arabelle
15-01-14, 14:38
Hi everyone,
I am new to this forum. I want to share my life long story of panic attacks. I have been dealing with panic attacks since I was 20, I am now a 35 woman. These panic attacks have evolved through times and for a period of about 8 years it had almost disappeared, I really though I had finally be able to overcome it! But it came back stronger then ever in 2008. During the summer of 2008 I was rushed at least 6 times to the Paris ER ( I am french and based in Paris): symptoms: tachychardia for hours, light headness, feeling of fainting, adrenaline rush, nausea, feeling of shortness of breath etc... I was completely TRAUMATISED. I saw my GP and a cardiologist, was performed many exams during 3 days at the hospital ( ECG/Stress effort, echo, monitor, etc...) nothing wrong could be found except a begnine valve condition. The cardiologist decided to give me a betablocker called atenolol on a very small dose that I have been taking for the 5 years. This medication has help me a lot not to be focused on my heart and to get back to a normal life. I have been taking up yoga classes and gym classes to help release stress and adrenaline and I have to say I can cope much more easily now when I feel a panic attack is coming: basically I try not to fight it, I tried to focus on something else and if serious I take a xanax and it goes away. But my only big problem is when I travel far! I am well traveled person and have always loved traveling but every time I am going to a distant country, I am unable to relax because I am in a constant fear to have a panic attack specially at night and of course at some point it happens... The farthest the country is the more anxious I am. My last vacations were in central Mexico to visit my parents who are expat there and after a week trying to cope with anxiety it finally happened at night, it was so terrible I had to shorten my stay and leave 1 day earlier... The minute I stepped into the plane I was feeling better... This is really plaguing my life right now because I am totally in control of these anxiety attacks when home ( or in a secure place) but completely terrified and paralysed by fear whenever traveling far ( outside Europe). Does anyone experience this? Thank you for your comments, Arabelle.
I am new to this forum. I want to share my life long story of panic attacks. I have been dealing with panic attacks since I was 20, I am now a 35 woman. These panic attacks have evolved through times and for a period of about 8 years it had almost disappeared, I really though I had finally be able to overcome it! But it came back stronger then ever in 2008. During the summer of 2008 I was rushed at least 6 times to the Paris ER ( I am french and based in Paris): symptoms: tachychardia for hours, light headness, feeling of fainting, adrenaline rush, nausea, feeling of shortness of breath etc... I was completely TRAUMATISED. I saw my GP and a cardiologist, was performed many exams during 3 days at the hospital ( ECG/Stress effort, echo, monitor, etc...) nothing wrong could be found except a begnine valve condition. The cardiologist decided to give me a betablocker called atenolol on a very small dose that I have been taking for the 5 years. This medication has help me a lot not to be focused on my heart and to get back to a normal life. I have been taking up yoga classes and gym classes to help release stress and adrenaline and I have to say I can cope much more easily now when I feel a panic attack is coming: basically I try not to fight it, I tried to focus on something else and if serious I take a xanax and it goes away. But my only big problem is when I travel far! I am well traveled person and have always loved traveling but every time I am going to a distant country, I am unable to relax because I am in a constant fear to have a panic attack specially at night and of course at some point it happens... The farthest the country is the more anxious I am. My last vacations were in central Mexico to visit my parents who are expat there and after a week trying to cope with anxiety it finally happened at night, it was so terrible I had to shorten my stay and leave 1 day earlier... The minute I stepped into the plane I was feeling better... This is really plaguing my life right now because I am totally in control of these anxiety attacks when home ( or in a secure place) but completely terrified and paralysed by fear whenever traveling far ( outside Europe). Does anyone experience this? Thank you for your comments, Arabelle.