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Anxiety in the evenings and night?

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Posted 5/5/2010 2:13 AM (GMT 0)
Greetings all, I have been checking this site out for about a month and finally decided to join up.

I was recently diagnosed with anxiety/panic disorder. I remember having very minor anxiety attacks through out my life but nothing serious or long lasting, felt like normal anxiety. But early March, I apparently had a panic attack at work. My mouth dried out, my tongue went white, I got the shakes, felt very fatigued, heart rate was very fast and I had shortness of breath. I am a 24 years old, male by the way.

Of course, I was terrified and called an ambulance. By the time the ambulance got to me, I was slowly calming down. They checked my pulse and my oxygen in take. My heart rate started high but decreased as I calmed down and I was getting 98 oxygen into my body. So, essentially I was fine, and I chose not to go to the hospital for a check up, since I calmed down and felt fine.

Ever since that day, I would randomly get those panic attacks and mostly at night. So, I went to see my doctor. She said I looked like I was a bit dehydrated with my dry mouth and white tongue and how I described the constant fatigue. She gave me a physical, and sent me to get my blood and heart tested. Both those tests turned out fine.

So, after that check up, I started to feel a bit better. But again, the anxiety/panic attacks came back, and again they usually happen at night time. So, I went back in to see the doctor. The doctor came to the conclusion that I have anxiety and panic disorder.  I was given a bunch of materials and information about anxiety and was sent on my way. Doctor assured me that nothing is wrong with me physically.

Felt a bit better after that for a while too. But again, the anxiety came back and actually started to feel like it was interfering with my life. So, I went back to the doctor and was given 0.5 mg of Clonazepam to take when needed.

I went a good week without taking one because I don't like the idea of taking meds. But I started to feel bad after a while, so I took half of one, which helped a little bit but it felt really weird. After that, I didn't take another one for another week. 

Now, last Saturday, I felt the anxiety all day, which doesn't happen often in the day. So I took a Clonazepam in the day time. It made me feel fine the rest of the day and night. But from Sunday to tonight. I have been taking a dose of 0.5 around the evening.

The drug is supposed to be when needed but when I felt I need to take one the last 3 nights, it may just turn into a regular scheduled dosage.  It does work though and calms me down.

The symptoms I have had before were, heart pains, sweaty palms and feet, cold chills, twitching, chest tightness, and fatigue, and itchy eyes

Those symptoms don't happen very often anymore though.

The symptoms that frequently bother me are, shortness of breath, difficult to concentrate, and dry mouth and white tongue, and these occur mostly at night time.

So, how many of you also suffer from anxiety or panic attacks more frequently at the evening and night time hours?

Also, is dry mouth a common symptom of anxiety? My tongue is always a bit white but I notice when anxiety happens it gets even more white and my mouth becomes more dry.  Most of the white stuff on the tongue can be scrapped off. It doesn't hurt or anything. I heard it's probably a chemical imbalance from like excessive breathing out of the mouth.

I know this is one long post, and I apologize for that. It feels good to tell people who understand anxiety and this forum seems very supportive and I want to be a part of that.

