18mo keeps waking screaming & won't settle - help!

[Winnipeggy]

My 18 mo DD is usually a good sleeper but she has started waking consistently 3-4 times a night SOO upset. Normally a quick feed will be enough and she'll go straight back down but now she won't be held, rocked, cuddled etc - she keeps fighting and kicking when I try, but then if I put her back in the cot she screams even more and sometimes throws up she's so upset. It's really awful, maybe it's teeth? But I just don't know what to do. She keeps pointing to the door like she's desperate to get out the room but she won't settle in my bed either. If it's separation anxiety I find it weird because it's literally like she doesn't want any comfort from me. I don't know what she wants, but im not sure she does either. Any tips would be highly appreciated.

This might sound weird but is there anything in her bedroom that might be causing shadows on the wall, or pictures on the wall or clothes hanging up on the door like a dressing gown? Something that's scaring her?

My DD1 went through this stage & it turned out to be the animal alphabet mural stickers on the wall that were scaring the living delights out of her during the night. (She was fine with them during the day)
Once I removed all the stickers problem solved.

It's pitch black so it shouldn't be anything like that, but maybe a night light would help? Might be worth a try

Following at my 16 month old is going through a similar stage, she’s waking up very upset every 20-30 mins for several hours after I put her down to sleep, then often again at some point in the night. A quick feed was always my go to but it isn’t working now. She will fall asleep with a shhh or a cuddle though, it’s just the staying asleep that’s difficult. She’s grumpier in the evenings as well though so I think it could be teething. Anbesol and nurofen are helping but I haven’t given both together yet, I might try that tomorrow evening.