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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by mopey on August 29, 2003, at 23:17:39
I woke up last night in the middle of a panic attack -- heart was racing, breathing felt difficult, feeling of doom.
I've never experienced this before -- just regular old daytime panic attacks!
Anyone else familiar with this? How can you stop it?
Thanks
Posted by Sebastian on August 30, 2003, at 15:17:14
In reply to panic attack while sleeping..., posted by mopey on August 29, 2003, at 23:17:39
What medicine do you take? Any? You should talk to your doctor imidiatly, it can get worse. I had that problem last year when I stoped taking one of my meds.
Sebastian
Posted by mopey on August 30, 2003, at 22:29:39
In reply to Re: panic attack while sleeping... » mopey, posted by Sebastian on August 30, 2003, at 15:17:14
I'm not taking any meds -- doc and I agreed I shd take a break over the summer, and I've been feeling fine until a couple of recent panic attacks and then this week's attack that woke me up. I've not had a panic attack while asleep before.
I feel my depression returning, and I think the panic attacks are a warning sign.
Anyone else have this cycle?
Posted by tealady on August 31, 2003, at 0:35:09
In reply to panic attack while sleeping..., posted by mopey on August 29, 2003, at 23:17:39
> I woke up last night in the middle of a panic attack -- heart was racing, breathing felt difficult, feeling of doom.
>
> I've never experienced this before -- just regular old daytime panic attacks!
>
> Anyone else familiar with this? How can you stop it?
>Was your heart thumping hard as well as fast? Did it feel like you just couldn't get enough oxygen? ..I went to the door to breathe fresher air..thought it might contain more oxygen than the stale room air. Was your pulse fast still in the morning..but the thumpies had gone. Did it happen say within 3 hours of going to bed and falling asleep?
This is what happened to me..just wondered if yours was similar.
Jan
> Thanks
Posted by mopey on August 31, 2003, at 9:49:22
In reply to Re: panic attack while sleeping... » mopey, posted by tealady on August 31, 2003, at 0:35:09
Hi, Jan!
Yes, my heart was certainly thumping -- that was probably the scariest part, though feeling I was struggling for air was no picnic either, of course!
I dont know what time it was -- I was so tired I was determined not to get out of bed and actually wake myself up.
There's a lot of turmoil in my life right now and I thought I was handling it okay, but i guess in my sleep everything is allowed to be addressed or something.
I dont have pdoc coverage right now (Part of the turmoil!), so hope these attacks phase themselves out.
Hope you're feeling better...
>
> Was your heart thumping hard as well as fast? Did it feel like you just couldn't get enough oxygen? ..I went to the door to breathe fresher air..thought it might contain more oxygen than the stale room air. Was your pulse fast still in the morning..but the thumpies had gone. Did it happen say within 3 hours of going to bed and falling asleep?
> This is what happened to me..just wondered if yours was similar.
> Jan
> > Thanks
>
>
Posted by tealady on August 31, 2003, at 18:14:41
In reply to Re: panic attack while sleeping..., posted by mopey on August 31, 2003, at 9:49:22
MIne was only one night. I kinda understand what happened.
I'm on thyroid meds and I usually get so tired by afternoon..even slow releasing them and taking 3 times a day. I wanted to go to my brother's wedding and not fall asleep.
The falling asleep when tired is out of my control..I can pinch myself whatever..and it is more like falling into a coma..
So I took an extra dose of thyroid meds. Then I drank alcohol (not a lot), but had a good time at the wedding...and danced(not as much as I used to and I was a little unbalanced, sigh)..unaccustomed exercise. We had arranged a courtesy bus back to a hotel.
After going to slepp , I awake with like you said.
I assume I must have been slightly hyperthyroid due to the extra hormones, alcohol and exercise which I wasn't used to.
My heart rate on waking..while still lying down in the morning..it wasn't thumping hard then..was 139..so it was still a little fast. It dropped over the day..but I slept in the car on the way home most of the time..just couldn't stay awake no matter how hard I tried.I know this heart thumpies is a symptom of going too high in thyroid hormones, and people who are hyperthyroid experience this.
If your T3 (and more specifically FT3) are too high this will occur. It will start usually a while afer you go to sleep at night.
If this is what is happening to you perhaps you should consider getting the following blood tests.
TSH, FT3, FT4, TSI and perhaps TBII(depending on costs)..but definitely the first 3.
If the heart thumpies get too extreme ..you can die so don't ignore them.
If it IS the cause your TSH will be low(beow range) and/or FT3 above range.
The TSI measues thyroid receptor stimulating antibodies..which are a related to Grave's ..a cause of hyperthyroid.
TBII measures both binding and stimulating thyroid receptor antibodies..a total.
If you don't have insurance coverage and you think this MAY be what is happening there is a place in the US which legally runs blood tests without a doc's script (except for Califorinia)..called Healthcheck USA(probably others but I'm not in the USA so I don't keep a track of these things)..and you can get a discount of some blood tests thru a thyroid forum..if this is relevant to you.
Otherwise I don't know the US system..but would you qualify for free assessment in an emergency dept of a hospital if it happens again?..find outJan
Posted by tealady on August 31, 2003, at 18:34:43
In reply to Re: panic attack while sleeping..., posted by mopey on August 30, 2003, at 22:29:39
> I'm not taking any meds -- doc and I agreed I shd take a break over the summer, and I've been feeling fine until a couple of recent panic attacks and then this week's attack that woke me up. I've not had a panic attack while asleep before.
>
> I feel my depression returning, and I think the panic attacks are a warning sign.
>
> Anyone else have this cycle?If it does continue, you really do need to go back to your doc. What meds were you on before and did this happen not long after stopping?
Posted by mopey on August 31, 2003, at 22:16:30
In reply to Re: panic attack while sleeping..., posted by tealady on August 31, 2003, at 18:34:43
I was on Paxil first, then Celexa. After 6 weeks or so on Celexa, I started falling sound asleep during the day and felt like a zombie. Asked my doc if could stop it and she agreed. That was early spring. I tried Nortripti-? once and it made my heart race. I'm always a reluctant medication-taker, and I think my doc got tired of trying to persuade me. Then the summer came and I was feeling brighter.
Now my husband's lost his job and things are scary, and I think that's triggering this new batch of panic attacks and the start of a phase of depression (though I feel bright today after an awful day yesterday...).
Will keep an eye on the heart thing. Thanks for the info on those blood tests.
>
> If it does continue, you really do need to go back to your doc. What meds were you on before and did this happen not long after stopping?
>
>
Posted by tealady on August 31, 2003, at 22:43:14
In reply to Re: panic attack while sleeping..., posted by mopey on August 31, 2003, at 22:16:30
Well I hope someone else can comment on whether they have ever experienced that reaction after stopping those meds or on nortriptilene? Perhaps that could give a clue. It does sound like anxiety.
One thing that may help is magnesium..try taking a calcium/magnesium supplement around 300-500mg elemental calcium and around 200-300 mg elemental magnesium just before going to bed every night. It may prevent the "racing".
Jan
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