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joey
24-06-04, 22:54
Hi - I'm 45 and had what I think was my first panic attack three nights ago, though I have been suffering from SVT, which is an electrical problem with the heart, which causes tachycardia. So I woke up with a racing heart, and thought it was just another of those. I'm fairly used to them, and they usually pass fairly quickly, so I wasn't too freaked in the first few minutes, then I started to shiver and shake, had to run to the loo and couldn't get off it for the next hour, had pins and needles in my right hand and foot, couldn't stop crying and shaking (although it felt like i was shaking inside rather than outside IYKWIM) and could feel my blood pounding in my head. I felt that my vision was actually moving in time with my pulse rate. I got even more frightened as I have a pulse/blood pressure monitor to use during SVT episodes, to keep a record of what happens, and when I used it, my blood pressure was through the roof, much much higher than it normally is, and higher than I had ever seen it before. As i was also feeling dizzy, along with this tingling numb feeling, I convinced myself I was having a mini-stroke. Eventually, as I seemed to be getting worse, my DH got the kids up, and we all trooped to casualty, where they put me on a monitor for a bit, told me I was fine, and sent me home. I did actually feel a lot better the minute I got to hosptial.

I saw my GP the next day, and he is sending me back to the cardiologist who diagnosed my SVT, but he didn't seem unduly concerned (though he also didn't deny the possibility that I had had a mini stroke). He never mentioned panic attack, but when I was telling my friend yesterday, she said her mum had them, and it sounded like what had happened. She told me about this site.

I've got a lot going on in my life right now, in that my dd who is now 7 had a tumour when she was a baby, and a lot of surgery, and there are some concerns that it may have returned, so she is being investigated for that. I had a breast lump, but was at the breast clinic last week but was told it was benign, plus we are having to re-apply for our jobs at work, as we are being re-organised. But though all these things are obviously worrying me, I thought i had them all boxed off and under control.

Anyway, since this happened, my GP has signed me off sick for a week for a rest, and told me to take my beta blockers every day ( I usually only take them if the SVT is troublesome). I am also wondering if this could be menopausally related, as my cycle has been really erratic for the last 8 months or so. But I find that although I am exhausted, the only way I can relax at all now is to be outside, so I am walking for miles. I feel better while I'm out, and get worse again when I come home. I seem to have spent the last couple of days with my head in a paper bag while I'm inside(which does actually help a bit). I didn't sleep at all the first night after it happened, but I did manage to sleep a bit last night, though I had to keep the light on (worse than my 4 year old LOL), and a sick bowl on the bed beside me, as I was convinced I was going to be sick. Plus of course the paper bag......

I feel so frightened, though, as although the worst of the symptoms have gone, I still don't feel myself.......Is it normal to feel like this? Jo

sal
24-06-04, 22:57
Hi Jo

Welcome to the site, read your post and it is so normal to feel like this with what you have been through. Pleased your doctor has signed you of for a week because you need time out to re-establish you. It may take a lot longer that a week but you take all the time you need, you come first hon. You need to find out what exactly you are suffering from, sounds very familiar to a panic attack and coming on this site you will get all the help you need. Let us know how you are doing. Take care and we will speak soon.



Even your darkest hour only last 60 minutes!!

Sal xxxxx

seh1980
24-06-04, 23:26
Hi Jo,

Welcome to the site!! The first panic attacks is always the scariest one - at least you have that experience beind you! It will get easier from now on as you learn how to cope with your anxiety. Have a look around the site - you'll find lots of helpful info.
Take care.

Sarah (seh1980)

malc38
25-06-04, 09:20
Hi Jo
Welcome to the site!!, hope things get better for you this week and you can relax! as Sarah says it will get easier from now on its just learning to cope with the anxiety as we all are trying to do.

take care
malc

Meg
25-06-04, 16:53
Dear Joey,

Welcome.

I am very familar with SVT both professionally and as it runs in our family. It sounds like you get runs of it and are just on intermmitant betablockers for it - is that right ?

Don't jump to conclusions that your pins and needles and dizziness was a mini stroke - its more likely in this case to be the net result of hyperventilation which you're doing well with your paper bag. If a paper bag helps it's not a stroke. Are you on aspirin ?

Fear does heighten blood pressure enormously .

I did actually feel a lot better the minute I got to hospital.This is classic panic

The loo thing and the shaking are very classic anxiety symptoms too.
The walking is brilliant, if you feel like it -do it . It will be using up excess adrenaline.

For your nausea - try a few good swigs of tonic water which should instigate a good set of burps which will help enormously.

You're doing well to sleep some on night 2 so it will get better.

