woke up with panic attack

[robertz]

is it possible to wake up in a panic attack. i woke up all of a sudden after only three hours of sleep and jumped straight out of bed like i needed to walk really bad or something. it took me a minute to realize where i was and now im shaking all over and am finding it hard to focus. heart is racing and its hard to swallow, eyes are all bloodshot. weird thoughts in my head like im going crazy or have completly lost it. shortness of breath also! i feel like this might be it and that i dont have much time left!
please someone tell me im ok and this is only anxiety please please please
im so scared. this is the worst panic attack i have ever had!
sorry to bother everyone

[pinkpiglet]

Hi robertz,
i would say that this is defo a panic attack or at least it fits the criteria.
I have had this too, on many occassions. I always used to think that my anxiety must have been triggered by a bad dream and that this had caused the attack, however, my doctor thinks that it is more likely to be adrenalin. I wasnt quite listening to her cos i felt like s@*t at the time. But yeah, sounds pretty normal to me (normal 4 us lot that is!)
Hope you can shake it off!!!

[yanksforever]

That's never happend to me, and really I have anxiety attacks more than panic attacks, But I know this is something that happens a lot and is not uncommon at all!

[milly jones]

hunny i used to get night time pas regularly, esp in the week after work

i eventually had a breakdown before i did anything about it

im a bit of a failure to the employment system cos i took meds and have not been at work, but i havent had any for a while

sorry if this doesnt help hun

milly xx

[mothermac]

Yeah this definately sounds familiar to me,I have woken up with sudden feelings of panic and have also been out of breath if I have been having a dream,I tend to get up immediately and go downstairs and do something to get my heart rate back to normal,I think it may be the effects of adrenaline that cause these nasty symptoms.Go to the doc if it put's your mind at rest and he may give you something to help calm your nerves.

[robertz]

thank you all so much for your comments!!!!!! im in such bad shape right now i can hardly write this, but i am so grateful you all wrote me back so soon.

[Tom_M]

Sometimes brain chemicals get messed up while asleep and you wake up feeling like that. A lot of people started off with anxiety and panic that way. Why it happens I'm unsure. Maybe It could be something we ingested? They are now saying that some types of plastic containers can carry a risk of cardiovascular disease. No doubt in a few years they will tell us something synthetic we use causes panic?

Tom

[robertz]

thanks again for the comments. feeling better

[GemmaAnn]

I have sleep walked all my life ... this was before I was diagnosed with anxiety even! And iv done things like this, it doesnt have to be the adrenaline, or the anxiety, just a restless mind could cause you to do this.

Iv done it so many times my family and I just laugh about it in the morning because I make so much noise! Usualy jumping out of bed, slamming the light on and screaming about a spider at the same time

Its really nothing to worry about

[Dazza]

Hi,

This has happened to me a few times over he past 3 months.

I will wake up either gasping for air, or with a racing heart, chest pain and an intense sense of agitation and anxiety / fear that I'm going to have a heart attack.

The most recent one was two nights ago, and I almost dialled 999 again, but didn't and my heart rate eventually reduced again. It left me feeling really ill for most of the day yesterday though.

Glad that you are feeling better after time and reading the posts. Hope you have good day. )

Darren