View Full Version : Recent string of Panic attacks and strange symptom
Hi there,
i'm new and i wanted to say a great big thanks for having this forum up.
Now i'm going to tell my tale.
I've had panic attacks a while ago, but it didn't hit me as bad as last night.
abotu several years ago, while waiting for a family memeber,
i was hit with a sudden dread that they might not be coming back (god forbid)
so i started to get and antsy, uncontrollable shakes, a wild pulsating feeling in my throat and jaw.
that passed.
the next time it happened was 9/11, understandably (years years apart.)
then the next panic attack hit at the end of feburary of this year.
i calmed myself down, and got through it.
so here's where it gets really nerve wracking.
last week, i was on the train, and found it very hard to breathe through my nose. i account this to my deviated septum, but my face began to
tingle and i felt like i had to hold on to my conciousness.
i braved through it because i was on a train ride, it lasted about six minutes, but i made i through and i was good.
the next time about a day or two later, i wasn't really having hard of breathing but i felt the slight tingling in my face.
noithing until last night at about eight pm, i had just gotten back to work from eating dinner, i started to have trouble catching my breath,
and my face began to tingle uncontrollably (it started from the tip of my nose and spread over my whole face) and would jump to spots all around my body, hand, right leg, etc. it went away for a second then shot down my right arm. i walked to an emergency room and waited for a while,
i calmed down, but i could still feel remnants of the tingling, coming back and forth, and my breathing wasn't the greatest. I had no idea, and i checked with the doctor who diagnosed me with having a hyperventilating/panic attack and referred me to a neurologist.
i wondered if any of this had to deal with my recent weight loss (I lost 17 lbs since march 1st, since i use the gazelle) i 'm on the cross trainer on 3 day intervals. mon/wed/friday and do weight lifting the opposite days, and have one day of rest. i go to school five days of the week (9hr lenghts) and i work 2 days out of the week, one on a school day when i get out at 12, and i work from 1-6. the other day i work 11am-9pm. with my saturdays being off. I am also taking a water pill, to lower my blood pressure. so i am wondering if all these factors could cause this, or is
it all simply in my head. i don't feel pressured really.
but after i got home, i tried to relax, and fell asleep i get a call which awakes me early, but i start to have the slight twitching and oncoming
jumping of the nerves in my throat, a sure sign i was going to have a panic attack. but i calmed down, and got my mind onto something else.
got my blood drawn this morning and will find out if the potassium levels are ok due to my water pill. because potassium affects the heart.
i also set up to see a neurologist (beacuse i was spooked by a family member by them saying "that's not good" due to the tingline) this week, as well as an allergist (for my deviated septum.)
has anyone else had this type of thing happen with the immense tingling,
and short of breath, am i making too much out of this?? could the exercise/school/work sched be a big factor in this??
and from time to time i am feeling little hints of tingling on my face.
i'm hoping this is all in my head and nothing more.
thank you all i really appreciate it.
Hi,
I doubt the difficulty in breathing is about your nasal deviation unless its atraumatic recent one as a congenital one will have been keeping you going well all your life and I'm sure you've been through respiritory infectiosn etc with it and been fine.
I also doubt is has anything to do with the actual weight loss - well done on the fitness programme - but may have something to do with your heavy schedule.
You're very young to be on active diuretics for blood pressure. What sort of readings were you getting ?
I wonder whether your're eating correctly and drinking enough water..
Tingling is brought on by hyperventilating for sure so if you've got chronic hyperventilation this may well be a contributing factor.
Well done for managing to control the recent ones by diversion. Thats does point to anxiety as if it were anyting else you would not be able to do that.
Take care- let us know how the results are.
Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com
Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...
i am also wondering whether i am eating correctly, i've
fashioned myself three meals a day, i don't eat past nine pm,
and possibly am not getting the right amount of carbs into my body
to coincide with the workout activity.
sunday night my blood pressure was fine, but the next morning after the
regular check up it was 148/92.
i take hydrochlorothiazide 25mg.
and this morning i was getting pangs of a panic attack and have been up ever since, researching all i can about this. i want to be well informed.
i am forcing myself to go to school just to keep myself regular.
i am really appreciative you took time to reply,
i will keep you informed and thanks for claming my nerves on some issues
dealing with this.
