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Anxiety Issues_Waking up early
Before one week i have diagnosed with anxiety issues and i am using nexito 5mg and Cloam 0.5mg from last 7 days in night while sleeping.
In Day time i am feeling good now and not more repeated thoughts or negative thinking. I am feeling comfortable as usual i was before.
In between, i have reduced cloam 0.5 to 0.25 by cutting it half for 3 days, i woke up in the middle of the night and was feeling fear kind of sensation along with sleep.
My doctor said, if u reduce the dose without my consent on your own, fear is the expected problem due to chemical imbalance.
He said to complete the two weeks course and meet him again.
I worried that, why i am getting fear when i woke up in morning hours or midnight. I didn't got any nightmares or any incident happened in recent days. But i am feeling fearful. Why??
Answers (9)
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Hello,
Thank you for sharing!
You are experiencing early morning or midnight fear sensations likely due to abrupt dose reduction of Clonazepam (Cloam), which your brain had begun to depend on for regulating nighttime anxiety. Clonazepam acts on GABA receptors and sudden dose reductions- even if by half- can lead to withdrawal-like symptoms including heightened fear, panic sensations, or sleep disturbances, especially during early morning hours when natural cortisol levels rise.
Since you are already improving on Nexito (escitalopram) 5 mg, which takes 2–4 weeks to fully stabilize, it's important not to alter any medications without your doctor’s guidance. The fearful sensations are a common and temporary effect of such medication shifts and not a sign of relapse or something dangerous.
Next Steps
1. Resume the prescribed dose of Clonazepam (0.5 mg) as advised by your doctor till your follow-up visit.
2. Continue Nexito as prescribed; it will gradually provide more stable relief.
3. Inform your doctor about this episode so future tapering can be done under supervision.
4. Consider sleep hygiene measures (fixed sleep time, no screens before bed, deep breathing) to reduce fear-triggered awakenings.
Health Tips
1. Do not reduce or stop medications abruptly without medical advice.
2. Such withdrawal can mimic anxiety relapse. These fears are temporary and will reduce as the SSRI takes full effect.
3. Stay calm and follow up as planned with your psychiatrist.
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Hi!
It is advisable to taper down medicines as per the advice of the psychiatrist. Having said that, there are some changes in lifestyle I would like to suggest: 1.Cutting down on stimulants like tea, coffee, any form of nicotine. If at all you want to consume, do so before 4pm
2. Avoid exercising at least 4 hours before your sleeping time
3. Avoid screen exposure at least 1 hour before sleep
4. Avoid heavy meals before sleep
Next Steps
Follow the tapering advice as per the psychiatrist
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Better not to go beyond the origin of your fear. There won't be any fruitful outcome if you think about it but it will worsen your situation if you are in that loop of thoughts. Maybe something might have happened in the past or childhood that you aren't aware of & is buried in your unconscious mind. For better understanding Google 'Little Alber experiment ' & read.
Be mindful. Trust your Psychiatrist. Continue treatment as per his advice.
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Midnight awakening or early morning awakening is not only related to ongoing stresses, these symptoms are the presenting features of anxiety, low mood.Clonazepam or any other Benzodiapines are tapered & stopped over a period of one month from the start of treatment, So Don't bother continue medication as advised because if you reduce it earlier in one week, symptoms will reoccur as you are feeling disturbances in sleep patterns, further it lead to anxiety, low mood, lethargic whole day So trust your doctor he will adjust dose as per your symptoms profile
Next Steps
do not adjust dose on your own,
Health Tips
be patient & hopeful trust your doctor
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Take some therapy to ease yourself
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Heyy
I can help you better with further treatment course needed. U can connect me via whatsapp on seven zero eight two zero two two zero six two.
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Dr. Rohit Tiwari
Psychiatrist
5 yrs exp
Ghaziabad
You're experiencing abrupt awakenings with fear—a classic symptom during Clonazepam tapering, and it’s understandably distressing. This happens because your brain is readjusting to the absence of GABAergic support that Clonazepam was providing.
Also as you have mentioned that you are having anxiety issues so it can be due to reemergence of the symptoms.
Next Steps
Follow your psychiatrist advice.
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Dr. Sunil Nagar
General Physician
18 yrs exp
Rewa
Connect
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Dr. Myle Muralidhar
Psychiatrist
7 yrs exp
Kurnool
Based on the information provided, you have anxiety illness and started treatment. Nexito 5mg is the main drug for treatment and Clonazepam is for sleep. But Nexito dose has to be gradually optimised because 5mg is very less. Once anxiety symptoms are controlled, we can gradually taper and stop Clonazepam. If you stop before , things will get worse.
You need adequate dose of Nexito
Next Steps
Please consult Psychiatrist online for further evaluation and treatment optimization
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