Does this sound like Anxiety? I'm too scared to sleep.

[Jadeinda]

Hi,

Around 3 weeks ago, I started getting a strange wave sensation through my brain for a couple of days. I was having heart palpitations too and a feeling that I needed to tighten my whole body very quickly and couldn't keep my legs still, I had headaches and blurred vision on and off. I get a lot of weird sensations, but this was the strangest.

My Doctor said it's anxiety (5th Doctor to say so) but they never let me fully explain what is going on. They sort of smirk at me and say it's all normal. I went into hospital a while ago for an ECG and I've had blood tests etc and everything was fine. This shock sensation is back. It's hard to describe, but it's NOT like an electrical feeling and it's not painful, but it puts me on edge. It went away last time after I had a relaxing weekend, but nothing stressful has happend recently so I can't put my finger on why it has returned.

Both times I've had it, I couldn't sleep. I was stuck between half awake and asleep, with heart palps and very vivid dreams while my eyes darted around. It was worse when I was on my back and I just felt that my heart was so weak. I kept moaning in my "sleep" and I was 100% certain I was about to die. Even thinking about how it felt scares me and I'm too scared to sleep tonight.

Does any of this sound like anxiety? I just can't accept that it's making me feel this way and it's so hard to get an appointment with a Doctor.

I haven't had any other scan apart from 2 ECG's (EKG's).

[HelpingHand]

From my experience of helping other people with anxiety this does not sound like anxiety. Heart palpitations coupled with eyes darting sounds like a form of epilepsy. However i am not a doctor only a researcher. Suggest to your doctor you may have epilepsy he/she should send you for an MRI if they don't push for it your self or change your GP wait to see the results.

[jloca215]

It sounds like exactly what I'm going through now. I've been so on edge especially when it's time to sleep. My whole body spasms when I drift off to sleep and it jerks me awake. My heart has been racing off and on for days and frequent palpitations and loud thumping in my ears. I've been through dozens of tests, seen all kinds of specialists and they all say the same - anxiety. Try a benzo before bed. You need a prescription or you could try OTC Tylenol pm or something. You need a good nights sleep, restful sleep. All these weird sensations are most likely a combo of stress, lack of sleep, and over surge of adrenaline in your system.

[Fourteen14]

Hi, Around 3 weeks ago, I started getting a strange wave sensation through my brain for a couple of days. I was having heart palpitations too

This is sometimes referred to as "brain zaps" several people on the forum have suffered these. Sometimes it's attributed to a side effect of SSRI.


Both times I've had it, I couldn't sleep. I was stuck between half awake and asleep, with heart palps and very vivid dreams while my eyes darted around).

Although you experienced a light/semi conscious sleep pattern. REM sleep is when we dream and basically does what it says on the tin (Rapid Eye Movement). It's uncommon for people to be consciously aware of it, but not unheard of.

[Pumpkin]

At first it sounded like anxiety but when you started on about the heart palpitations, your eyes darting around and the moaning in your sleep I started to think otherwise. I think if this continues then you should go back to your doctor after you have a better idea of what it could be (besides anxiety) so you can run these things by the doctors. Talk to some more people around here and try to research some more things without freaking yourself too much. Sometimes doctors can be really lazy when things don't show up in a simple ECG or blood test and just like to fall back on certain disorders. Definitely don't ignore this for too long as it could be something more serious.. you're an advocate for your own body so don't let a doctor tell you it's 100% anxiety unless more tests have been done and you feel comfortable with your diagnosis. Good luck :)