Hello, lets see if this forum can help ? I have a problem where I call them nightmares but I am awake. It started a long time ago, how can I explain it ?well here goes - First of all my heart seems to start to beat really fast, I feel physically sick and some times I am sick, I get the shakes, I sweat and its as if I am having panic attacks (which my doctor says they are not) These can happen at any time of the day or night. Now the time I feel they are at there worst, is when I am due a period or I am very tyred or stressed out. I have had these since I was a young woman and I am now in my early fortys. One of my sisters seems to have something similar, but what can we say to the doctor ? They are at a loss.
I do not care that your doctor said it was not panic attack. I would get a second opinion. I am not a doctor, but what harm would there be to put you on a mild anxiety med to see if this helps. Anxiety manifests itself in many forms some of those you have indicated. Stress is a big one.
I would also suggest getting another doctor's opinion. I myself, suffer from GAD- Generalized Anxiety Disorder. More simply put, whenever I am under any kind of stress or if I am overly tired and sleep deprived, I start to feel really nervous and my heart starts beating rapidly. It almost feels as if I'm having a heart attack. My whole body tenses up and I have trouble swallowing and breathing at times. I started having symptoms of anxiety disorder at the age of 17. I'm only 21 and they still have not stopped. It's very scary if you don't know what's happening.
I, personally do not like taking any medications, so I just learned over time how to overcome the "anxious feelings". Deep breathing and relaxation techniques seem to help the anxiety attacks subside. Just depending on your individual case, you may need to take certain drugs such as Ativan, which your doctor can prescribe for you. If you would like to do more research on it, you can do a search for anxiety/panic disorders to see if any of your symptoms match the descriptions listed. Don't worry yourself about it because it will only make it worse. Just know that you are okay and that there are many other people out there with the same condition. Wishing you the best.
I would suggest that both of you above go to a sleep apnea doctor. I know someone who had similar problems and amazingly it starts with your sleep (or severe lack of...) patterns. Good luck. The best bridge between hope and despair is a good night's sleep.
Re: Any one know what this is ??? 
