woken up by panic

[henri]

hi everyone,
have only been sleeping for a couple of hours and just sprang out of bed in my sleep - i am absolutely boiling hot and my heart is racing so fast i can't hear anything else. i went out last night and overdid the drinking a bit (well, it is bank holiday) and now i feel terrible and it feels like my heart is racing faster every second and i'm really freaking out. all my panic techniques have just gone out of the window. i know it's quite late, but if anyone is reading this now, please can you reassure me?
henri x

[shiv]

Hiya,

I'm having a "bad heart night" too, although I haven't slept yet. But I tend to overdo the booze sometimes and my symptoms get REALLY bad too.

I'm here and I understand

Shiv x

[henri]

thanks shiv,

it's stupid, i know it's just the booze but i feel like i'm going to overheat to death and my heartbeat won't calm down. it freaks me out because heart palpitations are not normally one of my symptoms. the whole panic thing hasn't happened in a while, which makes it worse. please tell me i'm not going to die from having a glass of wine too many...

henri x

[shiv]

Oh mate, I feel sooooooooooo bad for you. I fyou've read my post on SVTs today, you'll realise I TOTALLY understand. My symptoms are self inflicted a lot of the time due to alcohol but I promise and swear to God you won't die from them

Shiv x

[henri]

okay, thanks.
thanks for replying to my post, i thought i'd have to wait until morning for a reply. i'm beginning to calm down a bit now i think. so scary when that happens while you are actually asleep. might try drinking a pint of water or something before i go back to bed.
thanks again for replying, you are a star
henri x

[taf]

waking up with panic is so uncomfortable! sorry! Hang in there! Taf

[ashley]

Hi henri
Love i have this, and you know what i have this most nights it is so scary.. and yes doing your breathing techniques would so help you..you know this.
But please love, this is nothing serious its all part of anxiety..you know this in your heart.. so many of us have this dont we and its so dam scary my god .. i dread my bedtime.
I can wake up to 8 times a night ....and 3 out of this with my heart banging madley.. with the aid of medication though i can calm myself more than i did before,,, but its not easy.
Pm me if ya need a chat with me love.

Ash x

[Piglet]

Hi henri,

I have had the odd little episodes of this too in the last year or so - throw some alcohol into the equation and boom!!!!!

Try not to worry mate it sounds like just another unpleasent anxiety thing.

Love Piglet xx

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[wendy]

Hi Henri

Hope your feeling better now, Drinking does seem to agrivate anxiety and night times are just the worse

I will soon pass

Take Care

Wendy x

[Keitharcher]

Hi Henri

I used to suffer from this I had to throw windows open to get oxygen. I found that breathing and relaxation techniques helped me. As for the booze well that does make things worse it is a depressant. I suggest relaxtion and breathing

Keith

[henri]

Thanks for your replies everyone, it means a lot to me.
I had weird dreams all night but feel much better today. Might stay off the booze for a bit though!
xx

[Keitharcher]

Hi henri

Staying of the booze will certaintly help you out, but you must get into a routine with your sleep. Hope it all mends soon

Keith

[Dave]

Alcohol will not help your anxiety one bit despite some people's beliefs, it may relax you initially but later can make your symptoms worse.

Last week I went out and had about 3 pints, not much but enough to make me feel like crap later in the night. My heart rate was stupidly fast, around 120-130bpm before I went to sleep. Luckily it had slowed down by the morning.

[blondeangel]

hi henri..
I have found for myself that sometimes I will have panic or anxiety wake me up. Sometimes I may have had a few drinks..other times I haven't. The thing with panic attacks is that they happen spontaneously, and so they can happen any time pretty mcuh. Usually when I get them they are at night before I go to bed, an they prevent me going to sleep. But I have been woken up by them too. Actually this morning I was woken up by them..anxiety and panic...I have been having both and they both seem to be happening togehter right now (it so sucks), but I found that reding helped me a bit. Certain things will help certain people...but I hate to say it, but my clonazapam (klonapin) has been very effective for myself during attacks to help me feel normal again...and helps my body relax. But reading for me helps..sometimes videogames do to..but i don't get tired from them...they just keep me going...but they take my mind off of other things too sometimes.
But you are not alone. It is not uncommon for people with anxiety disorders to have attacks at night. And night attacks are horrible. For me..I LOVE to sleep..my ideal sleep in 8-10 hours....and having an attack during my sleep is not just unpleasant, but frusrating and annoying..and I end up being grumpy and feeling crappy all day...like today becauise I had an attack in the morning.
I myself like to drink before I got to bed, and I have been trying to be careful not to overdo it..I have heard that drinking too much can cause anxiety and/or a disturbed sleep...so I try to really limit it.
If you are having recurrent panic attacks durng your sleep I think you should discuss this with your physician/psychiatrist/therapist, or anyone else you may see regarding panic/anxiety. They may give you meds and/or other therapy to help.

[henri]

thanks for replying to me blondeangel. i know what you mean about the videogames, i sometimes use them as a distraction too, but then i get so into them, i think they hype me up even more!
i've had two good nights sleep in a row (well, i had a minor blip last night but i'm ignoring that fact), so i'm keeping my fingers crossed for a third..
xx

[feege]

Hi Henri

I hate that being woken up by a panic attack thing... and it nearly always happens to me now when I have a drink which is really doing my head in, I can't even go out for a pint or two now - well I can but boy do I pay for it!!!!!

Trouble is once I have had a half or two I'm convinced I'm fine, go to sleep fine and then BAM!!!

I don't think it's for ever - I have a friend who used to be like that but seems to have got over it now and although she's over 60 she can enjoy a few drinks quite happily again! HOORAH THERE'S HOPE!!!

Hope it never happens to you again hun xxxxxxxxxxxx

Fee xxxxxx
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[Merlyn1402]

hi

I often get woken in the night by panic and I find these attacks worse than the day ones. I do find though that my breathing and relaxation techniques really work as well as having a distraction technique like playing a handheld game. Just remember that you are in control and dont let the panic control you.