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Anxiety before bed

Hello, I'm currently having an anxiety attack. It started at about 1:00 AM and it's now 5:11. I'm feeling a little better then what I was, but the anxiety is still there..
I have nagging, scary but irrational thoughts that I can't seem to get out of my head. Trembling, and I've vomited about 3-4 times. Everytime I try to sleep, it's as if I can feel myself drifting off, and I panic some more for whatever reason. I'm a little light-headed every so often, and still feel nauseous. I'm exhausted.

This all started about a 2 maybe 3 weeks ago. I saw my docter, who said I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and she proscribed me Xanax. It worked very well, and my anxiety seem to dissipate over the course of the week, so I stopped taking the pills. Just tonight, my symptoms returned full force, which is strange because I thought I had gotten over my anxiety. I was doing quite fine for a few days..Until this. This is as bad as when it first started.
I've been breathing in my nose, out my mouth, but it isn't really working. Usualy talking to my brother [who used to suffer panic attacks] helps me a lot. I had taken a Xanax, but I think I may have already vomited it out.

Is it normal for the symptom to return full force like this? Should the attacks last this long [4-5 hours]? How can I get some sleep?
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Avatar universal
Thank you all again for these suggestions!  I’ve been doing a lot of talking with family and friends, since the restart of the anxiety and I had a good day, but a rough night [my symptoms always seem to worsen at night, but I fear it may be that thought that causes it]. And today I’m having a bad day again. I could feel the attack starting at around 6:00, so I took a Xanax to try and head it off. It didn’t work. I haven’t been taking them as proscribed, as I don’t want to form a dependency. When I feel I don’t need it, I skip the dose, when if I feel I can struggle through the anxiety, I skip the dose. I did so last night, I woke up several times with heavy anxiety, but didn’t take the pill. I still managed to get sleep too. This is a near repeat of when this all first started, slowly dissipating with some days being better than others. However I’m trying some of the techniques that have been suggested here to help me ease my way through, and I’ll probably call my Dr. tomorrow to talk about the return of my PTSD symptoms. I continue to hang onto the hope that this anxiety will end soon.
Thanks again everyone, you’ve been wonderful help! Being able to speak with others about this has given me so much hope and support, I am so grateful to you all.
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Avatar universal
Hi CorriDeep,

I'm sorry to hear you're having such an awful episode of anxiety. You must be worn out, poor thing! My suspicion is that your panic attack was triggered by quitting the Xanax too quickly. In the morning, you should call your doctor's answering service and let the doctor on call know that you stopped taking your Xanax and had a very bad panic attack. They will probably be able to phone in a prescription to get you feeling better.

Here is what a doctor once told me to do during a panic attack. It sounds a little weird, but it actually helped calm me down. You get in a COLD shower and stay there for several minutes... Then once you're nice and cold, you climb back into bed under all the covers. What this does is force your body to slow down and focus on warming you up, rather than being anxious. It's worth a try!

Do you have anything to distract yourself with? Maybe watching some TV on Hulu to get your mind to stop spinning? I know it's hard, but eventually you will fall asleep, and you will probably feel much better in the morning and can get back to taking care of the original symptoms. I think your brother's suggestion was good that you find someone who can help you manage the issues and symptoms. You shouldn't have to go through this!
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Avatar universal
This nausea is horrible. It's 9:33, I havn't vomited yet, though I fear I may well soon. I think that's the major cause of my anxiety as of now, and may go another night without sleep due to nausea, sweaty palms and feet, pounding heart, and dizziness.

I can't beleive these symptoms returned with such force, so suddenly. I thought I was doing so well.
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Avatar universal
Thanks again for the replies everyone. It's now 7:44 PM
I spent the entire day shopping with my mom, trying to keep myself busy. At first I still felt cruddy, then recovered to the point I felt hungry and happy again. We went out to eat, but once I started it suddenly returned. Not full force to the point I was vomiting, but I felt heavy anxiety and loss of appetite. It's lasted all day so far, and my symptoms seem to get worse at night. I forced down a few pretzel sticks and took a Xanax. It's somewhat helping. I still feel physically washed out, a tiny bit nauseous, but mentally secure.
There are broken blood vessels around my eyes from throwing up so many times last night.
I talked to my brother about it, and he asked if I wanted to see a therapist. I think I should.


