hamster lady
03-01-13, 15:26
Hi everyone
I have now been suffering from severely disturbed sleep ever since I suffered a terrible panic attack in the middle of the night in August 2010. I had no idea you could suffer from panic attacks in the night and I thought I was having a heart attack because I woke up with my heart racing really fast and I was also sweating.
I went to the docs and was given an ECG which was normal and was told that I was suffering from anxiety. I was given propanolol but I have never taken any of them - too scared of side effects.
Ever since that horrible night over 2 years ago I have been waking up every night with horrendous nightmares and waking up with my heart pounding with a feeling of terror. My doctor told my that when I calmed down that my nightmares would stop but this hasn't happened. I have had a lot of stress over the past few years, especially when my son became poorly with M.E. but he has now recovered but my anxiety levels are still really high due to my bad nights.
A lot of my dreams are recurring ones about being electrocuted, because in 2006 our house was struck by lightning when I was in the house on my own and it was like being in a bomb blast, I literally thought I had blown up due to the force of the blast when the lightning bolt hit the aerial on the roof. My husband keeps saying that he thinks I might have a bit of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by the lightning strike but I'm not sure whether I have it or not, I certainly have recurring nightmares about it.
I absolutely dread going to bed, I drop off to sleep OK but wake in the early hours of the morning with horrendous, vivid and disturbing dreams. It is like I have two lives, one during the day and one at night but at night it is like I go to hell because my dreams are so bad.
Do any of you guys have similar trouble sleeping due to your panic attacks and do you suffer from nightmares? I still keep worrying that I have a heart problem that is causing the nightmares but my hubby keeps trying to reassure me that it is the nightmares causing my heart to pound and race. I am thinking of going back to the docs, but I'm really not keen on taking any medication. I just don't know what to do to make it all stop, I don't know how much longer I can go on like this, it is making my life hell and I'm so tired during the day due to my disturbed sleep. I often just lie there feeling my pulse to make sure my heart is steady, my dreams seem to cause horrible palpitations.
I'm so sorry for the long, rambling post but I just felt I needed of offload a bit about my horrible problem, I keep worrying I'm going mad! I have also started to feel a depressed now because this has been going on for so long.:weep:
Any help or advice would be much appreciated, I'm so worried that there is something wrong with me that is causing the nightmares.
hamster lady:weep:
I have now been suffering from severely disturbed sleep ever since I suffered a terrible panic attack in the middle of the night in August 2010. I had no idea you could suffer from panic attacks in the night and I thought I was having a heart attack because I woke up with my heart racing really fast and I was also sweating.
I went to the docs and was given an ECG which was normal and was told that I was suffering from anxiety. I was given propanolol but I have never taken any of them - too scared of side effects.
Ever since that horrible night over 2 years ago I have been waking up every night with horrendous nightmares and waking up with my heart pounding with a feeling of terror. My doctor told my that when I calmed down that my nightmares would stop but this hasn't happened. I have had a lot of stress over the past few years, especially when my son became poorly with M.E. but he has now recovered but my anxiety levels are still really high due to my bad nights.
A lot of my dreams are recurring ones about being electrocuted, because in 2006 our house was struck by lightning when I was in the house on my own and it was like being in a bomb blast, I literally thought I had blown up due to the force of the blast when the lightning bolt hit the aerial on the roof. My husband keeps saying that he thinks I might have a bit of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder caused by the lightning strike but I'm not sure whether I have it or not, I certainly have recurring nightmares about it.
I absolutely dread going to bed, I drop off to sleep OK but wake in the early hours of the morning with horrendous, vivid and disturbing dreams. It is like I have two lives, one during the day and one at night but at night it is like I go to hell because my dreams are so bad.
Do any of you guys have similar trouble sleeping due to your panic attacks and do you suffer from nightmares? I still keep worrying that I have a heart problem that is causing the nightmares but my hubby keeps trying to reassure me that it is the nightmares causing my heart to pound and race. I am thinking of going back to the docs, but I'm really not keen on taking any medication. I just don't know what to do to make it all stop, I don't know how much longer I can go on like this, it is making my life hell and I'm so tired during the day due to my disturbed sleep. I often just lie there feeling my pulse to make sure my heart is steady, my dreams seem to cause horrible palpitations.
I'm so sorry for the long, rambling post but I just felt I needed of offload a bit about my horrible problem, I keep worrying I'm going mad! I have also started to feel a depressed now because this has been going on for so long.:weep:
Any help or advice would be much appreciated, I'm so worried that there is something wrong with me that is causing the nightmares.
hamster lady:weep: