Adrenaline Jolts While Sleeping?

So I've been taking Celexa in the morning for anxiety and depression for about 6 days now. i have some side effects but the most unnerving one is the insomnia. I fall asleep just fine, but no matter when I go to bed I wake up at around 5-6am with a sudden jolt of adrenaline. After that, every time I get even a little relaxed and ready to fall asleep again, the jolt happens again. It is kind of weird and scary. I don't experience any anxiety before this happens so I don't think it's anxiety-related. I will bear with it, but I just wanted to make sure this was a normal side effect. Has anyone experienced these recurring adrenaline jolts in the morning? It feels like my chest is being flooded with something.

I've been taking it a while and sometimes I jump up out of sleep out of nowhere right when I'm about to go to sleep. It doesn't happen often, but it happened a couple times... weird.

Hi Ana

Your adrenaline jolts are called nocturnal panic attacks. It's the only symptom I have left with panic disorder (15 yrs). They still terrify me, but last approximatly 20 min. I calm them down by deep abdominal breathing (try it with one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomin and just raise the hand on your abdomin. It's called diaphramic breathing. It will help bring down the intensity). I think they come on by the begining of rem sleep or a nightmare. I think it is your flight-or-flight response mechanism which might be more sensitive because of the possiblity of stress or stimulants. Knock off the caffeine and other stimaulants it might abolish them.
Good luck with that.

These jolts are reported by individuals, although they seem to be more prevalent (anecdotally) in the withdrawal phase.

Although Celexa is described as an antidepressant, it is actually stimulant in nature - & as such stimulant effects are among those which people experience. It can (initially at least) put your adrenals into overdrive, regardless of the reason for prescription. I think I read somewhere that they can double the cortisol & treble the triglycerides, but I can't put my finger on the specific reference.

One to speak to your doc about - the fact that it appears unconnected to anxiety also ties in with other individual reports.

I have had the same issue on and off for about 6 months. I got a complete physical and the Dr. said I was in great shape. I went to a sleep Dr. and he thought it might be apnea, keep in mind though that I am 32 and never had this earlier in my life. I am 5ft 11 and 170, so I am not overweight by any means. I have no issues during the day at all. I have noticed and this may be a stupid correlation but when I exercise I seem to have them more. Same exact thing. Surges of what feels like electricity right before dosing off. Let me know if anyone figures this out without huge doses of Meds.

ana wrote:

So I've been taking Celexa in the morning for anxiety and depression for about 6 days now. i have some side effects but the most unnerving one is the insomnia. I fall asleep just fine, but no matter when I go to bed I wake up at around 5-6am with a sudden jolt of adrenaline. After that, every time I get even a little relaxed and ready to fall asleep again, the jolt happens again. It is kind of weird and scary. I don't experience any anxiety before this happens so I don't think it's anxiety-related. I will bear with it, but I just wanted to make sure this was a normal side effect. Has anyone experienced these recurring adrenaline jolts in the morning? It feels like my chest is being flooded with something.

weird. I havent even started my celexa yet and this is exactly what is happening to me every morning and sometimes when i eat. A sudden rush of what seems like adrenaline in the chest upper abdomen area. it happens in the early morning as soon as i open my eyes or come out of sleep, its very uncomfortable. If this is what is happeneing to me without the celexa in my system, what will it be like with the celexa in my system? i guess i should stay away from it.

I have these bursts of what feels like adrenaline or something physical when I am going to sleep or have just fallen asleep. I, however, am on no medication, and am having numerous other illness symptoms. These rushes are completely physical and last only a second or two. They wake me up. There's no thought or emotion behind them. It's like a one second purely physical adrenaline/panic rush. I am constantly dizzy and lightheaded, extremely fatigued, having eye issues, nauseated. I've started losing weight. I temporarily lost vision in my left eye on memorial day. I've had an MRI, ecocardiagram, numerous blood tests etc. etc. all with the outcome of everything looks fine. It's quite obvious I'm not fine, and I am exhausted waiting for a diagnosis. I am going to the neuroligist this week and an endocrinoligist next week. Hopefully I will have some answers soon. I have small children to raise. I will not let this bring me down.

Hi all.

Has anyone experienced waking up to a tremor feeling that feels like an adrenaline rush. This has been happening to me for about a year, once or twice a month. It is real scary.
I have been to the doctor. Had many tests with no resolt. All he found was low vitumin D.

Anyone have an idea of what it could be?

Very similar to "a smith" testimony.

I have experienced this 'surge' of adrenaline that wakes me out of my sleep, followed by a sudden feeling of total weakness. The whole thing lasts only a matter of seconds, but I can't figure out what it is. I used to have these attacks more frequently, then I was diagnosed with low thyroid and I went on medication for it. After that, the rushes seemed to subside, but in the past week I felt them again, two or three nights. I take a good vitamin D supplement along with my thyroid medication, and I am now at a loss as to the cause of these spells I have.

This has happened to me twice in 2 days i don't feel like its a bad thing but i haven't even been taking any drugs.

