View Full Version : 2 weeks straight panic attacks
For the last 2 weeks I've been having 2-3 panic attacks every single day. It seems that I'm in a panic attack from when I wake up and even when I'm sleeping my heart is STILL racing.
Has anyone ever suffered from a panic attack marathon? I'm just concerned that eventually I'll just fall out.
Eep :(
Oh dear, I'm very sorry to hear about this. Yes this happens to me sometimes since I suffer from Panic attacks alot. I can have periods where I have many panic attacks within a week or so followed by a week or two with little panic attacks. I think sometimes it depends on the patterns of thoughs you have, although I can understand this has and is a very tough time for you. It's certainly not nice to go through something like this as you feel that something bad is going to happen just like I do, but I have to say you've done well to cope with it so far and just keep going and living life and you should get over this sudden period of many Panic Attacks soon. Like I do, I just keep saying to myself no matter how many Panic Attacks you suffer from they will not kill you and any unwanted thoughts can never hurt you.
I hope I've helped out a bit.
Thanks so much for reassuring me. :)
How did your body feel after that? I keep feeling like my muscles are giving out on me and I'm so weak and tired in my chest. I feel like I could fall out any second now. Maybe it's just in my head like everything else.
How did your body feel after that? I keep feeling like my muscles are giving out on me and I'm so weak and tired in my chest. I feel like I could fall out any second now. Maybe it's just in my head like everything else.It is normal to feel week.Also it's normal to have those panic attacks periods.Sometimes you may have 2 for 2 days,but they will pass..the next time they maybe will be 2 for 2 weeks,next for 2 months..and they will pass.Even if you awfully fear from them they will pass.It will be good if you eat healty food.Fegetables,fruits...Don't worry,you may be feeling really low,but it's impossible to fall out :).Hope you'll get better very soon !
:yesyes:
Yep I'll just keep fighting through with the realization that feeling out of breath, having chest pains, feeling light headed, and absolutely worn out IS NOT a sign of a 22 year old dying.
It's just anxiety! This is hard work! :)
so sorry to hear you are having such a prolonged period of panic.
If it helps any, I just had 2 weeks of it straight and could barely function and then suddenly Tuesday of this week no panic, and the last few days have been ok. I am exhausted from it but at least the panic has stopped. Yours will too. It just seems at least with me I go into this panic state, feel there is no end in site, but eventually it comes.
Maya
Oh sweetie I've had attacks upon attack upon attacks in one day.. I've gone from happy to anxiety to happy to anxiety on a whirlwind merry go round from hades :) I think it has to do alot with the type of day your having, if it's stressful if you dwell on the first attack and anticipate the next.. because sometimes sadly we drive ourselves from one right into the other *hugs* your not alone
Hi Khafre
I identify with all that you said in your original posting. What you must remember is that although this truly dreadful period is painful, unpleasant, debilitating and exhausting, it surprisingly enough is not deterimental to your physical health - it won't kill you!! Hard to believe, I know.
I went thru many weeks from November through to January suffering much the same as you. Dreadful adrenaline surges, chest tightening, chest pains and chest burns. Terrible tension in my neck and shoulders, awful insomnia because the PAs would wake me in the middle of the night - I was luck if I got 2 - 3 hours sleep a night for many weeks - even whilst taking sleeping tablets. I drank bottle loads of Rescue Remedy and tried 2 or 3 other Bach Flower remedies. The meds (propanalol) helped a great deal, and, over the last 6 weeks or so I feel much better. I still have very slight PAs (usually in the morning) - but nowhere near as bad as they were, and the moment I busy myself with the right sort of distractions, the PAs disappear. I haven't taken sleeping tabs for some while now and I'm sleeping much better. I KNOW I'm not 'cured' (I'm basically an anxious person); I still have far too much stress in my life, but I'm handling life better.
I'm also awaiting CBT which I hope will help me change my perspective on life in such a way that I become less anxious.
