Does anyone else have nights like this?

[tailspin]

I had another night from hell a couple of nights ago. I was up all night feeling really ill - mainly nausea and diarrhea - dizziness, weakness, the sense that my heart was about to stop and that I was going to drop dead. This goes on all night. With me alternately pacing around the house, rushing to the bathroom, lying on the bed, the couch, the floor, walking up the street, rushing to the bathroom again, etc. Feeling so ill. The next day I felt like death and today I'm slowly starting to come out of it.

Thankfully I don't have nights like that all the time, but I have them often enough that it's a real problem. Those nights are torture and they strike at random. The bad feeling usually starts right when I put the light out. And it always starts with something physical. And then, I don't know what happens, but things in my body start to escalate and I just start feeling so ill, like I'm going to die. And it's not like a panic attack that peaks and is over in about 10 minutes. This last for 12 hours or more. And it takes days to get over it. It's so physical.

Just wondering if anyone else can relate to this kind of thing happening at night?

[autumnbee123]

I feel the exact same just about every night. When you say it feels like your heart will stop do you mean you can't feel it & it feels weak or what?

[Lin]

I have insomnia problems, and sometimes feel sick from being overtired, but I do not get the terrible physical problems you describe.

Have you checked with a doctor that it is anxiety causing these symptoms and not a reaction to anything you have eaten that day etc?

I would definitely get your symptoms checked out by a doctor if you haven't already. If it is definitely caused by anxiety, I feel very sorry for you, insomnia sounds much easier than your physical symptoms.

[tailspin]

Thanks for the replies, autumnbee and Lin. I have spoken to the doctor about it and she didn't really say much other than she also tended to believe it was to do with something I had eaten. But I'm not sure. It seems more extreme than that. And, as I say, my heart seems to be involved. My heart felt really weird and as though it was going to stop beating. And I felt weak and dizzy. My heart rate is usually low. I have a resting heart rate of about 55 beats per minute. When I'm lying down it often goes down to 48 or so. I hate that! When I'm panicking, my heart rate does go up to somewhere in the 90s. I was testing my heart rate that night and it was all over the place. I've had several EKGs and they were ok. I also did that 24 hour halter monitor thing. I'm going to ask for a stress test next.

Thanks again for the replies.

[JustAnotherAttack]

I don't know if you've tried this, but see if your doctor will test you for some sort of sleeping disorder.
I've never had it done, but you have to stay overnight in their clinic so they can monitor you.
Have you done anything like that before?

[tailspin]

Thanks, Jessica. The thing is, this happens before I go to sleep. Or at least, that's usually how it happens. I have wondered about my sleep though because I do sometimes wake up suddenly in the night having a terrible panic attack (even though I wasn't having a nightmare). I sure wish I understood better how my brain works!!!

[Lin]

I think it sounds like your nausea etc is anxiety and panic attacks, rather than something you eat or a virus.
I would treat it like anxiety. As soon as the symptoms start I would have a sniff of smelling salts, or put ice on my neck or put ice in a bowl of water and splash my face. Once this has brought you back to the present then start to slow, deep breath and concentrate only on your breathing, and gradually all the symptoms will subside.

[tailspin]

Thanks, Lin. I definitely need to do a better job of trying to do something earlier on, soon after these symptoms start. Because as the night progresses things just escalate to an unbearable degree and it gets so bad that it feels like there is nothing I or anyone else can do to help me. It's like I really go over the edge. That's the best way I can describe it. At one point I woke up my husband because I was feeling so bad, but even though he is usually really good at calming me down, nothing he said could help me. He asked if I wanted him to take me to the hospital and I said I couldn't make it there. I can't really describe how bad this state is. It's just awful!!! And I feel really powerless to do anything (which just makes me feel worse!)

But maybe if I could interrupt this process earlier on, before I get to that point of no return, I could help myself better. So I will try next time to use some tactics earlier on, such as the ones you describe. I do have some Ativan for emergencies, but I always think/hope I can ride it out so I try not to take one, and then, by the time I really need one, I'm feeling so ill that I can't even contemplate taking a sip of water, let alone swallowing a pill.

Thanks for letting me get that out of my system!!

[JustAnotherAttack]

Thanks, Jessica. The thing is, this happens before I go to sleep. Or at least, that's usually how it happens. I have wondered about my sleep though because I do sometimes wake up suddenly in the night having a terrible panic attack (even though I wasn't having a nightmare). I sure wish I understood better how my brain works!!!


I wish I understood how mine works too, lol! If you happen to find out please let me know lol! :)

[tailspin]

I wish I understood how mine works too, lol! If you happen to find out please let me know lol! :)

LOL! Will do!! :)