I have MS, been trying for months to find a doctor who can identify this feeling and here it is, described better than I've been able to. Its like adrenalin through my upper abdomen at the point of falling asleep. No other symptoms, certainly not panic or falling. I hate falling asleep because its so unpleasant. Not caused by medications as far as I can tell, because its persisted through some med changes. This used to happen only when lying on my back, now its in any lying down position. I sleep fine once I finally do get to sleep. Has anyone got any further with answers?

I didn't mention I was on Citalopram when this started, but I've been off it now for a few months.

I have had anxiety disorders in the past but have been off medication for about two years. I have had these "night jolts" for a very long time but usually it would happen only a few times and than id be fine. Now im going whole nights without sleep. I dont like taking anxiety meds because almost everyone has a weird side effect. If anyone can find a better solution you would make my life extremely easier.

Hi there - my symptoms are EXACTLY the same, weakness, twitching, nausea, cant eat, I am just about to drop off to sleep and i'm woken with a huge surge of burning hot adrenaline through my diaphram that radiates through to my arms and leaves me feeling weak - I, like you have had tons of blood tests (I have a 11 week old son and two other little boys), i've also had an MRI and waiting on an appointment with a neurologist this week. Please let me know the outcome of your appointments with the neuro and the endo - I'm just at the end of my teather and want to know what I can do. Thanks so much, Natalie

a smith wrote:

I have these bursts of what feels like adrenaline or something physical when I am going to sleep or have just fallen asleep. I, however, am on no medication, and am having numerous other illness symptoms. These rushes are completely physical and last only a second or two. They wake me up. There's no thought or emotion behind them. It's like a one second purely physical adrenaline/panic rush. I am constantly dizzy and lightheaded, extremely fatigued, having eye issues, nauseated. I've started losing weight. I temporarily lost vision in my left eye on memorial day. I've had an MRI, ecocardiagram, numerous blood tests etc. etc. all with the outcome of everything looks fine. It's quite obvious I'm not fine, and I am exhausted waiting for a diagnosis. I am going to the neuroligist this week and an endocrinoligist next week. Hopefully I will have some answers soon. I have small children to raise. I will not let this bring me down.

I have panic disorder and have had it for years. I have been taking celexa for years also. The jolting happens to me off and on, but it is actually unrelated to the celexa. I had a bit of anxiety when I started Celexa but after a week, I felt better than I have in years. You actually might be experiencing panic attacks in your sleep. As a matter of fact, I had them last night. Its just like when you get to sleep, boom, you are away with this extreme adrenaline rush. Sucks I know. Hang in there, do some breathing, and it will go away. Also the more you control them now, the less they will happen. I had a bit of stress yesterday so I know why mine happened. If it keeps happening, you might need to switch your antideppresant. Another thing is that I take my Celexa at night, maybe that will help you. Maybe the celexa is waring off by the time night comes around. Good luck

I have been having these for the last 4 years. I wake up suddenly after 3 or 4 hours sleep with tremors and rapid irregular heart beat. I have been checked for everything. It got worse when I they discontinued the brand Dalmane, and now I take the generic. It is so different they are becoming severe in nature. Not anxiety attacks...I am in deep sleep and I notice they are coming with dreams...my heart rate goes over 110 and I am exhausted. I thought perhaps the Flurazapam was making it worse. Been to the heart doctor and I do have A Fib, but this is not A Fib as I wore the event monitor for a month....anyone have this at all. I am so sleep deprived...do not take cafeen, choclate, alcahol, etc. I am so sleep deprived...get nausea, and headaches when I finally get up now..anyone have any of this???

Thanks

I have the same thing I just about to get off to sleep then I get these jolts that lift me out of my bed I seem to get palpatations when I get this and I am definately worried about it I have had checks for thyroid and my heart but my doctors have said I'm fine it makes my chest tight and all that goes on in my head is that I'm gonna have a heart attack once I have calmed I realize that I'm not but it does give me really bad heartburn and indegestion that also makes my back hurt I would love to know if anyone knows about this as it would really help me thankyou !!!!

It is very comforting to know that other have variations of this. Whatever the cause it is not healhy. There is not a night I do not wake with my heart racing and tremors, and headace. The deep diaphram breathing really helps bring the pulse down and stop the tremors. However, once I slide back to sleep I get the abrupt heart palpations again...Hang in...I realize that htis is a Celexa site and I do not take Celexa, just dalmane..benzo....

I read this. I have been experiencing these the last few months on and off. At the time I started getting them I was not on any medications. Also struggling with air hunger, airway phlegm, anxiety, and heart palpitations.

from my extensive research on all these problems, reading probably hundreds of posts online, I think it could be some sort of a bacterial infection in the body, possibly h.pylori or another one.

My symptoms seem to have started after I dated a girl from Africa. h.pylori, which can be transmitted through saliva and can be found by a gastroenterologist, it is written, is much more prevalent in developing countries. I urge readers of this to get checked for this and if you can, for other bad bacterial cultures in the stomach or elsewhere in the body and post with your results.

good luck