I know it's hard to believe, but given time, a positive outlook, medical and emotional support (support from NMP helped me ENORMOUSLY), your PAs will lessen!!!!
Take care
Sandie
Hi Khafre
I identify with all that you said in your original posting. What you must remember is that although this truly dreadful period is painful, unpleasant, debilitating and exhausting, it surprisingly enough is not deterimental to your physical health - it won't kill you!! Hard to believe, I know.
I went thru many weeks from November through to January suffering much the same as you. Dreadful adrenaline surges, chest tightening, chest pains and chest burns. Terrible tension in my neck and shoulders, awful insomnia because the PAs would wake me in the middle of the night - I was luck if I got 2 - 3 hours sleep a night for many weeks - even whilst taking sleeping tablets. I drank bottle loads of Rescue Remedy and tried 2 or 3 other Bach Flower remedies. The meds (propanalol) helped a great deal, and, over the last 6 weeks or so I feel much better. I still have very slight PAs (usually in the morning) - but nowhere near as bad as they were, and the moment I busy myself with the right sort of distractions, the PAs disappear. I haven't taken sleeping tabs for some while now and I'm sleeping much better. I KNOW I'm not 'cured' (I'm basically an anxious person); I still have far too much stress in my life, but I'm handling life better.
I'm also awaiting CBT which I hope will help me change my perspective on life in such a way that I become less anxious.
I know it's hard to believe, but given time, a positive outlook, medical and emotional support (support from NMP helped me ENORMOUSLY), your PAs will lessen!!!!
Take care
Sandie
Yes I've got Rescue Remedy and Lorazepam by my side, I took some before I slept - got me to bed. Now that I'm awake I'm shaking all over and trembling, freaking out, etc. This sure is fun! Hopefully today will be a better day though, I'll stay positive about this as best I can.
Welp I tried my best but my body was out of control and I went to the doctor's. They upped my ativan a bit, and even STILL i'm on edge. Anyone ever take this stuff and it just DOESN'T work? OR maybe it is working and if I weren't taking it I'd of exploded by now? I'm very weak on my left side and I get dizzy a lot now, also I'm constantly gasping for breath and all my back muscles hurt when I breathe.
Anyone else face all this ? HELP!!
I know it hurts to breathe but try to and not short little breathes try inhaling through your nose nice and deep and then exhaling nice and long rinse and repeat a few times. All the things your describing is anxiety sweetie.. including the tight muscles we reek havoc on ourselves because of it and it is scary what it does. I have always suffered the weakness especially in my face and the dizzy spells believe it or not could be coming from shallow breathing most anxiety sufferers breathe from their chests and not their diaphrams which causes us to nearly always hyperventilate and once that starts a swimming head is sure to follow. Try doing something for yourself something you like that will distract you from what you are feeling. Draw a hot bath, watch a movie something light and funny or even find a game to play that will make you concentrate on other things. Close your eyes and repeat over and over I am going to be fine or even better get up and walk around even if it's only in the house excerising through a panic attack does wonders for you since panic attacks trigger the flight or flight mechanism we all have whch causes our adrenaline levels to increase exercising counters this by brining up your endorphin (happy hormones!) levels and burns off the adrenline. I know right now it doesn't feel like it but you'll be okay give yourself permission to feel scared, anxious what ever you are feeling it will pass quicker.
As for the Ativan I refuse to take any form of benzodiazepine( anxiety/sleeping drugs) I feel it's just the medical professions way of making us "shut up and go away" *hugs* good luck and I hope you feel better soon.
davidthegnome
25-03-07, 07:42
Hi Khafre. A fellow American here :) I'm up at 2:30 AM because I just had a nasty panic attack that I think I'm slowly calming down from... your story has really touched me because mine has been very similar.
When I first started having this epic battle back in late December, I would have two or three panic attacks every day. I couldn't sleep, I could barely eat, my muscles were weak, I was in a constant state of high anxiety or panic. Great God was it awful. I spent a week in a crisis center because it just got to be too much for me (or my family) to handle as I was waking my parents up at night in sheer terror.
