Diagnosis

[Phrank]

1st Post, Umm i have never really spoken to strangers about whatever is it that is wrong with me so please be kind, I live in a large town in the north west of England i am a 6.2" 13.5 stone 34yr old Gym instructor with a skinhead, so i suppose that tells you there is really no typical sufferer from anxiety/panic attacks.
I work with public every day and in the most part do not have trouble with anxiety at work i have once had a "Weakness/Attack" for want of a better word at work and had to lie down in a private room. I have been passing out for years my mum said i once hit my head on ice when i was a child and knocked myself out. I have been seeking help for a long time over a decade now i think. I am ok in my house most of the time i get anxiouse in a car and more so on coaches not been on a train for a while so not too sure about that. I tried to get ona plane last Oct but passed out twice before boarding and had to be taken to hospital for the day as it left me very weak and disorientated, they did lots of tests and took blood, they decided i was ok , my Nuerologist said i should "Avoid emotional triggers" what the bloody hell does that mean?. My wife drove me to a friends house 60 miles away in April and i passed out twice then too, my very understanding friend had to come and collect me from the side of the road where i was lay and get me back to his place to relax before the next leg of our Journey "i had to travel laying in the caravan being towed" which was fine.
I have been on antidepressants, i am supposed to be on Fludrocortisone but he April incident told me they were not stopping the attacks so i stopped taking those "I was poorly for 4 weeks don't stop taking them suddenly". When an "Attack" starts i am usually in some sort of enclosed space/situation which i cannot get out of quickly i feel trapped and panicky and sometimes agressive then my Temp jumps through the roof as does my heartrate and i start sweating profusely then i pass out, when i come round i am very weak but feel no more panic. the Doctors eem not to take my problem very seriously and not really realise how bad it is i am can not go on holiday abroad, or even to a hotel. i do not go to pubs or clubs i am very uncomfortable in restaurants. i do not like going to the doctors or hospital and am uncomfortable in crowds.
Thanks for reading Phrank

[mirry]

Hi Phrank, Im sorry to hear what a bad time youve had of it with your anxiety and panic, It seems like you havent had much help from your gp because there are lots of things you could try, C.B.Therapy can help alot of people, and propranalol pills to help slow the heart down.

Like you say this problem can effect anyone, and can make us feel afraid to live our life to the full. Even though its so difficult we have to keep going out of the house or we can end up with agrophobia, its good you go to work and can deal with the public, you are half way there but need to get along to the doctors for some good calming pills and to get registered for CBT.

I wish you all the best with it, and if you are passing out make sure you go out with someone who understands even if its just to sit in a pub garden away from the crowds and then maybe build on this ? So it can be another safe place.

You are by no means alone with this problem,
Take care and Let us know how you get on.

mirry x

[nomorepanic]

Phrank
Hi and welcome aboard.

Have they offered you no reasons for the passing out each time as this is quite unusual?

Have they offered and CBT or like treatment to help?

[jakob]

Phrank,

Other people will come up with a lot more helpful and relevant replies than mine BUT I did want to say thanks for just one small part of your post... The description of yourself and the comment that there is really no typical sufferer.

I think this is an important point as anxiety doesn't do a lot for a bloke's self esteem! There is a unreformed caveman in all men somewhere and he doesn't like the idea of 'not being up to' killing a dinosaur in time for tea :D . Real men still get anxious!

I know I've headed off on a tangent here, but welcome to the forum and I hope things work out for you.

Jakob.

[Daisy_chains]

hey hun!

Im also from north west of england...where abouts are you??

[Phrank]

Thanks for your kind messages everyone, they have not given any reason for the passing out other than "It's just vasovagal syncope", i have read lots on the problem of VS and passing out is not that common but not unknown.
I can pass out if i say hurt myself and pay attension to the injury but am fine if i do not pay the injury any heed, If i feel trapped i get quiet heightened sense of being closed in and because of that i love open spaces, Also My Driving licence should have been revoked years ago (Only found out this year) due to undiagnosed unconciousness, but i have yet to tell the DVLA, i simply avoid driving and cycle everywhere or ask my wife to drive me, this will cause me problems if i have to work furhter away from home than cycling distance but that's a chat for another time.
I have to say my problem causes more problems for my wife than me, i have learned to avoid most triggers (apart from being a passenger in cars ) but my wife gets really cross that i will not try things i think will set an attack off but that's part of marriage i s'pose, I live in North East Manchester so it's pretty hilly and all this cycling does wonders for my legs lol,lol. My problem gets me down sometimes being cut off from taking part in things for fear of passing out most people say things like just calm down or shut your eyes and think of something else, unfortunatly i do pass out and am at risk of hurting myself if i do, the airport incident cost me around £500 as i still had to pay for the flight and has only heightened my sense of fear of enclosed spaces/situations. The Mrs was furious that i cost us our flights but i tried talking my way out of going but was left with little choice, Anyway i must be boring you all to tears by now.
Thanks for reading Phrank

