Hey Everybody!

Hey,
I am new and I wanted to introduce myself. I have just recently been experiencing panic attacks. (very frustrating and frightening as you know) and I would like to get a feel for what others do to treat or alleviate their sensations. What works for you? I tried practicing my breathing the other night while I was having one, but it only made things worse. then I tried watching something funny and the laughing made it worse. Also, how frequently do these attacks happen to everyone else? I would really like to chat w/someone because this is very new to me and when they happen, my boyfriend just tells me to go lay down. I wish it were that easy. !!? Anyone have any idea how and why our bodies are reacting this way and producing what feels to be real physical symptoms? Any feedback would be great.
Thanks!:confused:

Panic attacks can happen at any time and they can happen once in a while or many times in a day. Sometimes, panic attacks end up becoming phobias. For instance, if you have a panic attack most often out with friends, you may avoid going out with friends. In the end, if untreated, you may never leave your house.

I haven't come to that level, but I have had some pretty bad attacks over the last little bit of time. I was stuck in the house for 4 days recently, and never felt comfortable leaving and going anywhere. However, today I was able to drive myself to lunch and hang out for 4-5 hours.

Bottom line -- it comes and goes.

I haven't talked to anyone about this yet -- but reading the information here and other places has certainly helped my situation.

Take care,
Rocket90

Rocket90,
When you say you have a fear of being outside and not going out with friends, I'm confused and not because you are wrong, I am sincerly confused. My attacks seem to happen for no reason, there is no fear about doing or going anywhere. I get terrified because of the sensations I am going through and that is where my terror is coming from. Perhaps I am in the beginning states. My twin sister passed away in car accident 4 years ago. A very close friend/boyfriend of mine passed away the following year, on top of that I made some bad choices and went down the wrong path of life for several years. In order to put this out of my mind, if I don't, I feel like I am crashing inside, I don't think about it. If I start to think about it, I feel my puluse quicken at the onset of the thoughts and I quickly do whatever is in my power to overide the thoughts. Since then, I had a child, I'm going to be 29 on the 4th of august, and everything seemed to be going fine, and then BOOM! these attacks started coming on. I have not reached the point you were at where it was hard for you to leave your house. That is hard for me to imagine, and I feel for you. I am happy you were able to get out and have lunch for some hours. What makes you panic at the thought of being outside your house? Is it a fear of having an attack in front of other people? Although I am on meds (i thought I was going to die the first attack I had) I am convinced that this can be alleviated w/outs meds. the mind is very powerful and as I keep telling myself over and over during the attacks..."you can't die from these attacks." It is soothing slightly. I would like to put togehter a list of things people do to try and push your mind out of the patterns produced during an attack. I have found something to alleviate breathing issues. First don't practice breathing, it does not work, in fact, in my experience, it makes it worse. I feel like my nose is closing, I can't swallow, throat is closing, and I find myself holding my breath. So, I rubbed some vix vapor rub under my nose and breathed normally. It worked. the constant smell of the ecaluptus opened my airways even when they were seemingly closed. Very soothing.

I am not really sure about any of it. From a couple of people that I have talked to about this, they have all said that a single event can cause the attacks to begin and then they can continue for no "reason" at all. I don't really have a reason for not being able to leave the house. I did try during that period 2 times and I had trouble when I got in the car and started to drive around a bit.

Not knowing what was wrong with me, I am in the process of getting all of the "physical" tests out of the way. I just got a clean MRI back from the doc and now I am going to a cardio doc on Monday just to make sure that everything is okay there, too.

Once I get everything out of the way, I am going to go see someone to discuss some of these issues. There is no real reason that I can think of, but I think a lot of it has to do with something stressful in your life. It doesn't have to be a huge thing, either. It could be small and still cause these feelings of anxiety.

I agree with you in reference to the meds, but.. at the same time, they do appear to work a bit. The other day, I had my MRI and they suggested that I take a sedative so that I didn't feel any anxiety during the almost 2 hour MRI procedure. I had never taken anything like that in my life. They gave me 1mg of Xanax and it really did seem to work. It lasted about 6 hours or so, but during those 6 hours, I seemed to be very relaxed and didn't seem to worry about the things that had been on my mind recently.

I currently take .5 mil of xanax, so the absence of anxiety during the MRI's you had done I can imagine was heaven. I just know that MOST of it I make worse in my head..as soon as I feel the onset, my brain starts panicking and I belive that I make it a lot worse than it has to be. I can't afford to get any tests done..so in a way..I HOPE THIS IS WHATS WRONG WITH ME....but not..know what I mean?..lol:D

I definately agree with what you are saying. Normally, I start thinking about something and I make everything 10 times worse. I go from a slight headache to thinking that everything is coming to and end. I've always had a type A personality and always worried more than normal, but never have I felt like this in my life. I think once I get through all the testing and get through the process of talking to a therapist.. things will improve. Just gotta hang in there.

