Awake all night with pounding heart

[countrygirl]

I posted yesterday that I had had an episode of pounding heart and feeling faint and saw Dr who wasn't too bothered she told me to chill.
Well during the evening my ectopics got more and more frequent and I was shaking with anxiety. Went to bed and as soon as I started to drift off to sleep I got like a massive shock and my heart pounded for about 8 beats then calmed down. I have had this before and usually it wears off after about 3 hrs and I fall asleep but I got more and more stressed and terrified and worried about not sleeping and bingo I every single time i relaxed and started to drift off I got the sinking thumping as if you have fallen through the bed sensation then the 8 pounding heartbeats so I was literally awake all night.

I staggered tot he open surgery this morning in a complete panic literally shaking with terror and burst into tears when I tried to describe it to different lady dr she was nice and explained what ectopics are and why they feel so awful and reassured me that none of this was harmful and that I needed to cope with the terror it produces in me.

She told me when I have a day at home and the drs open to take the small dose beta blocker and if it doens't trigger an asthma attack ( I had asthma as a child) then to ony use them if I get the can't sleep cos of thumping heart.

In the meantime as I can't do this till next week she has given me 14 diazepan and said take then at bedtime to see if this will help me fall asleep she would not give out sleeping pills.

I can understand her explanation that I need to get a handle on the panic as getting into a panic will only make the symptoms worse but I am so terrified that I will not sleep tonight even with the diazepam - I have never in my life spent all night awake and feel dreadful today. I am also going away for three days tomorow morning and thinking how can I if I have a second night without sleep.

Has anyone sle has anything like this with pounding heart when drifting off to sleep???
My husband says he occasionally get the sinking sensation but he doens't panic so doesn't get any other symptoms - this is not the whole body twitch that you get as falling asleep you don't move at all but feela s if your chest has fallen out then the pounding heart.

The Dr said this is a common symptom of extreme anxiety especially when coupled with ectopics etc.

[paula lynne]

Hi love I get this every night x
I start off by sitting up with my paper bag on my chops if I feel panicky too...x
Eventually, I sort of get lower and lower in bed, turn over and over, but eventually sleep does come....its scary but I do go to sleep, and wake up!
Use the hour before bed for total relaxation. X
All the best x

[Vixxy]

I get it too. Try listening to a relaxation CD during the day so that you get used to relaxing. :)

[Hazel B]

I had this for a couple of months. I'd be all relaxed and snuggly in bed, then my heart would start pounding and beat at 130bpm. It was very confusing for me, haven't had it before and it seemed odd to happen when I'm lying down. I'd also wake up a few times in the night with a racing pulse. Cutting a long story short, it was anxiety and I had Propranolol to help break the adrenalin cycle. I'd been worried about ongoing medical tests I was having and it got to a panic stage.
I had 6 weeks off work and booked to see a counsellor to talk through other issues such as bereavement. My test results showed a gallstone and I'm now on the waiting list to have it sorted. I started a really healthy diet, cut out caffeine in coffee (v.difficult!), stopped smoking and made sure I got some gentle exercise every day.
I'm now back at work part-time and feeling a lot better, though I still have anxious thoughts but challenge them more now.
Best wishes in overcoming anxiety. x

[alicegreen]

I get it too. Try listening to a relaxation CD during the day so that you get used to relaxing. :)

This is brilliant advice. Make it a priority to do this every single day, even if you do not feel stressed as it will teach you that it is "safe" to relax. That way when you go to bed at night you will not be so wound up.

I had what you describe a few weeks back and I ended up so sleep deprived. I took diazepam in the end and they really helped. What dose have you been given? My husband has asthma and takes a betablocker with no problems by the way x

[countrygirl]

The diazepam I have been given are 5mg - I do find that diazepam wears off with me very quickly so they are not that effective. Has anyone taken zopiclone I know you shoudn't but a friend has been given a weeks supply of these and says she will let me have a couple obviously I will not take them with anything else but just wondered if anyone had tried these.

The propananol are 10 mg which Dr says is smallest dose and tiny. Nice to hear your husband with asthma can take them. I do not need them as such she said but just to stop the adrenalin affecting my heart so much. My blood pressure is fine so they could affect that by lowering it a bit but she did say only take one if I can on the nights where my heart is stopping me sleeping. I will be a basket case on the day I try one!!

I am very stressed at moment as my best friend who I met when I moved house and area a year ago and see nearly every day is leaving her husband and moving hundreds of miles away so just as I was settiling into a new place and feeling at home all will change. I have a wonderful husband so no reason to be such a neurotic heap!!

I have had so many episodes over the years of sudden total insomnia and it scares me more than anything else as I always panic thinking I will never sleep ever again!

[countrygirl]

I have to go back to docs in morning for a thryoid bood test to check that my medication is okay and also potassium test as low potasium can cause ectopics- not bad going three visits in three days. the doctor should have done them this morning but after spending so long explaining and reassuring me re ectopics she ran out of time as her appts were running over half an hour late so she asked me to go bck tomorrow. So another hour long wait in surgery for open surgery in morning. HOpe they can get the blood i am not easy!!

I am feeling very panicky about gong to bed tonight even though I am yawming for england after being awake for 48 hrs. I think I will take a sleeping tablet tonight and hope for best. Once I get one nights sleep then usually I can calm down a bit. My ectopics are at their worst at moment:weep:

[Zee]

This is the first time ive seen the "sinking sensation" described.. I have had that a few times when I was on high anxiety and had no idea what it was, just that it was a horrible scary feeling..

[alicegreen]

I work nights and when I am overtired I get many ectopics.
I hope that you get a good nights rest countrygirl, I know how awful it is to be dead on your feet but terrified to sleep.
You will be fine, trust me xxx

[blueangel]

Hi again countrygirl - hope you managed to get a good night's sleep. I just had a thought; if you are low in potassium, try eating a banana every day. They contain loads of potassium. I started doing this some years ago and it really has helped them.