What Is Anxiety Blog

symptoms of having panic attacks?

I was diagnosed about 2 years ago with having anxiety/panic attacks. I was on Lexapro which really helped, but then got pregnant with my 3rd child and got off medication. After I had my baby I didnt feel even a 1/4 of how I felt when I started on meds, but lately I’ve been feeling kind of crappy again. Im a smoker and occassional drinker, and have recently decided to quit smoking and limit my drinking even more, since I know both of these things dont help with preventing attacks. My symptoms of an attack are feelings of blood rushing to my temples and like something is going to pop. I dont get it in the chest like others say they do and I was just wondering if anyone else with attacks have symptoms like mine?
I also get some numbness in the temples.
Yes, I've had a catscan, and a ekg, they've taken my blood pressure, and tested me for blood infection, everything came back normal.

I understand what you’re going through. I take Lexapro and I still have panic attacks. Mine are similar to what you describe along with a huge sense of loneliness and worry. I’ve learned to tell myself “it will be over in a minute” and not tell yourself “it’s ok”, because let’s face it: you’re not ok at the time. Maybe you need to check back in with your doctor and be put back on some meds. I hate being on meds too, but it’s all that helps. I also smoked 5 years ago, but quit and smoked my first since then about 2 months ago. For the next 2 days, I had repeated panic attacks so I guess that proves that smoking is a culprit. I also drink nearly every weekend but don’t notice a difference unless i drink excessively. i think your feelings are perfectly normal. it just may help you to invest in seeing your psychiatrist. also, have you had an echocardiogram and a thyroid test to make sure they’re fine? A mitral valve prolapse (in your heart) and an overactive thyroid could be a cause, but more than likely, you’re just like me and are panicky for no reason. Good luck and try to relax yourself by taking warm baths, reading books about panic attacks, lighting candles, etc. Spend more time on yourself and let your husband, friends, whoever take the kids every now and then and pamper yourself. good luck.

Any advice or anxiety/panic attack type symptoms please?

Can anyone give me advice for how to sort out anxiety. I tend to get the following when I’m about to go to something like a gig (like I am tonight) or a do, a club, whatever… I feel kind of sick and nervous, and like I almost want to say “oh, I’ll just stay at home” (which I don’t want to do tonight at all!” but I don’t ever feel short of breath, or like I’m “going to die” as I know is a common feeling during a panic attack.
My heart seems to beat very fast, but I think that’s quite normal for me, but I’m definitely aware of it.
Any ideas on what this nervous feeling actually is and how to get rid of it. It’s not just excitement it’s only happened over the past year or so. Also it lasts for ages, all day or especially in the run up to the event, not just for an hour or whatever.
I know this part is a bit silly but I also can’t drink much alcohol when I feel like this, which is ironic as I’m sure it would help, but I just don’t want to drink or eat much at all.

Beta blockers are great for releiving some of the symptoms of a panick attack, you dont need to tak them except when you need them, and they work pretty quick too (about 15 mins and last a good while after)

Apart form that, slow breating etc, or a more long term anti anxiety drug (usually used for depression) like venlafaxine (brand name effexor) or fluoxetine (prozac) or one of the many of those things.

For your case I would say beta blockers as they go to the root of fast heart beat, sweating, edgyness, and they slow the whole lot down.

Heart beat drops so body relaxes, in turn the edgyness comes down along with racing thoughts and sweating etc.

It all depends on the root cause of the anxiety and panick atttacks, but a doctor or pharmacist is a much better person to advise.

You could try diazepam (valium) but this can be very addictive, beta blockers, well, you cant get addicted to them!

visit a chemios and have a word with the pharmacist, they are fully qualified to give you advice, and if they feel its a bit more than is in there scope they will recommend visiting a doctor.

panic attack symptoms?

i forgot to mention in my lasst bit that i am on prozac for the panic attacks. what i want to know is if anyone has irregular heartbeats with em or just palpitations? Sometimes my heart skips irregular beats for about 10-15 beats and then returns to normal once the attack is over. that is what is really worrying me. Thanks

Oh yes - completely normal stuff. The heart seems to “stop and rest”. Make sure you get plenty of magnesium in your diet - that helps nerves and hearts quite a lot. Magnesium is one of those minerals which are very important to life, but we burn up a lot with anxiety problems.

The NOW supplement company makes a good magnesium pill with some calcium, vitamin D and zinc. Also might want to try 1000 mgs of taurine a day as well. That’s an amino acid which is also soothing for nerves and hearts.

