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358304 tn?1409709492

sleep anxiety??

28 male. been taking .5mg of klonopin before bed to help sleep. ive been having i believe allergy symptoms and labyrinthitis is what the Dr. has said. It's making me constantly off balance and somewhat lightheaded/dizzy. Which makes my anxiety pretty high. He assured me nothing else is seriously wrong with me and it will go away on its own.

My question is, even though the .5mg of klonopin helps me relax and fall asleep, I've experienced some VERY STRANGE and somewhat scary sleep disturbances, which I'm assuming 100% it's anxiety related.

Lastnight I woke up at like 4am, just felt wide away and this WEIRD sensation going all through my body, like a BAD ENERGY. It only lasted for a few seconds... then I just breathed, and fell back asleep. Not good sleep thought.

Also a few days ago there were a couple of nights where right before I'd start to fall asleep my head would feel like this jolt of some bad energy, this would only last for 1 second and then it was done. That has happened twice.

Anxiety can do some weird things.

Do you think that's just anxiety?
Best Answer
Avatar universal
Hello, so I went through something similar about 4 months ago. Was very dizzy, off balance and you are right it is a very scary feeling specially for those of us with anxiety. When I got my ears checked the doctor told me my eardrum was bulging and that is why I felt off balance. She told me to take sudafed and that helped. But with anxiety it's your mind constantly running and asking what if??? So it took me a long while to stop feeling dizzy and off balance. By then I started getting muscle twitches and all hell broke loose. I ended up on medication and couldnt eat or sleep for 9 days straight! It was horrible. Anyway trust your doctor and be very aware that if you are anxious you might even be prolonging the symptoms (I know you can't help it). Good luck to you.
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1448936 tn?1363206346
I'm glad you're doing better! That's great news. I've acquired some of your old symptoms with the stomach troubles and having to frequent the bathroom but my dizziness has left too. I'd much rather have a few bouts of a bathroom emergency than deal with that awful dizziness that persisted. I knew you'd get through it! And your doc sounds awesome. I wish he would come see patients in pennsylvania lol
Helpful - 0
358304 tn?1409709492
So glad you wrote! Lastnight was a GREAT CHANGE! It's like the switch turned back on! in a good way! My anxiety LEFT! I was no longer off balance feeling like I was!

My Dr. even called me lastnight, b/c I had called the Dr's office that afternoon to have him call me, b/c during the day yesterday I was a MESS.

When he called me in the evening, I told him, "you wouldnt believe it... but I'm feeling FANTASTIC! etc. etc."

He congratulated me of course. lol. He asked what I did, I said I was freaking out during the day at work.. and just thought to myself "you know... you've got klonopin in your car waiting to take if you ever need it... JUST TAKE ONE, There is no reason to feel like this at work" Guess what? After I took it I calmed WAY down... then after the Klonopin wore off by the time I got home, I was still in a relaxed state, and even just HAPPY!

He told me he wanted me to start my Paxil he prescribed a week ago... at first he said I didnt have to take it yet.. but now he wants me to just take 5mg for a few weeks, then ween off. And he said in the future if I go through a spell like this again, to take the paxil again and klonopin as needed, and then ween off again.

I debated very strongly lastnight about taking the paxil, b/c I feel I'm on the mend! But as much as I have been calling my Dr. and going to see him, I didnt want to upset him. So I took 1/4 of a Paxil lastnight... I don't see how it could hurt for just a few weeks. 5mg isnt much.

I just can imagine me at my next check up saying "Dr. I didnt take the Paxil" and his response would be "Chris! You call me freakin out, you make 2 appointments in a week, and you ask for my help and reassurance... I ask you to take this and you dont?"

So I'm gonna take it for a bit.

Anyways, sorry so long! Yes anxiety can make dizziness symptoms WORSE! And your mind can play even more tricks on you, and you can even start imagining your way more off balance that what you really are.

Today has been AWESOME. I'm at work right now, havent had to take Klonopin at all, and have gotten SO much done and my confidence is WAY UP.

So for those of you out there, THERE IS HOPE!!! THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL! No matter how long your going through your spell, it will leave eventually!! And ALWAYS TRUST YOUR DOCTOR! They arent dumb! They know symptoms and when they should run tests...

He said it perfectly to me lastnight, I asked him "Should we do an MRI just to make sure about the lightheadedness?"

He replied "No... I KNOW it's nothing serious. It's probably inner ear, it's not a tumor. And an MRI won't show anxiety Chris." LOL. We started laughing.

I LOVE my Dr.

He even calls me now and then out of no where just to say Hi and see how I'm doing. You don't hear of many Doctors who do that this day in age anymore. Good guy.

God Bless everyone!

Thanks for all of your support and help and reassurance. Anxiety can be a B!

@plomeli, I've had muscle twitching once for almost 2 months that didnt stop. It didnt hurt, but it kept jerking all over my body. My Dr. said "Anxiety" and it was. and it left. That was last year. lol.

It's amazing what anxiety can do. I even asked my Dr. about these Electrical surges/Adrenal rushes in my sleep. He said "ANXIETY 100%" The brain misfires information and is just going crazy. Makes sense.

