Join a Community That Understands You

Get answers from those who share your health journey

Left Image 1Middle Image 1Right Image 1
avatar

ladedadedum

Updated 11mo ago

Dealing with Anxiety Disorder and Panic Attacks at Night

Hi! I am curious to see if anyone else suffers from this! I've had an anxiety disorder for quite a few years now. I've tried SSRI's and I did not like the way those felt. My panic attacks would generally hit me at night about an hour of falling asleep. They went away for a while and then after I had covid in August 2021 they have reared their head horribly. I wake up every single night with panic. Shaking, heart racing, feel really cold, sometimes I'm disoriented, and I feel super tense. Sometimes I wake up feeling like I am choking on something. My doctor prescribed me Ativan to take as needed and Propranolol. I feel like the propranolol is helping with the heart racing and shaking but the rest, not so much. The Ativan doesn't work if I take it every night, only every 3rd night or so. She also prescribed me Temazepam to take at night instead of Ativan but my anxiety won't let me take it because I fear what will happen if I wake up on it. Anyone else have similar issues?? anything you did that helped??

Can you help? Connect today

avatar

KatCre

2y

I also responded poorly to SSRIs. I had taken gabapentin many years ago for an unrelated condition & noticed my anxiety improved. I brought this up to my psychiatrist when I was finally ready to address my anxiety & have been taking it ever since. It’s not one of the most traditional methods to treat anxiety, however it is being used more frequently. I take 300MG 3x a day & use klonopin as needed (usually once a day .5mg). Maybe talk to your doctor about trying something a little outside the norm, but still shown to be effective.
avatar

needempathy

2y

Hi. Wow, Gabapentin helps your anxiety? It helps my IBS. 👍
avatar

KatCre

2y

Also- I’m not sure if you’re in therapy but it helps. Work on developing good coping skill, either with a therapist or on your own. Deep breathing, relaxation & grounding techniques can help a lot with panic. Helpguide.org, has some great articles that include audio to walk you through using these exercises.
avatar

ladedadedum

2y

How did the Gabapentin make you feel? I've heard different stories. I'm always nervous about taking meds as I don't know how I will react to them.
avatar

needempathy

2y

Hi. Have you tried Seroquel? It lifts my depression and helps me sleep like a baby🤗
avatar

lizzzybethnicole

2y

Hi! I seem to have bad anxiety at night too. But it's before I fall asleep. I cry and cry about anything and everything and feel like everybody is going to die the next day. I was taking Trazadone to go to sleep but I have a 17 month old and newborn so I can't take it or I won't wake up when the baby is hungry. Ativan is the only thing that helps me and when I panic. I take 0.5mg 3 times a day as needed.
avatar

ladedadedum

2y

I tried trazadone as well and it made me sleep walk. The Ativan helps me only if I don't take it every single night. I've started taking magnesium at night to see if that helps so we shall see!

The content in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

feed-footer-0

Free unlimited access

to all community content

feed-footer-1

Find others who are

medically similar to you

feed-footer-2

Pose questions and join

meaningful discussions

pp-logo

Alike is a transformative platform that goes beyond just bringing together patients; it meticulously connects individuals based on multiple critical factors, such as age, gender, comorbidities, medications, diet, and more, fostering a community of knowledge, support and empathy.

appStoreBtngooglePlayBtn

© 2020-2024 Alike, Inc