Can we talk about Panic Attacks please? ?

Your panic attack sounds very different to my experience FannyCornforth.

My experience was just after my husband died. I was driving and suddenly felt I couldn't see, I felt weak all over, then I couldn't breathe. My heart felt as though it was coming out of my chest.

I did manage to pull over - unfortunately I was giving a neighbour a lift home from the supermarket. She was not a driver and hadn't realised the danger, luckily.

I managed to control my breathing and drive my neighbour home and went to Boots and spoke to the pharmacist. He said it was due to the adrenalin from stress/shock and warned me it could happen again.

He recommended the Bach's Rescue Remedy spray, and to try to 'count' through the attack, using controlled breathing.

I was on the same road again when it happened again, and the counting did help. I've never been on that road again and have to go the long way round now.

My third attack was when I went for a coffee with a friend and she asked me how my husband had died. I had to leave.

I have had panic attacks many times over the years. They started when I was 18 and I suffered from them for many years. Strangely, they stopped completely when I was in my 40s, but surprisingly started again in my 60s. The trouble is once you have one, you are petrified of having another, and that thought itself can bring on an attack- thus a vicious circle starts. I think mine are brought on by stress/being too busy and never sitting still. I have to completely slow down and practice deep breathing to try and stop them. The best thing for me is to try to distract myself - something, anything to take my mind off the negative thoughts. I find talking to a friend/family member about it helps a lot; it helps to get things in perspective and they can reassure you that things will get better.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences, my sympathies to all of you
I haven’t read the thread properly yet, but will be back when I have x

This panic attack sounds awful FannyC. One of my daughters had them during a period of prolonged stress. She took up the of counting and breathing mentioned by posters here. She also booked a brief CBT course and found combining the advice from that with breathing helped her through. I’m not suggesting CBT for you FannyC by the way.
Are you in a period of prolonged stress. These awful attacks do seem to happen during those times. Good to see your GP is proactive. Look after yourself

I’ve only still read a little bit!
To be honest, I’m worried that I shouldn’t be thinking about it.

Shandy what a horrible experience, especially that you were driving.
I ‘went blind’ during an important exam a few years ago.
You wouldn’t think that it was possible would you?
And I was so cross to read about your insensitive friend

JaneJudge I’ve had beta blockers in the past. I’d forgotten all about it. I wonder if it was because of my high blood pressure reading that he didn’t prescribe anything?
I’m also on two types of controlled drug, so I expect that is why no benzo was prescribed.
I will ring the GP soon to tell them my blood pressure readings - so far so normal, just a little bit high.
I’ll ask if there is anything that I could have; the beta blockers sound like a good idea.

Iam64 thank you, yes, yes I’m under a lot of stress and have been for months, if not years.
I have recently started speaking to a therapist. It’s my third appointment with her today, so I’ve got lots to tell her.

Hi Fanny ,
I'm so sorry that you are having panic attacks .

I don't have them , but -my father has been very seriously ill in hospital recently - and my head aches continuously, I feel physically sick and have vomited and I'm having trouble sleeping.

The whole thing has been so stressful,because it hasn't been straightforward-just about everything that could possibly go wrong has .

I hope that you recover soon .

It happened to me about 4 years ago. I was upset about something, but did not expect to get the symptoms I did. My heart was racing so fast and so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest. I could hardly breathe. It was shocking how quickly it all came on and how long it took to calm down. I thought it was a heart attack.
It was a terrifying experience which I hope never to experience through ever again.

My one and only panic attack was 10 years ago. It might as well have been yesterday, I can remember every second.
I was in the MRI scanner, right at the end of my scan. I could feel it taking over my body. It seemed to start from my feet and work it's way up. I truly believed I was going to have a heart attack and die in the machine.
I put my coat and shoes on and fled from the hospital. I was naked underneath but I just had to get out. Thankfully it was a dark night and my coat covered me.
My heart truly goes out to anyone who has panic attacks, they really are so frightening

I recommend you get a book called "self help for your nerves" by Dr Claire weekes

This book helped me so much I actually think it saved my life. Panic attacks are terrifying.