Hello there and welcome,
firstly, well done for keeping things regular.....this is a great start, dont let any panicky feelings make you avoid places or situations.
I am no doctor so wouldnt dream of commenting on your medication, but what i would say is how do you find time to sleep!!! your activity schedule is so demanding, even though you state your age you must be late teens and your body and mind needs time to relax. I use to go to the gym 3 - times a week, then boxing classes, then wlaking the dog, then out on the mountain bike.......think i was doing myself more harm than good.!!! lol
I say take things just a little easier, we are only human, take some time for yourself, relax and try to unwind......get the tests done and be happy in what they say, im sure you will get the ok.......and then just adjust a little to taking care of yourself.
I admire your your resolve and you are obviously a very strong person so this will pass im sure.......
one more word of advice, I like you searched the world for information on panic and alot on the internet is utter rubbish, in my opinion youve found the best site here, stick with it and ignore any rubbish you have come across previuosly.
take care.
doddy
Hello!
I became a member of this site almost 2 years ago, and this is the first time in like half a year that I am coming back to you guys.
I can't go through this on my own.
I am 17 and I live in Croatia (far away, huh?):D
I have been experiencing a lot of strange symptoms. All of sudden, when I am at town, it seems like my legs go really weak and, hmmm....how to explain it....like they are not mine, they are a part of someone elses body. It freaked me out so I told my therapist and she told me pretty much what I knew---another panic symptom[Ugh]
I also feel the tingling in my face and arms, you are not alone in this one. I've also had breathing problems, it happened the first time I was walking down the street on my own-my chest and lungs were closening up and I tried to gasp for air (thought I had ahstma!!!) and my vision was blurry, then I got a panic attack, but it was all gone the moment I got home. I calmed down and it never happened again.
Please, don't be scared, it is a very common symptom.
I may be only 17 but I know what am I talking about as I've been dealing with this for 5 years.
Wishing you all the best
;)
Ana
i really appreciate the support and thoughtful comments you are giving me.
today i decided to just go ahead and make my way to school on the train (where the original tingling in the face attack occured) i won't say it was easy, because in the back of my mind i was afraid some attack was going to occur, but i kept telling myself to be strong, and i had difficulty having clear breath but i made it through, went to class was having some sort of a weird spell,
when i had a reality check and spoke with a fellow classmate who also goes through anxiety attacks and is self medicated. he was bascially telling me the same things i was doing already, which was to think about something else,
and keep normal breathing, i was fine the rest of the class. but i still have difficulty breathing, in the sense tha i am well aware now of every breath that i take, on the train, since it's quite stuffy i would achingly breathe regularly and swig from my bottle of water. until i got off, but i felt proud that i was able to control myself, although i had small cills up myspine which
i mistook for an oncoming attack, but breathed, once i was out in the fresh air i was fine. and now am contemplating getting on my crosstrainer right now, heh. but i will . . .
one step at a time, right.
Well done
However hard it was you got through it and didnt give in. See that as a big achievement.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
all i find myself doing now, is finding it hard to breathe, i almost
caught a full attack and had to excuse myself to a bathroom in school
and breathed in using a paper bag, i felt ridiculous. heh.
i'm wondering what can be up with my breathing,
i find out my bloodwork and set up my neurologist meeting tommorrow.
though i consistantly feel pressure on the left side of my chest though
it's not my heart and this tends to trick me into thinking it is my heart.
argh.
a weird tingle in the left side of my back, this is some neurotic stuff i plan to get over soon. My mother told me she suffered the same thing for a year.
she used medication to get over it, so i guess it's possible for me to be over it
too.
