Panic Attacks

[BA GT-HO]

Originally Posted by AC/DC

Yep, , I have had em, along with Anxiety. Lexapro fixed em for good.......

Used to happen in high populated areas ( shops, concerts, etc ) Dehydration was also an issue.

Then I started with the SVT, ( where your heart beats at over 200. ) in my case I have to go to the hospital and they inject a drug to force your heart to slow down. Most SVT is caused by Caffene, Dehydration, Excessive Alcohol ), and have since been diagnosed with an accessory pathway between the Ventricle and Atrium in my heart.

Im due for a Cardiac Ablation of the pathway in about 2 months.

But the BIGGEST difference was the Lexapro ( small dose ) in getting rid of the Anxiety and the Panic Attacks. with NO side affects.

AC/DC

Chalk up another SVT victim here!

I don't get panic attacks, but if I get hyped up (usually watching sports) the SVT can start. I can control it with breathing, but when I can't I take a pill and its all good. Would take a pill maybe once every 2 or 3 months.

Been to specialists etc etc, mine is not as severe as others, I never get dizzy or pass out, my heart just decides to beat at 130/150 beats a minute for no reason. It sucks. Everytime you get indigestion or something you think, well thats me done, heart attack. Plays on your mind.

I would be interested to see how you go with your ablation, the doctors have told me if mine gets any worse then I have to get that done too.

Kind of comforting to see that there are others out there with this stupid issue.

[irish2]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

No, its not strengthening the heart muscle Its because when you work out, your brain creates seriontide ( sorry for the spelling ) which is what your brain misses when you have depression/anxiety. That is why there are "gym junkies" out there

Serotonin is the correct term lol. I didn't say the stronger heart stopped it but maybe in my head it did. I have since stopped any form of gym activity, and have not had any more issues.

[Dr Jekkyl]

I think it is a great thing that mental illess is being openly discussed by men here on AFF.

I have personal experience with both depression and anxiety, and I have experienced panic attacks. They are quite possibly the most horrible feeling you will ever encounter. You DO feel like you are going to DIE!

Their is an extensive evidence base for the management of anxiety and panic in medical literature. The current consensus is that a combination of both medication AND psychotherapy is the most effective means of treating these disorders. Of the individual therapies, medication is largely a band-aid solution for anxiety BUT it does get the ball rolling, so to speak. Psychotherapy (namely cognitive-behavioural therapy) is the most beneficial monotherapy. Exercise is also proven to be beneficial.

Unfortunately, some GPs are not fully informed about anxiety treatments. As they are usually the first point of medical contact, management of anxiety may not go beyond them and so it may be sub-optimal. I strongly advise that anybody struggling to control their anxiety seek a referral to a psychiatrist with an interest in anxiety disorders.

[jamesson1980]

Wow! I've had these panic attcks since I was 12 (seems a magic age for the onset of social anxiety and the like, probably due to the fear of high school) and I'm now 31 and still suffer the occasional moment. Although they occur strictly when surrounded by a big crowd and really no other time. Used to be every single time I entered a shopping centre or jumped on a train or something, but gradually and thankfully these are becoming more rare.

The racing heart rate, the inability to swallow and the feeling or violent nausea hit me and I just go blank, can't really concentrate on anything except getting the hell out of where I am.

This thread is great because it's easy for those with these disorders to feel they are alone or unique or even strange. This thread has highlighted the actual numbers of people who are in the same boat. Aand if any of you are like me, you're surrounded by people who simply DON'T GET IT. People need to feel a panic attack or depression to know, and if not, they just cruise thru life thinking these disorders are some sort of petty thing that can be switched off like a light.

Again, great thread idea. Dunno who started it but thanks

[burnz]

very insightfull fellas, my wife get this in shopping centres very recently in last 6 months.

but i never under stood why, so their is medication!!

it's hard for me to understand maybe just a little. (clueless)

[jamesson1980]

there is no specific medication for panic attacks. There's a broad range or meds for all types or customers with all the various disorders. Problem is, for the average GP, prescribing the right one to the right patient is like lining up a Rubiks Cube. Eg, one particular med that has helped me no end (Zoloft) is totally counter-productive and almost harmful to my younger brother.

It's a bit of a suck 'n' see but yes, there are medications to help those who will benefit from them

[burnz]

was there an "event" in your life??

i don't think there was for my wife, just trying to grasp it.
it was so sudden, heart race, sweaty, just want's to leave (shops)..oddly she doesn't like being alone either..

all this in the last 6 months and we are both middle aged, so i cant see her growing out of this.

[uranium_death]

I've always been anxious, but my last six months haven't been good...

One day at work I had this awful feeling of dread. Stomach was uncomfortable, was slightly dizzy and occasionally seeing stars...

But eventually went away...

But earlier this year and mostly at night, I'll get into bed and all of a sudden my head focuses purely on my heart and its rate. Problem is that more you worry, the faster the heart gets.
As the heart gets faster, you're worried you're going to die of a heart attack (and sometimes it feels like you will)...the first time, I had 2-3 panic climaxes in an hour and was considering getting up and asking the folks to drive me to hospital as I actually thought my heart was packing in...

But as I have had more, I realise that nothing has ever happened.

My last peak was some time ago, though several nights ago I think I averted another one.

I basically try to reassure myself that nothing is wrong, and it's my ******* mind trying to **** me about. Sorry about the language, but that is what it seems like. Once I reassure myself, I tend to even out...

Keep in mind, I don't smoke, drink excessively or do drugs, thought I do consider my extended family to be insane (Mum's side in actual fact)...

Now I have a constant tightness in my chest and throat, and I am sure that is due to tightness in my back etc. due to tension.

I play tennis and I have no problem breathing or maintaining fitness. I have hard my heart checked and my pressure only very slightly high, but that may also have been because I was nervous (I hate blood pressure machines)...

My biggest problem is my pulse. I check it all the time to make sure my heart is beating at a normal rate...but not as much as before. There was a time I would count 10 seconds and count how many heartbeats.

RIght now, I have the tightness in the throat and upper chest and I've had it for a bit...

I have noticed though that if I don't think about it, I don't even notice it and I feel fine...

I probably only really recognised my 'condition' a few months ago, but I sort of feel I'm in more control than before...

Well, it's been great sharing and certainly helpful for me. I hope others can gain at least one thing from what I've written, even if it is disjointed

[seduced_xr]

ive had them since i was little. very rarely i get them now, but when i do. where ever i am i pick my keys up and go straight home.

[vibe_xr6]

Ive been on zoloft for 6 days now, and i have stopped taking them, they were causing my jaw to clench, my right hand side pupil was huge and my left tiny, nausea, shortness in breath. Any other good AD's out there

[SEZ213]

Effexor, Aropax, Luvox...but it's best to speak with your doctor, it sounds like the dosage is too high (based on pupil dilation anyway...)

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

No, its not strengthening the heart muscle Its because when you work out, your brain creates seriontide ( sorry for the spelling ) which is what your brain misses when you have depression/anxiety. That is why there are "gym junkies" out there

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

Ive been on zoloft for 6 days now, and i have stopped taking them, they were causing my jaw to clench, my right hand side pupil was huge and my left tiny, nausea, shortness in breath. Any other good AD's out there

there are a variety of activities that release serotonin, it depends on the individual, but basically its about creating a happy feeling, thus releasing the serotonin. This is where your anti-depressants (no such thing as anxiety medication unless your looking at low does prescribed ant-psychotics) which are SSR SRI medication, which assists your brain to receive the serotinin by manipulating receptors in the brain.
This is why all gps and specialists will recommend some form of particular physical activity or ather activities that make you feel good, to assist towards recovery.
In the form of anxiety and panic disorders, sever anxiety including OCD, cognitive behavioural therapy can be quite effective, which is about changing the thought processes when experiencing an anxious episode. Anxiety inc OCD is your cognitive function, logical thinking, being taken over by the emotion and fight or flight function of the amydgala of the brain. This is exacerbated by your body producing high amounts of addrenalin to cope with the anxious moment. Some people find deep breathing works, however, in many cases this actually prevents as much air getting to the brain, which then exacebates it again.
Coping mechanisms and distractions are most effective, and obviously being well informed.

goodluck guys.