I had a very bad panic attack once.

Arrived home after a very long flight, could not sleep during the flight. Went to bed and woke up suddenly with my heart beating so fast, feeling totally disorientated accompanied by a sense of sheer panic and terror. I had to lie on the bed for some time to calm myself down.

At that time, I was suffering from insomnia due to menopause and was surviving on four hours sleep most nights.

I did not know whether some of my symptoms were also due to my intolerance to lactose. Since eliminating dairy from my diet, I no longer have mornings where I had excruciating abdominal pain and almost faint with the pain or feeling ‘out of sorts’ when I was out shopping.

Intolerance to dairy or gluten can caused anxiety.

Sorry to hear this Fanny. It sounds like you have some medical problems as well which could be contributing. I have had a few panic attacks - mostly in a shop and had to get out as I couldn't breathe - shaky and felt I was going to faint.
I used to work as a nurse I out of hours and we sometimes had to help with panic attacks. We had a supply (from Greggs Bakers) of paper bags. When you panic and are breathing too fast you take in too much oxygen and less carbon dioxide hence pins and needles, chest pain, shaking etc. By breathing in and out using a paper bag you increase the carbon dioxide and the shaking and panic breathing eventually settles. We also followed a pattern where you slow your breathing by imagining a square - breathe in through your nose as you imagine the top of the square, breathe out slowly to the downward line of the square through your mouth, breathe in through your nose as you imagine the line across of the square, breathe out slowly through your mouth as you imagine the upward line to complete the square and repeat a few times to slow your breathing. Sometimes beta blockers help - taken at the time or just before you feel it coming on - often propranolol. It is important to be checked by a GP as well as you have done just to make sure it is not something else causing it. My sympathies - it's horrible xxxx

Hello Fanny, I have had panic attacks but nothing as severe as what you described, how awful and it lasted for so long. Many people have suggested various strategies and I cannot really add anything. In my case the fear of having another attack made them worse and while in the midst of an attack it is really hard to focus on your breathing or do the other things that people have suggested, but do persevere with these strategies.
My GP didn't want to give me anti-depressants to help my anxiety and panic (I had them 20 years ago & they didn't solve the problem) he referred me to a Stress Mangement Course run by the local mental health team. It was 2 hours a week for 6 weeks and they covered all sorts of things like stress, depression, anxiety, sleep and panic. I wasn't convinced that it would be useful, but it really was. We didn't have to discuss our issues, it was more like a lecture with a chance for us to ask questions. I found it really useful and it helped massively, I haven't had a panic attack in years, I still get anxious but now I understand it and have the tools to deal with it. If your GP suggests something like this, I would give it a go. I still have all of my resources on my Kindle and the relaxation techniques on my iPod. Good luck.

i had been treated for panic attacks for about 8 years, i could not breath or talk, my vision would go, i would be shaking but stuck in the same spot and i got so scared that i ended up with borderline agoraphobia, i had one as i was talking to a neighbour and she realised it was not a panic attack, i was diagnosed with focal seizure epilepsy, even on medication i still have them, more over the last two years with the pandemic. i can't tell anyone what is wrong when they happen but i do wear a bracelet and point to it. i hope you can get help with your panic attacks and i with you good luck.

So how are you doing now FannyC?

MayBee70

I’m not going to the theatre or cinema these days but when I did I always had to sit at the end of a row because I needed to be able to get up and leave if my heart started racing. I once booked a seat at the end of a row but I was closed off and I had to get everyone to stand up so I could leave.

