Sudden sense of impending doom

[IntoTheRoses]

It's really weirded me out. Just randomly got hit by this feeling of impending doom. Like a really anxious sinking feeling in my stomach and my brain just feeling, well, doomy? Never suddenly felt like this before!

I get this the day before my period , but also it is definitely a symptom of peri menopause .

@Hugoslavia it is definitely a symptom of sepsis. And one that is medically recognised. I almost lost my life to sepsis and it was one of my symptoms

This thread is an eye-opener. I had no idea that a feeling of impending doom could signal serious illness.

Hope you are OK, OP and it's just a heavy bout of January blues that blows over, nothing more.

I have this but in very short bursts and accompanied by other weird derealisation symptoms. Waiting for tests to be complete but may be a neurological disorder or may be peri menopausal anxiety.

It was the combo of symptoms which raised a flag in my case and the nature and pattern of the attacks so go to gp to discuss I reckon.

I used to get this a lot since I was a child. I think every now and then I suddenly remember my mortality and I panic about it and not being in control. I hate the feeling it feels me with utter dread. Could it be that OP? It’s a horrible feeling. It is like a panic attack I almost can’t catch my breath I feel so panicked and scared.

Assuming and hoping it's nothing serious. I've had the same - I go through episodes of it from time to time. Dreadful feeling. I found that meditation using the Calm app really helped. Hope you're ok.

Sure, it’s more likely to be panic attack or anxiety attacks or something like that. But that’s not what you said...you said to stop reading this thread and implied that pp were talking rubbish.

Posters are not scaremongering when they state that it can indicate a medical emergency. They are, in fact, stating quite accurately that in some cases it can be very serious, as it was in my DH’s case.

I get this at the same time as palpitations.

I had this this week. I think it was too much caffeine

@alltoomuchrightnow

DD is excellent, I've met her a few times in real life through friends. I can't comment re menopause but I hear she's the best I get this a lot and for me it's definitely related thyroid also low blood pressure

She's lovely isn't she She's used me (anonymously) as source material and we've chatted on the phone a few times. The work she does is priceless.

Impending doom can be a symptom of anxiety.
Maybe it’s an anxiety attack.

I get like this when I read anything to do with the environment, economy (especially QE) and world affairs. Ignorance truly is bliss and normally a good book, music and a glass of wine helps to detach from reality.

sounds like anxiety to me! - please see your GP who will be able to prescribed some anxiety meds for you - I hoe you feel better soon!

I’ve had this recently, which is very unusual for me as I’ve never suffered with anxiety and have previously worked in a high risk profession with no issues. I’ve put it down to the fact that the world has become a pretty scary place and, now that I’ve had children, I’m acutely aware of the bad things that can happen.

I've had this feeling for a few weeks less doom but more of a darkness.
All my usual things I do haven't helped.

I do feel other peoples energies too, did once at an event and it was very weird, a person closeby to me the atmosphere felt very heavy and I had this feeling they were not a good person, they eventually moved away and everything felt light and happy again.

I don't drink or take any substances so I do think some people like myself lean more towards being empaths.

Sure osme people will pooh pooh me but whatever I can't describe it and its not medical issue, not anxiety etc.

I've had this feeling OP and usually it is before something terrible happens, a local death or an awful world event. I had it before 9/11, the Boxing Day tsunami and again before the Capitol was invaded a couple of weeks ago. The year before covid I had a growing sense of something terrible about to happen. Usually I get a sense of " it's really too quiet... something's afoot " then... bam!
But that's just me, please listen to the pps who are saying it may be a medical symptom.

Just want to say it never foretells a family or personal thing, it's always a big piece of news or someone that's well known in the local area.

Hope you are ok OP. Dh had this a few years ago along with indigestion and put it down to poor sleep and a too much to drink the night before, silly bugger was having a heart attack.

Hope you are ok op must be very worrying

I had these some years ago, usually would happen at night right after I’d dropped off, sense of doom, palpitations, shortness of breath, feeling like I was going to die, a wave of heat would come over my body starting in my feet moving up. I’d often get something similar in the day but not quite so intense but intense enough that I’d have to stop driving or if I was at the office I’d have to go to the loo to collect myself. I even went to A&E twice but they could never find anything- electro would show my heart was fine. I’m not saying you have the same thing but mine were panic attacks. A combination of anti-depressives (to calm down anxiety) and CBT (to learn to recognise triggers) saved me. But agree with others, ring 111.

@Dinasaurcatcher

I thought that it was more a case of 'feeling as though you might die' with Sepsis rather than a 'sense of impending doom' being common/an indication of sepsis? I understand that it can accompany a sudden drop in low blood pressure though, by this point it would it should be obvious that you are very unwell. My husband was in a coma with sepsis for weeks and I raise awareness of Sepsis for The Sepsis Trust and we have never been told/asked to convey a sense of impending doom as a symptom. That's not to say that it doesn't happen of course, just that it's not considered as an important early indicator, given that other symptoms are more prevalent/obvious first. My understanding is that with other conditions, such as a heart attack/blood clots is that it can be an early indicator/first sign in the absence of other major symptoms.

are you on any medication? I had shoulder and back pain a few years back and was put on naproxen and lansaprazole (or omeprazole, I can't remember which). One night a few weeks in I was just thinking of nothing in particular in the bathroom and I suddenly started having palpitations, I went cold and clammy, weak, shaky, nauseous, dizzy, and an overwhelming sense that something was terribly terribly wrong (yes it was a definite sense of impending doom, it crossed my mind that that was what people must feel when they're about to die)

I sank to my knees in the bathroom, head over the toilet expecting to vomit and i managed to shout for help. DH came in, and all I could say was "something's wrong, something's terribly wrong". He didn't know what on earth to do, but luckily it passed a minute later. I had never experienced anything like that before and didn't have any anxiety issues. I researched the medication and found a number of people who had experienced the same since taking it. I can't remember which one it was now, I Think it was the lansaprazole. I just stopped taking it and the naproxen there and then and have never experienced it again.

Although now I seem to have night terrors since starting perimenopause. I don't usually have any recollection of it but DH says I often "wake up" shouting and panicky.

lansoprazole, not lansaprazole!

So many replies! I've been trying to distract myself with a book or TV but I just feel antsy like I can't sit still. Not upset just a really weird feeling of doom and shaky as if something is about to happen, almost nervous. I've got a weird pain in my shoulder I think from being tense and a sinking geeking in my stomach but nothing besides that symptom wise.

I've not suffered from anxiety or panic attacks previously, can they come on for no reason? I've been switched off from the news for weeks and haven't felt worried about anything.

Worrying about heart attacks/strokes etc. I don't feel like that's what's happening but I guess I can't know? Husband is saying not to ring 111 and just get some sleep and I'm not sure what to do

I bloody hope it's not the menopause! I'm late twenties and trying for a baby! I am having a weird period at the moment, it's so light and has been for days with no cramps which did worry me a bit as it was so unusual for me. Oh god does that sound like perimenopause? Now I'm anxious!

The weird shoulder pain should probably be checked as I think that can be referred pain.