hamster lady
15-08-12, 18:38
Hello everyone
I have been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks for 2 years now which started when I had months of stress and then suffered a terrifying bout of tachycardia in the middle of the night. Then I started to wake up with nightmares and a pounding or racing heart and I also woke up boiling hot and sweating. I eventually went to my GP and had an ECG which was normal and she said that she thought I was suffering from severe anxiety and she perscribed beta blockers which I did not take due to fears of side effects.
I felt a bit better after my doctor's visit but then my 9 yr old son got very poorly with a virus and then M.E. and my anxiety levels went through the roof again.
My doctor said that my nightmares might calm down as my anxiety levels dropped but this has not happened.
After 2 yrs I am still waking up about 3 times a night, everynight with vivid dreams or nightmares and when I wake up my heart is pounding. I also sometimes wake up with a terrible jolt and then my heart races out of control, it is this happening that I find hardest to cope with and I always end up with a panic attack thinking I'm going to die. I have noticed that a lot of my bad dreams are about my son and I keep dreaming that he has died and a dream about death a lot because I'm so scared that there is still something wrong with my heart.
I can't bear the thought of this going on for much longer, it is making me feel exhausted and I'm finding it hard to get through the day because of my frequent awakenings during the night. I also dread going to bed and I start to get stressed when the evening comes when I know bed time is approaching. My husband is worried and doesn't know what to do to help me. I went back to my doctor a few weeks ago and she mentioned medication but I'm really not sure about it.
I was just wondering whether any of you guys have noticed that you have more disturbing or bad dreams since you have been suffering with anxiety and was there anything that helped you? I need to sort this out because I can't cope with it for the rest of my life, I used to sleep so well now when I sleep it is like I go to hell and back. Any help or advice would be most appreciated, I feel at my wits end at the moment.
Sorry for the long, rambling post. hamster lady:weep:
I have been suffering from anxiety and panic attacks for 2 years now which started when I had months of stress and then suffered a terrifying bout of tachycardia in the middle of the night. Then I started to wake up with nightmares and a pounding or racing heart and I also woke up boiling hot and sweating. I eventually went to my GP and had an ECG which was normal and she said that she thought I was suffering from severe anxiety and she perscribed beta blockers which I did not take due to fears of side effects.
I felt a bit better after my doctor's visit but then my 9 yr old son got very poorly with a virus and then M.E. and my anxiety levels went through the roof again.
My doctor said that my nightmares might calm down as my anxiety levels dropped but this has not happened.
After 2 yrs I am still waking up about 3 times a night, everynight with vivid dreams or nightmares and when I wake up my heart is pounding. I also sometimes wake up with a terrible jolt and then my heart races out of control, it is this happening that I find hardest to cope with and I always end up with a panic attack thinking I'm going to die. I have noticed that a lot of my bad dreams are about my son and I keep dreaming that he has died and a dream about death a lot because I'm so scared that there is still something wrong with my heart.
I can't bear the thought of this going on for much longer, it is making me feel exhausted and I'm finding it hard to get through the day because of my frequent awakenings during the night. I also dread going to bed and I start to get stressed when the evening comes when I know bed time is approaching. My husband is worried and doesn't know what to do to help me. I went back to my doctor a few weeks ago and she mentioned medication but I'm really not sure about it.
I was just wondering whether any of you guys have noticed that you have more disturbing or bad dreams since you have been suffering with anxiety and was there anything that helped you? I need to sort this out because I can't cope with it for the rest of my life, I used to sleep so well now when I sleep it is like I go to hell and back. Any help or advice would be most appreciated, I feel at my wits end at the moment.
Sorry for the long, rambling post. hamster lady:weep: