Anxiety & Panic Community

I have those same feelings. When wake up in th emorning or even in the middle of the night I feel faint and heart racing. I just put up a post about my condition. But I do have a thyroid disorder. My doctor put me on Zoloft for anxiety, but you know, before I take it I'm weighing all my options. I'm getting my hormone levels checked as well as thyroid levels.

Yes you are having anxiety and panic attacks. When you wake how long to you stay in bed before getting up. What are you thinking about? I seem to either dream or subconsciously worry about the rapid heart rate and my blood pressure rising. I am on Xanax for the anxiety and blood pressure medication to lower my heart rate. Until you find out what is going through your mind and stop the negative thought process this problem will continue. I fight very hard, relaxation tapes, anxiety and self help tapes I listen to when I'm driving. I feel that this does help. And of course prayer but somedays I just can't keep focused. This is when I rely on my tapes. Don't know anything about all the herbal meds just be careful the combination does not cause anxiety. Good Luck

Yeah I learned my supplement lesson a few weeks ago when 5-htp sent me into a long panic attack I couldnt stop with exercises.

I tend to get right out of bed, and my heart rate goes up in the shower. I wake up pretty early to an alarm clock regardless of a bad night of insomnia. A lot of people say to check heart rate in the morning when its slowest but I dont get that. My bp and heart rate are slowest in the evening.

I have the same exact thing that you experience. I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism a year ago. I do not believe that this is the cause of hyperthyroidism. It seems to me that this fast heartbeat would last all day if that was the case. I am certainly not a doctor but I do know my body. In the morning, as soon as my feet hit the floor and I start walking around; my hearbeat gets out of control. I do take zanax in the morning to calm my nerves but it has nothing to do with the heart. Once I get going around lunch time, this seems to go away, but not always. It comes back from time to time. I also have exercise intolerance. I firmly believe that this is an heart issue, as far as my body is concerned. I believe that my body temp,blood pressure, and heartrate get very low in the middle of the night while laying down. Hence, it goes away. Its a postural thing. At the moment, I have way too much going on to get to the doctor over it, and most of them don't listen to me anyway. They ignore what I say, and assume its the norm. Get your heart checked out!!!! Do a stress test. When they told me I had hyperthyroidism, my t4 and t3 was ok. The only thing that was off was my tsh level. This also only happens certain times of the year. Usually when its change of season. I believe mine is due to environmental issues. Tell that to a doctor, and see how crazy they think you are. best regards

Omg... I'm so glad I'm not alone. When I wake in the morning, my heart is also racing. As I get into my morning shower, my heart rate is easily 100 bpm or more. I would feel lightheaded and fear that I would actually pass out in the shower. A couple of times, it got so bad that my friend actually took me to the urgent care clinic at my doctor's office. Unfortunately, the doctor on call both times was rather... umm... well, he basically said there was nothing wrong with me - because by the time they took my vitals a couple of hours after I wake up, my heart rate was down to the 80s - and told me to just take some anti-anxiety drugs and exercise more. The second time, he actually yelled at me for going into urgent care. My personal doctor thinks this is anxiety and has put me on celexa, but it's just, I don't feel anxious, and these episodes aren't brought on by stress or bad news, just waking up. Like several other posters here, my heart rate would be fairly normal in the evening at around 75-85bpm. I've had a blood test for thyroid disease, but it came back negative. I don't have a fever. I'm just so sick of feeling sick.

Yes thats normal for anxiety but your doctor need to put you on an anxiety medicine so it can be control.

Talking psychotherapy with a psychodynamic psychologist will treat the sources of your anxiety. The therapy takes a long time because these issues are complex.

- Claire

I too had this problem. I went to the ER and they tried to put me on Xanax and then tried Ativan(I refuse to take these type of pills because they are very addictive and once I was off they anxiety and panic attacks got worse as well as insomnia crept in). Chamomile Tea works great when you can't sleep at night. It relaxes/calms you. I took some today becasue I did not get a good nights sleep but took a good afternoon nap once I took the tea. For your anxiety during the day try organic cherry juice (R.W. Knudsen: Just Tart Cherry)...it works wonders...The palpatations can stop once you change your diet adding some potassium and magnesium..
palpatations also come in with thyroid...and of course don't leave PRAYING out!!

I have had an anxious feeling each morning for the last couple of months and taking my own blood pressure and that has been high. Until a few months ago I was 110/80 and it seems as if overnight a switch went off. I understand that it is usually how it happens and my mom had high blood pressure. The blood pressure medication I was put on works but I still have that anxious feeling, it almost feels like it is in my throat. I thought maybe it was the high bp but I still have this anxious feeling most mornings. My thyroid shows low numbers from my blood test and I have not had my return appt. yet but I guess this anxious feeling is from that because my bp is perfect now. My cholestrol is high but will address that as well when I return to the doctor. Hearing you have thyroid problems makes me think that this feeling in my throat is thryroid. By the way all though I have that feeling in my throat and it feels like my heart is racing my pulse is not that fast. Getting Old, aint' it great!

Interesting enough, anxiety doesn't have to be the result of your being concerned about anything; it can be totally biological in nature. We know that in the morning the stress hormone, cortisol, is at a high point and it may just be that you have to allow it to come down a bit. I hope that you've had as far a checkup with your doctor to make sure that there isn't anything medical that requires an intervention.

It seems to me that you would not want to take medication since you are already on a variety of herbal remedies and that you may want to try more self-help techniques. I didn't see that you are doing any form of exercising and I would recommend this, if your doctor agrees. There are exercises that can be done in the home, at the office or even sitting in your car when you're going someplace and all of them help to reduce any built up stress and anxiety. Please review what we have in our Tips column and begin to incorporate some of these into your daily routine. I believe this may be very helpful.

Also, please review the relaxation breathing video which we have uploaded and used that our regular basis.

Thank goodness I am not alone. I have been dianosed with palipations and a murmur, therefore I just asumed my syptoms were normal. I get up in the morning and I am so scared that I am going to faint, and my heart races. I can hardly function in the mornings. my hands shake and with 2 small kids this gets terrifying. I have told my heart doctor and he just raised the dose on my bloodpressure pills, but it hasn't helped. In fact over the last yr it has became worse. At night before bed is when I feel the best. I have been so tired, and things I once enjoyed I can't. My syptoms begin in the morning but sometimes last all day. I just wish somebody would help with this. I don't know what to do anymore. It has caused fights with my husband, because he thinks nothing is wrong. If I could wake up feeling normal again it would be a blessing from God. Please help!!

Yes,watch those herbal drugs which can cause anxiety and panic attacks. I was taken to emergency for same reason.

momjah,
I would just like to say you are definitely not alone in this matter. I am a 27year old active female, have trained for a half marathon before, bike, rollerblade, and am very active. My family has a history of rapid heart rate (unexplained) and mitral valve prolapse. I have battled all this year with rapid heart rate upon rising in the morning, the feeling last all morning and into my drive to work sometimes all day it bothers me. It is debilitating...I could not longer do things I enjoyed not even everyday things. It was really frustrating to me, because of how healthy my life is, and my diet. One time it was so bad I had to go to the ER, they gave me Ativan to calm me down and did some blood work, which came back all fine. This month finally I decided I just had to go to my primary care doctor. It turns out that I have a heart murmur and tachycardia..which is rapid heart beat. She said even with your healthy life style, these things can happen. So, she prescribed me a very low dose of Xanax for the anxiety and panic I feel when my heart starts to race out of control and a betablocker Inderal LA 60mg..which helps me all day and last 24hours. It is like a miracle so far. The Inderal has been amazing. I understand your frustration and worry, believe me. I pray all the time to God, but sometimes He shows you the answer through someone or something else and we just don't pay attention. Like me...He showed me my Grandfather and the history there, which led me to see my doctor. I would always say, why can't I just wake up like I use to wake up, feeling normal. Now I am on that path, Thank God..there are still good and bad days. I do not take the Xanax at all, just the Inderal. I know what is like to feel like you are crazy because people are constantly telling you its in your head your fine, just calm down. No it is not just in my head, don't tell me to calm down...is what you really want to say. I don't know what bloodpressure medicine your one. Maybe talk to your doctor about other medications. But I hope in some way this post helps.
Also, I recently learned that my Great Great Grandfather, Great Grandfather, and Grandfather suffered from tachycardia, and my sister who is 21 had to be hospitalized for tachycardia last year. All of these case have had a complete work up from Cardiologist to Psychologist...and nothing has come back each time. I truly believe this is a condition that needs some research and time dedicated to it.
I wish you all the best with your life and symptoms. God Bless you and keep you, you are not alone!
~K

Thanks..I could have post the exact letter.I don't take strong med well . but I do use the zanax when this happens 1/2 of a 5 mg pill helps me most of the time. GOD BLESS AND HELP YOU..this is very scary for me too.