They started me out on lorazepam, three times a day as needed or something like that. Took it three times every day and was still feeling awful and having the panic attacks. They later increased the dose to a full miligram every four hours and that seemed to help me to the point where I could sleep again and eat dinner. I also got put back on sertraline which I had taken before but had weaned off of a few months ago.
Another irony in this, we are the same age, I'm also 22 and often afraid I'm falling out, going to suddenly die or go mad and so on. Lovely isn't it?
The pain, the difficulty breathing... very common with panic attacks. I've had so many symptoms I'd have to write a book to describe them all and I'd still be writing two years from now. Chest pain, back pain, shallow breathing, fast breathing, headaches, severe fatigue, abdominal pain, digestive disturbances. There's a long bloody list of what these things can cause.
Let me assure you though, that it is highly unlikely that you will suddenly fall out or drop dead. You've been to your Doctor who would have told you if there was any immediate risk of that. You're also young, like me. Easier said than done, but try to relax, my friend. This will pass, it did for me and I was completely bonkers for over a month.
Some times the ativan works well for me, other times it doesn't work so well. generally, it depends on how wound up I am when I Take it. After about half an hour though, I tend to feel better, calmer, enough so that I can come here and play some games or chat. I've just gone two days without it actually... then woke up in the middle of the night (well, extremely early morning) with a panic attack.
lol, well, I think I've ranted enough for one post. PM me any time, I'd be more than happy to help you in any way I can. Keep your chin up my friend... and most importantly... stay positive, believe in yourself. You will get better, a new day will come, a better time, joyful moments and smiles.
God bless you,
Dave
Hi Khafre
I so agree with Dave and Shadowwin above. All of what they both say is just how truly dreadful these attacks can be - as I said in my earlier posting, they are so debilitating its hard not to believe that you are dying. BUT you are not............ The doctor has cleared you and whilst perhaps the meds he's given you are not working, I'm sure if you went back he can adjust these accordingly.
Getting you breathing correct is really important; distracting yourself with activity or exercise helps immensely. Five months on I still can't concentrate enough to read a book (I have always been an avid reader), but I distracted myself with television (something I have never watched a great deal). Quite often the sort of television I used to describe as rubbish - but it helped take my mind off the physical symptoms, which VERY gradually eased. I find it important to stay really warm - it helps ease my muscles, releases tension etc.
I cannot believe that five months on I'm posting such positive thoughts - NMP members will remember my initial postings as being ones of sheer desperation; desperate for sleep, full of negative thoughts (even the worse negative thought possible), really at a low ebb. Life hasn't thrown a miracle at me - and we've still got too much stress and too many problems in our life for my husband and I to feel that our storm is passing, but I'm handling it all so much better. Yes the meds help (propanalol and citalopram), but I'm on a very low dosage of each, and I do believe that my attitude is what is changing. I'm still awaiting CBT which I believe will help me address the root issues which contribute to how badly I feel when faced with the problems we've experienced, but I do feel I AM GETTING BETTER!!!
Not every day is a good day, and I know I have to learn that there will possibly be more bad days; I just have to learn how to deal with them and that includes the panic attacks, which are, thank God, nowhere near as bad or as often as they were.
It will be really hard for you to believe the above - the PAs prevent you from thinking they could ever disappear; I can still remember that awful feeling waking at 2 am, after only 2 hours sleep, with the most painful adrenaline surges and my heart pounding - I really felt as though it was the end of the world. You will come thru this - not overnight, but gradually, it will lessen and you will cope SO MUCH BETTER.
