Severe nocturnal panic attacks post menopause

[brokenbiscuitsadness]

I am post menopause by about 5 years and thought I’d got through it pretty much unscathed.

However in the last 6 months my anxiety has gone through the roof (I was never previously a writer) and through the night I am woken hourly by huge Adrenalin surges, tight chest pounding heart.

i have had some awful life events recently which I know will have contributed but the panic attacks are something new.
I have been backwards & forwards to GP and have been on ADs and beta blockers for a couple of years but nothing seems to be helping with the anxiety. I am also having therapy and do yoga.

i am sooo tired I can barely function

I would get a full MOT on your heart as heart problems can sometimes cause people to wake panicking in the night due to change to heartbeat rhythms and less oxygen. I would ask for a full ECG and an echocardiogram as well as a blood test for heart enzymes.

The other thing that springs to mind is vitamin deficiencies, have a look at your diet and consider other things that are easy to miss like brittle nails or hair etc.

I'd also look again at your AD side effects leaflets just to check if it's associated. Citalopram gave me night terrors so perhaps you need to consider changing tablet.

Sorry to hear that OP. I know you said you are post menopausal, but a low starting dose of HRT may help anxiety, especially those awful adrenaline searches at night. Good luck x

This sounds awful, I feel so sorry for you.

I have heard very good things about magnesium - not only for insomnia but also anxiety. There are different types of magnesium to treat different conditions, so you'll need to read up on it a bit. Otherwise it sounds like you are doing all the right things.

I hope you can find something to help.

Isnt it horrible. I get these too on a regular basis. My life is sorted so there is no reason for it at all. Im fine during my waking hours. I also get night terrors where Ill wake up convinced there is someone or something in my room and I feel terrified.
Im convinced its hormone related. It got much worse when I came off HRT so I went back on it and things are much improved and that skin prickling everytime I lie down has gone.

Thank you
@GoodBrewhave just been changed to Citralopram 😳. Been about a week, I was on Mirtazapine which was helping with sleep but not so much Imy
mood. Maybe that was a mistake.

had an ECG about 6 months ago which was clear but given this change and that my DF died following a cardiac arrest at 64 maybe I should request another one.
am also having B12 injections.

throughout last night my chest and throat felt tight like I’d been sobbing, waking every hour or so with an adrenaline rush. Am so exhausted I can’t focus at work