[shaz01]

Hi Phrank,

I also have a fear of enclosed spaces however I dont pass out. The heart rate and the breathing goes haywire though and my temperature gets higher.

I flew for the first time two years ago(Im 41) and had to fly again last year but it was such a truamatic experience that I really dont think I will do it ever again. I also find shopping centres a nightmare especially when they are busy and it is warm. Oh and yep the hospital.....well thats another nightmare.

So Im not much help with your problem but I just wanted to say that it is a common phobia and I hope that you get the help you need to get this sorted especially as you say that you can also hurt yourself when you pass out.

Take care,

Shaz x

[mucky]

Phrank hi,
Firstly thanks for posting, its true there are no typical sufferers and you have proved it.

Your a big fit bloke (just like me :D ) So you are probably surprised that there is anything slightly wrong. I can't offer any specific advice other than be thankful and kind to your wife, by the sound of it she's a good un. My wife pulled me through, when she could easily have legged it..lol

So tomorrow buy her a bunch of flowers (supermarket will do fine women don't mind)nthen whilst she is trying to figure out what you are guilty about..lol give her a bloody big hug. It really helps. :yesyes:

Once youve done all that, read everyone elses posts about getting yourself fixed.

Good luck matey

Muck

[Phrank]

Hiya Guys
Just a quick update, i passed out last night whilst i lay in bed trying to get to sleep. I had a broken nights sleep the night before and had worked a 12 hour shift at work, i got in around 9:30 pm and had some very nice egg foo yung at about 10:30 pm, went o bed where the meal seemed to sit heavy on my stomach, i was thinking about how heavy the meal was sitting on my stomach when i started feeling slightly claustrophobic and weak (Which i do not suffer from) i felt sick and i sat up to go to the toilet in case i needed to be sick. Then the old familiar feeling of losing conciousness paid me a visit and i passed out, i remember being able to hear a 1000 voices all talking at once but not being able to single one out to listen to, then i started to come round and felt hot and sweaty slightly weak but nowhere near as bad as previous incidents. Sorry if i am only repeating something someone else has already said but it brings me comfort to share this stuff with people whom not only understand but may have suffered similiar stuff. Thanks for listening
Phrank

[jill]

Hi Phrank

WELCOME TO THE SITE,

I am sooo sorry to hear what you are going through.

It is true that its hard to pass out while having a panic attack becuase your blood presure rises, I have found out that to pass out your blood presure needs to be low,


Fainting is actually a valuable self protective response, caused by a sudden, significant drop in blood pressure. When blood pressure drops this way, there is a chance the brain won't get enough blood, because it's at the highest point of the body. That's no good - your brain needs a steady supply of the oxygen the blood carries. So when your body can't get enough blood to your brain because of low blood pressure, it protects you by bringing your brain down to the blood. In other words, the purpose of a faint is to ensure a blood supply to the brain by bringing your head down to the ground, so your heart doesn't have to overcome gravity.
If we had our brains in our feet, there wouldn't be any such thing as fainting, but stubbing your toe would be a real problem.
But here's the key point: What do you think is happening to your blood pressure during a panic attack?
That's right, it's going up. Probably not a lot, but it's doing the opposite of what you need to faint. In order to faint during a panic attack, you would need to have some other physical circumstance or condition which lowers your blood pressure to such a degree that it overcomes the increase. And, if you have such a condition, you would already know about it by the time you are an adult.
So it's extremely difficult to faint during a panic attack. Then why is the fear of fainting so common? Because people usually feel symptoms of dizziness and lightheadedness during a panic attack. This is the result of shallow, labored breathing, and has nothing to do with fainting. It's very uncomfortable, but it's not dangerous.
This sensation doesn't lead to fainting, but people get fooled into believing it will. To counter this, you need to learn how to do diaphragmatic breathing, which can quickly enable you to feel calmer and more clear.

