woke up frightened

[Bedwell]

not new to this website which has been very helpful. Just reduced from 2.5 to 2.0. Have had no flares whist reducing from 15mgs nearly 3 years ago. No flares as such described on this website. More anxiety.. hair loss.. acute fatigue but no limb pains etc.

this morning I woke at 5 so frightened.. has happened once before. I tossed and turned. It was horrid. Finally took 1/4 temazapam and dropped off again for an hour. Has anyone had something similar?

I have not felt “myself” since starting pred! So grateful it relieved my shoulder hip pain but otherwise …. Anxiety fatigue. Etc . I am 85.. so know to expect to get tired more easily !!! But this fear in night was really horrid. No obvious reason I can put it down to.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Were you aware of a bad dream waking you? Adrenal insufficiency and low pred can lead to bad dreams. There are problems whether you are on higher pred or very low pred!!!!

[Bluey-1]

Bad dream I reckon. I had a weird it’s the end of the world dream last night and woke up very fatigued today. I’m also on a low dose of pred.

[Googleeyes1]

sounds like a panic attack. been through same as you .First one i had was so bad i had to get out of bed and the bedroom and go downstairs. when i thought about it rationally i realised it was a panic attack . when you sometimes get too hot or sleep disturbance anything that raises your heart rate can do it . it triggers your fight or flight response . in my case it was flight.had to get away from whatever was happening to me. its not rational at the time it's just body self-preservation response to your heart rate. now I recognise what it is when it wakes me up i think what might have triggered it and go through mental checklist . deep breaths to lower my heart rate, throw covers off to cool down , sometimes a trip to cool down in bathroom is enough to bring me back to normal. then distract myself with my phone for bit till i think i can sleep again. you could also get night terrors. same thing same response. lots of fun. you think your back in control of your body then it throws a spanner in the works . hope this helps .

[Bedwell]

thank you all. No dream at all that I remember. Just terror like I’ve never experienced! I remember thinking I was going mad! What would they do with me? Lunatic asylum. ?!? I tried all the breathing ex I have done in yoga.. and used to go to sleep quite often. But this seemed to grip me!! Panic attack prob Thank god for temazapam.. just a quarter of a 10mg tablet and I was out like a light for an hour or so .. with normal wake up!

I have experienced anxiety on waking several times since being on pred… but not this! Blimey!!!

[piglette]

A doctor friend of mine had the same thing. He said it just suddenly happened in the middle of the night. It was a panic attack.

[Bedwell]

thanks reassuring! But how can one stop it happening again?! Still got some months to go before I’m on zero steroids!!

[Merryfield in reply to Bedwell]

I get up, go to loo. sip some water. Probably been bad dreams. Tho most of my panic attacks have been during the day.

[Pippah45]

I found temazepam led to anxiety type feelings. Going against some advice out there I pick up a tablet and play crossword games or patience number games etc. Soon back to sleep.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Pippah45]

That isn't the round white sort of tablet I take it!!!

[Pippah45 in reply to PMRpro]

Lol noooo just the poor woman's iPad

[Bedwell]

I just find a quarter of the 10 mg can put me back to sleep straight away.