God Bless!!! Sorry so long!
Helpful - 0
358304 tn?1409709492
You are right. I keep telling myself "Chris, just accept it. You are light headed and off balance, who cares. It's not making you fall over, it's not making you sick... just go with it... it will leave."

It's easier said that done sometimes.

I bet mine are a combo of anxiety and allergies too. It's been the worst allergy season for people here in Missouri this year and last year. Rag weed is REALLY high right now.... and we've had a drought for about 2 months... so LOTS of dust and crap.

I also keep Journals for my anxiety, it seems to help when going through spells. And it's always good to look back at stuff later on and say "wow, can't believe anxiety did that to me." lol.

That way if it ever happens in the future again, I'll know "hey, that's an anxiety symptom." etc. etc.

Thanks again for writing. Sorry you've been off balance and dizzy too lately.
Helpful - 0
1448936 tn?1363206346
I actually just posted a huge list of anxiety symptoms listed in an anxiety book I got. I'm pretty sure all of your symptoms are listed. I have been dealing with being off balance and dizzy myself and let myself get way to anxious over it yesterday. Today I'm still feeling it but I've been thinking in my head "so what?". Its been helping. When I face my anxiety head on and almost taunt it I start to feel a little better. I'm seeing my gp next wednesday because of the dizziness and she believes its a combination of allergies and anxiety but she's going to check me out anyways.

You have a lot going on and your stress may be manifesting itself in these symptoms. Its funny how stress can do that. I hope you start feeling better. Its the worst having to deal with anxiety and the symptoms of it but we all manage to make it through. And you will absolutely pull through this.
Helpful - 0
358304 tn?1409709492
Ive had this constant off balance feeling now for about 14 days now.
Helpful - 0
358304 tn?1409709492
I'd explain it as an adrenaline rush of some sort feeling?

My symptoms that started were the following

July 30th (filming a wedding) took a quick break, felt my left thumb and lips tingling. This sent me into a panic attack for a second/then just straight anxiety.

Slowly more symptoms came on:

1.Lightheaded (constant almost)
2. Visual whooshing/motion (when making fast head movements, looking up really fast, or down etc.)
3. Off balance (pretty much constant)
4. No appetite
5. Sleep disturbances (electric shock, or will be awakened by a sensation of adrenaline, then feel wide awake)
6. Sometimes when just laying down on the couch, eyes closed, feels like im swaying left and right? only sometimes.
7. Tension headaches (sides of the head near temples, and also sometimes back of the head)
8. Anxiety
9. Heart Palpitations
10. Sometimes depressed b/c I feel like I won't ever feel normal again.
11. Obsessed/Focused so much on "do I feel off balance? will this ever go away?"
12. Disconnected feeling
13. Irrational thoughts about the off balance sensations. (thinking of the worst, tumor etc.)
14. Had a couple of crying spells when feeling hopeless at times

Like I said my Dr. said "you probably just have labyrinthitis, very common and will leave"
I think he told me that so I would quit worrying about it being something serious. Because he's a great Dr. He's been my Dr. for 3 years for anxiety. Mostly health anxiety. And he probably knows it's all anxiety... just wanted me to "think" it was something as non-harmful like Labyrinthitis. I havent had any ear issues that I know of. My allergies do feel like they are acting  up though, especially the past couple of days.

He won't do an MRI or anything b/c he said I don't need it. He says he's a Dr. and he would know symptoms that would be worth looking into for an MRI. He said my arent serious, and the anxiety is probably making it intensify.

I have had A LOT going on... but I thought that was making things great for me. Keeping busy. Maybe too much?

I work Mon-Fri doing video production for a company 9-5. Then I recently started doing my own side business doing wedding videography, and it just BLEW UP after I posted a couple of wedding teasers online. I started booking left and right.

I have to have FAITH that this lightheadedness/off balance feeling will LEAVE.

I WILL NOT FEEL LIKE THIS FOREVER.

This too shall pass.

And maybe it is all anxiety? Maybe my serotonin levels are off which is throwing me off.

He gave me Paxil but said I don't have to take it yet. I'm just trying the .5mg of klonopin before bed for now. May have to take the Paxil for a while.

Sometimes I feel like maybe the lightheadedness/off balance feeling was real at one point, and what if now it's all psychological? What if I've made myself believe I'm constantly off balance? Crazy what the mind can do.

God Bless.
Helpful - 0
358304 tn?1409709492
Thanks for writing! Yes, there was one night were I took 1 full mg of klonopin instead of .5mg and I sleep great through the whole night, no jolts or wakes. So it must be anxiety.
Helpful - 0
1448936 tn?1363206346
I would say its anxiety related. Anxiety can really mess with sleep. Sometimes if I'm feeling anxious while trying to sleep while I'm laying in bed my stomach will keep feeling like its dropping, like I'm on a rollercoaster. I've also had those head zaps before. None of it is pleasant but its not going to hurt us. I remember one night I woke up at 4am and felt incredibly sick to my stomach. I jumped out of bed panicking and called the 24 hour crisis line in my area and had a counselor help talk me down. Turns out I had some indigestion from eating chips and salsa right before bed but my anxiety went into full panic mode.

I would just discuss these symptoms with your doctor. They may want to up your dose of klonopin before bed and see if that helps calm the symptoms down at all. Anxiety can do such weird things to our bodies.
Helpful - 0
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