Nighttime Panic Attacks?

[harris5998]

Does anyone suffer from nightime panic attacks? Like, having nightmares and waking up feeling panicky every so often? Or just waking up nervous with your heart racing and body trembling? Some nights this happens multiple times per night, other nights (usually when I take Xanax before bed) it doesn't happen at all. It's very upsetting. I just did not know a person could wake up in the middle of a panic attack, I have enough of them during the day!

[leebase]

I suffer from night time panic attacks as well.   Started when about 6 years ago when I'd been out of work 8 months.   Right before I'd fall asleep I'd get this overwhelming sense of "I'm going to die right now" -- truly terrifying.   Tingling -- over aware of all my body senses -- feeling that if I didn't intentionally breathe, I'd stop - fear that I'd choke.

I got through that after a couple years.   6 months of the attacks and a year and a half of a fixation on my mortality.

A year an half ago I had a reoccurrence  -- but without fear of dying -- just a strong desire to flee.   I was on vacation in the mountains and felt the desire to 'get off the mountain' -- but when I got back home and still woke up desiring to 'flee the mountain', I realized it wasn't just related to being up high.   Got past that in a month or so.

And just had a reccurence the last couple weeks.   Woke up with the desire to flee -- and general fear and anxiety -- but not really about anything.    Really stinks.   I know it's a panic attack, I know it'll pass -- but it's no fun as I get up and go watch tv, only to flee to my office....then to the shower.....then back to the bed.....no matter where I go, I need to flee from it :(

Had a dr. appt. yesterday and got a script for Ambien and Xanex.   Short term coping strategy.   Never tried the xanex before, but the ambien has helped me a lot in the past.   After I have an attack, I'm anxious about going to bed the next night (and the next and so on).   Having a sleep aid helps me sleep successfully and break the cycle.

Lee

[1BlueJay]

I am a 53-year-old woman, menopausal, but on HRT. Not infrequently, I wake up about 2 hours after going to sleep (just as Sick&TIred described in his/her post). My heart is POUNDING, racing, and usually the thing that woke me up is a strange dream - which I actually think is my mind's way of saying "Wake up! Your heart is racing!" So it's not the dream that causes the heart racing & palpitations, it's my biological body causing that, but my mind is smart enough to wake me up so I can calm down and attend to it.

Related to this, I have GERD. I have found that my trigger foods are: alcohol, caffeine, rich/fatty foods, and sugars (particularly mint and/or chocolate combos). I try to NEVER have more than 1-2 trigger foods together at night, and I'm trying hard to stop eating after 7:30pm, to allow my body to digest the food better.

I haven't seen a specialist about this condition yet, but am attributing it to hormones and the natural "stair-step" process of aging. But it is DANG scary. I can only calm myself down by strong mental rote: like saying the alphabet over and over, while gently rubbing my tummy and chest region. Just wanted to share this, cuz it looks like I have plenty of company. Can anyone out there share some doctor diagnoses, too?

[SusieC122]

My symptoms have been a bit different.  I woke up one night afew months ago, with the feeling of "butterflies" in my stomach.  That really scared me!  I then went't into a full-blown panic attack.  Since then, it happens during the day and almost every night.  Both when im trying to go to sleep, or waking up during the night.  Its horrible because its very difficult to get back to sleep when im that nervous.  Often when i do, i wake up again with the same panic and sick feeling in my stomach.  I have taken xanax afew times, when i cant get back to sleep.  It does help.  I'm just afraid I will become dependent on it, so I only take it when i really need to.  Some days, i get depressed thinking I will never overcome this.  I think about these panic attacks constantly!  I know its making it worse.  I miss the person I used to be.

At least I know I'm not alone.  It helps to read about other people's experiences.

[met_tech]

There are so many people suffering from panic attacks,which i also suffer from these darn things for 20yrs.....
but the question is are they doing any RESEARCH to what really causes them....

[sylviasylvia2]

I tell you all have been a great help to me.  I am 41  and have had suffered panic attacks back about 10 yrs ago and 10 years before that.  It seems like an every 10 yr thing for me.  I have been diagnosed to having mile sleep apnea which I have a Cpap machine, but as of a month or so ago I started having an attack in the middle of the night  I would wake up gasping for air, my heart would be 130-150 beats a minute and my blood pressure was off the charts.  I was certain I was having heart failure. I have been to so many damn doctors and Emergency Rooms and everything comes back just fine.  I have had blood tests, full cardiac work ups and seen sleep specialists.  I am almost embarrased to admit that these nighttime severe attacks are part of a panic attack.  I almost want there to be something wrong, instead of being told, "you cant handle life, so your subconscious messes with you when you sleep".  I will say that taking a valium before bed has helped a lot.  I was afraid of taking a sedetive for fear of my breathing to be very depressed and I would stop breathing altogether.  My sleep doctor said to do it.  I have been going on almost two months of unrestorative sleep.  I feel like I am crazy, exhausted, can't concentrate on anything, had to take several days off work to offset the embarrasment of possible having to tell my boss, I was having a nervous breakdown....I feel shameful, however, I realize, it's not my fault.  I am getting the help I need, simplifying as much as I can. I am a high strung person , I have bipolar disorder, asthma, hypothyroid, ADHD, I have had 16 surgeries in my life, (none of them cosmetic, unfortunately.LOL) but I am hopefull in knowing that I am not going to die, even though it feels like it and that I pray my higher power will help me on.

[sylviasylvia2]

A follow up sleep study determined that I DEFINATELY have Nighttime Panic Attacks as soon as I hit my DEEP SLEEP wave.  It was documented at the sleep center I went to.  I got my results a week later.  I am SOOOO relieved that they saw it and that I know I do not have an underlying doomed diagnosis.  As I had stated in my last note, I am a high strung person and I am in counseling now, seeing my psychiatrist regularly on an antidepressand/anxiety med and taking valium before bed.  My Primary dr put me on Toprol XL to control the adrenalin surges in case of "the attack" until I can work out my daytime anxieties and deal with them, then I can get off  the heart/blood pressure med.  I hope this post helps someone who is suffering with this problem which is really fixable.