I have have had eppisodes for many years, but very few and far between, I feel I may pass out, I NEVER HAVE, but last month, I had this overwhelming feeling while out in the musieum, because I have had this feeling befor, I know dame well to lay low, to get myself laying on the floor. I have NEVER, just stayed standing to see what happens, I have always gotten on the floor as quickly as possible.

I know that for myself, I have always had low blood presure. I found this out when I had my first child, they did say at that point, was it a problem for me, because these epesoids ARE very few and far between I said NO,

Now this site has tought me many things, I am panic free now, but what I do think is, that for me, my blood presure drops for a few reasons, these are mine,

I have low blood prusure allready, so it does not take much for it to go to low.:lac:

Not having enough to eat,
not eating the right foods
smoking
Not enough sleep
alcahol
it could be a combination of a few of these things, ohhh still looking into this myself.

All these things I NEED to address myself, the smoking one IS very hard for me, changing my eating habbits is hard too, but I will keep trying.I don't drink alcahol much, but I still go out now and again and have a good time, just make sure I have plenty to eat and have my banna's ready next morning. I do however count myself lucky that my feelings of passing out are very few and far between.

Phrank, I wish I had the answers for you hun, why YOU pass out, but I don't. I read your thread and I can see that you are suffering anxiety, Please don't say sorry to reapting yourself, you are trying dame hard to find answers for yourself.

I know from experience, that if you want answers, you have to go looking for yourself, the answers are out there somewhere, its finding them, thats dame hard.

My daughter suffered what I called funny turns, well before I had pa's myself, it took 3 years, us as a family trying dame hard to find the answers AND we found them, she was suffering pa's, anxiety. Yes it was sad, but at least we new what we where dealing with and could help her move forward.

What I will say is, I AM NO expert, but do you think your blood presure is low and for some reason it drops even lower, causeing you to faint so over time, you have developed a fear of fainting, which in turn brings on more anxiety and more anxiety symptoms? this is just MY thoughts Phrank.

Ohh I'm woffling now, I suppose I'm not making any sense at all :wacko: LOL

Phrank, if posting and venting on her helps, you post as much as you like, there are lots of nice people here who will help and support you as much as they can, ohh they are nice peeps on here :yesyes:

You take care

LOVE JILLXXX

[Phrank]

Long time no see, hello anyone who's reading well how much has changed in my life since my last post. I carried on having the blackouts and the feeling's of weakness and i am still having tests to determine the cause. A couple of weeks ago i had a tilt test where in passed out within 90 seconds of the bed being tilted, this was a biggie and left me extremely weak to the point of barely being able to hold my head up and i distinctly remember swimming through thoughts, emotions, sensations and sounds until i found the surface and became concious again, i could hear the now familiar 1000s of voices and was almost sad to have awoken again, i just want to not have this damn problem, and after all that they have determined i will need a permanent pacemaker. It just feels weird knowing that at 36 years old and i am very active weightraining and cycling and running i will need a pacemaker lol life's funny, My wifes patience ran out a while back now and she is now my wife in title only and she lives 40 miles away with her boyfriend for over a year now, i have an understanding girlfiend who is pretty scared by all this pacemaker passing out business, as for the episodes themselves i have almost managed to stop them by doing virtually nothing which makes life pretty dull lol, any way just thought i would keep the forum's updated on the latest stuff, thanks for reading :-)

[Vanilla Sky]

Welcome to NMP, Love Paige x

[Cakey]

Hey Phrank. I just wanted to say well done for opening up! U r a star!

[Phrank]

Well i have my pacemaker now and have started back at the gym (got so much work to do), The op could have taken as little as 15 mins or more usually 25 mins but mine took 2 and a half hours due to my artery clsoing when they went to introduce the wires (never easy for me lol) so all done at least i will have no more pins and needles in my Jaw like after my tilt test. Just have to start learning to live again now and take it one step at a time i am still worried circumstances will trigger something but i have to find out somehow, wish me luck :-).

[Lilow12]

hiya phrank well done to you,

at least now you can start to rebuild ur life... go for it bud... make the most out of it

life's to short

take care