Waking up in Terror/Panic attack

Posted by lisalynn @lisalynn, Oct 16, 2022

Hello everyone! I am new to this and this is my first post. I am overwhelmed with how many people said they have Panic attacks upon wakening. I call them my "Night Terrors". I am at wits end. Every single morning I wake up terrorized by some unknown source, because I never remember my dreams/nightmares. I wake up so scared I sometimes cannot get out of bed to get my Klonipin, which I need badly. I hate waking up. I have Panic until my Klonipin kicks in. Then, after the Panic has passed I have a great morning. That's another topic all together. I am being taken off Klonipin after 15 years of taking it, daily. 🙁 HARD! That's for another discussion. I am wondering if anyone experiences such FEAR getting up and don't ever remember dreams and nightmares forever, like 10 years for me. I can handle my Panic attacks otherwise, but these morning ones are killing me. I hate them. I am petrified when I wake up and scared for awhile. Does anything help? I need help. Every doctor, psychiatrist and therapists keep dismissing it. ??? Thanks, Take Care, sincerely, Lisa

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Yes I have lavender also lavender spray on my pillow

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I did this for years and it would make me incapacitated for anywhere from an hour to eight hours. It happened upon waking but also in the middle of a family occasion or a movie, or while watching TV. I was finally prescribed Xanax which helped within a half hour. It was therapy and finding the root cause that finally helped me conquer this problem. And once I realized what it was, the fear that caused the panic left me. I have Xanax on hand but haven’t had need for it in quite some time. For me it was psychological but I’m sure it’s not that for everyone.

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@loribmt

Hi @lisalynn Panic attacks/night terrors are horrible! I haven’t had them in years but they leave a lasting impact. Anyone who can be dismissive of a patient who is experiencing them obviously has never gone through one. They’d be a little more compassionate.

I’m wondering if tapering off the Klonipin has anything to do with this in your case. This is not something in my experience but we do have a group in our forum with members discussing what is working for them with their Klonipin taper.
Here is a link to the discussion group What is the best way to taper off Klonipin. Some of the replies are dated but that won’t change the experience. To see the most recent replies, in the box under the opening comment, you’ll see a little oval in the lower right that says, Oldest to Newest. Click there and you can reverse the order.

https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/klonopin-2/

I’m so sorry you’re having the night terrors. You mentioned not being able to get out of bed to get the Klonipin. Is there any way you can have this right at your bedside with a glass ass of water and some crackers so it’s not on an empty stomach?

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Thank you VERY much! Wow! I am NOT alone. I really didn't know mornings this Fear filled happened to others. I was afraid something more sinister was going on, besides Night Terrors/ Panic attacks. Like, I don't know what, but just something worse. I feel so alone and scared when I wake up. The FEAR is too much, it feels. BUT I do get through it every morning and it gets way better throughout the morning. Until, I am in a fairly good mood. Because the Fear is gone. While away from this site I did have my Psychiatrist tell me, it's Klonipin withdrawls. Those pesky, bad Panic attacks. He is very compassionate and is weaning me off Klonipin very slowly. I have been on them for 15 years. Thank you so much for the link to a special forum just for getting weaned off Klonipin. Very helpful.
Have a wonderful day,
Lisa Lynn

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@lisalynn

Thank you VERY much! Wow! I am NOT alone. I really didn't know mornings this Fear filled happened to others. I was afraid something more sinister was going on, besides Night Terrors/ Panic attacks. Like, I don't know what, but just something worse. I feel so alone and scared when I wake up. The FEAR is too much, it feels. BUT I do get through it every morning and it gets way better throughout the morning. Until, I am in a fairly good mood. Because the Fear is gone. While away from this site I did have my Psychiatrist tell me, it's Klonipin withdrawls. Those pesky, bad Panic attacks. He is very compassionate and is weaning me off Klonipin very slowly. I have been on them for 15 years. Thank you so much for the link to a special forum just for getting weaned off Klonipin. Very helpful.
Have a wonderful day,
Lisa Lynn

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You’re so welcome, @lisalynn. I’m happy the link I sent helped you realize that you’re not alone! My mom used to say, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” Meaning if you’re going through something, it’s a safe bet there are others. That’s why this Connect forum is so special in bringing people together who share similar experiences.

Reading the other stories of members weaning off Klonipin must have been a huge relief for you. Slow and steady… I wish you well on this journey. Keep me posted, ok? ☺️

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I wake every morning with chest pain that has been ruled out as cardiac. I sometimes have it during the day. I am having a lot of anxiety with it. I’ve tried mindfulness, anxiety and depression classes and I take Clonazepam upon awakening. This has been going on for about 6 months. I don’t want to wake in the morning. But it wakes me up. I don’t recall any dreams or nightmares.

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@carolynmcn

I wake every morning with chest pain that has been ruled out as cardiac. I sometimes have it during the day. I am having a lot of anxiety with it. I’ve tried mindfulness, anxiety and depression classes and I take Clonazepam upon awakening. This has been going on for about 6 months. I don’t want to wake in the morning. But it wakes me up. I don’t recall any dreams or nightmares.

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@carolynmcn - I often wake up with chest pains during the night as well as in the morning. Sometimes these come on several times during the day too, after the morning attack.

In my case I know it is caused by GERD (Gastric Esophageal Reflux Disorder). These attacks happen despite not eating and drinking after 9:00 p.m. the latest, taking a Prevacid every night at bedtime and having the head of my bed raised on bed risers. Sometimes acid reflux can happen if I sleep in a position that puts pressure on my abdomen (even simply an arm resting across my abdomen), which in turn puts pressure on my stomach, causing acid to migrate into my esophagus.

As an additional measure I always keep a bottle of water at my bedside table so whenever I get these pains I take a few sips of water and the pain subsides each time. I always have a bottle of water on hand to sip whenever a pain comes in, even during the day.

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@lisalynn

Thank you VERY much! Wow! I am NOT alone. I really didn't know mornings this Fear filled happened to others. I was afraid something more sinister was going on, besides Night Terrors/ Panic attacks. Like, I don't know what, but just something worse. I feel so alone and scared when I wake up. The FEAR is too much, it feels. BUT I do get through it every morning and it gets way better throughout the morning. Until, I am in a fairly good mood. Because the Fear is gone. While away from this site I did have my Psychiatrist tell me, it's Klonipin withdrawls. Those pesky, bad Panic attacks. He is very compassionate and is weaning me off Klonipin very slowly. I have been on them for 15 years. Thank you so much for the link to a special forum just for getting weaned off Klonipin. Very helpful.
Have a wonderful day,
Lisa Lynn

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Yes, my psychiatrist has told me to go from 2 Clonipin to 1 3/4 then 1 1/2 then 1 1/4 …. Super slow. I hope that helps resolve things for you.

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I am the same wake up in middle night feeling intense anxiety

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YES I SUFFER TOO
i can barely get out of bed

no resolve for my ptsd and night terrows
but the encridible love of a dog

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@krhpetaja1222

Yes, my psychiatrist has told me to go from 2 Clonipin to 1 3/4 then 1 1/2 then 1 1/4 …. Super slow. I hope that helps resolve things for you.

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I hope your doc has advised you to wait at least 4 weeks between cuts. These doctors like to taper too quickly and make the cuts too big. Be careful and speak up if you’re not feeling well.

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