My First Panic attack Experience

[anxious_n]

Hi I had my first panic attack today. Docs prescribed me 50mg sertraline a week ago due to continuous shaking all over my body, I've never taken anything like this before. All was going well up until tonight, I was playing a game on the computer and suddenly felt a bit nauseus and tired so went to bed and had a sleep for an hour.
I was woken suddenly by my wife which wasn't her fault, when I woke I still felt nauseas and the top front of my head felt strange, like a numb throbbing sensation and I had a sensation of dread like I was going crazy and that there was something wrong inside my head. I got up and went downstairs and felt like I was going to black out. I nearly fainted once when blood was taken from me and I felt like that. I laid on the sofa and didn't pass out but the feeling of dread was there still with the weird head. I had extreme brain fog and struggled to talk coherently with my wife, I also had an extremely dry throat, tingling lips and tongue and extreme shakiness, I was sweating profusely then I went cold. After 30 minutes I felt a bit normal again, my breathing and heart rate was fine throughout the attack. I spoke to a doctor who assured me it was likely a panic attack.
Looking back I think I nearly fainted due to the panic attack as well as rushing out of bed. Never felt so awful I feel so sorry for people who get this regularly, I feel fine now.

Has anyone else had the feeling they were going crazy, is this just a normal part of a panic attack, it was quite scary. Thanks for reading

[Carnation]

It does sound like a Panic Attack Anxious n. The Best to make an appointment with a GP anyway to confirm. If you get another and feel you need to speak to a professional, you can dial 111. Make sure you stay hydrated; water is best. Try to stay off to much caffeine or alcohol. You can always do gentle breathing exercises to clam you down. (Breath in through the nose counting five, then out through the mouth counting 7, relaxing your shoulders as you breath out.)

[Canbud]

Wondering if it's a reaction to the medication.

Well worth talking to your doctor about.

[starlight78]

Sounds exactly like my panic attacks. I get overwhelming feelings of dread and fear. I feel like I am going crazy. Very weak and shaky, like I'm going to faint, but I don't.

Try not to let the symptoms scare you too much. They are just panic an anxiety, they can't hurt you.

[anxious_n]

Thanks for your replies and advice. I think it was nearly fainting that worried me at the time because everything went dark for a bit, my breathing was fine, but now I know it was a panic attack I think next time I will be able to cope much better. I did actually phone 111 as at the time I was worried that it may be a bad reaction to the medication, they were great and a doctor called me back and assured me it was symptomatic of a panic attack and to keep taking my medication.

I haven't drunk anything with caffeine in for a month now and am staying well clear of alcohol at the moment, I prob could have been more hydrated than I was at the time so I will make sure I drink more water. If it happens again next week I will see the doc again. I'm due to go back in a couple of weeks anyway.

I'm now worried about the possibility of having a panic attack at work like in a meeting or if I'm doing a presentation or in a situation I can't easily escape from as it happened completely out of the blue.

[Nampop]

Hi, i was on citalopram and 2 weeks later had same thing as you at night,felt very scared,doc told me to come staight off tablets bit that gave me bad withdrawal
Symptoms that lasted 2 weeks, think i should have stayed on tablets as i might have felt better by now,now on betablockers but dont know if should try new tablets or not

[Bintybewt]

Citrolpram didn't agree with me either my attacks got worse n was shaking daily my dr then put me on fluoxetine and diazepam n so far so good iv learnt thy won't hurt me it's just the fear that takes over x