Well,
I sure hope you manage, and manage well. are there a lot of people in this forum as a whole? don't feel obligated to know...just curious...warmest regards!

There are quite a few people in the forums, but they may not be directly in this line of posting.

BTW - Are you from the UK? It seems like everyone on here is from that area.

...nope, not from the UK, from the States..I realized that yesterday when someone referred to the television as a telley..? (hope I spelled that right)...I stumbled upon this form and decided to join.....I hope that does not offend you.

maybe that is why I am having a hard time getting people to talk w/me..or perhaps I have an online plague, of the bubonic nature....who knows!

It's okay. I am from the US, too. I was having the same feeling -- that I was the only one NOT from the UK.

LOL.

What part of the US?

Arliington TX my friend..hot..humid..what more can I say? What part are you from?

30 minutes north of Baltimore -- very hot and humid here, too. We hit 102 today with an index at 113. Way too hot. Definately not good for stress and anxiety.

Hello,

I am a television researcher and I am on the look out for anyone suffering from panic attacks who lives in England and would like to receive free medical advice from some top experts. All it would involve is asking your question on air. The talk will be very short and informal but you may get some helpful advice.

please reply to jenna.robinson@princesstv.com

thank you

Sorry, not from the UK, but I am beginning to think perhaps I should set up shop over there. I am more than willing to be involved in answering some questions, but I fail to meet the qualifications. Would still like help though.
...

I can say I have never been to Baltimore, however I do marketing and am currently marketing to the Baltimore area. I thought it was really cold there. I love the cold, when I get on my feet..(I'm not sure what that means, it just seemed to encompass a great amount of alleviation of responsibilities) I would like to move to Colorado. I went there one time and it made that much of an impression. The winters are cold, the fall is cool, and the summers are hot, but not humid, and the air is sooo clean. I went to college in Santa Fe NM, and I've never seen more beautfiul weather, soo fresh, and just different, unfortunately too many memories, and I will probably never go back..there, see, now you know a little bit more about me.

Our members come from across the world really. We have a good mix of US members, and UK members. It just seesm recently more UK members are posting :)

Good to see you all though, where ever you are from.

roburtade, i've been suffering w/panic attacks-no phobias (thank goodness) only since last Nov. The breathing, relaxation, yoga does NOT work, I know. My husband also used to tell me to lay down and relax. I tried all that and went to the ER too many times b/c thought I was dying. I had a 2 yr old to take care of and couldn't die! My attacks are under control now with the help of a very low dose of Paxil 20mg. It took months though for it to kick in and the side effects to go away. Sooooo glad they finally did. Also, in beginning took Ativan, then Xanax, then Klonopin for when I feel an attack coming on. Hope this helps. Now, when I start to get a panic attack, it doesn't escalate to that crazy level. More like just the beginnings of one. Still sucks, but WAY better than it used to be.

If I knew how to do yoga, I would have tried that, but since you say it does not work, I won't explore that option. I took paxil for a couple of weeks after my twin sister was killed in an automobile accidient and it seemed to make me tremble for no reason. At that time:) , I was taking it for depression, but the more I read up on it, the more I see it is used to treat anxiety. At that time I was not suffering from anxiety. I too have a two year old daughter and can relate. I find it curious that you say, you start to feel the beginnings of an attack. My doctor had given me xanax to take when I felt an attack coming on, but also made it really clear that xanax would not prevent these attacks from happening, but it would make the sensations go away and was not recommended for long-term use and that I Should take something to prevent the attacks from happening. I am now taking zoloft and I feel better all over, it's kind of hard to explain; however I am still experiencing panic attacks, but now I simply feel the beginning of one and not the elevated level of panic and hysteria like before. Just like you wrote. I feel now that I am more in control of the attacks, if that is even a well-written way to say it...I, who does not suffer from phobias, have noticed that when I go out to public places now, I start to worry about having an attack and can usually instigate one for myself rather quickly. This tells me that in some way, we are in control, and I talked myself out of a panic attack the other evening by rubbing vix vapor rub under my nose and telling myself over and over that these attacks were harmless and were not going to kill me. It passed. I am curious about your response to paxil. I was thinking maybe we needed to increase the zoloft to prevent even the beginnings of attacks, but I am unsure. I see the doc next monday. Before I increase the dose, how long did your doc say the paxil would take before you could really see a difference, or feel a difference? I know you say it took months, but is that what you were told the time frame would be? It seems once you start taking medications, you have to take more and more to battle the side effects of the first. I don't know..The Zoloft was suppose to be about two weeks, but I am wondering if I should just wait it out and see if it really will take longer than two weeks to feel the full effects before I jump into increasing my dose. Thanks for your thoughts, really appreciate it.:rolleyes: