Waking to anxiety

[Retiredwhitesnake]

Been taking anxiety and depression medication to sleep sleep great but get slammed with anxiety and depression when I wake up. Anyone else have this happen

[Rufus07]

I also experience this except for the great sleep. I’m usually up every two hours and have a really hard time falling back asleep when sig others alarm goes off at 5am. That’s when my mind starts racing. The lack of sleep makes me angry on top of the depression and anxiety. I wish I had some advice but just wanted to let you know that you are not alone.

[Windsorgardener5087 in reply to Rufus07]

I had the same problem until psychiatrist prescribed Mirtazapine at night to take advantage of its sedating effect. Then in the morning, I take my first medication prescribed. Definitely worth a conversation with your doctor at least.

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Windsorgardener5087]

Thanks I take mirtazapine at night what medication do you take during the day

[Windsorgardener5087 in reply to Retiredwhitesnake]

Hello again,My morning meds is Venlafaxine. The combination is working for me.

I got a few questions from the pharmacist when first prescribed but all good now.

Some doctors, especially primary carers, are not confident in what they call polypharmacy (more than one drug) so may only go with one medication.

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Windsorgardener5087]

Thanks for the information

[SHEPHER in reply to Windsorgardener5087]

Hi what mg of Mirtazaine do you take and what's your morning meds. I am struggling so much I take amitriptaline 10mg for sleep then 100mg sertraline in the morning

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to SHEPHER]

30mg w 25mg of hydroxyzine

[Lin1944 in reply to Windsorgardener5087]

Mirtazapine is good for sleep but you put a lot of weight on with it so I came off it x

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Rufus07]

Thanks for your support it is much needed at this time

[mydogs]

I am exactly the same sleep for about 4 hours then wake up with extreme anxiety before I can even get out of bed then the depression will take over and I am in floods of tear’s with no apparent reason it’s wearing me out had to go back down to taking 7.5 mgs of Mirtazapine because of me having glaucoma and not feeling any better at all. So sorry you are going through this but your not alone speak to me anytime take care.P.

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to mydogs]

Thanks for your support it is a miserable place to be. Going in to maybe add a medication for during the day.

[Nothing_but_books in reply to mydogs]

Was the Remeron causing or related to the glaucoma? I've told my doctor it hurts my eyes but gotten no response.

[sotired67 in reply to mydogs]

I was genuinely moved by your description of the sleep disturbances compounded by the anxiety of living with glaucoma. Could you share how long you’ve been facing these challenges? Do you remember a period when your health felt more stable? Wishing you all the best now and in the days to come. Warm regards, Trevor.

[SHEPHER in reply to mydogs]

When you wake do you get nausea too

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to SHEPHER]

Yes sometimes and nausea stays for most of the day. Today woke up feeling fine the my mind got all amped up and thus far has lasted most of the day no matter what I do!

[SHEPHER in reply to Retiredwhitesnake]

I get nausea every morning it's awful stays with me most of the day I am on 100mg sertraline which don't help with my anxiety I take 10mg of amitriptaline for sleep my dr seems to think its the amitriptaline that's causing the nausea I'm not convinced

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to SHEPHER]

Nausea is the worst especially when you can't put your finger on what the source is. I believe it is one symptom of the lovely anxiety.

[Agora1]

Retiredwhitesnake, this is the way Anxiety gets our attention first thing upon awakening.

Tears may flow because nothing changes. It's a morning expectation. This alone can allow

your mind to be trained with a negative approach in greeting a new day. Wearing both

physically and mentally for sure.

Medication helps but then wears off and we are right back to square one.

Our fears and fighting with these symptoms continues the cycle during the night in not

allowing us to go into a deep REM sleep of regeneration. We see from day to day that

these symptoms do wax and wane and yet we worry. (which only keeps the pot boiling)

Learning to accept the symptoms as a non threatening way to get our attention. is the

answer to change. ' xx

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Agora1]

Thanks for your insights. My brother has similar problems and he told me the same to accept it and not empower it. How do you accept it when in the throngs of very painful emotions?

[Agora1 in reply to Retiredwhitesnake]

Retiredwhitesnake, it's a learned behavior that takes time. Basically a retraining

of your brain to accept this as non life threatening. I use Meditation upon waking

in the morning, mid afternoon and before bed. BY listening to Positive Affirmations

my subconscious mind absorbs this new way of accepting symptoms. The more you

listen to it, the better it works.

Enough so that you eventually will fall asleep to this meditation and actually go into

a deep REM sleep. Should you wake up during the night, replay the tape.CD and you

will automatically go back to sleep. Faster and easier than popping a pill.

Your mind becomes stronger and more powerful in accepting this concept of thinking.

