Sudden feeling of impending doom

[Rubydoobydoobydoo]

For no apparent reason. I have nothing major going on that merits that sinking feeling. A couple of bills to pay — but I have the money to pay them. No back to school or college or work blues. No health concerns, apart from getting older and stiffer. I had a nice weekend away with friends topped off by a particularly good Sunday lunch in a beautiful old town yesterday. My DP and I went for a walk after saying goodbye to the friends and had one of those lovely, close hours, just happy to be with each other.

Today I've been fine, got things done. And now, just now, out of nowhere, that horrible sinking feeling of impending doom.

Anyone else ever get this? Any ideas why?

I had it the night my Dad died. For some reason I just had to go home. I managed to get a taxi .He had a sudden heart attack.

These threads are so predictable. Someone having a heart attack isn’t likely to be feeling a sense of great joy are they? 🙄

Have you ever felt happy and content and calm for a bit and then wondered what the fuck is wrong?

No? Exactly.

Have you ever felt happy and content and calm for a bit and then wondered what the fuck is wrong?

No? Exactly.

I had a sudden severe drop in blood pressure a couple of months ago and also had it. Also didn't know it caused it.

I woke up at 3am to use the loo as I had a stomach ache. Suddenly had chest pain, blood pressure dropped to 77/44, was sweating profusely and went super pale/grey. I was shouting to my husband to call an ambulance as I felt like I was about to die.
It was honestly terrifying.
The ambulance came and took me to A&E where I sat for 8 hours before seeing a dr.
They couldn't find the cause of the problem 🤷‍♀️

If you've had a skinful over the weekend lots of alcoholic drinks and food etc could it be the beer fear? I don't drink much now but when I used to drink heavily the next few days I would be anxious as hell and on a massive comedown. I also have bad health anxiety and have this feeling often so maybe I could be it, my panic attacks come out of nowhere too even if I'm feeling off. If your worried though maybe call the GP in the morning just for some reassurance.

We didn't have what most people would call a skinful — but I can go a couple of weeks at a time without wanting to drink alcohol, so two or three glasses of wine over the course of a meal/ an evening is a lot for me. I suspect I'm still a bit dehydrated as a result and dehydration makes your blood pressure low.

The good news is I'm still alive so it wasn't a heart attack or a stroke. The bad news is that I didn't sleep well, kept waking feeling hot and sweaty and still have a feeling of vague unease. It's now nearly a month since I had my HRT prescription changed. I've double-checked the active ingredients in what I was taking before and what I'm taking now and I'm now on about half the old dose. I'll live with this slight anxiety/ uneasiness / broken sleep for a week or so to see if it passes, but I'm pretty certain it's all part of the hormonal change. Not sure how to approach the GP. She was very keen to offer me anti-depressants when I first went to talk to her about the difficulty I was having sleeping and my experience of menopause generally, but I've never taken anti-depressants in my life and would prefer not to start now if possible.

I hope all those who have woken feeling doom-laden go on to have a good day.

Can I ask why you halved your HRT dose?

I hope all those who have woken feeling doom-laden go on to have a good day.

I hope that too!

And also, if you're feeling doom laden specifically when waking up, it may well be hormone related. Our bodies experience a spike in cortisol in the morning, to help us wake up and be alert for the day. If our oestrogen levels are low, and aren't adequate enough to balance out the cortisol spike - this can lead to feelings of anxiety, sadness or dread,

I was on the current dose for about 18 months but still suffering from night sweats and disrupted sleep (though nowhere as bad as it used to be) so they increased it – but after four months on that dosage I started spotting, so was cut back again. It makes complete sense that now I'm starting to experience sleep disruption as oestrogen levels fall. I started HRT quite late in the day, in my late 50s. My GP is, by her own admission, not much of an expert on these things.

As always, Douglas Adams nailed it:

Arthur : All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's something big and sinister going on in the world.

Slartibartfast : No, that's perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the universe gets that.

I have been doom laden all day today again. Weather has been dark and grim all day again. Definitely linked for me.

Mumsnet is such a scaremongering place. This thread is absolutely terrifying for anyone who's a bit health anxious. Discussions of silent heart attacks and "well, I thought I was fine until I nearly died!" Jeez. Almost all of us have experienced sudden doom/anxiety at some point and are not having heart attacks!

OP I feel like this all the time. It just randomly comes on. I assume it's just hormones or something. Feelings just happen sometimes. Have you ever cried for no reason? I think it's a similar thing.

No I think it's important. Sense of impending doom is a medical phenomena often due a sudden drop in blood pressure and can be a sign of something serious. In my case, I know what it is because it's severe allergic reaction.

Doom is not the same thing as feeling anxious. It could be that it's a question of trying to explain things and we're not all on the same page, but Mumsnet has saved lives before by pointing things out.

Nobody wants to scare people with health anxiety but I do think it's important to be clear as possible what we're talking about.

Doom is not the same as feeling gloomy, anxious or depressed. Not when I've experienced it.

Maybe you’re just coming down from the euphoria of the nice time you had. Like post holiday blues?