Is this a panic or anxiety attack or something else?

Question

I feel like a wave comes over me. Seconds later, the sounds goes down, my fingers tingle, a vein in my left arm pulses, and I feel like I’m about to pass out. I’m enveloped with fear. This lasts for about 30 seconds or so. I’ve been to the doctor. They did an EKG. They say my heart is fine. It feels as though adrenalin is pumping through my body. I felt that sensation 4 times in about two hours. Once while I was driving. They come on all of the sudden when I’m not even worked up about anything. What is wrong with me? Has anyone else out there experiences the same? Which drugs helped?. I’ve tried Wellbutrin but that doesn’t seem to help much. Thoughts???

Answer 1

You could be experiencing Generalized Anxiety Disorder, but the sudden onset can seems to suggests you are having panic attacks.

The panic attacks are usually more severe with the physical symptoms--you think you might actually be having a heart attact, you might break out into a sweat. your body will set you into fight or flight mode. Panic attacks are usually short in duration, but can be terrible to experience because of the physical symptoms. You went to a doctor to rule out an actual heart problem; smart move!

In the midset of a panic attact you will feel your pulse racing and you might have trouble breathing, which is the adrenalin reacting in your body, It is an awful, awful feeling because they come unexceptedly and that creates the anxeity of waiting for the next one. The physcial symptoms are very real, so I feel for you, having developed the same symptoms out of the blue a few years back.

I have been to my share of doctors trying to find out what was wrong with me. My weight from the the anxiety and panic attactks dropped from 145 to 105. DO NOT let doctors chalk this up as a minor issue.

Do you have health insurance? If you do, this will be a little easier for you. I question the prescription of Wellbutrin as it is considered a more speedy anti-depressant (as is prozac). I think Celexa (available in generic know and is the same as Lexapro can help if you are feeling depressed.

But that does not address the unexpected panic attacks at all. Doctors treat panic disorders with anti-depressants mainly because of the free samples and the idea this is a manifestation of some deep rooted depression. If that is the case, ask to be switched to an anti-depressant that does not have excitablity as a side effect. There are better medications out there.

My best advice is to stay away from Paxil. It was touted as the cure for panic and anxiety back when I first went to the doctor. I took it for a year and it didn't help. The major issue is your body becomes extremely dependent, so you will go through withdrawals if you stop taking it. Even though it is not addictive in the sense of heroin, your body depends on the drug even though it doesn't make you feel altered in anyway. I ran out and made the decision to go cold turkey and I wound up in the ER. I than had to taper off slowly over a period of a month. Not worth it. Plus it was an expensive medication. They have since been sued for stating their medication was "not dependent" when it is well documented that it can cause serious withdrawal issues.

The doctors I now see, feel treating anxiety and panic disorders with anti-depressants as not addressing the physical issues. I have a generic rx for xanax, which is fast acting and will stop the symptoms. It can be an addictive drug, but in your situation you might want to keep a dose in your wallet or car in case of a sudden panic attack. Xanax is a proper treatment, but some doctors have to be educated about how you plan to use it. It is very affordable (compared to anti-depressants) and it works as long as you don't take it all the time. I take .5 mg to 1mg as needed. I used to have to take it almost dailly, but now that I have my panic/anxiety under control I take it once in a blue moon when I first feel the onset of a potential panic attack.

Ativan (generic also) I heard is similar to xanax, but I haven't needed to try it.

Klonopin (also available as a inexpensive generic) can be helpful, but it has a longer onset and it stays with you longer (4 to 6) hours. It works wonders for those who deal with daily anxiety attacks, but initially it may make you feel tired. You don't seem to be experiencing the general sense of anxiety, but if you are this can be helpul. I take 1mg at bedtime and 1mg in the morning and it helps. I am able to function better throughout the day.

Some doctors will push for talk therapy. Since I have an MA in the field, I found it a waste of time for the amount of money. But the correct person can give you tools to help cope with an attack in short term therapy. So can support groups (which are free compared to the therapist). Don't get sucked into long term "lets talk about your entire history" for panic attacks unless you have a specific issue causing them. I was in therapy for about 3 session and felt like I was dictating my memiors to a ghost writer.

Be very persistent with your doctor. You are experiencing real symptoms that deserve proper medical attention. I worked as a teacher at a Universtiy, so you can probably related to the public panic attack and understand it is your body's physical reaction to something.

It is a widely misunderstood condition. Thanks for sharing your experience. It helps all of understand that this is a medical condition that can happen without fault.

I found online groups and alliances to be very helpful in my understanding of what was going on. Maybe you can go through the sympton checklist and take it to your next appointment. The can also help you link up to others and advocate for you to empower your doctor into something that helps a little more than the Wellbutrin. I am all for anti-depressants when appropriate, but I think they are over prescribed.

