Anyone else have intense morning anxiety?

[[...]]

Hi all, I’m well into my taper. I have decent days and bad days but there is one thing that has plagued me for years. That is morning anxiety.

 

When it started I thought it was my panic disorder but I now believe that I reached tolerance and was having interdose withdraws.

 

I’m now six months into my taper and I still have the morning anxiety.

 

My sleep is always light and restless and I often wake up with my heart racing and feeling scared and worried about everything. I’m often shaky and dizzy and my tinnitus which is always bad seems even worse.

 

Anyone else have these symptoms? Do they improve?

[Guest [Ka...]]

Hi SRR, the morning anxiety thing is a bear!  So sorry for you.  I had it for the longest time but two things have resolved it for me:  getting down the nubbin of my taper and quitting alcohol.  I think I've had enough time and taper/lack of alcohol that significant healing has happened.  I'll hope the same for you.

 

Best,

 

Kaye. 

[[tw...]]

Hi, someone posted (wish I knew where) how the body surges in adrenaline and cortisol release in preparation for waking up. (I don't know if this is specific to withdrawal, but I don't remember waking up badly earlier in life.) I wake up startled and it takes a few hours to feel semi-decent. Hopefully, someone will know where that post is. 

[[ho...]]

Sorry you're having such a bad time. Based on my experiences, and what I've read of others here, quite common.  You can get the morning episodes even if the rest of the day is not so bad.

 

Normal physiology in AM: cortisol rises to prepare for the day, blood sugar gets a little boost from the liver, and the thyroid should have gotten T3 going around 3AM. All this happens just before waking.  Now in WD: cortisol can be too high or low due to adrenal stress, blood sugar can be high or low due to glutamate's effect on the pancreas, and the thyroid is usually taxed by the process leaving you low in T3. Adrenals can get hit in the AM trying to compensate for all these and trigger sympathetic responses like anxiety, rapid heart rate, shaking, and incoordination.

 

If the blood sugar drops during the night, this will trigger a stronger adrenal response in the morning. A snack at bedtime of protein and complex carb like peanut butter may help prevent it.

 

Low T3 (active thyroid hormone)can trigger anxiety all by itself. Might be good to make sure thyroid levels are normal and check AM blood sugars just to see. These can be treated relatively easily. It could make a big difference overall.

 

On taper #2, but near the end. In both, the AM symptoms got much less over time.  After first taper stopped, the AM shakes quit completely a few weeks after.

 

Everyone is a little different, but what you're reporting seems pretty standard. Hope you find some solutions to ease you through this hard time.

[[ki...]]

i am currently off all benzos and since i jumped from the ativan i have been waking up almost every morning with severe anxiety. i have been managing to average 6 hours of sleep, but always wake up with immense anxiety and a racing heart. it takes about 30-60 minutes to subside for me.

[[...]]

Thanks for the replies, it’s comforting to know that this is normal and that it will probably get better!

[[ba...]]

It's common. When I wake up with that rock in my chest and my heart pounding and extreme anxiety, I tell myself it will pass in an hour or two, not to invest in it, or think about it too much. Just wait it out. That has helped me cope with it the best. There really is no medicinal /physical remedy I know of except to understand your CNS is trying to function, and doing a very poor job of it.

[[tw...]]

I also wake up with extreme anxiety if I nap. Anyone else? I'm pretty much always startled out of sleep; I don't wake gradually or easily anymore.

[[Sc...]]

I also wake up with extreme anxiety if I nap. Anyone else? I'm pretty much always startled out of sleep; I don't wake gradually or easily anymore.

Yes mornings & naps, if I can.

Best wishes all

 

SRR

Great question & great answers.

And yes-mornings & or naps. Sometimes I'll try to just rest & listen to a sleep hypnosis Meditation from you tube, hoping to get back to sleep. Sometimes that works just for rest, sometimes I'll lightly sleep again, or many times I just must get up & start my day, to end the rumination, restless anxiety that accompany me in bed.

Hope your feeling better ASAP.

Scaredie

[[Jo...]]

Yes! I am plagued with this daily, and this very morning I posted that my morning anxiety is through the roof! My mind is racing down every horrific path. Shaking inside, feeling I will die any second, and the helplessness of it all. Just keep doing sensible cuts, eat healthy, move when you can. We are all in this thing together.

[[Sc...]]

Yes! I am plagued with this daily, and this very morning I posted that my morning anxiety is through the roof! My mind is racing down every horrific path. Shaking inside, feeling I will die any second, and the helplessness of it all. Just keep doing sensible cuts, eat healthy, move when you can. We are all in this thing together.

Sorry to here of your suffering. Hope you feel better ASAP. May I ask how your cross from x to v went?

Are you glad you did so? Has your taper been this rough the entire time?

Thanks

SC

[[Ba...]]