Post Edited (Theruss) : 5/4/2010 8:16:59 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 5/5/2010 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
Mine swings, as in they may occur towards evening for awhile then stop and start in the mornings. I use .25 mg ativan/lorazapam when needed. i started taking .25mg when i first get up just because i didn't want to deal with the attcks or potential for one. that still leaves another .25 for evening if needed. i will probably wean off after a couple of weeks since these juststarted again recently after a 4+ year absense. There getting better and less already, last/first (2005) time it took months. i was 39 at the time they first struck.
Posted 5/5/2010 12:06 PM (GMT 0)
hi i understand u totally,, when i first started to get these panick attacks,, i really thought i was going to die,, u just feel like u cant get ur breath, i dont even know why i started to get them as i was a strong person,, but wham one day i just could not breathe,, i too have had all the checks on the heart etc etc,, all normal apart from my heart murmur, which is not the cause,,i often used to get these breathing attacks,, i used to have to go lay down on my bed to calm down and try to take deep breathes,, eventually i would either fall asleep or the panick would go,, then i would be worrying about the next panick attack before it had even come,,i was sent to have some breathing excercises which helped when i had an attack i learnt when i was having one,, to think of something nice and happy (in my case my children) and do these breathing excersises,,, and it would pass,,, and instead off worrying about my next one, i started to think bring it on i aint gonna die with these so just bring it on , i was not gonna let these dam things ruin and take over my life which they where doing,,,each time i was out in my car or when ever i could , i would do the breathing excersises just taking a deep breath in and out a few times then ide do lots of little breathes in and out then back to the slow ones,,, and i would do this each day,,,and even taking up a little hobby to take ur mind off it,, or if you feel one coming on,, ring someone to talk, it may take it off,,, the hardest part is trying to stop thinking about your breathing,, once you have cracked that ur there hun,,,, just remember these panick attacks cant kill you,, u have had many breathing episodes and ur still here right? same as i am,,, so remember if u feel one come on think right bring it on and kick it to the curb ,,remember think happy things,, breathe nicely and ring someone,,, you ever need to chat come on here there is lots who know what ur going thru xxxx keep well x jo
Posted 5/5/2010 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies Anxious-Greg and jo1972uk. I think if I can learn to ignore the dry mouth and irregular breathing habits at night time, I should have less and less episodes. I swear, those are what trigger my anxiety attacks the most.

I think I may be just breathing very rapidly during the night time hours, thus drying out my mouth and bringing on anxiety. The Clonaplazam calms me down because I notice it makes my breathing a lot slower yet comfortable. I need to learn how to manage my breathing without relying on the meds in the evening, I would think. 


I was suffering from a bout of insomnia this week as well, but lately I've been sleeping and waking at around the same times. So I am getting my body adjusted to a certain sleeping schedule.  It's nice to lay down and fall asleep in about 20 minutes rather than laying there for an hour or more trying to sleep. That made me anxious to sleep and brought on the symptoms, not cool.

I also have to stop worry about my breathing, I would think if I was really having trouble breathing, I would be coughing and or wheezing, and that hasn't happened.  I have to keep reminding myself that.

Posted 5/5/2010 4:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hello and welcome to HealingWell. I have a tendency to feel more anxious in the morning when my anxiety is kicking in. I have had anxiety for 27 years and with the help of therapy and my Doctor's I have done well most of the time. This is one of those disorders that will be a little bit different for each person but you will find commonalities with other members here in the forum.



Do take the time to read some of the other threads and you will see what I mean.



As far as your medication, if it is order to use when necessary then use it and do not feel guilty. Meanwhile you may want to look for other ways to control you anxiety.



We have a resource thread above that you may want to browse.



Take care and again, welcome.



Kitt
Posted 5/5/2010 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
hi no problem theruss.. you can beat this x like u say you have to stop worrying about the breathing,, i know its so hard,, but u can do it :) just think happy thoughts xxx let me know how you go on xx i still get mine but not so often now,, ive been taking my own advice lol x
Posted 5/6/2010 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
Yep, take the stuff if you need it and don't worry about it. Klonopin can be used long term if you have to, though I'm sure you don't want to. Definitely look for other ways to control your anxiety like Kitt said, and maybe you won't have to be on it for very long.

When my anxiety first started it was far worse at nights. Then, eventually, it switched to mornings.

And yup I've had the dry throat and mouth/tongue thing a bunch of times, too. It's enough to drive me crazy when it happens.
Posted 5/6/2010 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
I am happy to say that last night I did not feel like I needed the Klonopin. I felt the usual anxiety symptoms I have at night, but it didn't feel too bad. I didn't focus on thinking about my breathing or dry mouth as much.  I tend to think I need to take one when I start getting very nervous or scared when the anxiety hits.  Which is when I focus on the symptoms usually.

