Does anyone else feel like they are actually dying during a panic attack?

I have suffered from panic attacks for the last 2/3 years and I used to get them every day and now its most days and most of the time they are ok, bearable. For the last few months though I've been having what I call, terror attacks. Its where I actually believe in the moment I am dying. I can't describe the overwhemling fear I have. All I can say "I'm dying!" or "get me a doctor" because the feelings are that strong and I feel its more than a panic attack. My heart absolutely races to the point I think its going to burst out my chest, I can barely stand up, the room spins, I feel sick. Its all gone within a few mins. This kind of attack probably doesn't last long as a generic every day attack.

I get these bad ones maybe once or twice a month. I only used to get them at home but yesterday I got one outside in public and I collapsed to the floor, I was absolutely mortified.

I am worried I have something more than panic attacks because of how strong that fear and dying feeling is though I know that every attack has a different severity and not every attack has the same symptoms as the last one. I am scared I am going to become agoraphobic again after taking a bad attack yesterday outside.

I have had many an emergency appointment at the doctors, and trip to a&e during a panic attack absolutely convinced I am about to die. Its horrific isn't it, but thankfully, it was just panic. I have diazepam on repeat prescription now, 2mg, and as soon as I feel a bad one coming on I take one immediately. I hate taking them, but I hate that feeling of impending death even more.

Sorry to hear you suffer from severe ones too. I knew people could experience the feeling like they are dying during a panic attack but I had personally never felt it until a few months ago and after feeling that, I felt like any other panic attack I had before that wasn't a panic attack at all. It scares the hell out of me. I had one yesterday and I'm still feeling crap and drained from it.

Hi, sorry to hear you're dealing with this!
I have had a few panic attacks where the only thought was "i'm dying", it's terrifying and exhausting, though i generally get "i'm going to faint" thoughts instead.
I got rushed to a&e once, convinced i was having a heart attack - i'd burst into tears suddenly at the dinner table and could only say "i'm dying". My panic thought it would do the same the next day and that was when my mum made me go to hospital. For someone who was housebound at the time, it wasn't fun!
I know what you mean though,

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I felt that any other panic attack i had before wasn't panic at all

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It took having a full blown attack like that to realise i was only panicky before, but i found it was easier to cope with the less intense ones since then.
Do have a kind of.. panic signal? I know it's odd but i get this tingling feeling in my arms which i relate to adrenaline being released, so i start countering the attack [well that's one way of putting it! :roflmao:] with deep breathing and reassuring thoughts 'it's just panic', etc. and i find it helps me keep calmer - and stop my thoughts from getting to the 'im dying' stage.

Yeah feels like i'm going to stop breathing and my organs are going to pack up because my stomach started getting really hot(Which is just the acid in my stomach going crazy due me panicking)

Ye it's awful, had one last week, can't explain what I was feeling like either. Just thought I was gonna die. I too have diazapam for this, I don't take them unless I think I might be in a situation that I need to control. But just having a couple in my wallet puts my mind at rest. This may sound very strange but it really helps knowing if I get a turn I can stop it by taking one or two. Only 2mg and I've had them for a while, I know people don't like taking them but if you only take them in this situation I can't see anyone becoming hooked, I'm not and I take the odd one when I really need it. The doctor understands and knows I'm careful so as no issues giving me them. Funny enough I went surgery late this afternoon about citalopram I had last week and explained I couldn't do the side affects and continue working.

I think if I didn't have vertigo, my panic attacks wouldn't be so bad, or at least I maybe wouldn't get the 'I'm dying!' ones as often because I have noticed that each time just before a bad attack like that, I get a severe case of vertigo and I can't move or walk without falling to the floor or stumbling. Any panic attack I have had without vertigo being related has never been anywhere near as extreme.

I used to rarely get panic attacks were I actually believed 100% in the moment that I was dying. I felt awful and that there was something wrong with me but never believed I would die on the spot. Recently I've been getting a lot of these 'dying' ones and its really getting to me. I am living in fear of getting another one like that, especially if I am outside alone.

In a word Yes, but the first time is the worst.

Yes, so many of them. At the time truly convinced I am dying, then when it all passes I think: you see, not dying only panic, if it happens again you know its panic...
And yet the next time Boom! X