Wow, hohhot

 

Thanks for that great breakdown of what all is contributing to morning symptoms! I'll refer to it often as I make my way along. It's a good resource of info and analysis.

[[ja...]]

yes, I know what you are talking about. It is really bad for me.. Have you tried some medicine for it? I would like to get any tips about it, guys. I like the service from Canadian Pharmacy a lot, and maybe you can recommend something to me from there. What do you think?

[[di...]]

Oh dear, poor little jadev  :smitten:

 

I identify it more as a physical sickness and shakiness. My thoughts aren't more anxious than at another time of the day.

 

Life's so much better when the weather's great as it is now. I feel that morning anxiety for a bit until it's properly light, then I let myself wake up a bit as it warms up outside, then out for a nice long walk before most other people can make it. It's sunny and warm but not roasting at that time, nature is still quite lively. Makes me feel quite lucky. Out for a bit more than two hours, walking fast and just feeling normal.

[[Fo...]]

I’ve experienced morning anxiety all along, except for about 1.5 months when the Klonopin actually helped.  It’s the worst. I sleep very lightly, wake up constantly, then around 4:30-5:30 the heart starts racing, thoughts that I don’t want my day to start.  It’s bad. Very depressed and hopeless in the mornings.  I get up and do my best. Walk my dog, shower, and try to get out of the house to the store. It lifts eventually, but I’m still left with other wd symptoms, and an uneasiness.  I find I’m way better in the evenings. I dread going to sleep, knowing my good feeling will be gone upon wakening.  I keep praying for the day when I get a peaceful morning again.  Mornings used to be my favorite part of the day!

God bless you! We are in this together. We will heal (they say)! “This too shall pass!” This will make us so strong when it’s all over, and so grateful for every peaceful moment!

 

Kiki

[[Jo...]]

Yes! I am plagued with this daily, and this very morning I posted that my morning anxiety is through the roof! My mind is racing down every horrific path. Shaking inside, feeling I will die any second, and the helplessness of it all. Just keep doing sensible cuts, eat healthy, move when you can. We are all in this thing together.

Sorry to here of your suffering. Hope you feel better ASAP. May I ask how your cross from x to v went?

Are you glad you did so? Has your taper been this rough the entire time?

Thanks

SC

 

Hello. I just saw this today. For me a crossover to Valium had to happen as Xanax became intolerable. And I mean full out panic, sx through the roof. I was lucky and grateful to move in with my daughter for 7 weeks to get sorted out. My crossover was a 1 shot thing. I crossed to Valium in one day. At first the cuts were not too rocky. In the middle around 20 mg, it was tough. Then another not too bad stretch until I got to 3 mg. At 3 everything started to escalate again. Morning anxiety, adrenaline rushes, and a new chest tightness. Even through my doom and gloom periods, though, I try to keep positive, hoping and praying this part of my life will be a dim memory I sure wish I never took that first Xanax. But here we are.Good luck to you. Mornings can be a real bear.

[[Sc...]]

Yes! I am plagued with this daily, and this very morning I posted that my morning anxiety is through the roof! My mind is racing down every horrific path. Shaking inside, feeling I will die any second, and the helplessness of it all. Just keep doing sensible cuts, eat healthy, move when you can. We are all in this thing together.

Sorry to here of your suffering. Hope you feel better ASAP. May I ask how your cross from x to v went?

Are you glad you did so? Has your taper been this rough the entire time?

Thanks

SC

 

Hello. I just saw this today. For me a crossover to Valium had to happen as Xanax became intolerable. And I mean full out panic, sx through the roof. I was lucky and grateful to move in with my daughter for 7 weeks to get sorted out. My crossover was a 1 shot thing. I crossed to Valium in one day. At first the cuts were not too rocky. In the middle around 20 mg, it was tough. Then another not too bad stretch until I got to 3 mg. At 3 everything started to escalate again. Morning anxiety, adrenaline rushes, and a new chest tightness. Even through my doom and gloom periods, though, I try to keep positive, hoping and praying this part of my life will be a dim memory I sure wish I never took that first Xanax. But here we are.Good luck to you. Mornings can be a real bear.

Wow, thanks & hope you're feeling better soon. I need to update my sig. But I'm now on both Xanax & klonopin & having Derealization & visual distortions. I didn't know what was going on, thought it was from another med, now people are saying its withdrawl. I'm tolerant to klonopin, but not Xanax, but maybe the cross put me into kpin withdrawal? So, im trying to figure a way to stabilize & taper. I'm in a mess.

3mg X to 40mg valium is what you did? Isn't that less valium than equivalence? How many times a day do you take V? Do you think you're doc is benzo wise?

Healing wishes

SC

[[Cb...]]

Mornings have always been my worse time.  Even if evening is good, the following morning will be awful.