Health Anxiety & Panic Attacks

[nhf]

Hi all

I am new to the site but have been reading the many threads on here and feel so reassured that I am not the only one!

Back in February I had a bit of a 'turn'. My heart started racing and I was convinced I was going to faint, sat there taking deep breathes which in turn made my arms go numb/tingle as I was over breathing. I was convinced to go see my doctor by my mum (I have a big phobia of Dr's/hospital etc.) so I went along expecting him to tell me the usual, loose some weight, eat healthier, exercise...... however he took my BP and listened to my heart and said - you need to go to hospital. This is where my anxiety started :( I was taken by ambulance as my doctor wouldn’t let me drive and I couldn’t get reach anyone to take me.

I was taken to hospital and they did all the standard tests and everything was normal and they let me go home that afternoon but as my blood pressure had been high they wanted me to have a heart scan.

I convinced myself there was something wrong with my heart and every little beat that didn’t feel quite right made me anxious/panic. I have since had the scan and the woman who performed it gave me the results unofficially as she could see how upset/anxious I was over the whole thing. Nothing wrong!! :) yay

I had convinced myself that if the test came back clear the anxiety would just disappear. Exactly a week after the test I got home from work and was standing in the kitchen and started to shake - convinced I just needed to eat something I tried to eat a breakfast bar whilst dinner was cooking but everything started to escalate. I ended up calling an ambulance as I was trying to do the breathing exercises and it felt like my heart was in my throat trying to choke me. The ambulance took 4 hours to arrive by which time I had paced around so much I’d calmed down. I still asked to be taken in as this was the worst panic attack I had ever experience and was convinced there had to be something else wrong. The tests were all clear; hospital said panic attack/anxiety and told me to see my GP.

My GP doesn’t like to give medication and has referred me for counselling.

I just wanted to ask - do these attacks ever go away?

I feel like I’m constantly waiting for the next one to happen and every little feeling sends me spiralling :( whereas before the doc sent me to hospital things like a hot flush or a dizzy spell from standing to quick would have never bothered me, now I seem to panic at the slightest little thing.

[chloe1990]

Hey i have been taking panic attacks too there horriable and make you panic more when taking one .You sweat feel shaky light headed your heart races .Not good.I am Prozac now and stops them it all started when i had flu over christmas and my ears where blocked they still are and that was what caused the attacks.I have herbal spary for my mouth 2 sprays when feel funny it helps and is from holland and barrats.

Write back chloe .:)

[nhf]

Hi Chloe!

I agree, they are horrible!!! I have tried kalms - didnt really seem to work for me, had been taking them the day I called the ambulance. Now i just try to do breathing excercises the dr suggested and walk through it. I also had a problem with my ears a couple of weeks ago that made them worse. I had an ear infection which was making me feel all headachy and off balance but thankfully since my drops those symptoms have gone away.

I just wish the anxiety/panic attacks would go away too!

Nadine xx

[chloe1990]

hey thanks for that i came into work today and feel spaced out and my hands feel funny also my ears are popping and sinuses bunged up.what you think i could take xxxxxx

[chloe1990]

what do you feel like when away to take panic attack xxx

[nhf]

My mum swears by Jakemans cough sweets for clearing the sinuses. They are quite good, you can find them in boots for 59p xx

I find walking helps with my attacks and also calling my mum really helps me, she talks me down although it was my dads turn last night as mum had gone out. He's not so great at calming me down - he just says why am i worrying all my tests say there is nothing wrong - he was trying to be cruel to be kind to snap me out of it but that doesnt really work for me :(

[ewood79]

Hey guys, I know exactly what your going through....... Sometimes no matter how many times we are told by the professionals we are fine and nothing is wrong, we forget how powerful our mind is and how that can influence all the yucky physical sensations anxiety can have...... With your Dr not liking to prescribe medication thats fine but it's not a bad thing to help you manage these early stages with a mild anti depressant which help with panic attacks and also perhaps a mild sedative to take when all your other coping skills fail ie so you don't have to rush to a hospital again..... Just some thoughts...... Remember your not alone!

[nhf]

Thanks ewood! xx

[chanell]

hi, i have suffered with panic attacks for 3 yrs now and i no exactly how u feel and how scared u become wen this happens i have had therapy a few yrs ago but im pregnant at the moment and it seems to have reared it ugly head again and i am back in therapy for unbearable anxiety/panic disorder.... the main thing i can say to you is that therapy will be the best thing for you if u can get ur doctor to put you in touch with a counsellor as it helps you see the panic in a different light so it becomes less scary and if you remove the fear from panic, the panic will go away believe it or not! ( am still tryin to do this myself!) some of the information i have read on this site tonight has been realy helpful and helped me understand a bit more about panic, it makes it seem less scary... try to do a bit of research knowledge is power and the more you understand in my opinion the less u can can jumo to the "what if" assumptions that generally go with the panic attack... much love x