[vibe_xr6]

Originally Posted by raised by monkeys

there are a variety of activities that release serotonin, it depends on the individual, but basically its about creating a happy feeling, thus releasing the serotonin. This is where your anti-depressants (no such thing as anxiety medication unless your looking at low does prescribed ant-psychotics) which are SSR SRI medication, which assists your brain to receive the serotinin by manipulating receptors in the brain.
This is why all gps and specialists will recommend some form of particular physical activity or ather activities that make you feel good, to assist towards recovery.
In the form of anxiety and panic disorders, sever anxiety including OCD, cognitive behavioural therapy can be quite effective, which is about changing the thought processes when experiencing an anxious episode. Anxiety inc OCD is your cognitive function, logical thinking, being taken over by the emotion and fight or flight function of the amydgala of the brain. This is exacerbated by your body producing high amounts of addrenalin to cope with the anxious moment. Some people find deep breathing works, however, in many cases this actually prevents as much air getting to the brain, which then exacebates it again.
Coping mechanisms and distractions are most effective, and obviously being well informed.

goodluck guys.

She has put me on AD's just to get me by for now, as im talking to a physocologist, i am also boxing so thats my physical activity

[jamesson1980]

Originally Posted by burnz

was there an "event" in your life??

i don't think there was for my wife, just trying to grasp it.
it was so sudden, heart race, sweaty, just want's to leave (shops)..oddly she doesn't like being alone either..

all this in the last 6 months and we are both middle aged, so i cant see her growing out of this.

I dunno if there was a single 'event' Burnz. A childhood with a very volatile old man with heavy drinking tendancies plus primary school bullying possibly accumulated over the years. The first panic attack I remember was in 1992, I was in an old Pizza Hut and a heap of boys who always bullied me were on the other side of the room deliberately eating so much with the aim of throwing up on their table. It was initially a feeling of nausea once one of them finally popped and made a hell of a mess, then the confrontation as adult Pizza Hut staff tried to remove 11 year old boys from the room without success, the whole feeling of a situation that is out of control.

Being 12 and only weeks away from a daunting new world of going to a high school that was a known haven for delinquent kids from all over the district, including my pizza hut friends, plus having an old man who'd throw a fit of rage if I ever cried much less admitted to panic attacks, this whole thing went untreated til I was about 16, by then, the feeling of panic was so engrained into my thought process that almost anything could trigger it. Into my 20's starting work, driving, gaining independence etc has helped no end. I think this is because I'm now obviously in control of every factor of my life (except that I can't afford a new GT) where as growing up, just about everyone around me was able to dominate and control, that's part of being a kid, you ain't the boss of your life, teachers, parents and bigger kids are.

As for your wife, you say she won't grow out of it.. to that I say with only a 6 month history of problems and with the right help, she won't have a chance to grow into it! If I can turn it all around after a decade, anything's possible

ps: a crowded situation of drunk people is the last thing I'm yet to conquer. It represents the only remaining 'out of control' in my life

[Dr Jekkyl]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

Ive been on zoloft for 6 days now, and i have stopped taking them, they were causing my jaw to clench, my right hand side pupil was huge and my left tiny, nausea, shortness in breath. Any other good AD's out there

Uh.......thats not good, esp the pupils. Out of curiosity I had a look on a major medical database and found only 2 articles. There does however appear to be quite a bit of anecdotal support for the unequal pupils in people using Zoloft.

Pupil dilation is recognised as a side-effect of serotonergic agents. I find it very strange however that a centrally-acting agent would affect only one eye. It may be a result of a drug interaction. Do you use other medications?

