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Panic Upon Waking
I have been suffering from anxiety for several years. The severity of it changes. Sometimes I'm anxiety free, other times I'm a wreck. For the past 6 months I've been suffering bad anxiety. My anxiety used to only occur during the day, but now it's happening during the night (for the past 3 months or so). I used to sleep a straight 8-9 hours, no problem. Now I sleep only 1-2 hours at a time. This all started when I got a duodenal ulcer several months ago and would wake up during the night with severe "hunger" pains. I'm on medication, Prevacid, and already finished my course of two antbiotics. I still suffer with stomach pain, though it is getting better.
Anways, when I was suffering the severe hunger pains I convinced myself that I had hypoglycemia, since I've always seemed to be a little bit that way. I convinced myself that I had horrible hypoglycemia and might slip into a coma in my sleep. Well, now I know the hunger pains were due to the ulcer, but I still can't shake the obsession with hypoglycemia.
When I wake in the morning my heart is pounding and racing, I feel dizzy and I'm sweating. I feel instense panic and rush to the kitchen to get some sugar. My whole body is violently shaking by this point. Usually after drinking some juice and eating something I feel a bit better. I don't know if my blood sugar really is low, or if I've trained myself to think that, and panic when I wake up because I think I may faint from low blood sugar.
Anyway, I don't really know what I'm asking in this post...I guess I just feel really lost and am looking for some guidance. If anyone can offer some help, I would be so grateful! This is really really ruining my quality of life.
Anways, when I was suffering the severe hunger pains I convinced myself that I had hypoglycemia, since I've always seemed to be a little bit that way. I convinced myself that I had horrible hypoglycemia and might slip into a coma in my sleep. Well, now I know the hunger pains were due to the ulcer, but I still can't shake the obsession with hypoglycemia.
When I wake in the morning my heart is pounding and racing, I feel dizzy and I'm sweating. I feel instense panic and rush to the kitchen to get some sugar. My whole body is violently shaking by this point. Usually after drinking some juice and eating something I feel a bit better. I don't know if my blood sugar really is low, or if I've trained myself to think that, and panic when I wake up because I think I may faint from low blood sugar.
Anyway, I don't really know what I'm asking in this post...I guess I just feel really lost and am looking for some guidance. If anyone can offer some help, I would be so grateful! This is really really ruining my quality of life.
P.s a low sugar level is considered 4.0 and below it ideally should be 4.9 and over. But if you buy a machine it will give you the ideal glucose levels and what is considered high and low in with the instructions.
Good-luck hun x
Good-luck hun x
Wow, this is like i have written this. This used to happen to me, but my doctor started me on Propranalol 40 mg x 2 times daily. 1 b4 bed n 1 upon waking. It stopped it!!
Another thing i find help emmensly is before going to bed and also when waking up make yourself a bowl of porriadge, oats are a extremely good way to stabilze your glucose level... DO NOT add sugar, just add the milk and oats, cook and eat it like that, the heat will relax you internally as well as the oats doing their job. Buy a glucose monitoring kit and check it your levels a few times a day and when you do feel like a low sugar attack is occuring measure your glucose level to see if indeed it is this that is happening.
You need to get your GP to book you to have a test called a GTT (glucose tolerance test) This consists of going to hospital for a few hours, having a intital finger ***** test done to measure ur sugar level then if it is under 7.0 they will then ask you to drink a 500ml bottle of Lucozade in one go, you need to wait for two hours and then have a blood test done. This blood test will determine how your body is absorbing the glucose, if it returns to 6 or below your body is fine but around 8+is considered an intolerance and 10+ is considered Diabetic. Mine came back at 8.8 so am considered intolerant, but no action has been taken just advised a good healthy diet.
Cut down on the raw sugar level you are consuming, like chocolate bars cola drinks etc, drink pure fruit n veg juices, if you can juice from your own fruit and veg much healthier. Eat foods like Pasta, tuna and sweetcorn or baked potatoes with a healthy topping and cut down on fast foods or high fatty. The trick is to balance your meal with a good protein and carb which will help you feel better..... also several small meals instead of 3 large will be much better for you Trust me on this!!! This evens out your glucose level and you will feel far more stable.
So my advice would be go to gp, change your diet, buy a glucose monitoring kit and maybe think about taking a beta-blocker like Propranalol to calm your nervous system.
Hope this has been of help and if you need anything you can always pm me. Take care x
Another thing i find help emmensly is before going to bed and also when waking up make yourself a bowl of porriadge, oats are a extremely good way to stabilze your glucose level... DO NOT add sugar, just add the milk and oats, cook and eat it like that, the heat will relax you internally as well as the oats doing their job. Buy a glucose monitoring kit and check it your levels a few times a day and when you do feel like a low sugar attack is occuring measure your glucose level to see if indeed it is this that is happening.
You need to get your GP to book you to have a test called a GTT (glucose tolerance test) This consists of going to hospital for a few hours, having a intital finger ***** test done to measure ur sugar level then if it is under 7.0 they will then ask you to drink a 500ml bottle of Lucozade in one go, you need to wait for two hours and then have a blood test done. This blood test will determine how your body is absorbing the glucose, if it returns to 6 or below your body is fine but around 8+is considered an intolerance and 10+ is considered Diabetic. Mine came back at 8.8 so am considered intolerant, but no action has been taken just advised a good healthy diet.
Cut down on the raw sugar level you are consuming, like chocolate bars cola drinks etc, drink pure fruit n veg juices, if you can juice from your own fruit and veg much healthier. Eat foods like Pasta, tuna and sweetcorn or baked potatoes with a healthy topping and cut down on fast foods or high fatty. The trick is to balance your meal with a good protein and carb which will help you feel better..... also several small meals instead of 3 large will be much better for you Trust me on this!!! This evens out your glucose level and you will feel far more stable.
So my advice would be go to gp, change your diet, buy a glucose monitoring kit and maybe think about taking a beta-blocker like Propranalol to calm your nervous system.
Hope this has been of help and if you need anything you can always pm me. Take care x
Have you ever tried testing your blood sugar during these episodes? A home monitor is very inexpensive. Usually when I have low blood sugar episodes (or that's what they feel like since I don't have true hypoglycemia - sweating, feeling faint, shaking - my blood sugar is only between 65-70) That might ease your mind or indeed confirm that you are experiencing low blood sugar.
I suffer from severe anxiety/panic (specifically over health). I wake up gasping for air, shaking, and my heart is racing. I run right to the cupboard for the Klonopin, but it's still extremely horrible. I can't sleep for long periods either and I usually wake up at 4 and can't get back to sleep.
Sorry you are suffering.
I suffer from severe anxiety/panic (specifically over health). I wake up gasping for air, shaking, and my heart is racing. I run right to the cupboard for the Klonopin, but it's still extremely horrible. I can't sleep for long periods either and I usually wake up at 4 and can't get back to sleep.
Sorry you are suffering.
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