When you next see your GP ask him to do a hormone screen plus a thyroid test , otherwise I think he's done the right things.

Yes, it is normal to feel totally grotty for a couole of days .

Read First steps
First Steps to overcoming Panic and Anxiety (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=942)

and let us know how you're doing .

I'm not sure if ' boxing it all in ' is a great idea..Once all the shelves in your brain are full it overspills in something - panic is one of those ways..

Maybe some counselling or screams on the windy beach or workout is called for ..

You're doing well

Keep posting







Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

joey
25-06-04, 17:34
Meg - thank you so much for your message. Yes, that's right. I've had SVT off and on for nearly three years, and once I get one episode, I tend to have a run of them, so I have a supply of half inderal, which I am meant to start taking with the first episode, and then take for about a week, or until I feel it has settled again. Although the first couple of times were pretty frightening, it isn't a huge deal now, and though I've been offered ablation, I never felt it was bad enough to warrant it.

As for asprin - no, I've not had a problem with hypertension or anything in the past, so never used it, though once i got it into my head I was having a mini stroke, I went and took one before I went to hosptial, just in case. Belt and braces :-) I think if all my limbs had been tingling, I would have been less scared, but the fact it was only my right ones really terrifed me.

My blood pressure has taken a real tumble since I started the beta blockers, in fact it was pretty low earlier today, and I have absolutely forbidden myself to start checking it every five minutes, and I'm restricting myself to once a day. My heart rate is way down again as well. I still feel though like I'm trembling inside, and if all my nerve endings are hyper sensitive. I'm not cold to the touch, and actually its quite hot here today, but I feel cold inside. I can also still feel pulses all over the place,especially in my head. I'm also exhausted, which may partly be the beta blockers, but I just can't settle indoors, so I'm still walking - I was out by 6am this morning, and when I'm not doing that pottering round the garden.I just feel that the house isn't big enough to contain me. I'm even sitting outside right now with the laptop on my knee. (and my paper bag beside me!)

I have had thyriod surgery about 20 years ago, so I will ask him to check that, though I didn't feel anything like as bad as this when I was thyrotoxic before.

DH bought me a book by Christine Ingham today, so I am reading that as well, and it *is* reassuring. But it is so hard to believe that its possible to feel this ill, and not have something serious (in a physical sense) wrong with me. But yes, it did help when you pointed out that breathing into a paper bag would NOT relieve symptoms of stroke. I seemed incapable of having that rational thought by myself :-) Thanks again. Jo

Meg
25-06-04, 17:46
Well done for taking the aspirin. If stroke really concerns you you could start on a low dose Vit E which has gentle anticoagulant properties.

If your BP/ heart rate is dizzy low then you could take a smaller dose Inderal or break it.
You're still young for ablation. Plenty of time for that should it get more erratic later in life.

Exhaustion comes post panic and with anxiety. It uses huge amounts of energy.

For the shaking lots of water plus warm lavender bath and get yourself booked in for a body massage to get all those toxins moved out.

Take care



Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

Caitlyn89
25-06-04, 21:29
YOU DO THE BUCKET THING!!!!!!!!! I DO TOO!!!!!!!!! But mine is because i have emetophobia and fear being sick.

hem
27-06-04, 01:57
Read your post and i sympathise with you, the first time i had a panic attack i thourght i was going to drop down and i don't know if i was more worried about dropping down and never getting up again or droping down and people laughing at me ... everyone is really great on the site and they can really help. had my first panic attack 2 weeks ago and i thourght it was my eppilepsy retrning.. am now begining to live with the idea that it cannot be cured with drugs and it is something that i have to work through and solve on my own ( and with the help of everyone else here). hope all the advice is working. i am doing some breathing exercises to help me through them when i get them .. and also trying to recite in my head .. my own personal mantra .. " you are not dying, you are not going to pass out, everything will be fine .. now calm down " maybe if i tell my brain enough .. it will believe it . i know what you mean about wanting to put it down to something tangible .. in a way i almost wanted it to be the epillepsy again as then they can give me drugs and it will solve the problem .. take care ( get loads of relaxation .. have spent the rest of the day in the bath and i feel great ) liz xxx

Meg
27-06-04, 07:14
HI Hem,

Glad you're starting to feel better. You are correct in all your comments.




Meg

'There can only be true courage when first there is genuine fear'

Dr.David Livingstone

nomorepanic
28-06-04, 21:27
Hi Jo

Welcome aboard - I am just catching up on posts as I was away last week so please bear with me whilst I read everything.

You will get loads of help her so welcome aboard.

Nicola