Panic Attack at night

[scoobydooby]

I need to know if anyone's had a panic attack at night. I woke this morning at about 01:30, sweating buckets. I went to open the window and felt dizzy. My heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn't breathe properly. I'm a bit hazy about which order it all came in but I did not have a bad dream and I wasn't stressed, worried or upset about anything. I'm 39 and have never had anything like this before. It lasted for about 40 minutes and ended with me waking hubby, crying and telling him I was dying!! Dr has checked my blood pressure which is fine. I had no pain. What the hell is going on? It's made me so worried that all day I've been pre-occupied with last night's events. I even fell down the last two stairs just now whilst bringing down some washing but I think that's because I am now stressed, worried and tired (because of last night). I need some empathy if anyone can give me any :o(

[Wix]

Yes, your not alone. I have had panic attacks, but mine have been before going to sleep. One lasted over an hour.
I know what your going through, i have panic attacks alot.
I

[Cheesefreek]

I once had a totally unexpected panic attack when I was at work - totally not under pressure and for no reason at all. I'd never had one before, and I couldn't catch my breath and was convinced I was going to die. I left home early and went straight to my doctors and sobbingly tried to convince him that I was about to have a thrombosis. He calmed me down and gave me some medicine - which I later realised was probably a mild tonic. I convinced myself that it cured me! I've never had one since - so maybe you won't either. Keep paper bags handy to breathe into though - just incase!

[society]

Could it be menopause Scooby?

[bensmum]

Poor you. I have never had a panic attack as you describe but I have woken up with my heart beating rapidly and it's not a nice feeling. Fortunately I was able to get back to sleep. Could you perhaps have had a dream that you forgot once you woke up? Everyone dreams but very few people can remember theirs.
Hope you have a better night tonight :-)
XX

[devil99]

please don't worry. my husband had an unexpected panic attack in august, it was really frightning , please don't think something bad is going to happen, IT'S NOT , after a couple more attacks a doctor prescribed diazapan, now then before you say "i'm not having any of that!" it has been a god send, he has'nt even finished the packet, it is just a case of knowing you have something in your pocket to help you through in case of another attack. People suffer from these for many different reasons, stress,worry, or feeling life is too much to cope with, see your doctor, even just for a chat and reasurrance, i hope you are feeling better tonight , try not to dwell on last night too much, rebeccaxx

[scoobydooby]

Yeah, Doc did mention an early menopause but I'm scared stiff. To be honest, I always thought panic attacks were controllable and only happened to people who were worried, stressed etc. I can honestly say that my body completely over-rulled my brain last night and I had no control over what was going on - even though I was thinking 'don't be so silly - think rationally and calm down'. From now on, I'll have the most sympathy for panic attack sufferers - at least mine wasn't during the day. Very very strange experience - it's almost out-of-body!

[weeal]

I had panic attacks years ago which came and went without explanation, lasted a short time and it was every time I drove over a bridge for some reason (which I had to do to get home from work). Never at night.

This may sound silly but could it be caffeine? or similar cola? they can both have the same symptoms in some people with palpatations and sweating etc, honestly

[devil99]

out of body is how my hubby described it, feeling very lonely and helpless, just try to breathe normally, don't take deep breaths if it happens again, his was at the side of the motorway the paramedics were called , he really thought he was about to have a stroke, i have lots of sympathy for sufferers.

[valerieb1254]

Hi scoobydoo,
I really do sympathize with you. I started with panic attacks at 17,the most awful feeling in the world.I suffered for years and years with them.I am 60 in January, and now I just get the odd one.People don't realise till they have experienced one. It does help having some one there to talk to.My mother in law started with them last year and she is 83. I know it may sound stupid but keep a brown paper bag with you,if you start with an attack breath slowly into it. Also at Boots chemist or health shops you can get something called Bachs Rescue Remedy. Put a couple of drops on the tongue, it helped me.
Good Luck scoobydooby my thoughts are with you, you are not alone.
Val.

