Feeling like I’m going to die when i sleepI️

[Bella1234!]

So this is my first post and i just sort of found this place and realized i wasn’t alone in this anxiety thing. I recently experienced my first panic attack a few weeks ago. I woke up and thought i was having a heart attack. My chest hurt, my arms and legs were numb and tingling, i was hyperventilating and so my fiancé called the ambulance. I literally thought that i was going to die. Since then i haven’t been able to get the weird tingling sensation in my body to go away, it’s like the panic attack permanently messed me up or something and every time i think about the feeling I’m experiencing i start to feel the panic again. I can’t sleep because i feel this weird sensation in my body when I’m almost asleep that makes me feel like I’m floating or just out of my body or something and it freaks me out so much that i haven’t been able to sleep in about a week now for longer then 2 hours at a time. I am exhausted and now I’m on Zoloft to help with everything and i just feel like it’s making things worse. It gives me headaches and it just makes me feel wrong, like I’m a dull version of myself. I just don’t know what to do and would love to sleep without feeling like I’m going to die. It is 3am here and the thought of sleeping is so amazing but so scary. It’s like ever since my panic attack making me think i was about to die I’ve realized how much i really fear death. I have to go to class in a few hours and i literally am slowly functioning worse and worse with this lack of sleep so any advice or just someone experiencing the same thing who knows what to do would be amazing.

 

[Concernedgal]

You have developed a fear of other panic attacks. It's crippling. Dont get me started on zoloft. You are having the same reaction to it as I did. I don't think zoloft is right for you. You need to tell your doctor to wean you off this ssri. Because if you dont... you are going to want to kill yourself getting off of it cold turkey. Your lack of sleep, your increased anxiety. .. the zoloft. You ever wonder why a body has such severe and uncomfortable side effects, it's because your body is telling your brain that this isn't right. Your body is literally rejecting what your putting in your body. There's got to be something better than an ssri. I am currently not on any medication I am just winging it. Living day by day and not thinking about what happens tommarow. Stay busy, get exercise and find a quiet hobby like knitting or sewing. Basically. .. keep your brain busy. Your brain can't unlearn a panic attack and I am so sorry that you are going through this but, now that you've experienced a panic attack... you are officially an anxiety sufferer. Welcome to the club. Don't despair though. This will only take over your life if you let it. As hard as this is... it's got to be business usual,( if you will,.. ). My advice to you at this stage is to go to a therapist and try to get a prescription for anti anxiety drugs because ssri are the biggest hustle ever. They don't work . Take my word for it, but, again... I warn .. get your doctor to wean you off this medication. .. it is hell on earth to do it yourself. Take my word for it. I know from personal experience. But, most of all... keep in touch with fellow suffers like us. Welcome to the forum. It's a great comfort to have these people around. Trust me.. this place has helped me so much and I know this place will help you too.

 

[Bella1234!]

I know something is wrong with the Zoloft. I literally haven’t wanted to do anything with my friends lately and I’m a very social person normally. I was on medication for depression back in high school and i took myself off of it because I didn’t like how I was feeling. Now I’m just horrified to stop taking this medicine because what if it’s the only thing keeping me from having another panic attack where I think I’m going to die? All I know is I went to a comedy movie the other day and I didn’t even laugh because it didn’t seem funny, and generally I find the humor in everything. I feel like my anxiety is pushing everyone and everything I love away. My fiancé doesn’t know what to do for me and he keeps asking me to describe what’s wrong and I can’t. My friends think I don’t care about them anymore, which is far from the truth. To top it off I found out after my hospital visit that I have a UTI, so they put me on an antibiotic, which I had an allergic reaction to and ended up right back there again. So now i gave anxiety of antibiotics because I’m afraid the same thing will happen and my throat will close. I am literally a mess and I don’t know what to do. How do people deal with this every day? I’m new to this and i already feel like I can’t cope.

 

[Concernedgal]

When you first get anxiety. .. it's a time of confusion and pain. I mean damn... overnight your life got turned upside down. Just do the things that I suggested and wean off your zoloft . There are steps you can take to calm you during a panic attack. Breathing techniques are valuable. Breathing techniques lowers your heart rate . Try hypnosis. One thing I have learned from being here is alternative ways to treat anxiety. You didn't laugh at a funny movie... been there. Something horific has happened to you , a panic attack, your not finding your world to be very beautiful right now. But, one day ... You will except your anxiety and life will be beautiful again. You will learn to say... so what if I have a panic attack. .it lasts a few moments and then it's gone. Look at this as a slight inconvenience in your life. And also my therapist says that if you give anxiety and panic attention. .. it can only get worse. Say to yourself (I'm fine , i'm not going to die, this will not last forever ). And if you experience heart palpitations. .. do what my cardiologist says to do. Strain for 5 second's like your (going to the bathroom) and your heart rate will equalize and therefore your heart palpitations will subside. I've suffered from anxiety for over 15 years and trust me when I say... it will get better. You will learn that there will be good times and bad times. But, I know 1 thing, life goes on and just live it. Live your life and as hard as this is going to be to do... don't focus on or make your life all about this anxiety. There's more to life . Your going to be fine. Just go to therapy and get a prescription for anti anxiety drugs. Ativan is what I recommend.

 

[Bella1234!]

I have an appointment with a doctor tomorrow and I’m going to have them wean me off of the Zoloft. I’ll talk to them about Ativan and see if maybe that would be more helpful. I have been doing breathing exercises because after this happened I googled every possible way to deal with it lol. Those are really helpful, I just can’t stop thinking maybe something else is wrong with me that caused all of this rather then just anxiety, even though that’s what the doctors said. I guess I might be in denial at the moment because I can’t believe the worst experience in my life was my own body freaking out over stess, that’s just crazy to me. Do you ever feel like something else is wrong?

 

[Concernedgal]

Of course I do. Anxiety is a slew of symptoms that mimic other medical conditions like heart attack and asthma so what are we supposed to think? But, if you had an ekg and all of that then it's is your anxiety. Just tonight I had a panic attack. .. it was mild but,that didn't make it less confusing and painful. I know I keep saying this but,it is very important. .. once you get the zoloft out of your system... you will start to feel a little bit better.