So confused

[Dissolved girl]

Hi there

I recently wrote on here about tonsil stones.
I have been getting panic attacks over them and thought i could taste a 'bad' taste in my mouth. I wasn't even at all anxious at the time it happened and then i had a panic attack over this bad taste.

I had a really bad spell of panic maybe three years a go now.
I panicked for a week non stop, lost a stone, was depressed and almost became agoraphobic because i was so scared to leave the house in case it happened again.
I also didn't want to eat as i attributed eating to panic.
It has taken me 2 years to get over that.

I am on Fluoxetine 20MG and take valium occasionally and for some reason the panic has started again over stupid things like this 'bad taste'.
I saw the doctor and he signed me off work for a week and changed my meds to Zoloft 100MG - I haven't started the switch yet as all the possible side effects have scared me.

I have been feeling better the last few days and then all of a sudden tonight i am lying in bed and i get very close to an attack because i feel like there is something stuck in my throat.

I don't have a clue what to do.
Each panic attack makes me feel like i am back at square one and i feel exhausted again.
I don't want to start getting scared over issues with my throat.
It's not something i can escape from!!!!

I feel so awful as well because i have read some of the people on here's experiences and they have been a hell of a lot worse than what i have been through.
I cannot believe how you have managed to pull through some of the things that have happened to you.
I think it's wonderful that you have but i feel in disbelief.

Does any one have any advice or me? Should i go back to the doctors? Do panic attacks cripple you for days?
Do they make you severely depressed?
Do they make you feel suicidal?
Do they make you feel totally irrational?
When i had my first panic attacks (the one around three years ago) it happened over a root canal. I became so panicked i looked into having all my teeth removed so i wouldn't have to go through the experience again

Help?!

[TooMuchToLiveFor]

Hey DG-
I am more than happy to share any of my experiences with you in case they will help you….I have suffered through many panic attacks. For the most part they developed and went from zero to a hundred in about a week. I developed agoraphobia for awhile, and, yes, the panic attacks can cripple you for days/weeks at a time once you are in the fear, adrenaline, fear cycle.

I have had depression in waves since this has all started.

I was never suicidal, but could not imagine how on earth I would continue living the rest of my life in the torment I was experiencing.

I had some irrationality.

I am on Sertraline-100mg.

Are you aware of the anxiety symptoms that can mess with your throat?
Do you understand panic attacks, what they are, etc?

---------- Post added at 20:09 ---------- Previous post was at 20:08 ----------

Throat tightening/Choking/Swallowing problems (From the "Symptoms" page that can be found at the top left of this page.)

What you feel:

Often one of the first symptoms of anxiety. People complain of feeling as though they will choke or being strangled. In reality its not nearly so dramatic - the muscles in the throat contract and salivary glands produce thick mucus leading to a feeling of restriction around the throat, it can produce a feeling that you are having difficulty swallowing or breathing. In fact you are not having difficulty, it just feels as though you are. You also get a dry mouth and it can feel like you cannot drink but you can.
You feel as though there is something stuck in your throat or sometimes feel there is a lump in your throat. Other times you may feel that you can barely swallow or that there is a tightness in the throat, or that you have to really force yourself to swallow. Sometimes this feeling can lead you to think that you may suffocate or get something stuck in your throat.
What causes this:

When in danger, stress biology produces a tightening in the throat muscles which produces the choking or 'something stuck in the throat' feeling. When in a nervous or stressful situation, many people will experience this feeling. It is often referred to as 'a lump on your throat'.
There is minimal danger of choking or suffocating under normal conditions, however, some people are very sensitive to things in their throat and therefore caution should always be observed when eating. Chewing food thoroughly andslowly will prevent inadvertently swallowing something that may provoke someone to gag. This symptom can come and go, and may seem to intensify if one becomes focused on it.

[RosieBelle]

Hiya DG,
first of all I wanna send :hugs:hugs to you, because I know how you're feeling. I've had 2 episodes in the last 6 years where I had very bad panic/anxiety for a couple of weeks and it was concerning me being worried about swallowing and choking. It made me feel very unwell, I was suicidal and depressed and after having a panic attack I felt very panicky for a week or two.
My doctor put me on the anti-depressant Citalopram and after 2 months I felt much better with only some anxiety about my throat and eating. So I would advise you to go to your doctor and see if you'd like to try some form of anti-depressant. Also, CBT and exposure therapy is supposed to be very good at helping with anxiety, so you could talk to your doctor about starting some therapy. I also found distraction very helpful in overcoming my anxiety, as it keeps your mind busy and not on the anxious thoughts.
I hope this helps you. Please feel free to message me if you need to chat. :)

RosieBelle xoxo