I have that pain in the left side of my chest, too. I always used to worry that it was my heart, but it's just caused by anxiety. We all get different aches and pains that we become scared about. You need to tell yourself that none of these pains can hurt you..:D
Hi! I have a pain in my chest too![:I]
It must be hard for you to cope with these attacks at school, I also have them very often.
Once I felt so bad, like a huge panic attack came over and I was completely spaced out, I felt as I am not present and I had tis sudden urge to get away, anywhere, just to end this horrible feeling. So, I asked to be excused to the toilet and I calmed down there, but when I returned to the stuffy classroom, the attack struck so I mumbeled something about being sick and got out again.
A friend went with me so we sat on the school steps and then she took me home. As soon as I got home, I felt much better, but since then I am panicky about going to school as I feel this is going to happen again.
Don't be scared, you will go through it. I found this site very helpful as I've met some nice people who are always there for me. And, you can also mail me if you like. I am here to help anyone who needs it because I know how hard it is to struggle on your own.
Hold on!;)
Ana
Hi there
Well you sound like you are having a real tough time with it. You are doing so well to be controlling them yourself though, You are staying calm and talking yourself through them which is such a big step to master so praise yourself. Like doddy says I would be careful what you read as alot of it can scare you as well. You really must learn to relax though. although I can appreciate all the fitness that you are doing you really are putting your body through the mill.I hope that the gym knows about your blood pressure. Take time out to give to you to just have some chill time no pressure from work etc.
Good luck with the neuro appt let us know how you get on.
Take care
Janine
Hi you are having a hard time but you still are managing to control it so dont forget that. We are all here to help you however we can.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
thank you all so much for being such kind hearted souls.
and very helpful to boot, this truly is a godsend.
As of right now, the only after affect i notice is that
i tend to realize when i am breathing, unless i am occupied with something.
that pain occurs time to time and is a nusiance, and worrisome,
but i know my heart is fine, and my pressure is okay.
it just still bugs me, and that it's in my head.
today was a better day, because after speaking with a friend whoi
also had an anxiety attack, it spooked him, but it didn't attach to him,
like unfortunately it does to other.
I know don't see the logic of having a panic attack, the symptoms
come but i am aware that it's all just thoughts.
I can see why it makes people agoraphobic,
growing up i had been really overweight, and i never wanted to
go out in public, and i've been going outside a lot, and although
i was self concious, i have been losing weight. i still don't understand
why i would be freaking out about it, so when that tingling
sensation comes, I'm able to will it away through controlled breathing.
am ii cured, not in the slightest. But being able to study up
and understand what ails you is the first step in bettering yourself.
I thank you all and I appreciate the support, and hope to help in any way
i can and keep you guys updated. this is very cleansing in being
able to let your feelings out to supportive individuals going through the same thing. gonna go to the neurologist this tuesday for a check up and
will se off from there.
Hi NYC. This forum is wonderful and it has been truly helpful to me. I just wanted to tell you that controlled breathing really helps.
Even though it seems that you're not really getting to the root of the problem, you are helping the symptoms by practicing the controlled breathing. I just learned this technique a little while ago and I have used it a lot. I have found that by making myself aware of my breathing, I noticed that sometimes I hold my breath for long periods of time, which can cause the tingling you mentioned.
Good luck at the neurologist, let us know what happens.
well i checked out fine with the neurologist.
but it seems my awkward breathing has what i am
starting to suspect has to deal with
my newly noticed allergy. because i can't breathe out of my nose
half the time, and it triggers in my mind (i think) the hyperventilating,
since i'm not getting enough oxygen it just keeps going on there, with
the tingling and such. so now i'm going to check out an allergist,
and finally a psychiatrist. but i'm prepped to beat this.
cuz this is all in my [:P] head.
Pleased everything was fine with the neurologist.
You are making positive steps forward and hope it goes well with the allergist and the psychiatrist. Posivite way of thinking mate that you are going to beat this.
Love Sal xx
Dont mess up the best things in your life, just because at present you are unsure who you are.
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