Panic attack tonight

[jothenurse]

Things have actually been going fairly well. Good days, some hard days. But all in all much improvement over these past few months. Have had some very stressful days at work these past couple of weeks. Part of my panic attacks involves rapid heart rate. Was in the ER a few times last year, but always normal EKG, except fast, and related to panic.
Tonight I had an episode of rapid heart beat. I could feel it coming on. Usually I have been able to get it to come down fairly fast with calming myself, but tonight I had trouble. So, I took a small amount of ativan (.25mg) and as soon as I did, my heart rate was already starting to come down. Now I wish I hadn't taken it. I have tapered my ativan down to .25mg every morning and the doctor said I could stop it anytime I wanted to. Have never been on a very high dose. Just feel bad that I took one tonight. As much as they seem to calm me down, they also make me nervous to take them because I have a med phobia (weird, I know). Guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that these panics can happen even after you seem to be doing better.

[LW1975]

Hi Jo, i have ectopic heartbeats that worsen when i have panic attacks so you have my sympathy.

I've been awake since just after 3am after being woken up by huge thud in my chest and i've been trying to calm myself down ever since.

I'm not on medication at the moment as i chose not to go with betablockers as i am hoping to get pregnant in the near future

Hope you're feeling better xx

[Reggie]

I've had this, not so much as a fast heartbeat but a thudding one and it always made me think it was a panic symptom, so I would panic - often. About 18 months ago, I had a horrible anxiety period and I became agoraphobic for a while and my psychiatrist put me on Inderal (Propranolol) on top of my depression and anxiety meds and I have to say I've been so much better since being on this medicine. I don't panic because I think a physical symptom will be something life threatening, I panic because I think a physical symptom IS panic and this has taken this one massive symptom away. I'm not a doctor/nurse but I can only pass on my own experience.