Panic attacks in the middle of the night and pregnancy

[TillITookAnArrowToTheKnee]

Hi.

2 years ago I had what was termed a minor nervous breakdown. I won't go into detail, but I was bed bound for a month, and didn't leave the house for a further 2 months.

Gradually I got better. Currently I'm taking 75mg of Amytriptylene and 40mg Propranolol, although I can take up 120mg on a bad day, but 99% of the time I take 40mg.

Baby is being monitored by Consultant who assures me there is very little risk to baby, and has sent me to Peri Natal Psych, and they are waiting on my GPs sending more information to them. GPs surgery is currently a mess. All 5 GPs left after a contract dispute in April this year, it has been staffed with locums since, none of which know me.

I've just woken up after a mesasley 65 mins sleep, in almost full blown panic attack mode. I dash to the toilet (it also triggers IBS) and stay there for 20 mins. I decided to take an extra beta blocker and get back in bed, where I am now. I've had an awful week and this just tops it off.

No counselling or CBT available, no ability to go private as I'm currently not working and DH is only earning NMW at the moment. And I'm not sure it'd help, anyway, waking up in almost full throttle is really disorientating.

Has anyone ever had these sorts of panic attacks and how the fuck do you cope with them?! Its been 2 years, they have no discernable cause (breakdown was in part due to serotonin syndrome and the physical symptoms of that) and I'm fucking sick of being afraid to go to bed. I've always had depression which has varied in severity over the years, and sleep was always my refuge, and now I don't even have that.

I have had this, though never been pregnant. It is horrendous, but it faded with the anxiety disorder. At the heart of it is learning what panic stacks really are and why they are not scary.

Little Thanks for the reply. They very rarely happen - perhaps 4/5 times in the last year. There have been a few 'potential' panic attacks - when I'm awake and can feel one building, I can usually talk myself down/distract IYWSIM? But when I wake at 2am, drenched in sweat, heart pounding and I'm so, so aware of the palpitations, with racing intrusive repetitive thoughts - I always end up taking beta blockers after around an hour of it, because that's the point where I can't take any more. I suffer quite badly with nightmares/terrors and wonder if its an extension of that.

I gt terrible panic attacks in the night and I think it is due to silent acid reflux as I have suffered from this sort of problem before and it tends to happen when I smoke/drink or whatever sets off reflux with me. Any chance it could be this? Acid can come up your throat and go down the wrong tube and make you gasp for breath which wakes you up panicky.

titsy That could explain recent ones as I've had bad heartburn since around 10 weeks pregnancy. Obvs I'm not smoking or drinking at the moment, DH pointed out that I did drink a massive mug of coffee at Bible study that night and wondered if caffeine could have set it off. (I bloody hope not as my one naice coffee a week is my only vice at the minute)

Caffeine is a trigger for it I'm afraid. Look up reflux/heartburn and there should be a list of things to avoid. Raising the head end of the bed 4-6 inches helps apparently.

Titsy, deficiencies in magnesium, vitamin B12, and zinc have been linked to symptoms of anxiety, and higher level of anxiety also triggers panic attack

Here's a list of cut out (or down) :

• Caffeine
• Added sugars, sugar acts as an adrenal stimulant and can cause anxiety or even panic attacks. Other offensive foods include those containing refined flour products, and even wheat since this causes inflammation.

Studies link an unhappy gut with an unhappy mind, so avoid eating difficult to digest foods like processed meals, foods high in saturated fats, and fried foods.

The bottom line on this one; if you want to keep your anxiety levels relatively normal then alcohol needs to be kept to a minimum (or preferably not at all).

Other alternative I tried and works is by listening to relaxing audio, get it here for free :
calminghealth. com/how-to-stop-panic-attacks-1

check the download at the bottom of the page

hope this helps :)

Thanks I haven't drank alcohol for 3 years, don't smoke any more and never will again, I tend to eat Atkins/Paleo as gluteny/carby stuff sets off my IBS.

Yes I need to stop drinking too sadly :( I do love it but recently even one gives me attacks in the night.

titsy I stopped drinking a year before the anxiety started, so it wasn't connected, BUT. What stopped me was the last night I drank, I indulged in some incredibly dangerous behavior that I hadn't done for years (since pre-DC) and I'm very lucky I wasn't killed. It absolutely terrified me and rocked me to my core, so I said no more. On the 4 years prior to quitting I only drank on occasion, every 6 weeks or so, nothing too outrageous but I stopped completely after that last incident.