View Full Version : morning anxiety
Hi all.
I'm currently taking 30mg cipramil daily. I'm suffering with dreadful morn anxiety. Basically I can feel it as soon as I wake. I get up and have a cup decaf tea or coffee but it overtakes me and I have to go lie back down for a while. The feeling eases off as the day goes on but leaves me incredibly tired. Come 7pm its gone and I feel ok again.
Any comments greatfully appreciated.
Xx
---------- Post added at 11:46 ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 ----------
Also I feel sick during day and cant eat. 7pm ish I can eat etc
Morning anxiety affects a lot of the people posting to NMP (including me).
The ultimate goal is to stop it altogether, but before that, limit it so that it evaporates soon after you wake up.
You may improve over time, or you may need to change your medication in consultation with your doctor.
I've been able to achieve the balance that works for me, but it's not perfect.
shadowstriker
26-10-13, 13:19
Mines only got bad since being on venlafaxine it does ease off after a cigarette and a cup of tea I'm not saying to take up smoking by the way lol
I smoke anyway. Can't give that up just yet !! Just downloaded a relaxation app. Gonna try that before I get out of bed. Just had a go of it and it was surprisingly good.
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/anxiety-free/id410805846?mt=8
I will try anything now x
Brittab,
Good Morning! My anxiety is always the worst in the morning. I'm on day 6 of citalopram, so I'm never sure whether it's the citalopram or my anxiety and depression. I do know that anxiety has always been worse for me in the morning.
I find that writing in my journal for 30 minutes or so helps. I just write fast and furiously whatever comes to mind. It helps to get out some of that restless energy.
I find within a couple of hours, it is generally better. It's just not letting myself crawl into that anxiety and stay there, dwelling on it, that's the problem.
Here's hoping that you have a good day.
Hi tanner,
Yep I'm wondering if the meds are increasing the symptoms or whether it's just the anxiety doing its worst. I'm day 20 on increased dose. I would just like my appetite and energy back now!!
I haven't been out properly for a few weeks ( work etc ) so think its prob not helping being indoors a lot now so I'm gonna try and get out next week and face the world!
I'll try the writing thing, it might help get my anxieties out thst way!
Hope u r having a good day too xx
Morning anxiety can often be very simply down to low blood sugar, especially if you find yourself getting better as the day goes on.
Do you eat breakfast when you wake or is it just a cup of decaf tea that you have?
Hmmmm interesting honeylove... I have a decaf tea or coffee but no food. I feel unable to eat. Any suggestions ?? I can eat the night before. And yes anxiety improves as day goes on. By eve it's almost disappeared!!
Also I've ordered some inositol powder?? Has anyone ever tried it??
It sounds like it could be an issue with low blood sugar then, so it's well worth experimenting with food to see if it helps alleviate that anxiety for you :)
When you don't eat your blood sugars drop and it can cause a whole range of problems, including anxiety, if you don't eat in time. It can even cause panic attacks because of how strange you may feel. I've found myself anxious, depressed, manic and even paranoid all because of low blood sugars if I forget to eat! It has a major effect on some of us.
If you're feeling better as the day goes on this is likely to be because eventually you eat and your blood sugars come up again. Food is fuel for your brain & body, you really need to eat regularly to feel your best, it's just good basic maintenance for your body & mind. Skipping breakfast (especially with anxiety problems!) is a bad idea, you really need to refuel before the day begins.
The funny thing about low blood sugar is that it can often make us feel like not eating at all, or even it can make you feel nauseous, it can be hard to push past that feeling, but if you make yourself eat something it will be worth it to feel better. Just take small bites and be firm with yourself!
If you find it hard to eat in the mornings just keep the food simple like a slice of toast, some fruit like a banana, yoghurt and orange juice. Try to eat carbs with some protein for the best combination.
If you can manage it porridge will keep your blood sugars stable for longer than any other cereal. A boiled egg with some whole meal toast is also very good for you!
I used to keep a banana on my bedside locker to eat the moment I woke up, when my anxiety was really bad or when I am sick and my blood sugars are low. It can help you to get going before the day starts and eliminate that feeling of anxiety before it begins :)
Ty so much.. I'm gonna take a banana to bed tonight ( that sounds bizarre lol) and eat in before I get up. I will let u know how I do. Ty again. The support here is brilliant!!
Awesome I really hope you find it helpful!
Eat the banana first thing and then follow it with soon after with breakfast. Give a couple of days eating regularly throughout the day and see how it makes you feel. Will be worth experimenting with :)
When I get sick my blood sugars seem to burn up quickly and I need to eat very regularly, it's such a nuisance. But as a result I've been known to keep stockpiles of peanut butter sandwiches, protein bars and fruit by my bed for midnight and early morning snacks! Lol
:) ty again!!! Mad the ways I bodies and brains work eh?? Never ceases to amaze me!!