They are callingl this “depression” these days - and a new treatment for depression is the use of massive doses of vitamin D. Ask your doctor about that. I’ve heard good things about it.

Anxiety and depression are all about “loss of control” - or being “out of control”. It often comes to the young adult as they leave childhood and step out into adulthood. There are many unknowns in adulthood. And the trick is to build a life where you can be content and in control.

Can panic attack symptoms harm me?

No! Panic attacks symptoms have never harmed anyone. Although they feel horrific and scary, panic attack symptoms are harmless and are simply exaggerated experiences of normal bodily sensations and reactions. Of all the people that I have spoken to about their own panic attack symptoms, none, including myself, ever came to any harm during the, literally thousands, of panic attacks we experienced.

Do I have to put up with panic attack symptoms?

No, you do not. Panic attacks are, like all anxiety disorders, caused by an imbalance in the organ responsible for the anxiety response called the Amygdala. This organ acts like an anxiety switch. Normally, the switch is in the OFF position and only gets activated when it’s appropriate to feel anxious. In anxiety disorders this switch gets stuck in the ON position…it’s that simple!
So, if an anxiety disorder is to be eliminated completely, it is this imbalanced anxious response which needs to be addressed directly.

do panic attack symptoms stay around even after the initial attack is over like for days?

i still feel strange and afraid and a funny feeling in my chest

Yes they can. It is all brought on by stress and the stress factor remains even after the initial attack. Your body becomes extremely sensitive to the feelings that occurred with your initial attack. You need rest and relaxation. You need to learn relaxation techniques that will see your through the rough spots.

What are the symptoms of a panic attack and what does it feel like?

Sweaty palms, feeling like you might go crazy or insane, pounding heart or rapid heart beat, slurred speach, nervousness, hot flashes..Feelings of doom for no real reason

Panic attack??

I think i might be having a panic attack, but i am not sure and i dont know what to do. I feel like i am going to die…i am shaking, my heart is racing, and i cant concentrate. I dont think i have ever had a panic attack, but i think those are some symptoms of a panic attack.. I dont know what to do about this! Is there anything i can/should do?

Yeah, it sounds like a panic attack! I've had them for about 8 years now! At first, they were very severe up to the point of calling 911 and going to the ER! I really thought I was dying of a heart attack but now they are mild and I only have them once in a while! You need to see a psychiatrist and take antidepressants for a while! That's what I did and now I only take tranquilizers {lorazepam}. If you are hyperventilating, breathe in a brown paper bag and it'll help you relax! You need to tell yourself that you are not going to die. It is a panic attack and it will pass! It is no fun having those, I wish you the best of luck but do get help because it'll only get worse!!!

What are the symptoms of a Panic Attack?

Twice now a few years apart I have experienced what I believe to be a panic attack. I always thought before that it was an asthma attack, but the inhaler never seems to help much. My breathing test measured 29 which is just one point into the asthma range so I don't treat it. For me it always started with trouble breathing when I can't seem to slow it down, which most times I can if I force my mouth closed and breath through my nose to slow it down. A couple of times now, I was frightened and couldn't slow it down for over an hour which left me pale, clammy, weak and disoriented. I also get to the point where I think I'm going to faint and can not move at all for fear of fainting. (Too much oxygen?) I have not yet discussed the severe attacks with my doctor.

It sounds like your describing hyperventilation. Yes, that is a symptom of anxiety and yes it is too much oxygen and can cause the symptoms you describe. Other symptoms include, chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, unusual fear.

What symptoms are normal after a panic attack?

I had a panic attack on at about 4 AM Saturday morning.
I was yawning repeatedly (once every minute for about 20 minutes). Rapid heart rate, emotional symptoms, the works.
Sunday morning, I woke up with severe pain in my throat and upper chest. I felt like I had a huge lump in my throat. I have had trouble swallowing since then, both liquids and solids. I can’t take more than 75% of a breath. The most severe pain is located where my Adam’s apple would be if I had one. Help?

This is not typical of any symptoms I have ever experienced or read about. I would visit your doctor to discuss what you are feeling in your throat and chest.
If you have sought treatment for your panic attacks, it does not sound as though it is working and you should talk about this too.
Anxiety and panic attacks can be beat, but you need to find what works for you to stop them from happening. It is no fun living like this and it can be treated.
Here is a site that may help.
The best of luck to you.
Tessa