Take care
Sandie
bubbleblitt
26-03-07, 07:26
Hi, I'm sorry to hear about how bad you are feeling.I have a bad fear of flying.On saturday I flew to gatwick and back in a day.This is how I did it.I started the panic attacks as soon as I had booked my flight! I read lots of info about how I had to be strong and face the fear and I kind of tried to believe that.I drank cammomile tea ( loads of it!) and took rescue Remedy four or five times a day.I talked to my friend every day who was very supportive.The main thing i think was I bought a 'fear of flying' relaxation CD and every morning as soon as I woke up with the awful panicky feeling I made myself go back to bed and listen to the CD.It was really tricky because when I get panicky I start wanting to pace about and that actually makes me feel worse.the last thing i want to do is sit still but I made myself do it.Every day for a month and twice a day on some very bad days.It taught me that I had to listen to the relaxation tape and calmed my breathing right down. On the day of the flight I was really scared and I kept repeating the advice I had heard on the tape, "If you believe it, you can achieve it" and I did get on the plane! It may be worth giving it a try.Get a relaxaton tape and train yourself to listen to it however bad you feel. I do hope you feel better soon, take care Bubblex
I'm reading these now and smiling. Thanks for all of your help. It's cool to have a record of the fact that I've felt this bad before and got it back together again.
jothenurse
10-07-10, 02:02
Hi. I have been on ativan and am now tapering off of it. I am down to .25 mg every morning. Yesterday I had a bad episode of tachycardia and did take an extra one (.5mg) which helped a lot.
The ativan did help me a lot. And you can always taper off of it when you are feeling better. I hope to just take it prn soon.
If you have any questions regarding, feel free to ask or pm me.
How much are you taking?
Hi Khafre
I identify with all that you said in your original posting. What you must remember is that although this truly dreadful period is painful, unpleasant, debilitating and exhausting, it surprisingly enough is not deterimental to your physical health - it won't kill you!! Hard to believe, I know.
I went thru many weeks from November through to January suffering much the same as you. Dreadful adrenaline surges, chest tightening, chest pains and chest burns. Terrible tension in my neck and shoulders, awful insomnia because the PAs would wake me in the middle of the night - I was luck if I got 2 - 3 hours sleep a night for many weeks - even whilst taking sleeping tablets. I drank bottle loads of Rescue Remedy and tried 2 or 3 other Bach Flower remedies. The meds (propanalol) helped a great deal, and, over the last 6 weeks or so I feel much better. I still have very slight PAs (usually in the morning) - but nowhere near as bad as they were, and the moment I busy myself with the right sort of distractions, the PAs disappear. I haven't taken sleeping tabs for some while now and I'm sleeping much better. I KNOW I'm not 'cured' (I'm basically an anxious person); I still have far too much stress in my life, but I'm handling life better.
I'm also awaiting CBT which I hope will help me change my perspective on life in such a way that I become less anxious.
I know it's hard to believe, but given time, a positive outlook, medical and emotional support (support from NMP helped me ENORMOUSLY), your PAs will lessen!!!!
Take care
Sandiei to am aveing a bad time and read the bit you wrote about morning the min i open my eyes the anxiety kicks in so at the back yr mind you wait for the panic attacks to start i ave tried all kinds of ways to wake up without it right now i feel my world is getting smaller i want to go outside less ans less its gettin to the point of wanting to stay in my bedroom how bad can i get trishh 1955
I hope you're feeling better trish. I am going through it again, constant tachycardia...just racing like mad all day long. Then again, I try to keep it in perspective, my bpm never goes above 110 so I guess it isn't thaaat bad. I'll just try and deal. :)
Well looks like I'm 2 weeks into another one here. Luckily I've found Claire Weekes' work, I'm going to try and apply it and hope for the best.
jothenurse
08-11-10, 12:44
I think depending upon what you are dealing with in your life, your panics will come and go. My doctor wanted me to up my ativan a couple of months ago until I regained some weight back. I have regained about 14 pounds. I would like to gain about 5 more back. Recently though I am having trouble with my retina and I have to go to the eye doctor tomorrow. Maybe have to have a laser treatment of some sort. This has really scared me and now my stomach has been bothering me again which makes it hard to eat. I still take the Ativan, but only .25mg at 6 AM and .25mg at noon. On top of the eye thing, my mother passed away a couple of months ago and that has been hard to deal with.
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