Me too, and we're all so different too, the best thing you can do for yourself is just learn how your own body works and look after it well so that your mental health will be good :) Some people can skip breakfast without any trouble, but for some it's just a necessity!
My husband can drink lots of caffeine, have plenty of sugar and skip meals without any problems at all. It makes me so jealous because I can't do any of those things! I'm just too sensitive and have to be careful about how I look after myself.
We here having anxiety problems seem to be really sensitive and have nervous systems that need to be soothed and looked after gently. We're high maintenance I guess lol. Have you ever heard of Highly Sensitive People? A woman called Elaine Aaron has done a lot of research about HSPs and her work is really interesting. I reckon a lot of us here are HSPs and need to live our lives in a way that will look after our bodies and minds. Her website has a quick free questionnaire, if you google it you'll find it straight away. Only if you're interested though, god I tend to waffle a lot sometimes lol
No you're not waffling!! I love talking!!! I'm a very chatty person!! I'll go and take a look cos it makes a lot of sense what u r saying!!
I'll let u know what I think!
Ty honeylove xx
Hope you find it interesting too :) Let me know! X
cactusjohn5
27-10-13, 03:43
newbie here, going to jump in and ask, if the low blood sugar thing is common for everyone in the mornings? I have bad anxiety trying to go to sleep then i am awake a couple hours later with a super fast heart beat and thoughts all over the place. Low blood sugar makes sense, i try to keep a meal shake next to the bed for the middle of the night, but i don't sleep long enough for it to matter.
It's very common John, keeping your blood sugars stable is one of the lifestyle changes recommended for anxiety sufferers. Also when we are anxious we burn up blood sugar faster, so we really do need to eat more often.
The meal shake is a good idea, it's worth experimenting with anyway.
Another note to think about is that acid reflux coming up when you are lying down at night can be one of the reasons you get palpitations while in bed. This happens to me and before I discovered it was just reflux it scared the hell out of me, I thought I was having panic attacks in my sleep.
Do you have trouble getting to sleep at night?
One way I try to limit morning anxiety is by taking my meds in the evening, so they are still at high levels in the morning.
I find a cup or two of old-fashioned caffeine-rich tea with milk helps the morning look better.
A friend of mine gets up early, burns some incense and does Buddhist meditation.
The blood sugar idea is also worth following up. Even if you can't eat in the morning, some fruit juice or glucose drink might be helpful.
Barnabas75
27-10-13, 09:11
What helps me is doing stretches and some light excercises.Gets rid of tension and stress.Strange how in our sleep it builds up.All the best.
Ok. So I went to bed feeling fine. No anxiety. Slight low mood but nothing major. Decided because my appetite was good ( always is in eve ) to eat a banana about 10pm. Woke at 6ish. Felt anxiety but not as bad, went downstairs, took my pills and ate half banana. Got back into bed and fell back to sleep. Woke at 9...anxiety full blown again :(
So I'm finding when I sleep it's always bad when I wake.
I'm gonna try this:
When my husband gets up for work at half 6 I'm gonna get up with him. Force myself. I'm still gonna eat the banana before bed ( I slept well? Usually I wake a few times) and I'm gonna eat as soon as I wake, I'm gonna resist going back to bed.
I'm due back to work in ten days and need to be feeling somewhat human by 8am.
I hope I can combat this as it's really doing my head in now!!
Xx
Your serotonin drops during the night as well as your blood sugar. Need to get up eat breakfast and start your day. As you become active your serotonin levels start to rise and you feel better. Going back to bed, laying down or just sitting still seems to prolong the morning anxiety.
So getting up and keeping busy, however hard that is , is the best thing to do!! I feel so knackered as it wears me out, like I've just run ten miles!!
Ok I'll try and keep going.....
Ty for comments!! Xx
Rennie1989
27-10-13, 10:30
You don't have to be active as soon as you awake, I can't do anything until I've had my first cup of coffee in the morning. Do gentle things, like maybe a little tidy up, making breakfast or read the news. You'll wake up quicker then just lying in bed and feel much better as a result. Tbh my mornings are spent doing housework, tidying and reading the news, possibly some writing if I'm not too tired. And make sure you eat, breakfast is the most important meal of the day!
Half a banana is really not enough to eat, you need to get in more than that, especially if you're not having breakfast until later in the morning. Tomorrow try having a bit more.
It's good advice to get up & start your day gently rather than lying in bed. I like to do some meditation or yoga when I wake, sometimes both. It's a nice way to start the day and is so good for anxiety sufferers to do everyday.
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