Morning anxiety, help needed please.

[Mrsh11]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone else finds this. My anxiety is by far at its worst in the morning. I wake up every morning soaked in sweat and physically shaking with a feeling like electric shocks running down my arms. This happens regardless of wether it is a working day and starts about 5am. I have the most overwhelming sense of fear. The worst of it wears off by mid morning and leaves a background sense of anxiety. It is at the point where I dread going to sleep as I know what is coming. My job is new and very high pressure and I was recently made redundant from my previous job. I know this is not helping but anxiety has always been something I have had so is not just about the current situation. The morning anxiety is something I have never had before though and any advice that can be given would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

MrsH11,
Your story is one many of us, including me, could have written ourselves!
I struggled exactly like this. I remember how excited I was when my morning anxiety moved from starting on the dot at 430am, to 445am. My doctor said morning anxiety is often the last to go. (I am on Sertraline and have finished a course of CBT.)

I want to encourage you by letting you know that this can completely go away!!! I also want to be honest and tell you that after about two months of being better than ever I am having a darn, hard blip and have those same things back again, but I will be back to the bright side soon….and you can be too!!

What are you doing to treat your anxiety? (By the way, your physical symptoms are identical to many I have as well.)

[Mrsh11]

Hi, thanks for the reply. It helps knowing I am not alone. I take propanolol 1st thing, the doc said try it before bed but I had very disturbed nights. I take a diazepam before work but that is only short term as they only will give me a couple of weeks worth. I am on citalopram as well. Other than that I sleep with a cold fan on as it helps a bit with the sweating.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

How long have you been on the Cit, and what amount are you on?

You are certainly not alone, my friend!

[Mrsh11]

20mg citalopram taken in the morning. Been on since December. The other meds since last week.

[Annie0904]

I am often like this when I wake up and I get up straight away and get myself a bowl of cereal and a drink. This helps it to go. If I stay in bed it just gets worse. (sometimes I take my breakfast up to bed and sit in bed watching tv for a while).

[Mrsh11]

Definitely found staying in bed is a no no :) makes it hard on days off or late shifts to have a lie in, which I used to love but the physical symptoms make it unbearable. Also, because I tend to feel better in the evening it feels like it hits harder when it returns the next morning.

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Annie and you are both right, in my experience, as well- get up. Do not lay there. Even when I try to lay there and do my mindfulness breathing…it is not helpful. Getting up and going to the couch to do my breathing is better than staying in bed to do it.

I would have a chat with your doctor about your cit. My doctor said absolutely 12 weeks at your therapeutic dose before I would probably see that morning anxiety start to subside….and she was right. Many people do well on 20 of Cit, but I also read many cases where an increase to 30 or 40 was exactly what was needed (after the 12 week adjustment phase).

Many people adjust way earlier and need a smaller dose- it all depends on the person, but since you have been on since December and are still struggling….it might be worth a chat with the doc.

Since my recent relapses I have fallen into the trap of dreading the mornings again…., but dread means fear, and when my sympathetic nervous system gets the memo that I am fearing something in the morning….guess what? It goes all the harder to "protect" me…..ironic thing is….it is my overactive SNS that is making me feel so crappy!
So, I am back to the basics….reminding myself that if I do feel that way in the morning….it will pass. I need to float above the yucky feelings rather than fighting them or obsessing on them- starting even the night before. This is hard to do….., but it WORKED before….and IT WILL WORK AGAIN! (LOL- sorry, I started preaching to myself right there…, but, hopefully, it will be of some help to you too. :winks: )

[Dying_Swan]

I'm so glad this was posted. I think you all read my mind as was thinking about posting the same thing earlier! I am suffering greatly with this morning anxiety at the moment. I've been waking up early, and within seconds I feel very sick, nervous and shaky. I often gag until I am sick. At the moment it's so paralysing I can't even go to work. It seems to pass off by lunch time and then I just feel exhausted and depressed. I want so much to "pull myself together" but it completely floors me.

Does anyone know what causes this morning anxiety? I have read it is a rush of cortisol....just need to figure out how to get rid of it.

[Sam100322]

I'm not sure but I think drowsiness/ just waking feeling adds to the anxiety in the morning it's horrible mine takes about an hour to wear off. But lately I've been getting lightheadedness all day it's not as bad now so hoping it will go away

[Zeitgeist]

Thought I would chip in as had similar experience and taking similar Meds.

