Scary thing happened on way to work...

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J Lynn

451 Posts

Specializes in Endocrinology.

Oh, those dreadful panic attacks. I lived with them for 2 years before I sought help. Last 4th of July, I went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack b/c of the numb left arm thing. EKG came out fine, so the doc sent me home with a prescription for Xanax. I was kinda embarrassed. I didn't know how common this was. It started after the birth of my second child. I still wonder if it triggered anything. Panic attacks in your car or in a closed in place where there is no easy escape is the most horrible feeling I ever had. I hope you get some help immediatly so you can live your life and not let the attacks take over.

P.S. I took my last Prozac today..........I'm offically weaned off of them.

JustMe

254 Posts

I'm sorry you're having problems. After I turned 40 (you didn't say how old you are) I started having periods of rapid heart rate, SOB, slight chest pain. But I never had the numbness or tingling. My BP was sky-high: 180/100 with heart rate of 180. The cardiologist dx'd SVT and said I have an accessory pathway that is congenital, but doesn't usually manifest until age 40 or so, and usually in women. I work with a nurse who had to have an ablation to control her SVT. Mine is well-controlled with Verapamil SR. Vagal maneuver and carotid massage have never worked for me. I was in the ER one time and needed Adenosine. It works well, but OOOO what a funny feeling when it kicks in!!! :eek: After the episode, you feel wiped out, like you've run a marathon. Stay away from the caffeine and alcohol. Hope you're doing OK!!

rica75

72 Posts

This is so increadibly common! I had them REAL BAD, Dr. gave me anti-depressents and synthroid, that didn't help. Then I heard some stuff on a talk radio show about beef that just grossed me out. So I stopped eating red meat and dairy, and the panik attacks stopped with it. I now eat red-meat and cheese again, but very little. I got mega cravings while pregnate. If there's dairy on sale that is labbled organic, I buy it up. I've had problems taking birth conrol pills due to being sensitive to hormones, so I blame this. Maybe modifying your diet might help. It's worth a try! Good luck!

z's playa

2,056 Posts

UUUGH! I've been getting those panic attacks for years! The first one I got I was watching the Blue Jays play all calm like when all of a sudden I felt like I was going to die. I flew into the ER screaming that I was having a heart attack. The nurse took one look at the 18 year old in front of her and resumed her phone call. :chuckle

She knew I wasn't dying.

I got an EKG and a mg of Ativan. It was cool.

My PCP put me on 2 mg of Ativan a day, and I was physically addicted for 6 years against my will. Mental addictions and physical addictions are way different. I've been getting them frequently these days but I refuse to go to an ER or tell my doc. I just do deep breathing and tell myself I 'm not dying.

Or have a vodka. :rotfl:

jessjoy

189 Posts

Just wanted to say thanks again for all the support and your own personal stories. Come to find out several nurses I work with have also had panic attacks. It's alot more common than I thought. Maybe Nursing is the culprit :chuckle Too bad I didn't hook myself up to the monitor right away to see whether it was SVT. I am just worried that it will happen again. Did you find that once you got these attacks they became more frequent?

J Lynn

451 Posts

Specializes in Endocrinology.

Jess, in my case, they never went away until I got on medication. Like I said before, I suffered for 2 years thinking they would "just go away". If you have another one.......tell yourself that it won't go away and seek help. Don't suffer as long as I did.

God bless you, and keep us posted.

alexillytom

291 Posts

Specializes in Infectious Disease.

I've had this happen to me before. I guess finding out I was 4 months pregnant,

after having two blood pregnancy tests come back negative, was more than I could stand. :uhoh3:

It was truly the most scary thing I have ever experienced.

rica75

72 Posts

when you have the attacks, be aware of what it is, and even though you feel like your dying, your ok! Breath deep and slow, and try to calm your self. I've found the more I fret over my heart rate, the worse it got. I used to sit in front of the t.v. with my fingers on my neck feeling for a pulse. I didn't always have the "flutter" most people describe, mine was I could feel my heart miss a beat and on the next beat, it was twice as strong and I could feel it through-out my entire body. My feet and hands ached for a mintute or two afterwards. Has anyone else experienced this feeling? I can handle the fluttering palptations much easier than this sudden tud through my limbs.

Saved_by_Grace

337 Posts

I had this happen a couple weeks ago in the middle of class and actually posted a thread on it. Everyone made me feel better knowing that I wasn't alone. So i just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. Take care of yourself:)

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