Hi:

I’m a 41yr. old WM. I used to have panic attacks about 6-8 yrs. ago, but have had them under control for a while. I’m also overweight, but not obese, and I have smoked (off and on, but unfortunately, more on than off) for about 20 yrs. (I know, I know . . . it’s not good, so please . . . no lectures). I also have an ulnar nerve in my left elbow that, when it acts up, gives a mild tingling sensation in that arm. I’ve had borderline cholesterol for most of my adult life, but at my last checkup in March, my HDL & LDL were fine. And, also on the good side, I try to exercise at least 2 times a week, although for the last couple of months, it hasn’t happened as much as I would like. Also, there is no history of heart disease in my family, although there is some history of high cholesterol.

I’ve been very stressed out for a while now, and when my partner & I got in a huge fight 2 weekends ago, I felt like I was having either a panic attack or a heart attack. I went to the ER, where they did an EKG. All the ER doc said at the time is that my cholesterol was high, and I should see a cardiologist. As it was the middle of the night when I got home, I did not read the discharge papers from the ER. However, I read them yesterday, and I was shocked to read that, "your exam shows you have angina pectoris." Needless to say, this has thrown me for a loop, and I’m thinking about words like "blockage" and "catheterization." I already have an appt. scheduled with a cardiologist for this Thursday, and my stress has decreased somewhat since my ER visit.

So, with all of this background, I have a few questions:

- Isn’t 41 a little young for angina, even taking into account my less-than-perfect lifestyle?

- As many people experiencing panic attacks exhibit the same symptoms as a heart attack, could the angina diagnosis been actually just the effects from a panic attack?

- Also, it’s my understanding that an EKG is just the first test they give you, and it can often give false or incorrect readings?

I am really hoping that it’s just the stress and panic and not angina, and am hoping some of you experts can provide a little reassurance. Believe me, even if this is not angina, it has been a loud wake-up call that I’m not 29 any more, and I need to lose the weight (I’ve done it before) and stop smoking (have also quit before, but I’m really going to try this time). Am also going on vacation a week from this Sat., and I know that it’ll help reduce my stress.

Tags: adult life, angina, appt, cardiologist, catheterization, discharge papers, ekg, elbow, fight 2, first test, hdl, heart attack, heart disease, high cholesterol, history of heart disease, ldl, panic attack, Panic Attacks, tingling sensation, ulnar nerve

I seem to have the symptoms of a panic disorder. The other night, I was taken to the hospital and treated for what they said was a panic disorder. I am about to get put onto Celexa and have gotten medicine for the ear/head pain I was having. However, I continue to get sudden chills and a cold mouth. It comes on suddenly and lasts for a little while. I seem to have the symptoms of a panic disorder, but what else could be wrong?

Tags: celexa, medicine, panic disorder, sudden chills

my husband can fight with me in any place and any where . his stubbornness and childish nature is driving me insane. this hurts me so much that these days i get a panic attack and i cry in front of anybody be it in mall or in middle of the road. to worsen it my husband just stands and watches me or he comes and tells me like "just shut up people are watching us". if i get a panic attack at home he tells me things like "stop your drama" . and this has made him think i have gone mad and he is getting close and discussing everything about me to his wicked aunt who is doing more harm than good.
i know this all only worsens . any body who can tell me how to control my panic attacks because its really driving me insane?

Tags: panic attack, Panic Attacks, stubbornness

About 2 weeks ago i had what im assuming is my first panic attack. Like most i freaked out assumed something terrible was wrong. But i felt better in about an hour. Tho i did have them off and on for a couple days. Now its mostly a once a day thing, but now my left arm hurts sometimes. It feels like it does when i take my blood preasure at the store. Like something heavy was laying on my arm then lifted up. I get heart palpatations sometimes also. And i have high blood preasure, but its been that way all my life.

Since ive been dealing with this for 2+ weeks I’m assuming if it were a heart attack it would have happened already. I’m trying to avoid the E.R because for 1, I’ve never been to one and I’m not sure how it works, and they don’t answer questions on the phone. and 2, if its just panic attacks i don’t want to waste any ones time or money.

Thank you for any replies.

Tags: answer questions, couple days, heart attack, heart palpatations, high blood preasure, left arm, money, panic attack, something heavy, something terrible, tho

My symptoms have been getting a lot worse lately. I just woke up from a deep sleep abruptly and quickly ran to get a drink because I was sure that I was going to die (doesn’t make sense, I know lol). I couldn’t breathe, I was dizzy, and I couldn’t stop shaking my leg (I do that all the time, also fidgeting). It lasted for about 10 minutes and afterwards I started crying. I usually get these symptoms every night before I go to bed (sometimes other symptoms too like numbness), but the symptoms were a lot worse tonight. Usually I never wake up with an attack, I’ll just sometimes wake up with a little fear after a bad dream.

The symptoms rarely happen during the day, but I often get shortness of breath a few times a day for a few minutes at a time.

Does this sound like a panic disorder? The symptoms occur on a daily basis. What can I do to relieve the symptoms?

Tags: bad dream, daily basis, deep sleep, fear, few minutes, numbness, panic disorder, shortness of breath, sleep

hi like i said im 18 yrs old & this is seriosly taking over my life.i dont know why this is happening to me & now i kan get 2-3 panic attacks in one day and it makes me sad bcuz i cant control it.i told my mom but she said i need to control myself,but for the people that suffer from this know how hard it is to control a panic attack.and it really sux bcuz now im like afraid to go out bcuz i kno ill get one or sumtimes it just happends out of nowhere ughhhhh this has made me real self concious,i lost all my confidence now,especially when i get hot flashes & i get really red & i just need to run out of where ever i am,it makes me sad.im 18 for godsake i need to be not hiding but enjoying my life,but i just kant…..& i also sing in church & i alwayz get panic attacks when im singing up there & i kan feel my face getting hot & it feel like im goin to faint ,AND I JUST dont kno wat to do anymore

Tags: amp, confidence, hot flashes, kant, mom, panic attack, Panic Attacks, self concious

This morning I had my first panic attack and it was extremely severe. I really and truly thought I was going to die at any minute. My legs were numb. My arms were heavy and tingling. My face and neck tingled. I was short of breath. I had chest pain and my heart was palpitating (it was going really fast, then slow, then skipping beats, then fast, slow, ect ect ect). You don’t realize how loud your heart is until you don’t hear it anymore.

I went to the ER and did all the tests (EKG, blood, ect), spent 10 hours there to find out it was a panic attack. I didn’t even believe the doctors until I got home and read all the symptoms.

It was an INCREDIBLY scary experience. I am so afraid it is going to happen again. I mean, if this starts happening how am I to know I am not actually going to die?
And i forgot to add, the panic attack was triggered by me vomiting blood. I never had an ulcer until today and I started freaking. Then I the chest/heart/breathing symptoms arrived. I thought i was bleeding out and running out of blood and couldn’t decide which was worse – having a heart attack and not taking aspirin, or having an ulcer and taking aspirin only to make the bleeding worse.

This was by far, the worst experience of my life.

Tags: aspirin, chest pain, doctors, having a heart attack, heart attack, legs, panic attack, scary experience, short of breath, ulcer, vomiting blood

can symptoms of panic disorder or anxiety last all day to days or weeks without any on set to an attack and why?

Tags: anxiety, panic disorder

when i have a panic attack this is what happens, always in this specific order:
well first, it always seems to happen when i am driving, i guess i feel like i have the least amount of control due to the people around me, especially when there is a lot of traffic i guess…
1. i get this throbbing, tight feeling above my knees
2. my legs will get a pins and needles sensation, plus foot cramps
3. after that, my hands tingle, then kind of go numb and lock into a fist, and this is all very difficult to deal with be cause i have a stick-shift car and it’s a scary sensation
4. the derealization sets in. (basically when you are detached from your own mind and it feels like you are watching a movie of what is going on around you). it is a very odd feeling, hard to explain… kind of feels like you are going nuts
5. i will feel like i am not getting enough air. i can breathe but i need to keep taking deep full inhales and exhales
6. i can’t tell if my heart is beating fast but it feels like someone is pressing on my chest and throat
7. my facial muscles seem to quiver or twich slightly, which is really freaky
8. the worst part is the slurred speech, the first time i ever experienced this i thought i was having a stroke
the best thing i can do is pull over and chug water until i calm down, which sometimes takes a while
note: i am only 22 years old, i take 10mgs of adderall twice a day for my adhd, this panic attack all seems to happen after a night of hardly any sleep, it’s really only when i’m alone, and it always is when i’m driving my car. i think it is brought about by feeling like i am losing control of the situation and feeling uncomfortable with my surroundings, but i couldn’t pin-point it exactly
does anyone ever have things like this happen? what should i do?? it’s been so intense a few times i almost drove to the ER

Tags: 22 years, adderall, adhd, derealization, facial muscles, fist, foot cramps, having a stroke, knees, legs, losing control, nuts, panic attack, pin point, pins and needles, pins and needles sensation, sleep, slurred speech, stick shift, surroundings

okay, so 3 days ago i couldnt catch my breath and i got really scared so i ended up having a panic attack, it ended and i thought all was fine… but then i went to work and it happend again not even 2 hours later! i have never had anything like this before so i went to the hospital and it turns out i was having panic attacks.

now im really scared they are going to happen at really bad times… like driving, at work again… in public… how can i contol them or just not have them anymore…

Tags: panic attack, Panic Attacks

I am almost possitive i am suffering from a panic disorder,and have been for years. I am slowly learning to manage my frequent panic attacks. But one of my only problems is this CONSTANT out-of-body feeling. Like i don’t know who i am, it’s almost like i’m in a dream. I know that sounds so crazy, but it is consuming my life! I feel like i’m watching one of those movies that are filmed from someone else’s view. Like i look down and see my hands and feet and everything, but it’s like it’s not even me. I think i may be going crazy here! I can’t tell anyone this because they think i should be rushed to the hospital. But is this a symptom of panic disorder? If so what on earth can i do to make it better? I can’t live like this! I have cut out caffiene (Spelling), sodas i ONLY drink water. Can food trigger it? I just want it to go away so i can live a normal life and not get terrified that i’m passing out and going crazy. I’m willing to do anything to help myself get back to normal!

Tags: hands and feet, Panic Attacks, panic disorder, sodas, what on earth

I am 19 6′4 220 lbs male, I have been to the ER five times in my life thinking I am having a heart attack. Every time I go they give me the routine EKG, tests, etc and end up always telling me that i am 100 percent fine. I have had an Echo and EKG’s and my family Doctor, they always rule out indigestion and anxiety and Panic Attacks, But i always have chest pain and other "Heart Attack" symptoms. Does anyone else have this? Am i Losing it? I cant keep going to the ER and think i am dyeing and them ending up thinking I am crazy, when all you hear is act now, don’t wait, time is of the essence. Let me know what you think.

Tags: anxiety and panic attacks, chest pain, dyeing, ekg, family doctor, having a heart attack, heart attack, indigestion, time is of the essence, wait time

I have thyroid cancer and am on suppressive therapy and my TSH is real low (<0.006) and my free T4 is 2.2H. I have been having all the symptoms of hyperthyroidism which leads to panic attacks which then I get tense in my cheast area and think I am having a heart attack. I also have been getting bouts of consectutive heart palpitations, breathlessness , panicky, shakey, and severe dry eyes.

