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[Scotland2016]

Hi, i joined this forum just to get a bit of advice. I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks. I usely have 1 or 2 panic attacks a day varying in strength from mild to strong. I have beta blockers but i very rarely take them. Instead i have an app on my phone that i listen to during a panic attack. Anyway, this moring i woke up and within a mili second of being awake i feel incredibly anxious and hot. Within a second or so i realised i still had my hoody on so i immediately sat up from lying on my back. I suddenly had a weird feeling/pain in my chest and upper body. It was if it was tight and made of stone. As soon as i felt this i said to myself'im having a heart attack or a stroke'. It was serioulsly scary as normally when i feel my panic attack symptoms i now exactly whats happening but this was so sudden, it happened in literally 5 seconds after i woke up. As i felt this sensation i tried to shout out but it was like the words wouldnt come out. I lay back down and ithad came and gone maybe 20 seconds max after i first woke up althouhh i got the usual feeling of dread, tingly feeling in fingers, shakey, need the toilet etc for a maybe 20 mins after.After an hour or so it was like i had imagined it or it never happened if that makes any sens. I was wondering if anyone had experienced similar on this forum. Iv read up on nocturnal panic attacks and think it may be that. Ive never personally had a panic attack waking me up. I immediately knew something was up from literally the second i awoke. Sorry for the poor grammar and thanks for reading.

[aml0017]

That sounds scary but I really think it is just anxiety. I think for a lot of people anxiety is a lot worse in the mornings, between low blood sugar and high cortisol levels at that time of day. I have been woken up in the middle the night by a panic attack and I have had one right upon waking before. I have experienced that feeling like you are having a heart attack, the panic about thinking it is an actual heart attack just makes it worse, makes it hard to breathe or speak. Especially happening right upon waking like it did, you are already in that weird mindset just between sleep and waking, everything just seems a bit unreal for a moment or two.

I have GAD and I do have full on panic attacks from time to time but 1 or 2 a day is a lot. Are you seeing a psychiatrist or taking any other long term meds? If not, may be something to look into to get some relief.

[Scotland2016]

That sounds scary but I really think it is just anxiety. I think for a lot of people anxiety is a lot worse in the mornings, between low blood sugar and high cortisol levels at that time of day. I have been woken up in the middle the night by a panic attack and I have had one right upon waking before. I have experienced that feeling like you are having a heart attack, the panic about thinking it is an actual heart attack just makes it worse, makes it hard to breathe or speak. Especially happening right upon waking like it did, you are already in that weird mindset just between sleep and waking, everything just seems a bit unreal for a moment or two.

I have GAD and I do have full on panic attacks from time to time but 1 or 2 a day is a lot. Are you seeing a psychiatrist or taking any other long term meds? If not, may be something to look into to get some relief.

Thanks for the reply. I feel anxious pretty much all day but full blown panic attacks happen maybe once or twice a week. Sometimes I can go weeks without having one. The 1 or 2 have a day are mostly mild. It's like the very start of a panic attack. I don't see a a phsychiatrist or take any meds. I have beta blockers which do work but I rarely take them as I have an app on my phone called Panic attacks? By geert verschaeve which I find really good to listen to when having a panic attack.

[BlessedBackyard]

Welcome to the forum. I've woken up with panic attacks before, and while mine aren't exactly like you described, my symptoms have been similar. Scary times. Have you made any lifestyle changes to manage/decrease the anxiety? Feeling anxious all day, every day takes a lot out of you, and most people can sustain that kind of stress for only so long before their bodies start to wear down.

[Scotland2016]

Welcome to the forum. I've woken up with panic attacks before, and while mine aren't exactly like you described, my symptoms have been similar. Scary times. Have you made any lifestyle changes to manage/decrease the anxiety? Feeling anxious all day, every day takes a lot out of you, and most people can sustain that kind of stress for only so long before their bodies start to wear down.
I haven't made any changes to my lifestyle currently. My diet is quite poor as well as I tend to eat a lot of crisps. I do eat healthy meals but I'll have the same 5 or six meals all the time. I don't anywhere near enough fruit and things either.

Yeah this morning was incredibly scary, I'm thankful that someone else was in the house but I'm dreading going to sleep tonight.

[BlessedBackyard]

The panic attacks that come out of nowhere -- like those that wake us up -- seem to benefit the most from lifestyle changes. There are physical components to anxiety, so anything you can do to make your physical body healthier and more balanced is likely to help.

Sleep was a vicious cycle for me for awhile. I was scared to sleep because of panic attacks, so I fell asleep in front of the TV at 2 or 3 in the morning, when my eyes would no longer stay open. But the bright light from the TV right before sleep messed up my brain signals, so then I slept poorly. And poor sleep (or lack of sleep) made the anxiety worse.