Once you get the panic attacks under control and you understand the pathology of them you can taper down or off medication, but right now you can't exactly practice mediation when you mind is racing, your heart is thumping and you feel overwelmed. Or you may need to deal with this longer term. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. It is no different than having asthma or any medical condition that require care.

This, to me, sounds like my story. I hope you give some thought to trying an anti-anxiety medication until you get this under control enough to find other alternatives. Also, healthy diet, exercise blah blah helps once you have reached a point where you can do those instead of medications.

I also kept track of my episodes on a calendar to see what, if anything, could be contributing. For example I tended to have bad panic attacks at the end of my work day, so I at least knew what to expect. It also helped uncover some of the outside conditions that contributed (not caused) my panic attacks.

Best of luck to you and good question! I wish I had asked it when this first happened to me--very scary and difficult to get appropriate treatment.

Many blessings and panic free days ahead for you!

Answer 2

Medications like Xanax, ativan, and valium will definitely calm you down...but they are highly addicting and they don't work well over the long term. (Occassional use, say 2-3 times a month, is pretty safe. 2-3 times a day is asking for trouble.)

I'd suggest you keep a journal for the next two weeks. Every time you have an attack, write down what you were doing just before that, how long had it been since you'd eaten, how you were feeling, anything that might give you a clue about why this happened. Then, take that to your doctor and look over it with him/her.

It is also good to investigate other physical problems that could cause such symptoms--others already mentioned hyperthyroid (too much) or hypothyroid (too little) as well as low blood sugar.

If this usually happens when you stand up (e.g., you're lying down and you jump up suddenly to answer the phone), it's likely related to the rapid change in blood pressure. Sit up first, count to 3, and then stand up. One thing that makes me suspect this is that you say "the sound goes down"--that happens to me when I stand up too quickly, it's from all the blood rushing away from my head. I feel dizzy, my arms tingle, my ears feel like they've got cotton balls stuffed in them (all I can hear is the pounding/rushing of my blood). That lasts for about 30 seconds and then it goes away. In addition to standing up slower, make sure you are not dehydrated, because that makes it worse. Talk to a doctor if this might be the problem. I know you said it happened once while you were driving--it has happened to me a couple of times where I held my breath by accident. For instance, when I'm in an unfamiliar city and I've got to make two left turns and then merge onto a busy highway--I will realize at the end of it all that I'd been holding my breath the whole time! Also, some medications (quite a few anti-depressants, actually) can cause this as a side effect.

It's not necessarily a panic attack.

Answer 3

Those are the same symptoms mine started with. You need to see a psychiatrist. A general practioner won't have a clue & will either dismiss you or send you for all kinds of tests that you don't need.
Btw, never take Ativan unless you absolutely have to. It's highly addictive & when it starts wearing off you become a different person. I've seen 3 of my family members take it & I know from experience there are much better meds out there for panic attacks.

Answer 4

Your MD may need to do some blood tests, if there hasn't been any done at this point. What you're experiencing may be a thyroid problem. Have you lost or gained weight lately? Are you perspiring when you feel these waves? These are important questions, and , try to check your heartrate by counting the number of pulse beats you feel in 15 seconds and multiplying by 4. If you notice a low heartrate (< 50) or a high heartrate ( > 100) and your doing your normal activity, see you Dr.

Answer 5

If it only happened one time it is likely that it wont happen again unless something really bad happens, but if you have been suffering from anxiety attacks for a while its very likely that you may experience more attacks in the future. I suggest that you consult a doctor before something really bad happens.

Answer 6

That sounds like a panic attack...

Medication like Xanax and Valium help.

Answer 7

Yep a panic attack- Xanax is great for that- or Attivan

Answer 8

Just a vague possibility but easy to test. Your pharmacist can do the test (well they can in Australia)
Do a B.G.S. test - Blood Glucose test.
Some hypos ( hypoglycemic reaction) feel like this.
I'm an insulin dependant (need needles) diabetic so I know.
Get diabetes early and you won't need needles.

Answer 9

Try Xanax, but long term, the techniques to be found at: http://www.relax7.com/7.php and the controlled breathing in the section on panic attacks in the blogs of Shan Eris at www.myspace.com should help considerably. Also view the section on panic attacks at: http://www.help-for.com/menu2.htm

Answer 10

that is deffinitly a pannick attack, my younger sister got them to the point she freaked out and thaugh she was dying... she had them all the time........ i suggest making sure there is someone there who can keep you calm so you dont do something out there.. and try eating ice cream or some other comfort food it may help calm you down......... try to keep yourself preocupied... and if they keep continuing i suggest seeking guidance from a doctor or counseler.... it may help