Adrenaline rush as I fall asleep, been happening for 8 years now. What is this?
Posted , 78 users are following.
Hi everyone,
I really hope someone can help on this forum. As soon as I am just about to fall asleep I get this kind of 'rush' that triggers in the centre of my brain and my heart. I then have adrenaline pumping ( not severe though ) but enough to then keep me awake as if I have drunk coffee. I feel adrenalised and can't sleep. I often then reach for melatonin which does sometimes help but not always.
The doctor's just want to give me antidepressants and sleeping pills! I am not depressed and I don't want to take sleeping pills as they make me feel rubbish the next day and I don't just want to numb myself I actually want to get to the root of the issue as to what is causing this.
This has been going on for 8 years and is really effecting my life. Can anyone tell me what is going on?? I am a very healthy person. I don't smoke. I don't hardly drink and I eat well and exercise, I also have low blood pressure.
If anyone can tell me what this is and/or wha to do about it I would be so grateful as I am very lonely in this as its almost worse being passes from doctor to therapist to healer and have no answers than to actually be diagnosed with something!
Can anyone actually help as I have run out of ideas and spent 8 years trying to get better and its still the same, I have just accepted this but its a rubbish way to exist. Any help would be so much appreciated if you take the time to read this.
Thank you 
7 likes, 102 replies
mich1212 Ruthie143
Posted
wow, I'm so glad i found this! makes me feel not alone. I've been suffering with the same "Jolts" and insomnia for more than 10 years now, started with surgery that had me in a full arm cast for 6 months, then having a colicky baby the following year, and then another baby. i am a light sleeper, and when i do manage to fall asleep and im woken up for any reason (a light sound) i cannot go back to sleep again. it's so distressing.
has anyone tried CBD? Or therapy? any success stories?
mich1212 Ruthie143
Posted
wow, I'm so glad i found this! makes me feel not alone. I've been suffering with the same "Jolts" and insomnia for more than 10 years now, started with surgery that had me in a full arm cast for 6 months, then having a colicky baby the following year, and then another baby. i am a light sleeper, and when i do manage to fall asleep and im woken up for any reason (a light sound) i cannot go back to sleep again. it's so distressing.
has anyone tried CBD? Or therapy? any success stories?
also, you and i sound so alike, ruthie! very very healthy, and not into taking unnecessary pills. also, i normally have great sleep hygiene: blackout curtains, no TV or electronics in the room except for my phone, which is turned off at night. so i dont know whats going on. it's a vicious cycle of sleep anxiety, it makes my heart race and my brain throb and im cranky, cant focus, and i feel like a zombie. 😦
michelle75961 mich1212
Posted
Ask your doctor for propranalol. It works wonders for me.
amanda1107 Ruthie143
Posted
hi Ruthie143,
For the last year I have been experiencing these adrenaline rushes as well. They are literally ruining my life and consume my day and night. Even with sleeping pills I get still get no sleep because every 30 seconds all night long, I get them. It feels like the same sensation of looking over the edge of the empire state building. Like a horrible rush of complete and utter horror. I get them during the day as well, even when I am driving. I feel like I am going insane as zero specialist or Dr have a clue what I am talking about and they look at me like I am bonkers. I started getting them aboit a month after having the right lobe of my thyroid removed. I am not on meds for thyroid as my tests say normal, although I have every symptom of hypothyroidism. I also have SVT which also started around this same exact time. Its frustrating and I have read on some other sites its linked to menopause but I am 39 and just had a baby so I am not meno yet. I was put on a beta blocker as I had asked for it after reading this. No change. I do nit suffer from anxiety except when these rushes happen as sometimes they scare the hell out of me when I am trying to sleep. I can lay in bed and count the seconds between them all night long. I can feel them coming now as I get this strange sensation in my under tongue jaw area and then BAM. I am at my ropes end as it seems there is no answer. I have been reading that a pituitary tumor or adrenal tumor can cause this, its getting someone to listen ans check for u. I hope soon one of us gets a real diagnosis to this nightmare because it really is a living nightmare.
