Very Very Depsperate -racing Heart At Night

[annie pannie]

Hi to everyone and congratulations on such a good website.
I am new to the site but sadly not new to panic attacks or anxiety. Had a bad spell in 2002 and breifly went on meds (citalopram) for 6 months - came off meds and carried on having panic attacks, anxiety, racing heart, rapid pulse and all the other horrid things BUT managed to keep it under control without meds - job, partner etc. In the last six months a new terror has struck and I now feel helpless and hopless. Started off with waking at night every ten/fifteen mins with a jump anmd a gasp as if my heart was about to stop or I had not breathed. Some nights were o.k. In June, following a horrendous time with my relationship and a very very stressful job; began to wake at night with a very rapid heart rate and sweating shaking. Happened once or twice, then in October was much worse - partner called an ambulance - had the whole paramedic thing - ecg at hosp which was normal - ended up at GP who tested thyrpid but no problems although have been having inverstigations for thyroid cancer due to a lump in neck- results are inconclusive and am awaiting further scan in June. GP said that as I had been on citalopram before I could obviously tolerate it - he said my racing heart was a panic attack and that I would need to be on citalopram for the rest of my life. Have not taken them for fear of side effects and certainly do not want to be on that type of med for the rest of my life.
In past few weeks racing heart has got much worse - I wake suddenly - always a couple of hours after dropping off - heart rate has been upto 166 with BP AT 162/99 at one point. Takes bout fifteen mins to settle - happened twice on monday and cos I had no sleep went to bed when I got in tonite and it happened at seven thirty. Am now terrified that I will have a heart attack as my heart can't cope with the strain. Also no sleep for days and I part of my job is to drive to visit clients - my partner is away during the week and I am very very very scared that I will collapse with no-one around though I know a neighbour could help but when my heart is gpoing like the clappers i am not sure what I am doing. Why IS THIS HAPPENING FROM SLEEP WHEN I HAVENT FELT ANXIOUS DURING THE DAY. Sorry this is so long and moany but I dont know what to do - hardly go to my GP but always feel labelled as anxious and that they just throw cipramil at you without finding out first what is wrong - IS MY HEART OK - I AM GOING THROUGH THE PERI-MENOPAUSE WHICH IS HORRENDOUS AT THE MOMENT. aNY HELP ANYONE SORRY TO KEEP ON

bEST WISHES TO EVERYONE OUT THERE - THINKING OF YOU ALL X

[Ryan]

I don't know if I can help you but I can say that I get the same thing with Sleep... I drop off and not long after I wake up with a jump and I find it quite hard to breathe and for a split second on top of that I'm completely confused too, no idea who I am or what I'm doing... It is very scary stuff.

I don't think you will get a heart attack from a racing heart, I wouldnt worry to much about that.

[Vicki08]

Hi ya,

I just wanted to let you know that I get the same thing too. I suffer from ectopic heartbeats, palpitations, fast heart rate - you name it!! I also have panic attacks although they are thankfully more under control now!

Night time is usually the most horrid time of the day for me because just like you, I wake up in a panic with my heart going mad and then it takes me a while to drop off to sleep. Its most scary at night because you feel more alone.

I've had tests so I know it is just panic but it still makes you feel scared when it happens!

I've had this now for approx 18 months and I'm still here so please dont think that your heart is getting damaged or you will suddenly keel over - your heart is a strong organ and does it job just as well as anyone elses heart. Your heart can tolerate a fast heartbeat - its what it is designed for. If you was exercising it would be going much faster!

It sounds like your symptoms are caused by stress/anxiety so you need to try and eliminate these and hopefully your sleep will get better as well.

It took me a while to crack it but I have finally learnt to accept what my heart does and trust it to do its job.

Everything will be ok!

Hope this helps

Vicki x

[honeybee3939]

Hi Annie


Just read your post and wondered if you have caffine(coffee, cocacola or chocolate) I notice if i have caffine i wake up in the night with my heart beating so fast, it really scares me too so know how you feel hun. Since i cut out caffine it hasnt happened.

Just a thought

:hugs:
Andrea
xxx

[annie pannie]

Hi Vicki

Thanks for that , although its horrible to think that other people are going through the same thing its also quite comforting - next time it happens (course it won't ha) I will think of you and all the others with racing and palpitations - just had a thought maybe we could hook up to the national grid and be a renewable source of energy - beat global warming with panic attacks -theres an idea for the Dragon's Den - not really being flip just my weird sense of humour. I've been to see a BUPA Doctor who says I must ask my own GP to run various tests -not because she thinks there might be anything wrong but just to be sure - stops me feeling like I.m being mardy.

As well as accepting what your body was/is doing what else did you you for the night time attacks - is it a case of doing the same for the "normal" panics -relaxation,exercise or did you go on meds.

