Panic attacks whilst asleep

[Sugarcoatt]

Now I’m waking up with panic attacks during the night. Heart racing, chest hurting. On top of upset tummy, wobbly arms and legs, muscle pains, pins and needles. I’m terrified this can’t just be menopause because it’s so severe.

Is it early morning specifically? How is your blood pressure?

It’s happening at 3am, 5am, etc. I think my blood pressure is fine, they’ve taken it and haven’t said it isn’t.

It’s not unusual to get sleep disturbances, and it sounds like you’re having night terrors. Have you tried magnesium ? Are you on HRT ?

Adrenaline rushes? I suffered with these they are horrible.

That's what I was thinking.

I regularly wake up in panic states. It's a small tumour on my adrenal glands which raises my blood pressure sky high in the early morning. It's called a Phaeochromocytoma.

I get similar symptoms to OP but my blood pressure goes way up around 4.30/5am even if I'm still asleep and I wake up in pure panic state drenched with sweat. My BP regularly hits 210/190 as consultant prefers to wait until it gets to a certain size before operating. I'm on 4 different medications to try and control it. The blood pressure is raised by an adrenaline surge.

No I’m not on HRT. They keep saying it’s not menopause because I don’t have hot flushes.

Who is saying this? There are dozens of symptoms of menopause and hot flushes is just one of them. It really makes me cross that so many of us are suffering because of poor knowledge from GPs.

How old are you, @Sugarcoatt and are you having any other symptoms which may indicate menopause?

The nurse said it’s not menopause because I don’t have hot flushes. I’m 43. I have aches and pains which are getting worse over months. Pins and needles in my arms and legs. Pains in my ribs. Anxiety and panic attacks. Upset stomach. Heavy periods. Anaemia, Vit D and folate deficiency. The nurse says I’m causing it all myself by being anxious, it’s a vicious circle. Not menopause.

The nurse is an idiot anxiety can't cause all these odd health issues nor does menopause. Time to see an actual doctor and keep quiet about menopause. What treatment are you having?

Iron. Vit D and folic acid pills. Thanks, I’m shit scared now and having another panic attack. I’ve spent ages trying to convince myself it’s just menopause.

I get them when stressed. For whatever reason you are getting them they are not nice and gp should help.

Well that's good. Your system really has bottomed out. I would ask the GP about a low dose of beta blocker. The cardiologist put me on them because of my panic attacks which I don't think they were but actually related to GI issues. GERD

It's most likely peri menopause.

Do some reading on the website of Dr Louise Newson.

There is actually a video on Twitter - X- by Dr Newson about a woman just like you who was dismissed . This is the start of the conversation.

(If you aren't on X it might be worth signing up just to read the posts by Dr Newson - assume you have heard of her?)

I spoke to EmmaKennedy about her menopause and she told me how she experienced heart palpitations so intense that she was taken in an ambulance because they thought she was having a heart attack.

Sadly, there are 1000s of women being dismissed as you are.
Your symptoms are very likely to be peri menopause.

Ask your GP to refer you to a menopause specialist, or if you can afford it, see one privately.

Don't go down the route of ADs and other drugs when what you probably need is estrogen.

I never had panic attacks before. Never woke up at night. The fear is caused by thinking the other symptoms are a serious disease not just menopause.

Listen to Jingling - she is wise. Please try to make an appointment to see a GP not the nurse and tell them all you have said here about your symptoms. You might have to be quite assertive and say that you believe you are in perimenopause and want to try HRT.

There are lots of menopause support groups online and in person, places like Menopause Cafe run events across the country, and there are independent groups too. I've been to a couple and found them enormously supportive, no judgement, no agenda from the other women, just a place to share experiences and get support.

Magnesium pm and B12 am, May be worth adding to the list.
try restorative yoga before sleeping.

Are your periods still regular? As you say, they are heavy and making you anaemic. And anaemia can cause a lot of the problems you are experiencing.

Has your GP offered you treatment for heavy periods? Such as a Mirena coil?

Taking iron is treating the symptoms but not the cause.

It doesn't matter that you have never had panic attacks or waking up before. What does that prove? Only that you weren't in peri menopause.

You sound as if you have some anxiety but please believe that there are many women like you who felt terrible, were convinced they had all sorts wrong, and all along it was menopause.

The only way to find out is to try a low, starting dose of HRT.
If your symptoms improve, then that's the answer.

Please take no notice of the nurse.
Anyone who thinks it can't be menopause, because you aren't having flushes, really knows nothing. I wonder how many other women she's misinforming?

Listen to @Stroopwaffels and think about joining some online support groups and you will find lots of other women like you. I think you are underestimating how peri can affect some women and imagining it's something worse.

Yes my periods are fairly regular but incredibly heavy. We did talk about Mirena, the GP said it would relive heavy periods but not solve any other menopause issues. And I know there is an ongoing Mirena lawsuit and the manufacturer paid out $12m to women with organ damage. So I would prefer to deal with heavy periods, take iron and not risk the Mirena.

I have taken iron for weeks but my symptoms are getting worse not better. I’m terrified by the pins and needles and that’s triggered panic attacks and night terrors. It’s hard to see a GP and all I’m getting from the nurse is “not menopause, just anxiety”.

i had similar. thought i was having a heart attack. it was acid reflux. now i'm managing it, the pins and needles, chest pain, panic attacks have gone. i think some of the symptoms were due to anxiety that i had something more serious.

Pins and needles. Do you have back problems?

"Vitamin B12 & folate anaemia - Illnesses & conditions | NHS inform" https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/nutritional/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia

Pins and needles!!

Yes my back is killing.

I've never read anything about law suits for the Mirena in the UK.
It's best not to take these reports from the US at face value as they have a tendency for litigation and it's often misguided.

However, it is your choice about the Mirena.

Mirena, the GP said it would relive heavy periods but not solve any other menopause issues.

Perhaps your GP should have said that it would give you half of HRT and need only estrogen on top of it.

The Mirena provides the progestogen side of HRT.

Posters saying supplement with B12 etc- if you need this, your GP ought to prescribe as they give a higher dose than what you can buy over the counter.

Is the iron on prescription? It can take 3 months to build up in your system.
But TBH it's about like trying to fill a bath with the plug out!

If your periods are causing anaemia, the bleeding needs treating. Your GP could prescribe Tranexamic acid to help reduce the flow.

You're going to have to be more assertive. Don't accept this rubbish from the nurse. Make an appt to see a GP. You need to take control of this and not be palmed off.

That’s another reason I decided against Mirena. They said I wasn’t in menopause so wouldn’t give me any HRT. Just the Mirena, which I felt would be an unbalanced solution.

Ok, so now you know differently you may want to re-think :)

The litigation in the US is based on the women involved saying they were not told that there was a small risk of perforation or the coil moving. Anyone having a coil whether the copper coil or the Mirena is/ should be made aware of this very small risk. I'd assume this comes down to the Dr fitting it, to inform women of risks.

If you don't want a coil then there are a treatment called an ablation where the womb lining is thinned permanently. But most drs would offer the Mirena first, OR HRT, because having regular withdrawal bleeds on HRT can prevent heavy bleeding.