Panic/Anxiety Attacks: Support, Advice, Help, Treatment Options (pain, arm, doctors)

[Lisa_from_Debary]

The train track analogy is a good one...it is like what I was thinking...its like the fight or flight thing you feel when your about to be attacked...

I have taken Paxil off and on for some time...the problem has been that the side effects get too me and I think I am going to be fine without it...this last time I was taking it, I was having to sleep 12 hours a day...I was taking the med at night or I would go to sleep during the day...like I would have fallen asleep standing up if I had not laid down it was so bad but I would rather that then these panic attacks.

If anyone wants to chat off the board my yahoo messenger name is
Lethalfind

[kaykay]

Originally Posted by Lisa_from_Debary

The train track analogy is a good one...it is like what I was thinking...its like the fight or flight thing you feel when your about to be attacked...

I have taken Paxil off and on for some time...the problem has been that the side effects get too me and I think I am going to be fine without it...this last time I was taking it, I was having to sleep 12 hours a day...I was taking the med at night or I would go to sleep during the day...like I would have fallen asleep standing up if I had not laid down it was so bad but I would rather that then these panic attacks.

If anyone wants to chat off the board my yahoo messenger name is
Lethalfind

Have you tried the Paxil controlled release form? Might be less sedating.

Also, a friend that has dealt with panic attacks was telling me the other day that she was reading a book she found helpful about it called "The Anxiety Cure," by Archibald Hart. Available on amazon.com. I will warn you though-it is written by a Christian and he does include some scripture etc. and I know how you feel about that. But she seemed to think he had some helpful advice so I thought I'd pass it along.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by kaykay

Have you tried the Paxil controlled release form? Might be less sedating.

Also, a friend that has dealt with panic attacks was telling me the other day that she was reading a book she found helpful about it called "The Anxiety Cure," by Archibald Hart. Available on amazon.com. I will warn you though-it is written by a Christian and he does include some scripture etc. and I know how you feel about that. But she seemed to think he had some helpful advice so I thought I'd pass it along.

At this point I wish the Paxil would put me to sleep, I started back taking it and I can't sleep...which is a pretty typical response for me...thats why when I was taking it before I was shocked that it was making me drowsy...

Thanks for the information about the book, part of my problem is that I don't think I could concentrate long enough to read a book at the moment...

[tkdmom]

I have suffered from panic attacks since my divorce. Sometimes they are really bad, of course, depending on the amount of stress I have that day. I always have to concentrate on something visual to break the attack. And if I feel like I might have one that makes me have one. Does that make sense !
I read somewhere that when you have a panic attack a chemical is released in the brain and it is stored there which makes you continuely prone to having them. I have tried Paxil but it made me feel like a giant bobble-head...lol. Now I use excersize and prayer to cope.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Well so far I feel about 100% better but with medications like this there are so many side effects, you never know what is around the corner.

Once it is fully into my system which takes 2 weeks, we will see what happens.

[joer]

I have the answer for everyone, it's called Anxiety attack disorder, panic attack disorder

Great people who will coach you out of anxiety for very little money. I went down every road to no avail, the journey ended here. Check out the website, I have nothing to do with them so my opinion is totally unbiased.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

I have been back on the starting dose of Paxil now for a couple weeks and I am doing fine...no bad side effects like before...thank goodness and no panic attacks either.

It seems to have cleared my mind, it was like my mind was cloudy, things are alot more clear now, I can think without becoming overwhelmed.

[Mooseketeer]

Originally Posted by Lisa_from_Debary

I have been back on the starting dose of Paxil now for a couple weeks and I am doing fine...no bad side effects like before...thank goodness and no panic attacks either.

It seems to have cleared my mind, it was like my mind was cloudy, things are alot more clear now, I can think without becoming overwhelmed.

I am really glad it helped you Lisa, sadly for me drugs seem to have no effect whatsoever on panic or anxiety attacks...

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by Mooseketeer

I am really glad it helped you Lisa, sadly for me drugs seem to have no effect whatsoever on panic or anxiety attacks...

I'm sorry to hear this...I frankly can't function when things get so stressful I am having panic attacks...I will do just about anything to stop from having them...I was having several a day and I found them crippling.

[Plainsong]

Hi People,

I wonder if someone can help me with some advice.
Recently (about a little more than a month ago) I have developed a fear of choking when eating which makes it extremely difficult for me to eat properly since I get panic attacks and feel like the food will go down the windpipe and I will choke when swallowing.

I think this problem is to some extent anxiety related since I've had a lot of work and private problems just around the time this started. However, it also feels like this has become a separate problem that I need to deal with, preferrably as soon as possible.

Intelectually I know that the risks of actually choking are extremely small (I saw a figures of 3000 people/year where I assume most are elderly) and I chew my food so well that even if it got in the windpipe I would just cough it up. But still the fear is very real.

Now, I'm trying to educate myself more on this whole issue (swallowing and breathing) and wonder if anyone can point me to some place where things like this are discussed? I would like to understand more in detail how the body automatically sorts air and food apart to ease my nervousness.
Emotionally it feels like I have two big holes in my throat and if the food goes in the wrong one I will choke and die. I intelectually know that this is not the case, but I do not really understand how it works and I think it would help me a lot. Could help me visualize as well.

Help/Advice would be very appreciated