Fluttering/pulsating sensation when falling asleep and waking up

[JamesH1989]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting here. I've had a panic disorder since June of this year and forums like these have helped me calm down a lot of my symptoms just by knowing people have suffered from similar things. However I've been combing the internet all night and morning (I haven't slept in almost 24 hours) and can't find anything similar to what I'm experiencing lately.

For the past two weeks whenever I am on the precipice of sleep, or right when I wake up, I have a really fast pulsating sensation in my chest/neck/stomach/back (it's hard for me to pinpoint where it is because I'm usually out of it when it happens.) Normally this would lead to heart-related concerns, but I take my pulse and it's nowhere near that fast and I had a ton of tests run on my heart to give me peace of mind a few weeks ago.

The only symptoms I've been having lately that go along with it is really sharp upper back pain, and my stomach has been really messed up for about a month now (GERD, irregular bowel movements, no appetite.)

Anyone ever have anything like this? I haven't been able to sleep today because this is scaring the crap out of me every time I drift off.

[artaud]

Hmm. Ever consider a Sleep Study and 24 Hour EEG (not EKG)?

The 24 Hour EEG, you look like a spaceman when they put it on you and you go home, multicolored leads whose ends are glued to your head. I had problems that weren't discovered by regular or sleep deprived EEGs.

At least they will Rule Out other problems.

[cdfrank]

Hello, let me tell you my story....... I been dealing with anxiety/ panic disorder for almost 3 years now! Like a month ago I started having these chest pains and I got really scared cause I didn't know what they were. Everyday I was wondering about my chest and what it could be! One day last month I was driving and I got a pain in m chest and that immediately triggered a panic attack. This was so scary because every symptom you can have during a panic attack I had.... I end up going to the hospital because I thought it was a heart attack I thought I was dying for real! Everyday after that I was going to the hospital. Literally, everyday because my chest was hurting everyday! Like 3 weeks ago I started having heart palpitations. My heart will just go really fast like many times a day and this made me even more scared.... Then u started having heart flutters. I would lay down and it will flutter or palpitate it would move my whole body and like you said I don't know where it come from because when I feel my heart I doesn't seem like it be beating that fast! It use to do it throughout the day but now it mainly do it at night and when I get up! I be scared I be up all night to cause I be scared to go to sleep it I feel funny!

[artaud]

Then I started having heart flutters. I would lay down and it will flutter or palpitate it would move my whole body and like you said I don't know where it come from because when I feel my heart I doesn't seem like it be beating that fast! It use to do it throughout the day but now it mainly do it at night and when I get up! I be scared I be up all night to cause I be scared to go to sleep it I feel funny!

There is such a thing as fasciculations, muscle spasms that affect different muscle groups. Most of them are harmless. When I get them in my chest muscles, I always think it was my heart, causes me to jump and grab my chest. Have you talked to a doctor about these or any other of your concerns?

[cdfrank]

I been to the doctor over 5 million times and they told me it was nothing. I recently had a 48 hour holter monitor on and now is waiting for those results