Can panic attacks cause permanent damage?

[J0HN_TIT0R]

Hey all,

A few days ago I had a panic attack, my first one in nearly a year. I was watching Fight Club, and the overall tone of the movie triggered it somehow; near the end I was feeling faint and had noticed that my fingertips had gone numb. I realized that I must have started hyperventilating, and tried to manually slow my breathing.

But then I started to worry that I was breathing too slow and sped up again. I ended up not being able to fall asleep, and the numbness continued in my fingers and tongue for most of the night and I got a headache.

The next morning I was reading about potential side effects of hyperventilating, and I read that strokes are possible, but it seemed like that is only possible if you are on a ventilator and army able to control your own breathing.

But I've been freaking out ever since then that I have done permanent damage to my brain during that one panic attack. Is permanent damage possible from this?

Also, I'm a bit confused about why my fingers stayed numb for hours after I tried breathing slower, does this delay mean that I was still hyperventilating without realizing it?

[Hambo]

Hey John,

As far as I know, panic attacks DO NOT result in permanent damage. I'm currently a 2nd year paramedic student and I've come across quite a few cases as well experienced them myself. I know it's a horrible feeling and I know it feels like harm is being done and that thought can make it seem so much worse.

That numbness you were feeling is your body's 'fight or flight' response in action. In times of perceived danger your body draws blood away from the extremities (your hands and feet) and brings it towards your vital organs (e.g. your heart and lungs). That's not dangerous or anything it just makes you feel all tingly and numb.

When you hyperventilate you're basically throwing your respiratory system off balance a little bit. It's not serious or anything it's just that you're taking in more oxygen than you normally would which lowers your carbon dioxide levels. That imbalance creates the headache and lightheartedness. My advice would be to breathe into a paper bag so that you can inhale some of that carbon dioxide and restore that balance

In terms of a stroke, it's very unlikely to have one simply from an anxiety attack. Sure your blood pressure and heart rate go up but they do that when you play sport as well so I wouldn't give it much thought.


Hope that helps