debbie1226 amanda1107
Posted
Amanda,
I see a neurologist and it was the best decision I made after 3 years and 14 specialists later. Although I have additional symptoms and Hashimoto's and POTS the adrenaline surges are very unwanted and scary. I wonder if I will ever sleep through the night again. Try as many relaxation techniques as you can find. I drink tumeric tea as well. I totally gave up alcohol, caffeine, low sugar diet, yoga and almost Paleo (cant give up potatoes or rice). My husband rubs my head when he can at night 30 minutes before bed and I fall asleep and don't get as many of the adrenaline surges. Dont give up because as you read these posts there are many of us with the same problems. I do wish there was someone who could help. Good luck!
karen68445 amanda1107
Posted
Hi Amanda. Just joined this forum & noticed ur post. Have u managed to get a diagnosis yet? I have the same issues - adrenaline rushes throughout the night & day. My GP is looking at me like Im an over stressed neurotic person & cant understand what Im having these episodes. Night time they can keep me awake all night sometimes with an episode every half hour. After much research myself online, Ive pushed my GP to test my cortisol. High levels of cortisol is a hallmark of Cushings Syndrome. These can be done through bloods (be aware these need to b done twice, once in morn & once late aft) Also they need to do 24hr urine collection sample & lastly a saliva test. Ive read that all these tests need to be done to see if high cortisol is present but annoyingly the tests are not always conclusive. Im about to have the tests but have had to push my GP after suffering this for past 12 months with it getting worse. I was diagnosed recently with AF after an episode if extremely high & erratic heart rate & the drs want to put down everything to AF but my heart rate doesnt increase during these episodes (just get stronger beats) Cushings is considered rare but there is suggestion this is because it doesnt get diagnosed. U dont have to have all the symptoms of Cushings for it to be Cushings! Other issues with the adrenals cause adrenaline rushes also so def worth pushing fr the docs to check ur adrenal glands - ask to b referred to an endocrinologist. Worth a thought!
georgemiller Ruthie143
Posted
thank you for this thread. i have been dealing with this problem for many years and it has led me to turn to alcohol for sleep relief. It was the only thing that worked for me.
for me it always comes just as i am about to fall asleep. i am 95% sleeping when boom, that strange rush of adrenaline (fluttering in chest feeling) hits. it is not palpitations, nor do i feel my heart is involved. the closest thing it feels like is an adrenalin rush focused in my mid chest region. no matter how much i try to ignore it, the sensation keeps returning until i have to sit up wide awake.
reading this thread i saw a post from michelle who suggested propranalol. i tried it (15 mg) and it worked! i still get the sensation sometimes but it is far diminished and i can power through it. have been using for a month now and have not had one bad night. i can sleep again and it is amazing.
Hockeytown_BR georgemiller
Posted
Georgemiller,
I have been dealing with this similar feeling for the better part of a month now and have struggled to find any info until this forum.
For me, its just as you describe but with a slight variation.
Climb in bed, not anxious, nervous or excited. Just damn tired. Good thoughts and ready to sleep.
Just as a feel that "drift" into unconscious sleep, I get this rush that starts in the chest and flows right into my arms and legs. Feels like a jolt of electricity (buzz) and slight warmth.
It takes about 15-20mins before the process repeats itself.
After 3 or 4 cycles, there is so much energy and anxiety that its impossible to sleep at that point. Taking even strong meds is 50/50 whether you can get to sleep. I am guessing this is an adrenaline rush / panic attack.
I have tried as others mention, tell yourself its going to be ok, relax, breathe, meditate..etc.
It helps calm you down faster but there has to be a point where there is so much adrenaline/cortisol in your veins nothing is going to work.
This is slowly and steadily been ruining my life and my family.
I am praying that a beta blocker can at least take the physical symptoms away.
I have the mental part (anxiety) under control and do not want to have to rely on meds for this to blow over.
Please let me know if this is still working for you.
Anyone else taking Propanolol and have it work, does this eventually subside? Does the brain just right itself?
Thanks!
josh59910 Hockeytown_BR
Posted
this this happened to me just over a year ago and it happened out of the blue. it develops into full-blown anxiety but it didn't start with anxiety. after months and months of trying to figure out what was wrong I eventually came to the conclusion that it was caused by prolonged stress. the body's nervous system can't handle it when it's continuous. and it comes out in your subconscious in our case as we are about to drift off to sleep. you cannot get better in a day it's a gradual process but you can get better! i did. i also found this podcast helpful 'Anxiety coaches podcast' search it in a podcast app or on Google. it's with Gina Ryan.
natalie80800 josh59910
Posted
hi Ryan. How did you get better please? I have downloaded that podcast. thanks
andrewens Ruthie143
Posted
Try 50 mg of quetiapine before bedtime. Also 5 mg of bisoprolol a day can be usefull. Go for CBT!!!