[Scotland2016]

What sort of changes would help?

I tend to get quite anxious at night up until I actually fall asleep.

[BlessedBackyard]

Exercise or physical activity during the day if you're not already active. Healthier meals -- less sugar and caffeine, more leafy vegetables. Relax the hour before bed with meditation, massages, visualization exercises, deep breathing techniques (try an internet search for deep breathing for anxiety) or anything else that calms you down (watching TV doesn't count). Remove "blue" lights the hour before bed, including the TV and computer. If you use a phone or tablet before bed, put it on blue shade or nightscreen -- it removes the blue light that interferes with sleep. Many people on here take different supplements, and there are some supplement threads on here that go into greater detail on those. Drink herbal teas, including ones for anxiety (like lemon balm or chamomile) and ones that support your organs (specifically the liver, kidneys, and digestive system).

I hope something in there is beneficial!

[aml0017]

Ditto what blessed backyard said, it becomes a vicious cycle where you are primed to get anxious about sleep before you even set foot in the bedroom. Try to remember that as much as it sucks, anxiety will not kill you, it is just a misfire of your body's natural fight or flight mechanism. Start a relaxing ritual before bedtime to help yourself settle down and distract your mind. Take a nice bath, have some herbal tea (no caffeine), read a book or if you'd rather watch tv watch a comedy or something light for just a little while, until you feel you can fall asleep. Try to have a light snack about an hour before bedtime to keep your blood sugar from crashing in the middle of the night. If you find you can't fall asleep, get out of bed or read a while longer. No good in laying there in the dark with only your thoughts for company. If you feel it will help, use something like Benadryl to help you sleep better, just for a day or two. NO alcohol or caffeine.

As for lifestyle changes, any little improvements to your diet will help. Try to cut down on the crisps and processed junk. Eat healthy balanced meals you like (good carbs/lean protein/good fat etc), even if you eat them a lot. Eat your meals on a regular schedule with healthy snacks in between, this will prevent fluctuations in blood sugar that can mimic/induce anxiety. Get more exercise - I don't care if it is just a brisk walk around your house a few times a day, just get your blood pumping somehow. Outdoors is better but anything is good. Just avoid any more intense exercise too close to bedtime. No caffeine after 10 am in the morning and NO alcohol. Alcohol makes you feel more relaxed at first but it will backfire big time. Some people find meditation helps. I have not used it but I do use self talk when I am having anxiety. Just means I talk myself through it/out of it by reminding myself it is just anxiety, it will pass. I note the irrationality of whatever I'm worrying about at the moment, and remind myself that worrying is not going to help.

I find that just making any type of positive change for the better, no matter how small is often all I need to get back on the right track.

[aml0017]

I have not used any apps for panic/anxiety but if the app you use works for you then great! There are a lot of apps out there. I did used to have one that was a worry journal, you could write down all your worries to get them out of your head so to speak. Now I come to this forum. It is nice to talk to people who have been there.

[Scotland2016]

Thanks for the replies. Yeah I'm going to start eating better and getting more exercise. I've also started staying in at weekends as up until three weeks ago I'd be out drinking both Friday and Saturday with little sleep and by the time Sunday came I was a wreck, my anxiety was through the roof. Could having a poor diet with and not getting enough magnesium etc in my diet be a big factor?

[aml0017]

I don't know much about the science behind it but I have read that Magnesium deficiency can contribute to anxiety. It certainly can't hurt to add a lot more vegetables and fruits to your diet in any case. There is a (LOOONG) sticky at the top of the general discussion page about amino acids and Magnesium. I've never attempted to read it lol but it could be informative. Hope you can get a bit of sleep tonight and tomorrow will be a better day for you.

[gypsylee]

Hi and welcome :)

Waking up is almost always my worst time for anxiety. It isn't as bad since I stopped drinking but still bad enough that it's often hard for me to even face getting up because all I want is to go back to sleep and the anxiety to go away.

I take Magnesium (with D3 and B6 or something) but I'm not big on these things being the cause/cure for anxiety. I personally think I was born with a chemical imbalance - a lack of the brain chemicals that slow you down (GABA is the main one). That combined with environmental factors (aka my mother, lol) means I'm always hypervigilant and have a hard time relaxing. So it's a very deep seated problem in my case. That said, I do take the Magnesium as well as Omega 3 capsules.

Anyway, I find this forum very helpful and hope you do as well.

