Attacks in children

[dwyerkca]

Hi. I have a ten year old son who has just started having panic attacks, he thinks that he cannot breathe when he can.
The first time it happened I gotta say it scared the hell out of me and it was straight down to A&E, the doctors checked him over and his oxygen levels were fine but his heart rate was going through the roof when he started panicking which was adding fuel to the fire as he tought he was dying.
I have done a lot of looking around on the net and I have found alot of sites that tell you causes and symptoms in children which correspond with what he describes but when it comes to the relaxation techniques they all seem to be geared around adults and I can't (can@t) find any for children.
The doctors said if it continues to occur then to see the GP so thats what I will be doing mon morning. We are doing all we can to take his mind off it and then he is fine but when he starts thinking about it, it starts all over again. You can see the fear in his eyes when this happens so I know that he is not pretending.
Also when he was a toddler he used to suffer from "night terrors" alot but that has not been for years, I am just wondering if there is a link there or if it is coincidence. Any help would be much appreciated.

[Sopanen]

Hi. I have a ten year old son who has just started having panic attacks, he thinks that he cannot breathe when he can.
The first time it happened I gotta say it scared the hell out of me and it was straight down to A&E, the doctors checked him over and his oxygen levels were fine but his heart rate was going through the roof when he started panicking which was adding fuel to the fire as he tought he was dying.
I have done a lot of looking around on the net and I have found alot of sites that tell you causes and symptoms in children which correspond with what he describes but when it comes to the relaxation techniques they all seem to be geared around adults and I can't find any for children.
The doctors said if it continues to occur then to see the GP so thats what I will be doing mon morning. We are doing all we can to take his mind off it and then he is fine but when he starts thinking about it, it starts all over again. You can see the fear in his eyes when this happens so I know that he is not pretending.
Also when he was a toddler he used to suffer from "night terrors" alot but that has not been for years, I am just wondering if there is a link there or if it is coincidence. Any help would be much appreciated.







This reminds me of myself, it started for me when I was 10 years old as well and I had the fear of not being able to breathe.

If you are very overprotective, and you try to fear him about stuff that can happened to him, I suggest you to quit now. If he hyperventilates while he panics you can try letting him breathe in a plastic bag, and make sure you go check if he has asthma.

About the dreaming I could say its possible, I had a dream around his age about me getting another panic attack, and I can still remember it like it was yesterday.

My best tip for the breathing part is that he breathes with his nose and not with the mouth, if he does this it will be easier to say how much he is breathing and how quick. If he breathes to much let him breathe in a plastic bag, as I said earlier.. And keep telling him why this is happening and what the worst case scenario would be, without scaring him. And give him a glas of water!


Good luck

[dwyerkca]

Thankyou for the reply, I would not say that we are over protective in any way at all, I think he understands what we are telling him and why his arms get tingly etc. I don't think he understands why this has suddenly started happening to him and that he dos'nt seem convinced by what he is told.

[freakedout]

Hi,

I just wanted to wish your son well and hope that this scary episode passes quickly for him.

Freaky

[dwyerkca]

Thankyou for the support and advice