Hockeytown_BR andrewens
Posted
So after another 5 days of no sleep, I wound up in the hospital again with anxiety out of control and worsening depression. I was finally able to get this under control with 75mg of seroquel (quetiapine) and 300-600mg of gabapentin.
While I was not a fan of these types of drugs, they gave me my life back slowly but surely.
They were not a full cure, I still have to manage some of the symptoms with coping skills.
But I am right back to where I started before all of this.
So in summary, Propanolol 20mg 2x a day stops those rushes dead in their tracks, but you still get some of the feeling.
If you suffer from sleep anxiety, insomnia..etc, Andrewens suggestion of quetiapine is also very effective.
While everyone is different, I only had slight side effects the first couple of days.
Just be consistent in what you take and when.
mark28576 Ruthie143
Edited
hi all
i still suffer from this albeit randomly with months apart. For me it can happen for up to three to five nights in a row then tends to settle again. i am totally convinced after speaking to the doctor here in the UK and after noticing its pattern of occurence that it is stress and anxiety related. i suffer with anxiety and panic attacks and this is another form of those things that happens when i try to sleep. i will tell you what works for me to keep this at bay and to reduce its frequency: ok so here it is.....i stopped drinking any caffeine drinks after 2pm. i rarely have a cup of coffee now if i do its one and its before 2pm. I walk 2 miles each day about half an hour with my dog more on weekends and hour each day. i do not drink too much alcohol before bed finish drinking at 9pm and never more than either 2 pints or two glasses of red. i drink during the day more water. i take a multivitamin with b complex and magnesium in it every other day. i have found sticking to this every day has helped alot. what i have learnt is that you must change your behaviour in positive ways slowly as this seems to form new habits over time which you then see the benefit from. once you have put in the work to change you will start to value getting out in the p*****g rain and walking the dog for an hour on a sunday morning because you know it will halp you feel better that day and help you get to sleep that night without these rushes happening. also they are harmless and you have to make peace with them before you can truly ignore them when they happen. that takes time and hard work but you can get to a point where they happen and you almost ignore them and eventually fall asleep. they cycle of them once it happens can rarely be broken in one night usually it takes me 2-3 nights to break the pattern and then they slowly subside. its important not to get angry or stressed further by knowing your not getting any sleep just accept you wont get any until they subside getting all worked up about not sleeping and having them will make it all that bit worse. i cannot stress how important it is to start changing your habits to good ones it has taken me a year to form a walking habit and a no caffeine after 2pm habit etc but it all helps
pam52743 Ruthie143
Posted
i have been following this for years since i have suffered these "jolts" for over a decade. i have had them for years off and on while pregnant all they way into menopause. the day after i feel shaky and kind of hungover. i am otherwise healthy although suffer hypothyroidism which is under control with meds. i finally decided to join the discussion because i am desperate for answers (and sleep). once it starts it lasts 1-2 hours and i am helpless to stop it. i get up and go read till im exhausted eventually. i had a sleep study where it happened but did not register on any of their monitoring devices. i saw a cardiologist who had me wear a holter monitor for a week. it happened then and again did not register on the device. after all these years i have to assume it wont kill me, but the jolts seem more intense lately. does anyone have any new advice beyond the beta blockers. that may be the next step for me. i hate to take meds, but something has to give.
debbie1226 pam52743
Posted
I am going to a neurologist and I was diagnosed with POTS (I pass out a lot or have prepassing out episodes) and I also have the adrenaline surges right before I fall asleep and then I jerk awake not every night but a couple times a month. I also get the adrenaline surges a couple hours before I fall asleep which signals I have to urinate. This lasts on and off until 2am. So I fall asleep around 11pm and get woken up every hour to urinate until 2am then can fall asleep until 6am. The doctor believes I have the adrenal form of POTS which makes sense. I have been taking a low dose SSRI and on Synthroid but these adrenaline surges are not controlled by the meds. I am off work in the summer and my symptoms are worse this summer than when I work. I am in perimenopause and have changed my diet practice yoga and learned to say no to people without feeling bad. I have no answers but just wanted to let you know you are not alone. Isn't Life Wonderful!!!