I have been going thought a horrible time and I can't believe I have to go to work. First - 2 times per year I have to do this thing at work called "emergency". During this time I cannot take leave time. I can take sick time if I am sick, but it is frowned on.

But lately whenever I have these time periods I get sick. I can't tell if it is mental or not but I think so... last time I had to get an operation on my toe... because my doctor was concerned I had melanoma under the toe and told me I couldn't wait.

So there is that. Now I am suffering from what appears to be anxiety to the nth degree. First I have palpitations that started in May. All my doctors test so far have shown nothing to them. But to me it has been horrible. I mean really bad. Then.. I am having trouble sleeping. I mean I wake up 4 times per night no matter how tired I am or Ativan.

My only conclusion is that this is some sort of anxiety attack. But I can't seem to get it under control and I don't know why it is happening. Last night I noticed I am literally ticking at night.. like my hear is pounding so hard it is waking me up.

It is so strange because I feel this must be physical.. I have long felt I had no problems with anxiety but suddenly and without reason I am suffering.

[Sunflower123]

It's a good thing you got it medically checked out so you could narrow down the list of possibilities. Have you ever had problems with anxiety before? Can you ask your doctor for something to help with that?

That sounds very frightening to go through!

Can you ask for another anxiety medication? Perhaps Ativan is just not enough for you.

[eyesclosed]

Sorry about this do you have a blood pressure monitor. I use one to reassure myself it's not physical but anxiety can raise your blood pressure too. Maybe you have built a tolerance to the Ativan. I don't know what that is but assume it's a sleeping med. I hope you get it figured out.

[Guiness187055]

Sounds like a low dose benzo will fix you right up

Thanks everyone. I am sooo frustrated. Today was crazy stressful and I thought it might end when I got home but it didn't. Now I ask you.. is this "ok" I got home and changed my clothing to basically my nightgown and my condo manager rings my door and wants to talk. The first time he did that was the winter and I took his head off. So this time, I just didn't open the door... then, I think he called and didn't leave a message.

Grrrrr. can't I get home after a long day and just freaking have FIVE minutes? Unless it is an emergency you shouldn't be communicating with me that way. If it is an emergency you need to leave a message when you call. Otherwise you need to contact me ahead of time and ask if you can come over tonight to discuss whatever.

Anyway... I am back on the coffee sensitivity train. I realized when I got to work today I had grabbed a caffeinated soda yesterday instead of caffeine free and also, had a chocolate bar that might have had a lot of caffeine in it. Dark Chocolate 70% coca. That could have really messed me up since I have been doing what I can to cut back on caffeine. So to add another 70mgs possibly wouldn't be good.

I have tried to merely cut back on the caffeine but I am afraid that it needs to go completely. I am not sure why I am suddenly caffeine sensitive but I feel like the symptoms I am having fit with it. Muscle twitches... feeling tired and wired... not being able to sleep the entire night. Heart paps... feeling like the heart is beating hard.

Tomorrow I will have 2 spoons of coffee and start dropping from there.

[Misssy2]

Good plan...and maybe add some melatonin to your sleep meds..just a little.

Coffee adds to my anxiety and I KNOW it..but I am not giving it up...I don't even ENJOY it cause of the anxiety but first thing tomorrow am...I will have one.

Ok I have had two glorious days with out any palpitations and three days of lower caffeine. I also took a higher dose of the Ativan last night and slept well. I did wake up but I feel to sleep easily.

I cannot believe I am apparently severely caffeine sensitive. I had about 80 mgs of caffeine today. Enough to give me a headache from caffeine withdrawal.

[Gethprime1977]

Originally Posted by Emily Fox Seaton

Ok I have had two glorious days with out any palpitations and three days of lower caffeine. I also took a higher dose of the Ativan last night and slept well. I did wake up but I feel to sleep easily.

I cannot believe I am apparently severely caffeine sensitive. I had about 80 mgs of caffeine today. Enough to give me a headache from caffeine withdrawal.

Sounds like you are like me. I wake up alot during the night. I wake up on avg every 1-2 hours. Usually its 1.5 hrs. But I have woken up after 15 mins during the night a few times. Im assuming mines is also due to anxiety. Which lately has been becoming worse. Lately I have been having really bad anxiety/panic attacks over my sleep problems which is making the sleep problems worse.

Originally Posted by Gethprime1977

Sounds like you are like me. I wake up alot during the night. I wake up on avg every 1-2 hours. Usually its 1.5 hrs. But I have woken up after 15 mins during the night a few times. Im assuming mines is also due to anxiety. Which lately has been becoming worse. Lately I have been having really bad anxiety/panic attacks over my sleep problems which is making the sleep problems worse.

I didn't used to. As recently as May I slept like a baby?

So day three and no heart palps. Clearly coffee is the issue.

[BreakForTheLight]

Originally Posted by Emily Fox Seaton

Ok I have had two glorious days with out any palpitations and three days of lower caffeine. I also took a higher dose of the Ativan last night and slept well. I did wake up but I feel to sleep easily.

I cannot believe I am apparently severely caffeine sensitive. I had about 80 mgs of caffeine today. Enough to give me a headache from caffeine withdrawal.

My caffeine sensitivity seems to vary. I usually don't drink any caffeine at all but there are periods when I'll have a coffee drink a few times a week.
Sometimes those don't have any effect on me at all..... Other times even one drink is enough to raise my anxiety and give me horrible physical symptoms for the entire day until the next morning :/

It sucks but the only thing to do is stop drinking it or suffer the consequences....

Originally Posted by BreakForTheLight

It sucks but the only thing to do is stop drinking it or suffer the consequences....

Yes I am coming to that conclusion. I have little theory of what is happening. I had a cortisol saliva test and in my morning before eating or drinking I have very high cortisol in the morning. Add coffee on an empty stomach to that.. I could see it causing a wave of stimulation that causes issues. Cortisol levels get higher with age. This could explain why it suddenly seemed to come on with age.

I am trying to taper the coffee to go off.

Day four zero paps but I am NOT sleeping. I wonder if I am getting my period early or something. I took an Ativan last night and woke up 4 times... that is unheard of unless I am about to get TOM.

Day five zero palpitations I think we clearly know what the problem is.

Darn it... some came back this morning. Even though I really tried not to have coffee today. But at the same time I was experimenting with having less water and was decently dehydrated this morning. Grr... it seems like coffee and water are the key. Less coffee more water.

Well, I have had them all day today. Frustrating! But i am 4 days before TOM is supposed to start. So upsetting.