I'd be going to your GP jumping up and down for answers, and if they can't provide it have them refer you to someone who can! There are many causes of unequal pupil dilatation and i would be ensuring that the most serious causes were excluded before assuming that it is due to Zoloft, at least directly.

[Resurrection]

I've been battling an anxiety disorder for several years. Paroxetine has assisted me to overcome random panic attacks but I am far from where I would like to be. Anxiety disorders seem to be a growing problem.

[vibe_xr6]

Originally Posted by Dr Jekkyl

Uh.......thats not good, esp the pupils. Out of curiosity I had a look on a major medical database and found only 2 articles. There does however appear to be quite a bit of anecdotal support for the unequal pupils in people using Zoloft.

Pupil dilation is recognised as a side-effect of serotonergic agents. I find it very strange however that a centrally-acting agent would affect only one eye. It may be a result of a drug interaction. Do you use other medications?

I'd be going to your GP jumping up and down for answers, and if they can't provide it have them refer you to someone who can! There are many causes of unequal pupil dilatation and i would be ensuring that the most serious causes were excluded before assuming that it is due to Zoloft, at least directly.

Thanks mate, i new it wasnt good and you just backed it up, since i have stopped taking them, both pupils are very diluted, i woke up this morning with my jaw clenched onto my lip, ill be going to the doctor today. Thanks again

[Dr Jekkyl]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Anxiety disorders seem to be a growing problem.

As recognition of these disorders increases so too does their prevalence. I think though that they are also on the rise.

[jamesson1980]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

Thanks mate, i new it wasnt good and you just backed it up, since i have stopped taking them, both pupils are very diluted, i woke up this morning with my jaw clenched onto my lip, ill be going to the doctor today. Thanks again

What sort of dose did the doctor start you on?

[vibe_xr6]

50mg for starters

[jamesson1980]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

50mg for starters

hmm.. coulda been smaller. I started with half of a 50mg and worked up to the full dose over a few months. Not saying it's a dosage issue, by the sounds of the pupil thing the medication is certainly not for you.. but any antidepressants need to be started with the smallest possible dose for quite a period then ramped up in stages.

[raised by monkeys]

Originally Posted by Dr Jekkyl

As recognition of these disorders increases so too does their prevalence. I think though that they are also on the rise.

Good call. Great point, one that i have discussed on a few occassions at work. Mental health as a term gets thrown around a lot today and is often imbued with a media scewing influence. However, i too believe that this has resulted in a more informed population thus a realisation in individuals that what they often experience is not healthy and consequent GP visitis.

[vibe_xr6]

Originally Posted by jamesson1980

hmm.. coulda been smaller. I started with half of a 50mg and worked up to the full dose over a few months. Not saying it's a dosage issue, by the sounds of the pupil thing the medication is certainly not for you.. but any antidepressants need to be started with the smallest possible dose for quite a period then ramped up in stages.

Did you get many side effects on 25mg ?

[FreddyDUZ747]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

I've been battling an anxiety disorder for several years. Paroxetine has assisted me to overcome random panic attacks but I am far from where I would like to be. Anxiety disorders seem to be a growing problem.

Yep,same here mate.Im on the max dose of 60mg a day and are far from where I want to be,been on them for 7 years now myself.

Like has been said,its good to see people openly dealing with it because you will never conquer it if you dont.

This illness requires things to be good around and within ones self all the time to have a chance of it fading away,the glass has to be always half full.


VibeXR6,give the medication 2 weeks for your body to addapt/accept to,it just may be the case.Hope it is anyway.My Aropax took 3 0r so weeks for me to feel right and now must take withing 1hr of a set time everyday or crap feelings arrise.

[jamesson1980]

Originally Posted by vibe_xr6

Did you get many side effects on 25mg ?

for the first few days I was a little shaky and had a little bit of heartburn when I first woke up but it all settled within a week

[Resurrection]

Originally Posted by FreddyDUZ747

Yep,same here mate.Im on the max dose of 60mg a day and are far from where I want to be,been on them for 7 years now myself.

