heart going mad when falling asleep or while sleeping

[molly36]

Hi there i havent posted in a while .I am still being woken up in the middle of the night with my heart racing .It dosent happen every night maybe once a week.It usually happens while im falling asleep i firstly get this strange sensation in my chest as im drifting off and then i get a really irregular rythm then my heart starts racing up to 160 beats per minute.Sometimes this happens also while i think im in a deep sleep i am suddenly awake and realise my heart is so fast then i cant breathe properly .I have called a ambulance before and my heart rate was 166 p/m.It happened last night again i was drifting to sleep this time and felt this weird feeling in my chest then my heart started racing and having missed beats in between which just adds to the fear.I managed to calm it down after 5 min but i thought this is the end this time.After it happened i started burping terribly but im not sure if that was all the air i sucked in while in a panic or it was wind i had sitting in my stomach that caused the palps .Funny thing is these attacks started happening more often last year when i had helicobacter bug in my stomach that is cleared up now but it has left me with a terrible burping problem though i do think i have a hitus hernia but never been diagnosed.I have had loads of ecgs over the years and scans and all say anxiety.I have been like this with panic anxiety and agrophobia since i was 21 ,im now 37 and still the heart fears ruin my life .It all started with missed beats and caused me to stop going out but over the years ive had a good few years when the anxiety wasnt too bad but then it creeps back again .Its always the fear about my heart .How can i get over that when my heart beat never behaves.I hate ruining my life over this i am so anxious when im out i feel i cant enjoy anything.This happening at night has been going on for too long but docs says anxiety but its the only time i am relaxed why would my heart start racing .Just hate it all xx

[molly36]

64 read and no reply .Am i the only one suffering this xx

[xvolatileheart]

Molly, I get the exact same sensations, but unfortunately it happens mostly when I'm awake. Sends me right into a panic every time. I too wonder if it's somewhat gastric related as I've felt a lot burpier, get stomach pain and chest pain, sometimes feel really full when I haven't eaten much and it makes it harder to breathe, get palps and racing heart... I'm sooo tired of it! Worry about my heart all day every day, it's exhausting.

[molly36]

Hi thanks for your reply .Its a really hard thing to cope with .The fear is so bad .I do feel there is also something to do with the stomach and the palps .I CANT STAND IT.XX

[kinnygirl1]

64 read and no reply .Am i the only one suffering this xx
No hunny - I having the flutters tonight too (see my earlier post). It's driving me crazy -trying to fight it x

[molly36]

Its the fast rate waking me up at night that i cant deal with it has been going on to long now .I get scared to go to sleep most nights xx

[kinnygirl1]

I am scared to sleep too- sometimes I make husband put his head on my chest while I drop off so that he can hear if anything wrong - not v comfy for him I am sure and probably completely pointless! I have always woke up so far though:)

[lilyraine]

Hi.. I have the exact same fear about my heart.. I get palpitations and extra beats and I've had all the tests but found nothing and just put it down to panic... But it just scares me so much..And like kinnygirl my husband always has to listen to my chest just to calm down when it starts to flip..

[kinnygirl1]

Hi.. I have the exact same fear about my heart.. I get palpitations and extra beats and I've had all the tests but found nothing and just put it down to panic... But it just scares me so much..And like kinnygirl my husband always has to listen to my chest just to calm down when it starts to flip..

Aw Lilyraine - so glad to know that's not just me! Also had all tests come back clear but at times feel sure they must have missed something - hugs to you too:hugs:

[hamster lady]

Hi Molly

I fully sympathise with what you are going through because I have been suffering with exactly the same thing for 18 months now. It is so horrible isn't it and like you I dread going to bed. I've just written a post about my problem on the panic attack section of the forum. My problems started in August 2010, I had been having a really stressful time and then one night I woke up after a vivid dream with my heart going like the clappers, I thought I was having a heart attack and had a massive panic attack. I was so scared about my heart that I ended up with panic disorder an!d agoraphobia. I eventually went to my doctor and she said she thought it was anxiety but did some blood tests and an ECG which both came back normal. I was just feeling better then my 9 yr old son became very poorly with M.E. after a severe viral illness and my anxiety got a lot worse. For the past 18 months I have been waking up almost every night with nightmares with my heart pounding or racing. I always panic and think I'm having a heart attack and I spend the rest of the night feeling my pulse as my heart often skips beats and it scares the hell out of me! I am not convinced there is nothing wrong with my heart but then again it is normal to have panic attacks at night, if you suffer with anxiety your body is always on the alert even when you are asleep. I had an absolutely terrible night last night and I woke up from about 6 scary dreams with my heart pounding each time, but luckily it settled when I calmed down.

I just wanted you to know that you are not alone feeling like this, there are lots of us on the forum with anxiety about our hearts and who wake up in the night with the horrible old pounding and racing heart. I hate it too and wish it would just go away but unfortunately I am under a lot of stress with my son's illness and I don't think I'm going to get over this until he is better.

I hope you had a better night last night. I'm already dreading tonight!

I hope you feel better soon,
hamster lady:flowers:

[Ahjhcdmom]

Hi Molly:) You are living my exact life!! I can tell you that what you are having is panic attacks. I was diagnosed with General Anxiety from the age of 8. Up until 5 years ago, I could handle my anxiety with breathing and distraction. After my children were born it started to get worse. 3 years ago the night panic attacks started. I thought I was dying. Went to emergency room and my docs several times and they all said my palps were nothing serious (I too have had ecos, halters and EKG's that all say my palps are harmless. I get them several times a day.) last summer I completely fell apart. I was having anxiety all day and several panic attacks a day and was woken up nightly with racing and palping heart. I was not able to function and my husband and I were terrified. My doctor said it was time to try medication. I freaked and resisted for a month, but it got to the point where I could not be alone with my kids, so I knew I had to go on Zoloft. I finally did it. I will be honest and tell you that it got worse for 3 weeks before the meds kicked in. But once they did, I got my life back!!!! I also say a counselor for 6 months and that also helped a lot. It has been a year and I am 95% better. I am on the lowest dose and it is great. I have some anxiety still but it is mild and I feel the normal amount for any person! Have you tried meds? I know it is so hard to get yourself to trying them, but they really worked for me. I still have palps, but they are benign and I finally believe that cuz I am not panicking every time I have one! I hate them, but as long as my doc says they are okay, I can deal:) Hope this helps and I am here if u have questions. It can get better, I promise!!! Hugs

[molly36]

Thank you so much for your replies .I feel better knowing i am not alone in this .XX

[xvolatileheart]

I woke up with racing heart a couple of times last night and thought for sure my heart was giving up, but I'm still here!