Are these normal feelings?

[joey]

Hope I'm posting this in the right place - I did search first, but couldn't find a match.

Anyway....please can someone help me, as I'm beside myself. I had what I think was my first panic attack about two weeks ago. I introduced myself here, and got lots of good advice. Since then, I was beginning to relax again, and think it had been a one off. It took me a couple of days to recover, but my GP had given me betablockers, and they did seem to be helping.

And then yesterday evening I had this horrible experience, which was a bit like a cross between the last time and a hot flush, but without the racing heart, and without the rush of heat. I guess the lack of racing heart may be down to the beta blockers, as I can't even raise my heart rate much during exercise since I started them. It started with this sort of "surge" feeling, that seemed to be focused in the back of my neck and head, and I could feel my pulse pounding (though not racing), in my head and my chest. Well, all over in fact. I felt a bit tingly and warm (but without the blush that I usually get with a hot flush), then after I was freezing. I had this overwhelming feeling that I was going to die, and I felt like I wanted to run out of the house. My blood pressure, which has settled at about 105/73 since the last one, shot up to 180/120, although it fell back down to 130/90 fairly quickly (by the next time I checked it, 10 mins later), and is now back down low again. I've felt trembly and shaky all night, I've felt sick, and I've had diarrhoea. My head feels muzzy still, and at the time I didn't feel dizzy in the sense of my head spinning, but I had this funny feeling that my legs didn't quite know where the floor was, and so I might fall over, or that I might miss something if I reached towards it. I stll have this sense of being aware of pulses all over my body, which is really creepy and scary.

Does this sound like another panic attack, even though I didn't have the racing heart this time? I feel terrified to move now waiting for the next time, and I feel like I'm sitting scanning myself for symptoms all the time. I just can't understand how I could feel so ill without there being something serious physical wrong. And I can't believe really that this all appeared from nowhere. Please help. Thanks Jo

[Meg]

Hey Jo

Yes this was a form of panic attack. As you say the betablockers kept the heart from racing and you had temperature swings instead .

All very common.

What brought this on.. what had you been thinking about/dwelling on .. were you overtired , had you eaten etc
As the adrenalne wears off so you will start to feel more normal again.

Have you any company that can help distract you ...or you would be best to get up and get going and distract yourself and get busy. It is hard to put it behind you as its such an intense feeling but one does not lead to another.

Its helpful to understand what led to it though - what your triggers are ..



Meg

Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.
Robert Albert Bloch

[Caz Fab Pants]

Hi Jo,

I would say almost definitely what you experienced was a panic attack, which means on the positive side you have nothing seriously wrong with you.

However, I know it is still very frightening and worrying for you. Just from the little info you gave in the thread I can tell you are focusing on your body and waiting for symptoms. Checking your heart rate all the time is just going to put the wind up you even more. Try to keep busy as Meg suggested and perhaps talk to someone about how you are feeling, maybe this would help you to get to the root of why the attacks have started.

Also, just to give you a little reassurance about the symptoms you experienced I thought you might like to know that nearly all you felt is down to the adrenalin your body produced. It's not harmful in any way, just unpleasant.

Maybe if you do some reading up on the subject you may feel a little less worried.

Caroline
x

[Jules31]

Hi Jo

Good to have you here. It sure sounds like some sort of anxiety or panic attack. I had a very similar one last thurs. All of a sudden my vision went hazy, like I was looking through smoke and I got a surge from the back of my head through my whole head and mouth. It felt like red hot liquid suddenly filled my head. I honestly thought I was going to die and felt all warm and weak. My head was hurting too.I was at a friend's so ran outside. My legs felt pretty off too and to be honest I still don't feel brilliant.

I often get an upset stomach with an attack and I feel as though my blood pressure goes through the roof.

Feel free to pm me if you want to talk more.

I also find that beta blockers stop my heart from racing.

Jules

[HB]

well it couldve been a panic attack but it also couldve been the beta blockers. When my doctor put me on them, my heart started doing strange things; like it would pump REALLY strongly in my chest or really slowly in my tummy. perhaps you should go back to your GP just to be sure?


H

[stimpy]

I have to agree.
That sounds like a panic attack to me too.

But instead of having the racing heart thing, you had the hot and cold flushes instead.

Love, light and Best wishes
Liz xxx
With hard work and determination and all the things you know.
The world is there for you to take. There's nowhere you can't go.


[]Scatty Eccentric & 'Poet Laureate to panic and anxiety'