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?
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2001
Tue, 10-31-2006 - 3:13pm

OH wow, thats me.


My 1st panic attack was in the night. I woke up in a severe panic and I didn't know what was going on. It was SO SCARY. I take klonopin at night to prevent those nightime panic attacks. I also take lexapro.


In the mornings I would wake up and vomit and just hold on to my twin Boys and "try" to make it go away. It was so bad that I wasn't sleeping and I was also afraid to be awake.


Keep us posted and email me through my profile if you need to take furthur.


Blessings,


Heather- (Momma to Ryan and Justin (5).


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Tue, 10-31-2006 - 3:23pm
Thanks for the update!

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2006
Tue, 10-31-2006 - 9:18pm

well i have jsut joined anew group. when i'm alone with my baby i've been having panic attacks. so my md gave me ativan. it works. but i think i'm suffering ppd with not being as attentive to my baby as i should. he gve me cipralex. has anyone been on this.
if you suffer ppd how long were you on meds and when did you come of them. did you feel fine after being off them?
This is new to me and very scary. wishing i was my old self again. 11 weeks after pregnancy. and never had this with the first.

all or any info would be greatly apprecaited.

thanks for support
cindy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 10-31-2006 - 10:07pm

Hi, Cindy! Glad that you found us. Many times people in our community report major life changes trigger anxiety/panic. The birth of second children seems to be very common. That is when I had a bad spell. No depression. Just anxiety & panic attacks. It took a couple of months to get myself back on track. It was a stressful time.


Learning new ways to cope is essential. When you can, read our *coping tips & tricks* folder below. Cipralex is known as lexapro here. We have several members on it. They will be along to share their thoughts. I took luvox& xanax

 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2006
Wed, 11-01-2006 - 8:26am

Jan your a doll. Thanks for you message it really helps.

Cindy

i will bookmark this page

Cindy

Avatar for peoplearenuts
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 11-01-2006 - 8:26am

I didn't have PPD with my first either. Then I had twins at age 34, and I think part of it is I just had a huge hormonal crash after they were born. Not to mention I had plenty to be freaked about. I got myself help after the first week they were born - I literally could not sleep or eat - basically I couldn't take care of myself and was terrified that I might neglect them. I was just so exhausted. I went on 10 mg Prozac, and that worked for me. Plus I got help with the babies - my MIL and my mom the first month, then a nanny part time after that and I started working again when they were 2 months old.

I also went to counseling for about 6 months, which I believe is just as important as the meds. My counselor gave me a lot of help with just dealing with my life - practical suggestions and tactics.

I was on meds for over a year. I tried to go off at 9 months but it was too soon. It's important to work with your doctor when you're going off the drugs - usually you have to wean yourself off them - you can't stop cold turkey. I was fine after I went off them (weirdly enough I was getting off them right around 9/11/01 - I knew if I could do it then I was really ready).

If your doctor hasn't recommended counseling you should ask him about it. It was a big stretch for us financially at the time, but I can't imagine having gotten through without it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-16-2006
Wed, 11-01-2006 - 1:56pm

your sweet and thanks for telling me your experience. speoke to my "shrink" (can't beleive I have one) and he called me today. I told him I started the cipralex last night. He wants me to try it till monday then I will follow up with him. Thoguht it was nice of him to call too.

Soooooooo I asked him re how long do you "usually" stay on it. He said after you feel "normal" then you stay on for 6 months and then I guess you wean of of it. I think this drug is realtivley new and has the least side effects for coming off the drug. I'm happy I started to take it today becasue I know it'll get me better faster so I can enjoy my life and beautiful baby.

Thanks for you help

Cindy

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Wed, 11-01-2006 - 5:49pm

Hi Cindy & welcome!

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-28-2005
Sun, 11-05-2006 - 7:20am

>>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.


What a great idea.

 

Amy

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-04-2006
Mon, 11-06-2006 - 2:17pm

I have been living with panic attacks for almost 10 years now. I started out taking imipramine when I was first diagnosed as having panic disorder when I was 17 and eventually was weaned off of it after a few years. Since then I was able to calm myself down and the attacks weren't so bad until I decided to leave my husband back in February. Since then, I have one or two panic attacks every day, usually at night. I will wake up out of my sleep and feel like I cannot breathe, heart racing, etc...I really do not want to take any medication and am wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can prevent these middle of the night attacks from coming on.
Thanks,

JR