The sweating is the citalopram, I spoke to the dr about this and it is a known side effect, dunno about you but it smells much worse than normal sweat I have found.

The morning anxiety is something I have had as well. I take propanalol just before bed and it doesn't really help, helps with getting to sleep but not getting up. I take a propanalol and my cit at six in the morning and find the anxiety gone by seven so I can start the day.

Find I have been waking up consistently between 3 and 5. That is up until yesterday when it seems to have started to get better. I can only assume this is because I upped my dose to 40 mg last week, had discussed with doctor as felt that 20 mg was having an effect but more taking the edge off rather than solving. Last week was hard with side effects but this week I am having mentally some really good days, better than I can remember in a long time. Physically still suffering side effects but think they will go.

So short answer is I would suggest increasing cit dose as this seems to be having a positive effect for me.

[creative1942]

I suffer with morning anxiety too. It's horrible and the best way -- the only way -- I can help myself a bit is to get up, go downstairs and have a cup of tea. Staying in bed is a no no from me too. I just make a cup of tea, take a sertraline 100mg and watch the tv Daybreak that's on. I also find the anxiety isn't quite as bad round about midday. I sometimes have to take a diazepam 5mg when my anxiety is too awful but like you I am limited in the number they give me, my gp says she's ok with 3 a week but no more. Fortunately I sleep quite well but the second I wake up and sort of realise where I am a feeling of utter "dread" floods through me and I HATE this. I am not in a good place in my life at the moment so this anxiety will be here I think until I can find some sort of happiness again. You are definitely not alone. xx

[Mrsh11]

This seems to be something that is affecting so many people, I had no idea. The forum is amazing for making you feel like people understand. Thanks everyone for your replies. When (if?) this happens again tomorrow I will take comfort from all of you and send you all my best thoughts x

[MrAndy]

It does get easier so don't ever give up hope

[BikerMatt]

Wow I to was thinking about posting today about this. I'm the same when I wake thanks for posting.

[PanchoGoz]

Here are some other threads about this issue, we all have it. The more you get used to something, the less power it has over you so take heart that each time you have a bad morning, you are getting more used to it and nearer recovery. You can tell yourself it is a normal boring anxiety symptom as always and it will go one day. Best wishes

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=149915&highlight=morning
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=149121&highlight=morning
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=148637&highlight=morning
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=143925&highlight=morning
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=143495&highlight=morning

[Primula]

Yes waking up is horrible, for a second I forget, then all the panic and anxiety starts up again. Definitely the worst thing is to lie in bed sleeping fitfully. Best to get up and start on the day as soon as you can.

I find it better to do the Mindfulness meditation in the afternoon or early evening. Calms me for sleep, and that has to be a good thing. One thing I do know from previous experience, eventually the morning horrors do subside and that's when you know you are on the mend.

[NE21 worrier]

From my own experience, morning anxiety is a tricky one, really difficult to shake off but much worse if you stay in bed. I used to love lying in, and I can still achieve this if I have little on my mind or to get up for, such as on a weekend.

However, I've learned the hard way when I do need to get myself up for work etc. I've learned to do it more quickly as the longer I stay in bed, the longer my mind has time to gather its worries together for the day, the worse I physically feel.

I am genuinely still not a morning person and hauling myself out of bed is still tough but, basically:

Making that tough first leap >>>>>> Piling together anxious thoughts while awake anyway beneath the sheets.

Peter :)

[Dying_Swan]

Thanks for all the tips and threads. It seems a lot of us are suffering with this at the moment. Mrsh11 - I hope you feel a lot better tomorrow morning. If not, be assured I will be right there with you! Let's hope tomorrow morning will be better for all of us

[Mrsh11]

Thanks everyone for your posts. Woke up at 5 and am still shaking. Have taken my propanolol but always find a shower helps. Have a day off work tomorrow so will see if that makes any difference. Look after yourselves everyone x

[LiveAboveIt]

Anxiety can be very tricky. Mine tends to alternate.. Sometimes my mornings are fine, others are horrible.. I tend to have a lot of trouble at night with my anxiety, to be honest. As soon as it gets dark, my anxiety worsens.

Hell, sometimes I wake up feeling great, but then as soon as my mind realizes it.. The anxiety sets in and I can immediately feel the stomach churning, pressure in my chest, and a general fear of dread.