When you no longer fight the fear, your emotions will settle down. xx

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Agora1]

Thanks got to find some positive affirmations do you know a good website

[Agora1 in reply to Retiredwhitesnake]

Hi Retiredwhitesnake...actually my "go to" has always been YouTube.

It's an informative site with many professional therapists and doctors

who can walk us through a different process of stress relieving videos.

Their positive affirmations have helped me immensely over the years.

Let me get back to you with some of my favorites. I so care xx

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Agora1]

Thanks look forward to hearing about your favorites!

[Agora1 in reply to Retiredwhitesnake]

Hi my friend. I did not forget about you. YouTube has always been my

go to along with therapy and medication. We all need our personal toolbox

that we can use w/o thinking . With practice you will be ready to calm down

your mind and body within moments.

Go to YouTube and type in

"Affirmations for morning anxiety, worry and chronic stress"

(Listen for 21 Days by The Anxiety Guy (who was a member of our

HU community. All of his videos are great because he beat Anxiety down.

Good Luck...Believe in what you are hearing. It works. xx

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to Agora1]

Thanks

[sotired67]

I don’t rely on medication to help me sleep at night, yet my anxiety remains fairly constant, whether it’s day or night. Recently, I had a conversation with a counselor about the heightened anxiety I’ve been experiencing since childhood and into adulthood. Now, at nearly 58 years old, I still find my anxiety peaks when I’m trying to settle down for sleep.

As a child, I dealt with nightmares, but now my worries have shifted to concerns about moths and flies, which have infested my home since 2011. This ongoing issue has contributed to my elevated anxiety levels, making it difficult for me to enjoy a restful night. On the rare occasions when I manage to go to bed around 7:30 or 8:00 PM, I might sleep until about 6 AM. However, my sleep is generally poor; I often wake up around 1:15 AM to use the bathroom and then lie awake, ruminating on my feelings of depression and stress.

Additionally, I’ve struggled with itchy skin since childhood, and that issue persists today. I’ve tried various treatments, but nothing seems effective, and I’ve been informed that my symptoms may be linked to Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I used to take Propranolol for my anxiety, but I stopped due to lingering side effects like muscle weakness and overwhelming fatigue, even after a supposedly good night’s sleep.

My self-esteem tends to be low, and I often worry about my appearance when I go out. Thoughts of self-harm occasionally cross my mind, but I make a conscious effort not to act on them, even though I frequently feel disheartened about my existence. My days are mostly spent at home, listening to the radio, eating, watching old videos I recorded over 20 years ago, and then eventually going to bed at night.

I seldom have visitors, and honestly, I prefer it that way. I’m not taking care of myself as I should, and I feel embarrassed about letting anyone see me in this state. The image I’ve painted of my life isn’t exactly flattering, but it’s the truth. I often wonder if I’ll ever break free from this routine and work towards improving my life.

I apologize if I’ve shared too much, but I want you to know that if you’re grappling with anxiety, you’re not alone. Many others are facing similar struggles, even if they don’t take the time to talk about it like I am now. I hope this brings you some comfort.

Wishing you the best in finding a lasting solution to your challenges. Take care for now,

Trevor.

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to sotired67]

Trevor thanks for your openness regarding your struggles. I am looking for a new purpose in life to help take my mind off anxiety. Too much free time is a demon by itself.

[sotired67 in reply to Retiredwhitesnake]

I appreciate your kind words, and I am pleased to hear that my response, while it may not resolve the challenges you encounter daily, is still beneficial to me as someone who also experiences anxiety. Wishing you well, Trevor.

[RS1974]

Yes I did too. My anxiety is pretty much under control with Gabapentin and Buspar.

[Catsuit53]

I had high anxiety upon waking up, so my doctor and therapist recommended exercising. Riding a stationary bike helped. I switched meds and the anxiety became less intense.

[Retiredwhitesnake]

Thanks when I go to the gym it helps

[northernwren]

I too have full-on anxiety/panic just at the moment I wake up. I sleep well until the second I wake. It's not just worry or rumination, it's massive anxiety. I've been taking Celexa for a long time for anxiety, and it worked really well until about 2 years ago when this wake-up problem started one morning out of the blue. I'm still on Celexa, and am thinking of switching to Lexapro. I'm now also taking Propranolol -- 120mg extended release once/day and 20mg short-term as needed up to 3x/day. The Propranolol is meant to lessen the physical aspects of anxiety, and does help some but not completely.

Retiredwhitesnake -- have you tried meds other than mirtazapine for the wake-up anxiety problem?

[Retiredwhitesnake in reply to northernwren]

Not yet going today to discuss medsNow my sleep is getting worse woke up every hour last night. Have slept now well for 4 months and just started the anxiety attacks during the day 2 weeks ago. Then sleep problems this week. Something needs to change

Trying not to dwell on it but attacks are strong and painful.