Waking up with nausea in the middle of the night?

Waking up in the middle of the night with panic attacks?

• I've suffered from panic attacks for 9 years already and it's been a long road for me to get where I'm at now. My panic attacks used to be so bad I wouldn't do anything alone and there was a point where I hadn't been to Walmart or the movies for 2 years. My doctor put me on Zoloft and I weened myself off of it because I didn't like the way it made me feel and I wanted to do things the natural way. I haven't been on medicine for 6 years now and my panic attacks have practically gone away until recently. I'm 30 weeks pregnant now and I find myself waking up in the middle of the night with a horrible panic attack. I start panicking because it's dark and I feel like I'm loosing my mind and I feel spaced out. I turn on the tv to help me get back to sleep and to calm me down. I would hate for my life to head back down that road of panic attacks. How can I stop this on happening? That way I can sleep comfortably through the night without fear? Now, I'm afraid when it gets dark because that means bed time is coming and I dread waking up with a panic attack. Can anyone offer any helpful advice that's gone through this? Thanks and God Bless.

• Answer:

  These really suck the life out of a person. I myself have had them since I was about 13 years old. I am now 48... I was on Zoloft also and hated the way it mad me feel, It made me sweat profusely also. I also slept a lot while on this medication. Like you I took myself off. It's been 35 years that I've dealt with these attacks but thank God they are far and few between now. Mine were so bad that about 15 years ago I wouldn't leave my house... It took me 3 months but I took baby steps.... I finally went into my yard... about a month or so later I walked down the street a few houses..... then to the corner.... I still don't go too far alone but I have made some drastic moves in my life that I thought I'd never make.. I also still have mild attacks but there getting better.. I have been told it is possible to get rid of them completely but so far that hasn't happened for me yet.I guess I will tell you first to find all things that trigger these attacks and then work through them 1 at a time.... I found that the number 1 problem I had was a lot of stress in my life... STRESS: will provoke these attacks... The people I ran with brought these on also, something Im not proud to say but did a lot of back in my day was smoke pot... that will bring on attacks... I've gotten rid of the stress in my life except for the normal stresses anyone else has and that helped a lot. All I can suggest to you is have a plan.. call a good friend that understands, you both agree that it will be ok for you to call anytime day or night when these attacks strike. I had a friend that was going through the same thing and I know that helped me... Just talking to someone until the attack went away helped. When you go to bed leave a small night light on and maybe the radio on low. Let me know if you want to talk further and I'll do anything I can to help as I know these are very harmful, and frightening. The sources just weren't out there when I needed them most, but now I have had these for years and am working through them without meds anymore. Hope I helped.. good luck