Are these panic attacks? Need advice

[StopIt]

Hello all,

I am new to this site and looking for advice. I feel like I can't cope anymore.
Up until end of September I was leading a normal life, health and all, until my father died suddenly. He lived overseas and I had to fly there and take care of things. Needless to say, it was very stressful.
I experienced my first "attack" when I went to the hospital where he died to discuss his death with his doctors.
The symptoms were a sudden feeling of faintness, like a blood pressure drop or something, along with an intense feeling of doom and that something was horribly wrong.
I had to leave the situation and get some air, and eventually it passed.
I managed to get everything done and flew back home where I live alone with my daughter. My mother is still overseas and I have no family members here.
A week after I came back I was cleaning the kitchen and got another "attack". I get hot or cold, get a feeling like my stomach is dropping, and like I'm having a blood pressure or sugar drop (I have neither-I measured sugar and bp during an attack), accompanied by this feeling that something is physically wrong. Sometimes I get a cold sweat (not much). This all freaks me out and I get panicky. The attacks have become more frequent and are escalating. I have called 911, ambulance checked out heart rate and bp and said it was panic. My heart rate and bp went back down while in ambulance. I have driven myself to the ER where they checked ekg, blood work, ct scan of chest and declared me 100% good. They said panic attacks.
These attacks have scared me so much that I have gotten into some vicious cycle of constant anxiety with stomach problems.
I have started seeing a psychologist for counseling, and yet I can't get over this. The attacks get worse. I live in constant fear of them. I can't work because I get them during work, can't function like I used to.
Just yesterday I had one that lasted THREE hours. Started with the low blood sugar/faint feeling that I couldn't shake and ended with me lying on the couch hyperventilating with nausea, heart rate of 120 and bp of 155/115.
I coincidentally had to pick up my daughter from her dad's at the time of my attack, and had to force myself into the car, where, during the ride I calmed down and heart rate returned to normal.
This all leaves me very shaken and in constant fear. I feel like I've lost my life.
Can these be panic attacks? I keep feeling this must be physical.
Sorry for the long post and thank you for reading.
I am 43 and female.

K

[Darksky]

It does sound like panic to me. I identified particularly with the stomach drop and the low blood sugar feeling. I suffer with LBS and have to eat regularly because I know the symptoms can mimic panic....and so of course, off you go into a true attack once you feel them.

[emmegee]

Yes, it sounds very much like a panic attack. The stress you have been through has heightened your anxiety level, and this may be why you are having them.

[Lola-Lee]

Yep,that sounds like the dreaded dragon to me, I have had similar experiences,find yourself a good Psychologist mine really helped me.Breathing is a key factor I was always calling the ambo's thinking I was going to cark it,that was a while ago now I only have minor attacks now but know how too manage them.