Take Care Annie x x

[annie pannie]

Hi Ryan

So many nice people out there - thank you - you seem very calm which is very helpful - I get the stopping breathing sensation alot but then I know I don't really breathe properly during the day so that makes sense - has yours got any better or do you still get woken up?

A much calmer Annie x

[Vicki08]

Hi Annie,

When I get the racing heart at night I tend to do something to distract myself. Things like; making a cup of tea, watching a bit of tv, reading, going on the internet, listening to music - anything that would distract me, calm me down and make me tired again to go to sleep!

I must admit that I did find it hard at first to cope with the night time 'attacks' but it does get easier and with time you will eventually just go back to sleep and not give it a second thought! Hoorah!! :yesyes:

I dont think I ever really found a reason why my heart raced like mad at night - doc thinks it was probably dreams or being stressed that caused it. Which he was probably right about. Sometimes it still happens, the other night it happened but I think thats because I have been run down with this sinus infection. So I just read for a bit and then I dropped off to sleep....only to be woken up by the alarm. Grrr!! :lac:

Vicki x

[Vanilla Sky]

Annie, i feel for you , i could have written your post, you are me lol ! Along with the racing heart i get god awful palpitations. Dont worry to much about the waking up feeling you have to jolt yourself to breath, i went through that, thankfully it seems to have stopped but now im on to other things. Maybe we have to go through so many symptoms before the anxiety gets fed up, this is the way i have to think ! Im waiting for yet more test results, it just seems to go on and on and im tired of it. Thank god i found this site it helps me in the evening when my partner is at work take care and i hope to see you in chat soon love paige x

[Ryan]

Hi Ryan

So many nice people out there - thank you - you seem very calm which is very helpful - I get the stopping breathing sensation alot but then I know I don't really breathe properly during the day so that makes sense - has yours got any better or do you still get woken up?

A much calmer Annie x


It comes and goes, sometimes I can go a while with out it other times it can be every night or two.

I've gotten used to it.
When you realise it's nothing to worry about but worry itself thats half of the problem solved!

:yesyes:

[lovemypets]

I get the EXACT same thing, and I am going through menopause. I fall asleep and a couple of hours later, I am awakened with a VERY fast heart rate. I had a heart monitor that recorded it, and my doctor said that it is just fast, not irregular or anything dangerous. I used to just panic when it happened and one night my husband called 911. By the time they got here, it had slowed down. Now when it happens, I get up and go to the bathroom, and sometimes taking a swallow of Maalox helps. The doctor said he had no idea why it happened, but reassured me that it wasn't dangerous. I wonder if it is hormones. Janet

[pedropanic]

Good Lord it is difficult to deal with isn't it!

I have just woken to a VERY fast heart rate, must have been 160 easy, sweating, disorientated, panicing.........the best solution seems to be to relax and accept that the pounding is my heart doing what is should, and that if I relax my heart soon gets the message and calms down.

I too have called the ambulance on occasion with a racing heart, only to have it slow right down to around 80bpm by the time they got here.

I find indigestion and heartburn is a big trigger for me, so i try and avoid eating too close to bedtime.

I feel fine during the day, then a few hours after I have fallen asleep....WHAM! I'm awake with my heart beating faster than I ever thought it could, sweating, my mind trying to claw it's way back to clarity, swimming with dreadful thoughts of heart attacks and dying alone. Just awful.

I think I need to accept them more, relax when they happen and allow time to heal my anxious nerves. I hope you're feeling a little better x

[Southern_Belle]

Hi Annie,

I too have the problem of a racing pulse. I have very low blood pressure so I think mine has something to do with that problem and have thyroid disease but it is hypo. I notice mine right before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. I don't know if it is happening during the day and I just don't notice it as much because I am busy. Sometimes during the night I wake up with it too.

When it happens to me I focus on something that calms me down. For me, it is a field of lavender. I also spray lavender on my pillow at night so I can breathe it in as I picture it in my mind. I also take one deep breath and then also focus on my breathing too. This (for me) helps calm me down and helps me not focus on the loud beating noise. I also know that it helps me not to lay on my left side.

To be honest, I've never even talked to my doctor about it because every time I've gone to the doctor they have never focused on my pulse only my blood pressure so I have assumed it is okay. I think my next appt. I might just to see what they say to see if it agrees with what others post.

I'm glad you are under a doctor's care and hope this eases up for you as I know how bad it feels.

Take care,

Laura

[Plymnick]

Just read this post. I also suffer from what is known a 'night terrors'. It seems to happen in the first sleep phase - not truly asleep (no REM) and then waking with a racing pulse, sweats and heavy breathing. I just get up and sit for a moment to let my heart decrease, then lie down and go back to sleep. My sleep is then unbroken until i wake in the morning.

There is no scientific explination as to why people get them, but i would imagine that stress, anxiety and stimulants all have an effect to a varying degree.