Which makes me think that anxiety in general plays off of fear. So if you can control fear, does that mean you can control anxiety? I have another story that kinda confirms how anxiety plays off fear. One time I went out of town, and the city I went to was much colder than my city. So, thus I was very cold and then my anxiety triggered and made me start thinking I was suffering from Hypothermia.

I have a follow up with my doctor on Tuesday about my anxiety. The follow up is exactly a month since I last saw him. And my Klonopin did have 30 tablets. I guess he is checking up on my progress. I feel like after a month, I have many more questions for him. For the past two weeks, there has been times (mostly at night) where I thought of seeing him earlier, but every time I felt like I should, it was the health anxiety talking.  One thing I don't want to do is be a hypochondriac and see him too often even though he has assured me twice that I am physically fine, and the blood and heart tests came out fine. I don't want to damage my relationship with my doctor and such health anxiety thoughts are bad thoughts. I would be giving in to the anxiety if I caved in, and went to see him earlier. I have to work on reducing the anxiety and going to the doctor earlier would probably increase it, I would think.

 

Posted 5/6/2010 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
WELL i for one hv health anxiety n my doc knows it n has known for yrs
i get more anxious at night due to being totally deaf now n on my own
i too try taking measures to help self but if i feel i need a doc appoinment earlier than scheduled i will get that appointment n go
i wish you all the best n do hope if you need doc before tuesday you will call n get appointment
leep us posted
lyn
Posted 5/7/2010 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Well, got through another night without taking a med. I felt the anxiety for about an hour and then it went away. During this hour I talked to my brother and we were talking about breathing, and why it seems like more often than not, my breathing triggers the anxiety/panic attacks. Then I think about how when I take a Klonopin, my breathing slows right down and I feel calm.

I am starting to think I hyperventalate in the evenings. That would explain my dry mouth and throat that seem to occur plus the white tongue. Throughout my life, I mostly breathed out of my mouth, I am not sure why. But maybe my body is telling me to breath through my nose a lot more and give my mouth a break.

On Tuesday when I see my doc, I am going to have him check out my breathing and my lungs to make sure they are fine, (they were fine a month ago, apparently.) Doing so will relieve my health anxiety, I would think. Then I will tell him about my breathing habits in more detail and see if he agrees with my hyperventalate theory. Maybe he'll send me to someone to teach me proper breathing techniques or something?

I don't think you need to make yourself breath manually, it should just be automatic and if you try to hold your breath, your body will make you take a breath, automatically. For whatever reason, sometimes I become aware of my breathing and think I have to think about each breath. That I believe is the root of my anxiety.

Maybe I am thinking too much into this, but I consider myself a logical person, and this just seems to make sense to me. My family says I just think way too much and that is my problem, and why I get anxiety. Perhaps it's a mixture of both?

I just feel like sharing my thoughts with the forum, as y'all are much more understanding then people who don't get anxiety. Plus, sharing my thoughts here seems to be helping me too. I hope my posts somewhat help others too, perhaps some can relate?

 

Posted 5/7/2010 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
hi i am glad ur feeling able to control it a bit better, ur right it is thinking about ur breathing that triggers it off because then like u say we start to think about each breath ,,then we are concious of it untill we find something else to occupy us,,,i too always used to breathe thru my mouth alot, dont know why really, maybe i just used to think i could just breathe more freely i dont know,, but i didnt used to like breathing thru just the nose, this was all when i was alot younger,, but back then i never used to let it bother me, i was too young and always busy to understand i guess x i also agree coming on here sharing our thoughts are helping us and others too, brilliant x
Posted 5/7/2010 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
I was wondering if you exercise? If so don't do it right before bed, obviously. Five hours or more before bedtime has always worked for me.
Posted 5/8/2010 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
I agree with Debaser about exercising if you do then dont do it prior to bedtime
most ppl sleep with mouth ajar it is just habit or w/e
you can learn breathing techniques in cbt and other online therapy we hv here or ask others about it in sep post
glad you had a better night
keep with us
ty D great info n input

lyn
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