Panic Attack?

@sultanvr I have had panic attacks and the first few hit me "out of the blue" as you said. Your description of how these periods of panic hit you and your symptoms sound just like mine. However---and this is a big however - these symptoms can be neurological, medical, or cardiac. For this reason, when I had panic attacks the psychiatrist I saw wanted to rule out physical and medical causes. He ordered an EEG to check for seizure activity, blood tests to check for things like thyroid function, and I wore a halter heart monitor for 7 days. None of these showed anything unusual so he was able to rule out physical causes. We then moved to talking about medication (antidepressant) for depression and anxiety. Eventually I saw a mental health therapist but it took a few tries with different therapists to find someone I connected with. It's now been over 30 years since my first panic attack. I don't have them anymore but I do some remnants of the phobias I developed when the panic disorder was in full expression.

In your shoes I would get another medical opinion. There is nothing more discouraging than a medical provider who doesn't listen and communicate with you on your concerns. Did you medical provider make any referrals for you? Did she rule out physical or medical causes for these panic attacks.

Do you see mental health therapist currently?

I think I read where you were dealing with your husband’s health issues including kidney disease. That’s a lot to manage. Have you considered it could be contributing to your stress?

Years ago I suffered with panic attacks. I thought they came out of nowhere, but they started soon after my diagnosis with type 1 diabetes. They grew over a few months until I ended up in the ER thoroughly convinced I was dying! I thought it was my heart. Luckily, it was a highly respected major trauma center. They checked me out really well with many labs, EKG, blood gases,…..etc. And told me they found nothing wrong. They suggested I follow up with my PC. I was very relieved, but followed up with my pc who thought it was panic attacks, but referred me to a cardiologist just to be safe. I did treadmill test with imaging and everything was fine.

So, my doctor prescribed a low dose anxiety med and I set out to learn as much as I could about panic and anxiety. Having the knowledge of how it works and that it could not actually hurt me helped me and I never had another one. I have had anxiety since then and have sought therapy for it and health anxiety in late 2023 after long covid and Vitamin B12 deficiency. The therapy was extremely helpful.

I hope you can get the tests that will determine if physical issues are causing symptoms. I found establishing an internal dialogue with myself helped me with physical symptoms and am doing much better.

@sultanvr
First sorry to hear an non compassionate doctor you are dealing with. I go to Mayo Jacksonville and do not run into this.

I want to make sure I post her is just my personal experience with my anxiety/panic disorder and what my treatments are and medication I take are specific to me and not should be seen as good or applicable to you.

I have PTSD Anxiety/Panic disorder. It started a long time ago with service in Vietnam, then a dealdly force incident as a police officer, and then being shocked 5 times in 24 hours by my ICD/Pacemaker. I have my first panic attack after that and had no idea what was happening.

I had great care from my PCP, HF, and cardiologist at Mayo. I was referred to a physicatric medication specialist at Mayo Jacksonville who gave me a barage of test and then consultations. I scored just a few points below the maxium for PTSD and anxiety/panic disorder.

My medication specialist worked with all my other doctors and I was put on Esciltolipram (spell) to help with anxietey and depression. It really hellped me. I was also give prescriptions of Trazodone and Xanac. I was able to wean off the Trazadone and Xanac couple fo years ago to a as needed medication. I was told that my Escitioporam though would be life long.

Stress causes adrenaline. Adrenline is the flight or fight hormone. If you don't flight or fight it builds up and your body can only handle so much of the stress and axiety and can result in a panic attach. Now this information does not come from me it comes from my Mayo doctors and medication specialist as to why I was getting panic attacks and what they were doing to treat it.

Many medications have side affects so what is good for me might not be for you. I do know and have been told by my medical professionals that finding an exercise (after doctor approval) and/or a hobby can really help with reducting anxiety and stress. That in turn can lesson your adrenlane response to your stress and anxiety.

I exercise 6-7 days a week. It really lessons my anxiety and calms me down. But doing a hobby can also help. When I pos about stress and anxiety I always mention what FDR did during WWII to lesson he stress. Almost every day he worked on his stamp collection.

I hope you have access to other medical facilities and medical experts to go to. Please try to get second opinions and care givers that will look at both you physical and mental health.

In the mean time get an okay from your doctors if you would like to start and exerercise (I do water aerobics, swim, bike ride). If you rather do a hobby find something you like to do and do it. Like me and many others this can help lower your stress and anxiety which if you don't builds up the adrenaline and stress that my medical doctors say will cause panic attacks.
Good luck!

@sultanvr
There are medications to help manage panic attacks and high anxiety. I’ve had panic attacks since I was young and they worsened during my pregnancy (hormone changes seem to make them worse).

I have had them come out of no where and it did feel like I was having a heart attack. One lasted for 2 hours and I was on the floor for part of it and I was hyperventilating. Very scary. My young son had to watch this happen.

When I was pregnant, they put me on Zoloft/sertraline (25 mg) to help manage my panic attacks and it helped.

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376027
2. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/afp-community-blog/entry/what-are-the-best-medications-for-panic-disorder.html
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/best-medication-for-panic-attacks
4. https://www.verywellmind.com/medications-for-panic-disorder-2584307
5. https://www.drugs.com/condition/panic-disorder.html

@sultanvr
Stress, too much caffeine, lack of sleep, dehydration, etc. also seem to trigger/worsen my panic attacks.

If you have heavy stressors, like you indicated, can you reduce or eliminate these?

I find that a daily hour fast paced walk outside usually eliminates any anxiety I may have. Even when I had dangerous drugged out people at the entrance of my apartment building threatening me, when I came back from a walk I was usually able to remain much calmer and even felt a control over them. If I didn't walk in this high stress environment I felt severe anxiety and sometimes I was clumsy and actually fell one time trying to hurry in. Thank goodness that stressor is permanently gone from here.

@sultanvr How are you feeling today? What do you think about the responses that have been posted so far?
Ginger

Don't know if it's any help but over ten years ago I'd anxiety attck before dawn that stopped my breathing made me jump outta bed and choking when some phlegm finally cleared to restore my breathing. Was told on visiting WR that I am stressing too hard.

Later I saw my GP who said that a psychologist can help you with CBT, to which I said I know what it is and will try it myself. I did find out I was stressing about something as it was a realization that my four years of fulltime effort is gonna be a waste. I had to accept that in life things happen that are outside of our control. I never had to face such reaction though I still think about the enormous effort that resulted to no avail, except I learnt a little more about Life.

Often these days I ask? Is it something that is going to kill me? Answer is of course NO. So I ask myself, then, what Can I do Without making my current life worse? It always works.

Yes, panic attacks come out of the blue. The only thing I do that helps is to ground myself to here and now. It was suggested by my excellent therapist.

Breathe, notice your surroundings
See - 5 things
Touch - 4 things
Hear - 3 things
Smell - 2 things
Taste - 1 thing

I have to say it out loud because of the state that I'm in. In public, like at work, that may not work so well. I try to find unusual or sensory strong things to notice and experience. I have to do it a few times and then it's just an anxiety attack, which is still terrible, right? The deep breathing is so important. Therapy helps with the cause, but it takes time. I'm sorry to hear that you're going through that.

But be sure that it’s panic attacks and not caused by something else. I speak from experience. What was, in retrospect, seizure activity was misdiagnosed as a panic attack. It was a reasonable diagnosis; my husband’s Alzheimer’s was getting worse and I was his caregiver. I had had previous panic attacks. But it wasn’t right. I had a meningioma, easily spotted by a MRI, that was the cause. I think the important thing is to thoroughly investigate all possible physical causes of the symptoms before deciding it’s panic attacks because the treatments are so different.