Help.."mini" panic attacks as i fall asleep

[curranimal]

Hi, i am a 23 year old man whose had bad anxiety and panic attacks for a while now. I found a method that has pretty much eliminated my panic attacks, every once and a while ill have a panic attack but lately ive been having these what i call mini panic attacks almost right after falling asleep. literally a couple minutes after. its almost the same feeling as a panic attack  normally would be with the drop in the stomach and adrenalin rush then the rapid heartbeat. sometimes they happen once and sometimes they happen multiple times in the same night. I rarely(only once or twice) have waken up in the middle of the night with them, only right after i kind of drift off it hits me like a frieght-train. I have had my anxiety and panic attacks under control for a while now but these new sleep feelings are drivin me crazy and bringing up some of those feelings i thought id kind of left behind... =(  any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you!

[Tayness]

I just read fully your statement. This is a good conclusion, however, my attacks have been recent, though I have been a heavy computer user for a number of years now, and have always taken eh view that I should stop at least two hours before I sleep. though it is no doubt related, I would be more inclined to view it as a caffeine problem , more people now take heavily caffeinated products in order to get more out of their day. I was one such person and though I still suffer from these attacks , the lowered dosage of sugar and caffeine has greatly reduced the incidences.

[Tayness]

I just googled this to see if I was alone. apparently I am not. There has been a few times where I drift off. And just at he point of falling asleep, I'm hit with this panic...no reason, no logic, just fear and sudden adrenaline, a feeling like I cant breathe. I have no idea what's wrong with me I've cut almost all caffeine out of my diet as I initially thought it was my caffeine intake, but after some time, I realise its not entirely that...though I am sure it did make it worse! If anyone knows why this is happening and how to stop it...It would be great! in mean time folks, reduce caffine...it DOES reduce these incidences I have experimented

[SioGriff]

Besides this board hasn't got all the facts because not everyone i going to come here to share and many who will share at all, maybe because they don't have a computer.

[SioGriff]

Hi, I understand why you have come to this conclusion but to me it simply doesn't make sense, right now I'm on the internet because I'm at a relatives, but when I'm at home I have no internet and therefore do not use my computer very much. I watch hardly any TV although I do play games but still not half as much as many people I know.

[the_other_eden]

Hi,

Firstly I am sorry all of you are experiencing this awful feeling - I have had this condition for over 10 years and although I can see a pattern among you all being young, I myself am 49 -  the "attacks" as I call them started once a week, then 1 a night, then at the height, 12 times in one hour. I think they are self perpetuating.

I have seen 7 doctors, I have had 3 sleep studies (wire you up to a point where it is not going to help you sleep) all the same, they could not pin point what was wrong. Had MRI scan - blood tests, the works - all 100% normal.

I have seen a neurologist and a psychiatrist (a few childhood issues he thinks are the cause - I doubt it)  

- the name of what I (we have) is vague at best as it can come under so many names - but "night terrors" -"nocturnal panic attacks"  I have even come across one called "exploding head syndrome" (I know - crazy!)  - however they are close enough I guess but it is not an official diagnosis and having something wrong that has no name really adds to the problem, as seeking advice for it, is virtually impossible.

I have been on sleeping tablets since these attacks started - yes 10 years of them - I try to take half each night and live with a few attacks but when it is bad I can take up to 2  (7,5mg Zopiclone) -  Sometimes they help but 90% of the time I still get these attacks but on the pills  they are reduced and no so violent, the rare night I get none  they do help overall but the attacks never really stop and the pills make me irritable the next day it is a battle all the time, I do get some good days though so it is not all doom and gloom  yet  I hate it and it scares me as much as the first time but now I have come to accept it as best I can.   How nasty can it be that you are at your most relaxed when it happens -  how can you possibly relax and calm yourself more! - I would not wish this on anyone.

My conclusions -

10 years ago when they started there was 1 post, like all the above - just 1 -  sure the internet was newish - but it was from a girl talking about her boyfriend having this condition...the post was 3 years old at the time I found it  not one post in reply to it was left.   Now look how many we have here and no doubt countless other places, it could be just a coincidence with traffic on the internet or it could be something else is kicking this condition off.

Night time epilepsy has been thrown at me - this was later dropped as the cause-  however  flashing lights etc cause epilepsy I believe - so after reading many (not all) of the posts above,I  have a theory,  firstly I believe this a fairly new condition that is gaining momentum,  in order to be sure that my theory has some grounds I believe that 1 thing could now be cause of these attacks for myself....

I really feel the cause is computer use - I work on them and use them far more than is probably healthy -  I am self employed and have had 1 full weeks holiday in the whole 16 years I have been in business -  - what I am trying to say is,  one week in all that time where I never saw a computer screen for 7 full days! - I can now remember, that during that week - the attacks were the least they have ever been and they reduced as the week went by.  This seems to be a link but we can only know that if other posters may also use computers for extended hours, day in day out - with work, social media, online gaming , watching movies - writing this post,  it goes on - I know I live on the computer far, far too much and I am not saying you are even close to my use but if you feel you do - it is something to consider.

So It is hard not to use the computer for a few hours, each day, 7 days a week,  also admit to being a workaholic - but this is my take on this condition and computer use is something I will plan to reduce  and see if the attacks reduce too - should it, I will post my findings - I hope you all find an end to this condition.

Peace

[Sanopat]

I was wondering if your night time symptoms have changed? I started this same thing two months ago when I had a concussion that night bang panic,heart rate up , sweating could not breath. It repeated all night I ended up going on klonopin .5 mg after 5 straight nights it seems to help but who wants to be on meds.