Tags: bouts, dry eyes, free t4, having a heart attack, heart attack, heart palpitations, hyperthyroidism, lt, shakey, symptoms of hyperthyroidism, thyroid, thyroid cancer, tsh

I’m 16 and have anxiety..or panic disorder whichever you prefer..
I’m also a hypochondriac which makes things worse..
anywho..
I’ve been having heart palpitations, and skipped beats for a bout a month now….
and my chest hurts a lot on the left side near the bottom of my ribs about where my heart is…
it doesn’t hurt 24/7 but most of the day i have pains that come and go..
sometimes the pain is minor..about a 3 on a scale of 1-10…and other times (mainly at night) it hurts at about a 5 or 6…
should i be worried that i have heart problems, or is this normal for people who have panic disorder?
it’s been keeping me up at night…and i’ve missed bout 3 nights of sleep this week so i’d like some advice..
thanks.

Tags: anxiety, beats, heart palpitations, heart problems, hypochondriac, panic disorder, ribs, sleep

I have them a lot and worry that the symptoms I’m feeling are really a heart attack. So that just makes me panic more. Or I’ll worry about getting stomach aches, which will in turn CAUSE them and thus create a cycle of panic. Any tips?

Tags: heart attack, stomach

Please help i am due in 4days and scared incase i have a panic attack and lose control help?
This is my second child but i never had anixty so bad when i had my first, this time around im so scared, everytime i got a pain i keep thinking its time and start feeling all funny like now i keep going to the toliet and have runny 2’s and im all sweating and my stomach feel upset plaese help i dont want to start panicky and lose control in labour and end up making myself really bad.

Tags: labour, panic attack, second child, stomach, toliet

WHat are the symptoms of panic disorder / can someone help me figure out if i should bug the dr some more. I have these times where something will trigger a memory of something. I feel anxious i shake, can breathe properly kinda like hyperventilation, have suicidal thoughts and just want to run away and hide but am kinda paralysed by fear. I then cannot sleep for like days ill get like 2 hours sleep etc. I went to the doctor got told i had depression got shipped off to a counsiller 3 years later nothings changed.

Tags: 3 years, depression, fear, memory, panic disorder, sleep, suicidal thoughts

How does the ER know which is which? Are they supposed to run certain tests or something?

Convinced I would either faint or die, I made it to the ER with my symptoms; tingling right arm, sick to my stomach, couldn’t breathe, heart racing so much you could SEE it through my shirt, dizzy, disoriented, weak legs, could barely walk or talk. I stopped and sat on the floor while waiting for an attendant.

My usual 120/70 blood pressure was measured at 159/90.

No tests were taken.

I was sent home with a diagnosis of panic attack and some "mellow you out" pills.

Does that sound like the proper methods and treatment?

If so then cool; I just thought they were supposed to run tests or something, not telepathically diagnose you. I mean, what’s all that equipment for? Isn’t this supposed to be a science, not a "fortune telling" session? Just because I don’t normally have high blood pressure doesn’t mean I don’t have plaque or something else going on. And the best time to catch something is during the occurrence, right?

Just wondering.

Tags: best time, diagnosis, fortune, heart, high blood pressure, legs, occurrence, panic attack, pills, plaque, right arm, science, sick to my stomach

I’ve had anxiety issues for years now. Everytime I get upset, I have a panic or anxiety attack. It’s getting to the point where I can’t control them and they happen more frequently. My boyfriend is unsure of what to do when the happen and they usually happen when he’s with me. I don’t know how to control it or make it better. It’s interfering with my everyday life and I can’t concentrate at school. Somebody help me please

Tags: anxiety attack, everyday life

I’m 16 yeard old. I’ve struggled with anxiety for years, but over the past few weeks I’ve been showing symptoms of panic disorder.

It all started when I smoked a great amount of marijuana in mid-August. I would like you to know that it was a HORROR experience and I never plan to try it again. It was only my 3rd time and I had far too much. I had a full-blown panic attack, mainly because I was in a state where I couldn’t control my thoughts. I kept seeing myself jumping from the 2nd story of the apartment I was in, and breaking my neck. Or saying something totally uncalled for and inappropriate. And I knew it was a possibility because I kept thinking "You don’t know reality from dream right now. Whatever you’re thinking may or may not be real". So any horrible thought that ran through my head could have been real and I wouldn’t have even known it. I was pacing around and my palms were sweating. I kept begging for someone to take me to the mental hospital where I’d be safe. All I wanted was to go to sleep, and I eventually did, but it was difficult. When I woke up I felt better, but the unreality was still vaguely there.