[oldmegan]

Although it's easy to say, please try not to worry, scoobydooby. I had several of these attacks when I was going through the menopause, but when I was awake, not asleep. I found the best thing to do was to try and move immediately from wherever I was and try and concentrate on something, anything to take my mind off what was happening. Glad to say, now I am over all that stuff, I haven't had a panic attack for years and years. I am sure they will go as quickly as they came. Try and breath in and out really slowly and deeply and think of something pleasurable, my place was a desert island with white sand and blue sea. It will pass, I am sure!

[unrulyjulie]

I went through a period in my life where i had panic attacks but didnt know what they were when i was experiencing them and like, you I thought i was dying!
They always happened at night too!
I used to struggle for breath, had tingling in my arms and tightness in my chest as if someone was pressing down on me.

I had been through a bad time but it had all subsided about 3 months previous. My doctor explained it that when you are going through a traumatic time, your body copes with its own defense mechanism but when things settle again, it kicks in and causes the panic attack.

I was helped just knowing what was happenng to me but my doctor also told me the best way to deal with them was to get a brown paper bag and breathe into it when it started. I soon had em licked im happy to say! no more since then!!

I wish you all the best!

[sue11]

HI Scoobydooby, hope you are feeling better and reassured by the answers so far! I too had panic attacks they are horrible and you just want to run and hide until they are over. I But I have never had one at night, I have had night terrors though and I wake up whilst running to the wall scrabbling for the light switch to get away from whatever it is trying to get me! My partner is also woken very confused at what is going on! The funny thing is that once I am awake, I do not feel frightened at all, just a bit confused at what happened! I wonder if you had a night terror that triggered your attack? Night terrors by the way for those who have not heard of them are very bad nightmares, where the sufferer thinks that they are awake and the threat is real, hence the panic. My night terrors are stress related, but happen a few days after the stress when I have practically forgotten what I was bothered about! I think the main thing is to try not too worry too much about it, I know it is hard to do, but you will only stress yourself out if you worry!! Best of luck, I hope I have not given you another thing to worry about by talking about night terrors, like panic attacks, they are harmless!! I am sure you will be fine. Cheers Sue,

[scoobydooby]

Thanks - you're all brilliant xxxxxxxxx It's quite ironic really. I'm a headstrong, career-obsessed woman with teenage daughters - quite strict but fair...............well I WAS. Just a simple panic attack has completely changed my outlook on life and has shown me weaknesses I didn't even realise I had! Perhaps it will slow me down a bit and make me more outwardly caring (even though I'm really the soppiest person alive and secrectly cry at everyone's misfortunes). I feel much better now.

[weeal]

Glad you feel better, its not a weakness in you tho...just mother nature at her worst.

[scoobydooby]

Oops, yeah sorry - I didn't mean weakness in terms of suggesting panic sufferers are weak, I just meant that I'm not the invincible strong person I though I was and I now realise that I can be struck with something just as much as anyone else. Like I said, I once thought it was controllable. How wrong was I? I hope I can become a more compassionate person out of this. Thanks again everyone xx

[bigmamma]

What an experience for you to go through scoobydooby , it sounds scary , but I am pleased you are now feeling better , take care :-)

[happyjo]

Hi

I too suffered from panic attacks about 3 years ago. They are very scary and at the time you feel like you are the only person suffering from them.

Mine used to come on whenever or wherever and the more worried I was about having one, the more likely I would start to feel the light headed panicky sensation that came before.

I went to the doctor who was a great help, I use breathing techniques and relaxation to keep the panic attacks at bay.

Sadly, it is quite common that once you have one attack, you are suseptable to more. I find I am more likely to have an attack if I am over tired.

I have alo cut out caffine, too many coffee's can make you jittery.

If you google panic attacks you will find tons of info on them. I found that knowledge is power and as scary as they are, panic attacks will not harm you.

Good Luck

Jo x