I have been in business - - what I am trying to say is, one week in all that time where I never saw a computer screen for 7 full days! - I can now remember, that during that week - the attacks were the least they have ever been and they reduced as the week went by. This seems to be a link but we can only know that if other posters may also use computers for extended hours, day in day out - with work, social media, online gaming , watching movies - writing this post, it goes on - I know I live on the computer far, far too much and I am not saying you are even close to my use but if you feel you do - it is something to consider.
So It is hard not to use the computer for a few hours, each day, 7 days a week, also admit to being a workaholic - but this is my take on this condition and computer use is something I will plan to reduce and see if the attacks reduce too - should it, I will post my findings - I hope you all find an end to this condition.
Peace
Firstly I am sorry all of you are experiencing this awful feeling - I have had this condition for over 10 years and although I can see a pattern among you all being young, I myself am 49 - the "attacks" as I call them started once a week, then 1 a night, then at the height, 12 times in one hour. I think they are self perpetuating.
I have seen 7 doctors, I have had 3 sleep studies (wire you up to a point where it is not going to help you sleep) all the same, they could not pin point what was wrong. Had MRI scan - blood tests, the works - all 100% normal.
I have seen a neurologist and a psychiatrist (a few childhood issues he thinks are the cause - I doubt it)
- the name of what I (we have) is vague at best as it can come under so many names - but "night terrors" -"nocturnal panic attacks" I have even come across one called "exploding head syndrome" (I know - crazy!) - however they are close enough I guess but it is not an official diagnosis and having something wrong that has no name really adds to the problem, as seeking advice for it, is virtually impossible.
I have been on sleeping tablets since these attacks started - yes 10 years of them - I try to take half each night and live with a few attacks but when it is bad I can take up to 2 (7,5mg Zopiclone) - Sometimes they help but 90% of the time I still get these attacks but on the pills they are reduced and no so violent, the rare night I get none they do help overall but the attacks never really stop and the pills make me irritable the next day it is a battle all the time, I do get some good days though so it is not all doom and gloom yet I hate it and it scares me as much as the first time but now I have come to accept it as best I can. How nasty can it be that you are at your most relaxed when it happens - how can you possibly relax and calm yourself more! - I would not wish this on anyone.
My conclusions -
10 years ago when they started there was 1 post, like all the above - just 1 - sure the internet was newish - but it was from a girl talking about her boyfriend having this condition...the post was 3 years old at the time I found it not one post in reply to it was left. Now look how many we have here and no doubt countless other places, it could be just a coincidence with traffic on the internet or it could be something else is kicking this condition off.
Night time epilepsy has been thrown at me - this was later dropped as the cause- however flashing lights etc cause epilepsy I believe - so after reading many (not all) of the posts above,I have a theory, firstly I believe this a fairly new condition that is gaining momentum, in order to be sure that my theory has some grounds I believe that 1 thing could now be cause of these attacks for myself....
I really feel the cause is computer use - I work on them and use them far more than is probably healthy - I am self employed and have had 1 full weeks holiday in the whole 16 years I have been in business - - what I am trying to say is, one week in all that time where I never saw a computer screen for 7 full days! - I can now remember, that during that week - the attacks were the least they have ever been and they reduced as the week went by. This seems to be a link but we can only know that if other posters may also use computers for extended hours, day in day out - with work, social media, online gaming , watching movies - writing this post, it goes on - I know I live on the computer far, far too much and I am not saying you are even close to my use but if you feel you do - it is something to consider.
So It is hard not to use the computer for a few hours, each day, 7 days a week, also admit to being a workaholic - but this is my take on this condition and computer use is something I will plan to reduce and see if the attacks reduce too - should it, I will post my findings - I hope you all find an end to this condition.
Peace
I was wondering if your night time symptoms have changed? I started this same thing two months ago when I had a concussion that night bang panic,heart rate up , sweating could not breath. It repeated all night I ended up going on klonopin .5 mg after 5 straight nights it seems to help but who wants to be on meds.
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