All the best,
Gypsy x

[Scotland2016]

I don't know much about the science behind it but I have read that Magnesium deficiency can contribute to anxiety. It certainly can't hurt to add a lot more vegetables and fruits to your diet in any case. There is a (LOOONG) sticky at the top of the general discussion page about amino acids and Magnesium. I've never attempted to read it lol but it could be informative. Hope you can get a bit of sleep tonight and tomorrow will be a better day for you.

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. I'll have a look at that sticky thread.

[Scotland2016]

Hi and welcome :)

Waking up is almost always my worst time for anxiety. It isn't as bad since I stopped drinking but still bad enough that it's often hard for me to even face getting up because all I want is to go back to sleep and the anxiety to go away.

I take Magnesium (with D3 and B6 or something) but I'm not big on these things being the cause/cure for anxiety. I personally think I was born with a chemical imbalance - a lack of the brain chemicals that slow you down (GABA is the main one). That combined with environmental factors (aka my mother, lol) means I'm always hypervigilant and have a hard time relaxing. So it's a very deep seated problem in my case. That said, I do take the Magnesium as well as Omega 3 capsules.

Anyway, I find this forum very helpful and hope you do as well.

All the best,
Gypsy x

Hi gypsy how would you say the vitamin and magnesium supplements have helped you?

[lolfeg123]

I was thinking that you may have experienced sleep paralysis because you couldn't talk, but you said you sat up and so this can't be it

[gypsylee]

Hi gypsy how would you say the vitamin and magnesium supplements have helped you?

I have no idea if they have or not. I mean maybe my anxiety/depression would be worse without them but I still get pretty bad episodes. I find that talking (to my psychiatrist, GP, family, friends, people here) about it is much more powerful. I'm also on meds - Fluoxetine 20mg (Prozac) and Mogadon 10mg (medium-acting benzodiazepine) but even those don't make as much difference as having a good support system.

[Scotland2016]

I have no idea if they have or not. I mean maybe my anxiety/depression would be worse without them but I still get pretty bad episodes. I find that talking (to my psychiatrist, GP, family, friends, people here) about it is much more powerful. I'm also on meds - Fluoxetine 20mg (Prozac) and Mogadon 10mg (medium-acting benzodiazepine) but even those don't make as much difference as having a good support system.

I'm going to look into a few supplements and changing my diet etc. Have you heard of the app/website called I love panic attacks gypsy?

[gypsylee]

Yeah it definitely can't hurt. No I haven't heard of that.. I'll take a look :)

I found the website but not the app. Is it called something else or not on iPhone apps?

[Scotland2016]

Yeah it definitely can't hurt. No I haven't heard of that.. I'll take a look :)

I found the website but not the app. Is it called something else or not on iPhone apps?

The app is just called panic attacks? I've found it really helpful myself. He has a few videos on YouTube also. He seems to have a very high success rate with his course and I think only 3 or 4 people have asked for there money back out of nearly four thousand.

[janie]

That is really scary to feel like that, but it's so great you can ask, and receive, advice here. It does sound like a panic attack, especially as you know you suffer in this way. But you can take back control and stop the anxiety getting out of hand - especially before you sleep. Here are some things that worked for me: exercise in the day, get out in nature for a fresh air walk, address diet (fruit and veg to make up main part...chew liquorice stick to aid your adrenal glands), wind down time before bed, relaxation, camomile tea, bach's rescue remedy, self reassurance, mindfulness, breathing, praying. I went through a horrendous time of health anxiety which led to insomnia. Basically, like you I felt I was having a heart attack (and this happened every night). I had heart palpitations, sweating, tingles. I live with someone and when I felt like this I could say "I'm feeling anxious again as if I'm having a heart attack" and they could reassure me and I could eventually refocus and breath. I did to a 'change your brain' course- which involved rethinking and replacing each negative thought with a positive: (e.g. "I'm having a heart attack, I'm going to die" = this has happened before, I'm having heart palpitations - my heart must be pretty strong after all these workouts) Your mind is powerful and can actually cause you to have physical symptoms. At my worse state I had to listen to relaxation music to get to sleep, but I was so anxious when the c.d. clicked off my body would go in high alert and I would feel I was under attack). The good news, I'm now at a point I sleep soundly and have learned a lot about anxiety. You can also get to that point. Personally, I feel addressing all parts of our being (physical, mental and spiritual) helps. So be kind to yourself.

[gypsylee]

The app is just called panic attacks? I've found it really helpful myself. He has a few videos on YouTube also. He seems to have a very high success rate with his course and I think only 3 or 4 people have asked for there money back out of nearly four thousand.

Ok thanks. I did take a look at the guy on YouTube and he seems pretty cool :)