I have this problem, I need to be able to get out of wherever I am. The last occasion was on a bus which was ferrying people from a campsite to a folk festival, so no usual 'bus rules' applied, I was ok until people started to stand in the aisle and the last straw was when an old man on a mobility scooter got on and filled up the last space in the aisle. I got into a terrible state, and although she thought she was helping, a lady behind me leaned forward and asked, loudly, "are you having a panic attack?" and kept saying over and over again, loudly, so all the bus could hear "don't worry, I am a mental health nurse" I suppose this did distract me a bit, but I was just thinking 'FGS! shut up, they will all think I am nuts!!' along with trying to cope with the way I was feeling! I need to be able to see my way out wherever I go and also need to check where the toilets are, I don't really know what I can do about it.

PrettyNancy

MayBee70

I’m not going to the theatre or cinema these days but when I did I always had to sit at the end of a row because I needed to be able to get up and leave if my heart started racing. I once booked a seat at the end of a row but I was closed off and I had to get everyone to stand up so I could leave.

I have this problem, I need to be able to get out of wherever I am. The last occasion was on a bus which was ferrying people from a campsite to a folk festival, so no usual 'bus rules' applied, I was ok until people started to stand in the aisle and the last straw was when an old man on a mobility scooter got on and filled up the last space in the aisle. I got into a terrible state, and although she thought she was helping, a lady behind me leaned forward and asked, loudly, "are you having a panic attack?" and kept saying over and over again, loudly, so all the bus could hear "don't worry, I am a mental health nurse" I suppose this did distract me a bit, but I was just thinking 'FGS! shut up, they will all think I am nuts!!' along with trying to cope with the way I was feeling! I need to be able to see my way out wherever I go and also need to check where the toilets are, I don't really know what I can do about it.

Not that I go anywhere these days but when I did I started to take Imodium before I went out. I think even taking an Imodium placebo would have worked. Even years ago I can remember being in a supermarket checkout queue and once it got to my turn and there was no going back the heart started racing and the stomach started churning! I did several marches in London and how I managed to travel there and do the marches is beyond me. I actually changed what I ate for a week beforehand eg no bread or caffeine. I was once on an excursion on holiday and had to stop the coach. The people on the trip lost half an hour of their day out. I wish I’d had coping mechanisms years ago because it affected my life for years. I have to see an escape route.

Panic attacks are terrifying and I'm sorry for all those who suffer. However, this thread is strangely comforting. I thought it was just me and I feel such a ninny. I have missed out in so much in life through being fearful and panicky.

PrettyNancy - I am just the same and have been all my life - especially regarding worrying about needing a wee and not being able to find anywhere. It really has shaped my life and I have tried so many different ways to solve it. Including going 3 times to different hypnotherapists. I could cry when I think of the things I have missed out on and how it has affected life for Mr R too.

Me too Danni My husband is brave and intrepid despite having cancer. I feel guilty too.

I had them many years ago. They were so bad I collapsed at work with one.

When I collapsed at home DH called the doctor and the best GP in the practice came and sat beside me, talked to me quietly and reassuringly and told me what was happening physiologically to my body, mainly that I was hyper ventilating and reducing the carbon dioxide in my blood and this caused the other symptoms.

He prescribed Librium - it was a long time ago, and recommended that when an attack started I should sit or lie on a bed or comfortable chair and breath with a paper bag over my mouth and nose, so that I breathed back in the carbon dioxide rich air I had breathed out so that the oxygen/carbon dioxide balance in my blood stayed stable.

The Librium made me feel groggy so instead of taking them twice a day, I decided to only take one when an attack started and that worked very well. I was off work for three weeks and was sent to see a specialist at the hospital, who confirmed that my problem was only panic attacks, nothing else.

for some years after that I always carried a paper bag in my handbag and after I learnt relaxation techniques when I was pregnant I used those. Mainly slowing my breathing down and relaxing my body.

That's a good post MONica ......... Thank you!

I am glad my experience can be of help to someone.

FannyC you started this thread. Your experience sounded horrendous.

How are you doing?
Have you had any more episodes?
Has our group sharing helped in any way to calm you?
x

Thank you Urms
I’ve been ok, but I’m aware of my triggers. Meaning not much sleep, loads of worry and lots of opiates.