I think I've had insomnia ever since I was little. Though I'm quite physically active, my mind never 'shuts off' at night. Could this effect anxiety?
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Avatar universal
So sorry for your distress.  Take the xanax tonight for sleep.  Call your doctor and get him to get you on something for everyday anxiety.  I am doing the same thing now.  I started celexa and take 1 mg of xanax at dinner.  It makes me drowsy and tiered by bed.  I am then going to wean off the xanax once the celexa takes hold and i hope that helps.  I also go to talk therapy.  I just decided after years of mild anxiety and 8 months of bad anxitey enough was enough and started the celexa.  I just couldn't stand it.  I've been doing the talk therapy and just need something more to help with how bad it's been.  Contact your doctor and discuse your options with him.  I was so afraid to take the eveyday medicince but I came to realize I needed it to make me well again.  Hope you feel better soon.  
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Avatar universal
In my opinion, people experience anxiety differently, but the most important step you can take in my opinion is seeking help through talk therapy.  Until you confront it and learn about it, this cycle tends to go on, but the good thing is with time and understanding you will get through this.  As far as the Xananx goes, take it as prescribed...don't put it into your own hands...please keep us posted!
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Avatar universal
10:38 now, and everytime I lay down or try to rest, the symptoms return. I have no appetite, and I'm very nauseous, getting an occasional rush down my body.
It's lasted for so long, and every time I feel like I'm about to pull out of it, it returns. Starting to feel like it'll never go away, getting overwhelming senses of dread.

It's so strange, like 50% physical and 50% mental. It's the physical symptoms that seem to trigger the mental ones. The thoughts are back somewhat, and seem to be fighting with whats truth and what's fear.

Is all of that normal? How long should I wait before I should try taking another Xanax?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you, it gives me a lot of comfort to see these replies and tips!
It's 9:04 now, and I didn't get any real sleep still, as everytime I drifted I'd jolt myself awake again with unnecessary fear. All I could do was lay and rest, as I rode through the worst of the attack.

The nagging thoughts have for the most part subsided. Which I am grateful for, as in my opinion, aside from the vomiting, those are the worst part. They just seem to feed the fire.
I still feel nauseous, and get an occasional dizzy spell, but I think the lack of sleep [and having spent most of the night vomiting] may be contributing to me still feeling physically lousy. Face is a little clammy every so often.

What causes these attacks? Is it possible to ever fully eliminate them? This attack has lasted about 9 hours now, is it possible it can keep going[Though I can feel myself getting better now]? Do the symptoms of PTSD get worse at night? Do different people get these attacks differently[I never get rapid/trouble breathing, but this is still an attack right?]?
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Avatar universal
If you have PTSD, it will not just go away in my opinion.  This is a serious diagnosis and should be treated continuously.  I recieved counseling upon returning from deployment a couple of times while I was in the military.  While medications can really help with this, a sustained effort in counseling really helped me.  For me, getting things off of my chest and talking about it really helped me confront and deal with the anxiety...keep us posted!
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Avatar universal
yes this is normal
i know its hard but you need to relax
try having a warm bath
breath in while counting 1234 breath out while counting 1234
this may sound stupid but i found when i was having an anxiety attack i said an affermation over and over in my head
my favourite one was "I am safe i am loved im in control of my life"
you need to concerntrate on whats happening now! not worry about what happened yesterday or what may happen tommorrow
you may need to go see your doctor and get something mild to help sleep so you can get some rest to be able to fight this

i hope it helps in some way,
goodluck and keep us posted
Helpful - 0
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