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1/12/09 8:33 P

Thank-you for the info.

I was thinking more on it and last night I took my thyroid med late. I usually take it in the morning before I eat. It may be tied with that as the med revs me up in the morning and if I'm sleeping, then my body isn't working it through. If another attack doesn't happen, then I think it may be tied to that.

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1/12/09 7:27 P

In the sites I read through, people usually equated them with high stress, and one guy said he only got them if he drank the night before.

That would be really startling to just wake up panicked, and not have any real thoughts, or dream to tie it too. I know a few times I've had the physical sensations of a panic attack, without any emotional panic, and it's very disconcerting, to have this adrenaline charged survival reaction to nothing, not even the thoughts inside my head.

Also disruptive to your sleep, and kind of like sleeping to the tick of a jack-in-the-box, you don't know when you'll have a normal night or a panicky night.

A journal sounds like the best place to start, to track if their are any correllations to anything.

I hope it gets better!

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1/12/09 6:53 P

Thank-you all for the feedback and support. I've had panic attacks since my early twenties and only during times of high stress that I feel I cannot resolve. Just like waking up with the panic attacks, that would happen when I had night terrors and I understood why I was waking up terrified. I've had that heavy chest during times of high stress with the night terrors and it sure does feel like a huge weight is sitting there. I chuckled when you mentioned that your neighbours must love when you wake up yelling. I remember a few years back having a night terror and waking self up screaming "Help Help". Windows wide open, summer, everyone had windows or doors open. I was so thankful no one called the police or banged on my door. LOL!!

Being a nurse (in my past life) I remember how we could not tell the difference between panic attack and heart attack until we put the leads on, then did a strip (EEG). When its happening and you aren't sure, it truly is scary. I'm fortunate in that I understand what's happening, just not sure why. I'm also fortunate in that it's only happened a couple times this past couple months. The one prior was over 3 nights - waking up in a panic that someone had either been terribly injured or dead. Coincidence - my cousin fell on the job and really busted up her ankle/leg and her daughter'n'law fell in a store, smashing her head. Never did figure out the coincidence for the 3rd, then it left. I think this one may be related to work, but usually there is more with it - like a dream or nightmare.

I have ways to settle down to sleep and I do think that I have sleep apnea, although my cat really doesn't notice the snoring. LOL! I know one time my cat was jumping on my chest looking at me in my eye, when I woke up in a start. Either she really wanted breakfast or she was jump starting me. LOL!

Knowing her ... she really wanted breakfast.

I'll look on the sites. I haven't found much on night panic attacks either. I'll have to start journalling again and figure out what's happening.

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1/12/09 4:16 P

I have not had them in sleep but hubby did when he lost his job..he would wake up in a panic and grab his chest...I thought he was having a heart attack.
It only happened a few times but it was scary!

Good luck to you.

Laurie

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1/12/09 2:24 P

I haven't had that happen. I wake up with sleep paralysis, where I can't move and feel like there's a weight on my chest holding me down (ok, honestly cause I'm half asleep, I usually wake myself up, yelling at the imaginary weight on my chest, which must be nice for the neighbors...) Which I know that sensation is semi-common. I looked up on the net, night panic attacks and this it what I found:

This site, just has a lot of people who experience what you described, but not a lot of helpful - how to counteract it advice:

http://www.medhelp.org/forums/MentalHealth/messages/31529.html

This is a Government site, that says that it's the same as a panic attack, asleep or awake.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00134.html

Here's a newsweek one that says it's the same as a daytime panic attack.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/143189/page/2

A CBS newstory about it - but focuses alot on sleep apnea.

http://www.keyetv.com/content/news/indepth/story/CBS-42-In-Depth-Panic-attacks-and-sleep-disorders/AIE3qh2TYkCIPO3i5cIWjA.cspx

I'm getting the impression this is not a hugely studied phenomenon, I thought I would find like even dubious herbal remedies and self-help tags galore on it, and none were coming up.

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1/12/09 11:19 A

I did have this occur a few years ago but not recently. I am taking Lexapro which is helping with depression and anxiety. The panic attacks, as you mentioned, are so frightening. I hope you find a solution to your problem. Try meditating before sleep. Perhaps this could help.

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1/12/09 11:12 A

Does anyone else wake up in a state of panic in the middle of the night, for no apparent reason? This is different than the ones of past, as those had reasons behind them - either a death or car accident or trauma replaying through the nightmares. I'd wake up remembering the nightmare and understand why I'm in the midst of a panic attack.

This is different. Over the past months occasionally I'd wake up in a state of panic. I cannot fall back asleep. I cannot recall a nightmare, there isn't anything noisy happening outside and no real reason for the attack.

I get up because I can't sleep and my body hates to lay there staring at the roof. It passes, it doesn't stay with me, just a real pain when it happens. There isn't really any thoughts that rise up either. Just curious if others have experienced these types of attacks.

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