Like has been said,its good to see people openly dealing with it because you will never conquer it if you dont.

This illness requires things to be good around and within ones self all the time to have a chance of it fading away,the glass has to be always half full.


VibeXR6,give the medication 2 weeks for your body to addapt/accept to,it just may be the case.Hope it is anyway.My Aropax took 3 0r so weeks for me to feel right and now must take withing 1hr of a set time everyday or crap feelings arrise.

I am on 20mg.

[FreddyDUZ747]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

I am on 20mg.

Mines 40mg sorry (2 tablets)Is bad maths a side affect

[uranium_death]

Funnily enough, today is the first day I have actually felt reasonably normal for a while...it's great!

Perhaps that post last night did some good!

[falcondave69]

i have suffered anxiety/depression and panic attacks for the past 25 years but only sought help for it about 14yrs ago. ive been on and of medication since then. i still get bad sometimes where i cant even go into a shopping centre, but I can sort of manage it now and its no where near as bad as it was years ago. also ive found that smoking dope while suffering an anxiety disorder can make the situation worse......Dave.

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by uranium_death

I've always been anxious, but my last six months haven't been good...

One day at work I had this awful feeling of dread. Stomach was uncomfortable, was slightly dizzy and occasionally seeing stars...

But eventually went away...

But earlier this year and mostly at night, I'll get into bed and all of a sudden my head focuses purely on my heart and its rate. Problem is that more you worry, the faster the heart gets.
As the heart gets faster, you're worried you're going to die of a heart attack (and sometimes it feels like you will)...the first time, I had 2-3 panic climaxes in an hour and was considering getting up and asking the folks to drive me to hospital as I actually thought my heart was packing in...

But as I have had more, I realise that nothing has ever happened.

My last peak was some time ago, though several nights ago I think I averted another one.

I basically try to reassure myself that nothing is wrong, and it's my ******* mind trying to **** me about. Sorry about the language, but that is what it seems like. Once I reassure myself, I tend to even out...

Keep in mind, I don't smoke, drink excessively or do drugs, thought I do consider my extended family to be insane (Mum's side in actual fact)...

Now I have a constant tightness in my chest and throat, and I am sure that is due to tightness in my back etc. due to tension.

I play tennis and I have no problem breathing or maintaining fitness. I have hard my heart checked and my pressure only very slightly high, but that may also have been because I was nervous (I hate blood pressure machines)...

My biggest problem is my pulse. I check it all the time to make sure my heart is beating at a normal rate...but not as much as before. There was a time I would count 10 seconds and count how many heartbeats.

RIght now, I have the tightness in the throat and upper chest and I've had it for a bit...

I have noticed though that if I don't think about it, I don't even notice it and I feel fine...

I probably only really recognised my 'condition' a few months ago, but I sort of feel I'm in more control than before...

Well, it's been great sharing and certainly helpful for me. I hope others can gain at least one thing from what I've written, even if it is disjointed

You're describing a pretty classic panic disorder. It's a vicious cycle. The more you focus on your heart, the harder it beats, the more adrelanine in your system, the more scared you get, the more you focus on it... etc etc...

You can fix a panic or Anxiety disorder and you don't have to take medication.
A decent Clinical Phychologist would use Cognative Behavioural Therapy and for something at that level, it could fixed, or at least dramatically improved within half a dozen sessions.

The first step for anyone suffering from Anxiety or Panic is thier GP, you can get up to 12 sessions with a Clinical Phychologist on Medicare using something called a Mental Health Care plan.

There's really no point walking around feeling like this! You can get it fixed for free! And the sooner you start working on it, the less ingrained your behaviour, the easier it is to fix...

There's nothing wrong with going to a Phychologist, if you've been suffering with Anxiety for a while you'll come out of your first session bouncing off the walls - you'll be so stoked that there's relief on the horizon...