Nighttime Attacks/panic Attack?

[jknh9]

In general, I've been doing much better for the past 1.5 years after being nearly bedridden and fainting often when I was first diagnosed 4.5 years ago. I'm able to exercise and even jog a few miles, I can drive without worrying about passing out, and I even worked in an office part-time for over a year.

However, last night I had a huge attack. It was like ones I had early in my diagnosis, which I haven't had in a very long time.

I recently made some huge life changes--I'm at the tail end of a 2-year divorce process, and I moved to another state to move in with my boyfriend a month ago. Prior to that I had gotten pretty used to living alone, and I think what triggered the attack last night was being woken up by him putting his hand on my stomach. I suddenly freaked out and got a huge adrenaline surge and bad nausea. I went out to the living room and sat on the couch, but the nausea and rapid heart rate continued and I felt trapped and claustrophobic. I had to keep using the bathroom because everything suddenly went right through me. After half an hour or so, my heart calmed down somewhat, but I still felt weird. I spent the next 4 hours sleeping on and off on the couch. I'm wondering if all of the changes in my life are finally catching up to me. For the past few days I've felt nauseous and had little appetite, although this is the first full-blown attack I've had since 3 weeks ago when a dentist visit (getting a filling) triggered one.

Does this seem like a POTS attack caused by panic? Does anyone else get these? It's so frustrating, and my boyfriend is amazing but I also feel pressure to be "normal" since we're new at living together and I do fear losing him, even though he has been really supportive and understanding so far. This morning, I just can't fake it, though. Usually I make breakfast for us, but I have zero appetite and couldn't bring myself to do anything but get a glass of water. He was super understanding and said he would just take some fruit to the office and told me to just rest and take it easy. He's known about my POTS and arrhythmia since we started talking 1.5 years ago, but I still worry.

[angelloz]

I think it very much sounds like POTS anxiety. Go easy on yourself. Different types of deep breathing help me when I have this feeling. Like you it happened more in the beginning.

[RichGotsPots]

It's really hard to tell what that was. If we didn't know you had POTS, I would lean toward a panic attack from al, that stress. It could also be a bug since you were throwing up, my POTS was in remission or control for 4 years after it first started. It also came back after my divorce and after I moved to a new apartment, in my case I think it was do to either fireplace in the apartment or something else around there like the fumes by the parking lot where I commuted. Some potsies have multiple chemical sensitivity. But to me again, hos you are describing the situation where they are happing, they are scary type of scenarios. Did you take your HR and BP at the times? If they arent up and down based on posture then I think it was panic. Either way you may want to talk to a doc about taking a benzo to calm you down..

[jknh9]

RichGotsPots, I was not throwing up, just had extreme nausea that kept coming and going for a few hours. My HR was up and down during that time, but I didn't measure BP. That's interesting about chemical sensitivity--I am extremely sensitive to cigarette smoke, and all of the neighbors on my floor (there are 4 units on this floor) seem to smoke, and I can smell it in certain rooms in our apartment. I had attacks like this come in the middle of the night when I first got sick, but they mostly tapered off over the years. It probably is a combination of factors considering the life changes. I'm sorry to hear that you had a relapse after divorce, too It seems like the stress from life changes are just magnified for people like us. Not fun.

[shathaway0811]

I often wake up in the middle of the night with a racing heart rate of around 160-170; sometimes it's caused by being startled awake and sometimes there is no real trigger. It is always accompanied with nausea, which is part of your adrenal response. I'm very sorry you experience these too, as I also get panic attacks as a result occasionally, and I wouldn't wish the feeling on anyone! I find taking a benadryl before falling asleep reduces the frequency of that happening. They also seem to be cyclical for me, happening very often for awhile and then all but disappearing.