[dabella]

Hello,

I am new here and I was wondering if someone could help me with a question. I woke up in the middle of the night and had weird numbness on my face, shortness of breath and a tingling sensation in my left arm. At first I thought it was a stroke and started panicing but I felt no pain at all. I had been having weird nasea the evening prior (last evening/night) but I also wasnt eating right (some times when I am stressed I just dont feel hungry for dinner and I think the only meal I had yesterday was lunch...a sandwich and a bag of chips)

I have been under some extreme emotional stress for the past month and a half and I was wondering if I could have had an anxiety attack.

Thank you in advance for your help.

[ceepei]

Hello,

Well I am not sure what happened to you was nothing more than a anxiety attack, but I to was awaken with a racing heart, buzzing in my left arm, it felt like someone was squeezing my wrist and the circulation was being cut off on my whole left arm, I had shortness of breath and was sweating and it scared the heck out of me and I was sound asleep.
I had a Panic attack so the E.R doc told me and that they don't know why it happens it just does.
I to have being going thru alot of stress for a few years and eventually if you don't deal with it, it causes your body to react in away of making it feel like I was having a heart attack.
But get checked by your Dr. just to make sure it's not your heart or anything else....good luck and peace dabella : )

[dabella]

Thank you so much creepy. I am feeling loads better today but I am stopping by the campus clinic to talk to my doctor about this. Thank you again for your help

Dabella

[Perna]

Hi, dabella, welcome to PsychCentral!

I don't think there's any way to tell what "happened" in the night like that, could be so many things. I get some of those symptoms just from sleeping wrong :-) You could have just put pressure on a nerve (which would cause the arm tingling and the numbness) and your anxiety could have caused a bad anxious dream that started the shortness of breath and woke you in a state of fear, etc.

It could have been a panic attack but I'd work on eating better and dealing with your stress in the daytime. Do you see a therapist or have you seen your doctor for a physical? Stress can cause "dominoes" to fall so it's almost impossible to tell what caused what/what came first, the chicken or the egg. You really need to eat properly and well as the nutrients protect your body from stress. Do you take a vitamin when you're feeling so stressed? Lack of B vitamins can cause all sorts of nerve problems, anxiety, etc. </font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Severe deficiencies of several B vitamins have been shown to have profound effects on the brain, leading to abnormal brain waves, detectable as abnormalities on EEGs; impaired memory; and higher levels of anxiety, confusion, irritability, and depression. Even marginal deficiencies of B vitamins can cause EEG disturbances and inhibit mental performance.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> From: http://psychologytoday.com/rss/pto-20040726-000014.html

[dabella]

Thank you so much Perna. I don't see a therapist at all. I have never really dealt with anything like this before. Its kindda just come within the past few months (the emotional stress). I havent been taken vitamins. I know I should (and I did right away when I saw your post). I have an appointment with my doctor on Monday to talk to him about what happened.

I am usually a very calm person. Just lately my emotions have been on a serious rollercoaster ride (as a result of many things going on in my life right now).

I am trying to stay as calm as I can today and just make sure I am taking care of myself.

It was just so scary. I couldn't believe it.

[BalishBun]

possibly, anxiety can mimic many different things. But go to the doc and eliminate all other possibilities and then you should find your answer.

[Perna]

I remember when I had a panic attack, that suddeness, because of a lot of stress. That unexpectedness can be very frightening. But it doesn't have to happen again, become an "illness" can just be a part of this particular constellation of what's going on with you at this moment. I would try not to start anticipating this happening again and thus set up a expectation that your body tries to fulfill.

If you are normally a calm person and now under a lot of stress, that's all it is; like getting a cold when you're under stress. Stress can cause weird responses; try to shrug and keep working to get through the difficult stuff happening in your life and not get sidetracked by the "show". Your body is trying to tell you you're stressed to the limit and need to take steps to resolve some of it so you don't get more seriously ill.

[dabella]

Thank you so much everyone! I am doing a lot better. I was a little scared to fall asleep last night but I was just so tired it just happened. I feel almost completely 100% back to myself today. But I am just going to try to be more perceptive as to what I am going through here on out. Just taking care of myself today and doing little things to keep my mind off of it.

Again thank you all so much. You have no idea how much you have helped me with this. You are all such wonderful positive people! This forum is lucky to have you as members!

Thank you once again and have a wonderful rest of the weekend! :-)