Posted by mila on April 17, 2001, at 14:15:51
In reply to Night Terrors or Panic Attacks? Medications?, posted by karenR on April 17, 2001, at 11:38:08
Dear Karen,
could you see a sleep specialist? Your description of the night sleep pattern is rather unusal. It makes me wonder whether your sleep stages are abnormal. sleep terrors differ form nocturnal panic in the stages of sleep when they occur. Sleep terrors occur at a stage 4 sleep, and nocturnal panics occur during delta wave or slow wave sleep, which is the deepest stage of sleep, it occurs several hours after we fall asleep.
I also wonder whether remeron might have affected your sleep stages.
As far as the treatment of nocturnal panics concerned, they are effectively treated by intermediate acting benzodiazepines. Behavioral therapy alone works quite well for many, sometimes it is supported by medication for as long as six months to a year to prevent early relapses.
To summarize, consider seeing slep disorders specialist and someone who specializes in panic disorder or at least in anxiety disorders. you should know however, that today not many specialists are trained in the newest therapeutic techniques for treating panic disorders (including nocturnal panics). see someone who has received advanced training in Panic Control Treatment (PCT). It is very effective (80-100% of patients are free of panic after approximately 12 weekly sessions).
I am very sorry you have to go through such an ordeal. Sleep disorders are one of the worst ever to have:(
I am also very glad that you've got such an extraorinarily great husband. Yess!!!
mila
poster:mila
thread:60188
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010417/msgs/60202.html