One major panick attack causing smaller ones?

Question

A couple of weeks ago I had my first really bad panick attack. I had never felt this way before. I was just about to go inside the mall when I started get all numb, in my feet and them my hands. I never had a panick attack before so I just hought they had fell asleep, but then it got worse and my heart was pounding so I went back in my car and went home. When I got there thats when every panick sign u can imagen hit me I made my sister call the ambulance. Now a few weeks later I've been experiencing really small ones. I could just be watching tv and I will just get the numbness all over for a few minutes then it goes away. Since I had one major one...Is this going to be an ongoing occurence forever?

Answer 1

no.....first before you attribute this to a panic attack you should see your doc....if they determine that indeed you are suffering from some form of anxiety there are different approaches you can take to control it....first think back to what may have triggered the one at the mall....you may not even realize how small a detail could be that can cause this....yes a big one can trigger smaller ones because you did exactly what panic attacks do....they send you into hiding...now that your mind has learned this safety mechanism of going to a safe harbor (your home in your case) you will have smaller ones that will cause the same reaction....and if you dont get it under control now they can escalate in intensity and frequency.....relaxation techniques are a good tool.....if you have too much trouble though your doc can prescribe meds for it...

Answer 2

These may not be panic attacks because you don't mention feeling anxiety before the symptoms occur - panic attacks occur when someone is worried or frightened. You may be experiencing a heart arrhythmia called tachycardia. Tachycardia can be a sign of other heart problems or over-production by the thyroid gland, and sometimes there is no known cause. If you think that it might be tachycardia, you could follow up with visit to a cardiologist.