struggling to control my panic.

[khirstie71]

hello again,
i posted a thread yesterday saying i was having a bad day, the day went from bad to worse to be honest!, had a big panic attack when i decided to do some shopping!, i was driving on the motorway at the time, i felt fine before hand, my problem today is that i read quite a few posts on here, and read about panic attacks on other sites, and i sometimes feel that my symptons arnt that of a whats described as a panic attack, what scares me even more is it last for ages, or i seem to have quite a few attacks within hours, yesterday i felt drained all day, when i have my attacks i dont have a problem with breathing as such, it seems to start at my shoulders, and i get tingling all down my arms, then i have like a feeling of dread and a sinking feeling in my chest and stomach, i get that horrible dizzy feeling that seems to last for hours, i feel faint, and nauseus, and my heart pounds, and i have hot sweats, last night when the dizziness didnt seem to be going at all (think it lasted on and off all day) is it mormal to feel dizzy for that long, my doc has put me on propanolol, and i have been taking them for 6 days, should they be working now? i think im worried that maybe the tablets arnt working cos im not actually having panic attacks, and tat maybe i have something more serious!! i feel bad going to see the doctor over again, and just feel like im over reacting, is anyone else on propanolol, if so did they help? did it take more than 6 days for them to start working? i have to have some blood today, so maybe i will get some reassurance when the results come back, think i could do with a whole body scan lol just to reassure me it is just panic lol

[banana]

Hi Khirstie

Hope you day has got better than this morning. I have been on propranalol 30mg for the lat 18 months and have now just upped the dose to 40mg, from what my doc has said they are very fast acting between 30mins - 1 hour and that the symptoms should subside once the medication kicks in, I don't know if you have to have them in your body for days before they start to work properly. I am also on mirtazapine 45mg daily as well but don't seem to be working as well and am also having mini panic attacks but so far (touch wood) the medication seems to have stopped me going into full blown panic mode. Hope this helps.

Thanks
Banana

[hayley3]

hiya i feel exactly like you it so refreshing to hear to be honest with you, everyone tells me to breath properly when having an attack, and i tell them that my breathing is fine, they say take deep breaths, i say i am for god sake, but like you its not my breathing thats a problem, mine starts as i get hot, then i get a tingly sensation down my arm, my chest gets tight and thats when i start to panic, i too think im not having panic attacks and that theres something wrong and they are not listening to me, but after hearing yours it sounds to me your having panic attack (just like me) i did take meds and they made me feel a lot worse, if i stuck to them maybe i would of got better but i was getting them all day every day, i got scared and came of (what a pussy) im still getting them now but not everyday, but i have got anxiety i think they would say, which makes me feel dizzy, sick, and feeling that im not here, theres so much i want to say but the message is getting to big, email me if you want to talk, i think we have a lot in com x

[Marginalia]

hiya i feel exactly like you it so refreshing to hear to be honest with you, everyone tells me to breath properly when having an attack, and i tell them that my breathing is fine, they say take deep breaths, i say i am for god sake, but like you its not my breathing thats a problem, mine starts as i get hot, then i get a tingly sensation down my arm,

Just butting in here because I wonder if you're actually breathing too deeply. For years I used to take deep breaths when I got really bad period pain to try and calm myself down (I always fear I am dying!), and it's only recently I've been informed that the pins-and-needles, numbness and dizziness which terrify me so much are caused by me hyperventilating. I am having to learn to breathe more shallowly, or breathe through some cloth, to try and stop myself hyperventilating.

I don't know if this applies to you or khirstie but thought I'd mention it in case the advice you are being given is actually making things worse.

[khirstie71]

Just butting in here because I wonder if you're actually breathing too deeply. For years I used to take deep breaths when I got really bad period pain to try and calm myself down (I always fear I am dying!), and it's only recently I've been informed that the pins-and-needles, numbness and dizziness which terrify me so much are caused by me hyperventilating. I am having to learn to breathe more shallowly, or breathe through some cloth, to try and stop myself hyperventilating.

I don't know if this applies to you or khirstie but thought I'd mention it in case the advice you are being given is actually making things worse.

hiya ty for your reply, its funny you say that as someone else mentioned that to me as well, and im wondering if that could be the case with me, is hyperventilating differnt to a panic attack? i dont know, i know since i have been told that i was getting panic attacks, i have been a whole lot worse, i have looked up hyperventilating and symptoms are very similar, i have also tried doing some breathing excersices that are recommended, and hav had a better day today

[hayley3]

hiya i just wanted to add that i 2 think i have been having panic attacks much longer than when my doc diagnosed them, but since i have none they have been a lot worse, before when i had them i didnt pay to much attention to them, and felt ok afterwards, but now they seem to hang around more often, in some ways i wish i never found out, i also get more panicy when i read posts, cause i feel the way you feel and makes me anxious weird ay

[Panickypants]

hello again,
i posted a thread yesterday saying i was having a bad day, the day went from bad to worse to be honest!, had a big panic attack when i decided to do some shopping!, i was driving on the motorway at the time, i felt fine before hand, my problem today is that i read quite a few posts on here, and read about panic attacks on other sites, and i sometimes feel that my symptons arnt that of a whats described as a panic attack, what scares me even more is it last for ages, or i seem to have quite a few attacks within hours, yesterday i felt drained all day, when i have my attacks i dont have a problem with breathing as such, it seems to start at my shoulders, and i get tingling all down my arms, then i have like a feeling of dread and a sinking feeling in my chest and stomach, i get that horrible dizzy feeling that seems to last for hours, i feel faint, and nauseus, and my heart pounds, and i have hot sweats, last night when the dizziness didnt seem to be going at all (think it lasted on and off all day) is it mormal to feel dizzy for that long, my doc has put me on propanolol, and i have been taking them for 6 days, should they be working now? i think im worried that maybe the tablets arnt working cos im not actually having panic attacks, and tat maybe i have something more serious!! i feel bad going to see the doctor over again, and just feel like im over reacting, is anyone else on propanolol, if so did they help? did it take more than 6 days for them to start working? i have to have some blood today, so maybe i will get some reassurance when the results come back, think i could do with a whole body scan lol just to reassure me it is just panic lol

I have EXACTLY the same symptoms as you i don't really hyperventilate but i feel like i don't have any air in my lungs..I too have the same worry's that no one else has the same symptoms so it's reassuring to know somebody does..Mine starts off with my heart or a light headed feeling then the feeling in my shoulders it's awfu; x

[maybeoneday]

hi,
i too have the same sort of thing mine scares the hell out of me, its usually around the mid cycle, i have what feels like a stuffy head and i cant breathe right, get air into lungs, this can last for ages then all of a sudden i go realy dizzy and faint get a burning sensation through all my body, tongue goes numb, this then passes and i feel absolutely fine, my head feels clear. i have never read or heard anyone experience this as being a panick attack so i am convinced this is something else, ive mentioned this to my doctor who shrugs his shoulders, this is what is stopped me from going out for the last 3 yrs as they petrify me.




denise x