Anxiety adrenaline waves every AM waking me from sleep.

With regard to the early morning anxiety wake ups. One of my regular go tos is learning the Nick Ortner's "Tapping Solution". I have their app on my phone and use it every day as needed. Morning, daytime, before bed to help shut shut for sleeping. I can't take prescription drugs. This Tapping technique works for me. I also meditate, journal, exercise, etc. It's a full time job. Good luck.

Doctors now prefer antidepressants to any Benzo drug. I don’t really see the difference as both are addictive and can be hard to discontinue.
I have been fortunate to find a doctor that will prescribe Klonopin. I try to use it sparingly because I hope to keep it working without increasing dosage. I usually split a .5 to take the “edge off”. That is a tiny dose but helpful to me.
Effexor did not help me.

Hello all, I am in no way promoting drugs or medicine but when I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer my primary doctor suggested "Trazadone" to help. She said that alot of people have problems sleeping. I did not bring it up but she had asked about what symptoms I was feeling. For me this helps so much. I take 1/2 of pill and am usually asleep within 15 minutes. It's a very deep sleep and have no drowsiness the next day. I hope this helps. Every persons body is so different but wanted to share what helps me. I wish you all the best! ❤️

I can’t remember when I didn’t wake up feeling anxiety, I take 0.5 mg of Ativan and get out of bed. It usually passes within the hour but sometimes it stays a while, it’s a different feeling from my usual hyper anxiety, more of a heavy heart or a sense of doom. I did hear a suggestion that I reduce my sugar intake, yes I also have a sugar addiction and depression definitely made it worse. It was possible that I was crashing from the sugar I had the day before, it sounds like a viable idea so I will now make a huge effort to stop eating too much sugar and then see if it helps.

What a relief to find this thread. I’ve always had some anxiety, and am a therapist, as well.
A year ago, I was given too much estrogen and put on many different medications trying to deduce the issue (like calcium blockers, beta blockers, cortisol reducers/Ashwagadah), which all impacted my sensitive body.
My cycles were waking me throughout the night until I finally got .25 mg of Klonopin to sleep; brought up my vitamin D and found an estrogen/progesterone balance with bio-identical creams.
I now sleep really well and have brought my estrogen levels down, except for the one sneaky thing-these adrenal surges at 6/8 hours of sleep.
When I pandiculate and stretch or move, my heart rate increases to 110 and then lowers and adrenaline surges in cycles that last usually every hour upon waking. I have not had Covid. I have tried every trick in the book. And, ruled out adrenal tumors.
My dreams are pleasant but when this happens, it’s like my mind starts finding negativity to match the adrenal rushes. Then there is the shakes or teeth chattering and need to relieve myself to get rid of the adrenaline.
I’m trying to find more solutions, as I will not give up.
I found a nice 300mg cinnamon cbd oil from “Bottle and Stone” which helps to lower some reaction (because too much Benzos dump me down.)
Let’s keep helping each other because my endo/chiro/gyno/functional/
Primary/cardio/adrenal MDS have all been stumped.

@jnetweiss I just fell over this discussion on my way to bed, literally…

When I was working, I would wake up in a panic most days. I was always worried about my job performance. Now that I’m retired, I’m calmer in the morning. However if I’m under stress for whatever reason I will wake up in the middle of the night with my arms stretched up to the ceiling! They are ridged, my hands and fingers poised like a dancer…
I told my doctor about it and she just shrugged 🤷🏻‍♀️

My wake up anxiety and insomnia has been going on now for 17 years. I had thought it was related to a stressful, demanding, job and a crumbling marriage issue. I am now retired, moved out of state and re-married a wonderful man. And it continues. It is simply my over active nervous system related to life long traumas starting in the formative years of childhood - which is very hard to over come. I am going to start neurofeedback for migraines, trauma, anxiety and my sleep issues. I have been down the therapy and medication road, still am and it continues.
No one really knows the horrors of anxiety unless you walk in those shoes. Anxiety is a killer. I meditate, use a gratitude journal, use guided imagery, chair yoga, headache massages, walk and inspirational readings. Someone wrote such is a full time job. Believe me, it is. I wish I started all my self care activities when I was in my 20s, 30s and 40s when the "seeds" of resulting health issues were being planted. But it's never to late to try to turn things around. I like the tapping suggestion, I am going to try that. Upon wakening, I usually pray or say my mantras before getting out of bed. It does help to some degree.
Don't give up hope and keep "working" on yourself to de-stress as best you can. It can be done. The best of luck!

I have read from reputable sources that it’s not uncommon for those with anxiety disorders to wake up in the morning with an increased rush of anxiety. For me this occasionally happens after I nap (I take long long naps). I used to have it happen more often when I awoke. I don’t know why it changed or what there is to do about it. I do take Trazodone, Vitamin D and sustained release Magnesium at night. The MagSRT is made by Jigsaw Health and has been very helpful with taking the edge off fibromyalgia pain also. It doesn’t cause digestive/loose bowel issues either.

It appears it is a lifelong struggle for some of us. For me, it started in my forties and maybe was related to shifting hormones. Who knows? I had been a very relaxed, sleep in whenever I could type of person. Like everybody else I blamed it on motherhood, work issues and whatever, but the fact is, I handled stress just fine, until I didn’t!
Now I always awake (early!) with adrenaline rush. I try deep breathing and tapping to get another hour or so. Sometimes it works, often not. If I can’t settle down I get up and walk laps around my patio until I feel a little calmer. Throughout the day I get “waves of doom” which usually pass fairly quickly. I just tell myself..”This isn’t real.” And wait for the feeling to pass.
I have not found that antidepressants help me. A low dose Klonopin helps me get to sleep.
I wish I had better answers.

Thank you for this idea. I’m an EMDR therapist and I never even thought of using EFT tapping. Doh!