nightime anxiety

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-28-2006
nightime anxiety
34
Sat, 10-28-2006 - 8:44pm
When I go to bed at nightime I always have an anxiety attack. It gets so bad I have to get out of bed, I feel like I am suffocating, I start sweating and have shallow breathing. Does any one else do this?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Sat, 10-28-2006 - 9:15pm
No, I am happy to say that I rarely get

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Sat, 10-28-2006 - 11:21pm

Hi! I have had anxiety as soon as the sun went down. I became more & more distressed as it got closer to bedtime. @ the time, I was being awakened by panic attacks in the middle of the night & truly was afraid to fall asleep.


I took xanax @ that time to help me relax. Then, I would take a warm bath, drink a cup of chamomile tea, avoid arguments, anything upsetting like the news or scary tv shows & went to bed @ the same time every night. I used belly breathing & relaxation exercises & listened to relaxing music to drift off. After a couple of nights without awakening with an attack, I began to fret less in the evenings. I still keep a bedtime routine. HTH Good luck & GBU! (((hugs))) jan


 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 07-28-2004
Sun, 10-29-2006 - 11:13am

Hi,

I don't have panic attacks at night, but I do have allergies and am prone to sleep apnea. Sometimes I feel like I just can't breathe when I lie down and end up sleeping sitting up on the couch. It is an awful feeling when I have trouble breathing & does stir up a lot of anxiety, especially when I am already exhausted/sleep deprived. It also is a time when all my problems start in repetitive/negative thoughts.

Sometimes I take benedryl and or Valerian root herbal capsules, adjust my sleeping place/position, use a humidifier, play music and try to visualize all the good things in my life- all of these have helped me out.

Hope you can find some techniques that work for you.

Hugs,
Dee

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 10-29-2006 - 5:24pm

I have recently started having anxiety attacks and they are most often at night. My therapist suggested I just take Xanax as part of my getting to bed routine for a week, and that seems to have helped. I do get anxiety during the day, but I have enough distractions that I find it easier to work through then. I was having insomnia every 3 nights or so as a result of the anxiety and Xanax seems to have helped that but I'm only on day 5. The lack of sleep does make everything worse - it feeds on itself and it's like you are scared to go to bed.

I am thinking that I may need to go on an antidepressant because I can't imagine taking Xanax every night long term. I feel very sluggish and I feel like it's making me even more depressed, even though I can at least get a good night's sleep now. I have also started meditating in the evening (usually before dinner) and I try to do relaxation exercises and yoga poses before bed.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Sun, 10-29-2006 - 6:39pm
If the xanax is making you extremely tired, or sluggish, ask your doctor about trying a lower dose.

Sheri Ann

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 10-29-2006 - 7:46pm

Thanks, that's a good suggestion. I'm going to stick to it for another day or two just so I can be assured that I'll have one full week of no insomnia. I actually did wake in the middle of the night last night, feeling a little panicky, but I was able to work through it and get back to sleep. A trick my MIL told me is to go through the alphabet and think of a different name for each letter (or city, or food, or whatever). I did that about 3 times and I was asleep.

It's so hard to tell what's what, but I am wondering if I need to go on an antidepressant. I am seeing my ob/gyn for an annual physical tomorrow. I had post partum depression 5 years ago, so I am going to talk to him about all this. If nothing else he can give me an Rx. But I wonder if there is something hormonal going on. He may have some insights that my internist doesn't.

Quite honestly with the craziness of the holidays fast approaching I think an antidepressant may be the way to go. LOL

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 8:06pm
What did your doc say??

Sheri Ann

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 9:47pm

I saw my OB/GYN. As soon as I told him what I was experiencing, he said I should go on Effexor. He gave me a sample that will start me off on a half dose (37.5) and go up to 75 after a week. He said I should get off the Xanax. He said I could take it every other day if I want while I'm starting Effexor, but he thinks one the Effexor kicks in I'll find I won't need it.

He said what I am experiencing is very common for women my age and he has used this medication with other patients and had a lot of success. But he said I have to go into it realizing this is a 6-12 month thing, not a 30 day thing. I have such a thing about meds. Not that I'm scared of them, just that I am always questioning whether or not I really need them. Probably because my dad worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 30+ years - I'm very cynical.

He also tested my thyroid and said he will get the results later this week. He said he wouldn't bother testing my hormones because they probably fluctuate so much it wouldn't tell him anything. He said that honestly we may never know what triggered this, but we can treat it.

Anyway I have had such a hellish few weeks I will try the meds. My dh suffers from depression and ADD and I know what wonders meds have worked for him, so I'm ready to give it a shot. Plus I went down this road with my postpartum depression, and I can't imagine what that first year with the twins would have been like if I hadn't been medicated. LOL I'm going to start the Effexor tomorrow AM. Fingers crossed.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Mon, 10-30-2006 - 11:30pm
I did very well on effexor. I was having alot of panic attacks, couldn't sleep, eat or relax. In about 5 weeks I was nearly back to my old self. Good luck! I will keep my fingers crossed for you, too. (((hugs))) jan


 

 


 



Avatar for peoplearenuts
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 10-31-2006 - 11:12am

Thanks!

I took my first dose this morning. I only took half a Xanax last night and I was up most of the night. Bummer! But I don't get as worked up as I had been in the beginning. I am at least able to make myself relax. Part of the problem was I was working on a freelance project that ended up being more stressful and last minute than I expected. I often have a hard time winding down when I'm working on a project at night.

I don't have that groggy depressed feeling this morning though - that's how I've been feeling the last few days after taking a whole Xanax at night. It's like being hungover or something.

So, we'll see how I do this afternoon. I may take a whole Xanax to sleep tonight if I'm feeling that edgy feeling. I am going to try my HARDEST not to eat any Halloween candy tonight! LOL I've been trying not to eat chocolate and sugar in the evening but it's hard. I don't eat a ton, but I do like to have a couple of cookies or pieces of candy after dinner.

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