And it has lingered ever since.

I’ve been noticing my palms sweating quite often. I’ve imagined saying or doing something inappropriate, just like before, except I have full control now. But lately I’ve been having dizzy spells and the unreality hits me often. I also get hot flashes. I’m too aware of my surroundings, and I wonder if everything is real. I get numbness all over and I feel disassociated from my body. I have this feeling like I have to hold on or I’ll just fly up into space.

The main places I feel this in are the car (especially in the dark, like on the interstate, with the windows down), the bus when it’s crowded, and one of my classes where I’m in the back corner and the desks are too close together. It hits me the worst on the bus, since it’s crowded and the people are loud. As a result, I have avoided riding the bus for the past two days. Whenever I’m in an open space, like my house, I can deal with it much better.

Whenever I read up on panic disorder, the symptoms are described as "terrifying". I would say that mine are, at most, disturbing. Therefore, I believe I have a mild version of it.

The worst feelings come and go within a few seconds. I just start breathing deeply, telling myself to "chill out" and reassuring myself that everything is okay, and real. It helps to think of my friends.

I have a hard time talking to people about it, because it seems like when I do, everything becomes unreal again, and I get nervous. I vaguely fear losing control.

I see a psychologist every 2 weeks, but since I can’t talk to him about it, I will probably just type him a paper to read. Also, my mom cannot seem to find a psychiatrist. My dad is studying psychology and he knows a great deal about it. He said that it may be a symptom of my major depression.

Can anyone provide me a possible diagnosis, and let me know what I can do to make these disturbing feelings go away? I would like support. It’s the best anyone can do for me.

Thanks!

Tags: anxiety, apartment, desks, dizzy spells, dream right, fly, horror, hot flashes, marijuana, mental hospital, numbness, palms, panic attack, panic disorder, riding the bus, sleep, surroundings, unreality

Recently, I’ve been experiencing things with my body that I’ve never felt before. Pains in chest. Sometimes the pain is dull and sometimes it’s sharp. The pain is getting worse. There is also a matter of shortness of breath. First I feel like my throat muscles drop as if I had no control over it. During this time I am unable to swallow or breathe. and I feel an anxiety fall over my body. Then, I get pains up and down my arms and in chest. The pains in my chest seem to remain on a daily basis. Sometimes it almost feels as though they are soar like after a workout. I will usually get light-headed and dizzyness without cause. My heart rate normally stays somewhat the same during all of this. The doctors have labeled panic attacks without giving me a thorough check, but panic attacks from what I understand don’t involve pain. I do get nausia alot during the days and it seems I been getting dehydrated easier. I’m not sure what to do anymore.

Tags: alot, anxiety, daily basis, doctors, heart rate, pains in chest, Panic Attacks, shortness of breath, throat muscles, workout

Whenever I drink alcohol (especially wine) I feel that I get uncontrollable hunger and I wake up early the next morning with an increased heart rate and panic attack symptoms. I end up eating all day which gives me more anxiety about the problem. Do I need to be concerned about the way I am metabolizing the alcohol or do I just need to stop drinking (duh) so much.

Tags: alcohol, anxiety, duh, heart rate, hunger, next morning, panic attack symptoms, wine

I have had an aching in my chest that also hurts in my shoulder and left arm. It comes and goes. When I wake up it’s not there then about 2 hours later it comes back. Sometimes it’s not even there, sometimes it really hurts. I have been a panic attack sufferer for 14 years and don’t take my meds anymore. Sometimes I get strange tastes in my mouth which I’ve had before too. Don’t have a cough or any other symptoms but worried it something bad. Been there for a week or so and comes and goes here and there. What is it?
BTW, sometimes the pain radiates to the back of my arm and back too. Sometimes it shift positions on my chest too.

Tags: cough, left arm, meds, panic attack, strange tastes, sufferer