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I'm glad I found this forum. I too suffer from what seem to be panic attacks. I just moved back to the US less than 3 months ago, also recently got married 6 months ago, spent 3 months travelling around the developing part of Asia, started going back to school full-time 5 days after arriving back into the country, and am planning to move to nyc for grad school in May, so taking care of those preparations. Before all this, I spent a stressful year working in Asia 7 days a week with just 6 days off over the whole year, studying for and taking the gre, applying to grad school, planning my wedding and honeymoon, and taking a couple of online classes. I had panic attacks 10 years ago or so when I was a teenager/early twenties and eventually they faded away. These new attacks just started in Feb, just 3 week after getting back to the US. I was at the gym on a treadmill and suddenly started hyperventilating and my heart seemed to be going crazy. They called the paramedics because of course I thought I as having a heart attack. When the medics came they did an EKG which showed normal sinus tachycardia. I was pale, chilled, shaky, and very scared. They took me to the hospital and I had another EKG which was very normal, and an echocardiogram (also normal). The end deduction was that I was having a panic attack. The second time it happened was about 2 weeks ago, my husband and I were loking for an apartment in NYC and I came out of the subway and then it hit me all of a sudden. I sat down, told my husband what was going on, took a xanax, got into a cab and by the time we made it back to the hotel I was ok again. The third time was 2 days ago, my first day back at the gym after the first attack. I was taking it easy on a bike, and about 20 minutes into the workout, it hit. This time I called my husband, he came and got me, took me to the doctor who said either I'm having panic attacks or some kind of tachycardia problem. Now I've got to go to the cardiologist next week for a stress test. The EKG I had this time was normal again. Surely these are just panic attacks. I used to run and workout pretty regularly up until a couple months before all this. I've made an appointment with a therapist next week. I dont know how I'm going to move across the country with all this going on, but have worked hard to get to this point and dont want to have to change my plans. My family doc also put me on Remeron, which seems to help (he precribed it after the first attack and I took it for about 2 weeks. I wasnt taking it when the attacks hit again, so now I got back on it.). He also gave me a prescription for Xanax, which I only take when I really need it. I'm just scared that I'm not going to be able to bring myself to go back to any kind of gym and then my physical health will suffer.
My attacks are very sudden, and I hear alot of people describing them as if they come on gradually. Does anyone else experience the attacks as hitting very suddenly?
Does it sound like I'm having panic attacks? WIll these go away after I move? I'm scared about moving far away from a somewhat familiar place and not being ble to deal with it.
I'm glad I found this forum. I too suffer from what seem to be panic attacks. I just moved back to the US less than 3 months ago, also recently got married 6 months ago, spent 3 months travelling around the developing part of Asia, started going back to school full-time 5 days after arriving back into the country, and am planning to move to nyc for grad school in May, so taking care of those preparations. Before all this, I spent a stressful year working in Asia 7 days a week with just 6 days off over the whole year, studying for and taking the gre, applying to grad school, planning my wedding and honeymoon, and taking a couple of online classes. I had panic attacks 10 years ago or so when I was a teenager/early twenties and eventually they faded away. These new attacks just started in Feb, just 3 week after getting back to the US. I was at the gym on a treadmill and suddenly started hyperventilating and my heart seemed to be going crazy. They called the paramedics because of course I thought I as having a heart attack. When the medics came they did an EKG which showed normal sinus tachycardia. I was pale, chilled, shaky, and very scared. They took me to the hospital and I had another EKG which was very normal, and an echocardiogram (also normal). The end deduction was that I was having a panic attack. The second time it happened was about 2 weeks ago, my husband and I were loking for an apartment in NYC and I came out of the subway and then it hit me all of a sudden. I sat down, told my husband what was going on, took a xanax, got into a cab and by the time we made it back to the hotel I was ok again. The third time was 2 days ago, my first day back at the gym after the first attack. I was taking it easy on a bike, and about 20 minutes into the workout, it hit. This time I called my husband, he came and got me, took me to the doctor who said either I'm having panic attacks or some kind of tachycardia problem. Now I've got to go to the cardiologist next week for a stress test. The EKG I had this time was normal again. Surely these are just panic attacks. I used to run and workout pretty regularly up until a couple months before all this. I've made an appointment with a therapist next week. I dont know how I'm going to move across the country with all this going on, but have worked hard to get to this point and dont want to have to change my plans. My family doc also put me on Remeron, which seems to help (he precribed it after the first attack and I took it for about 2 weeks. I wasnt taking it when the attacks hit again, so now I got back on it.). He also gave me a prescription for Xanax, which I only take when I really need it. I'm just scared that I'm not going to be able to bring myself to go back to any kind of gym and then my physical health will suffer.
My attacks are very sudden, and I hear alot of people describing them as if they come on gradually. Does anyone else experience the attacks as hitting very suddenly?
Does it sound like I'm having panic attacks? WIll these go away after I move? I'm scared about moving far away from a somewhat familiar place and not being ble to deal with it.
Hi krjohan78,
To me it sounds exactly like panic attacks, especially considering everything that's going on in your life at the moment. When I first started having them they would come on really suddenly. I was just reading something at my desk and my heart went thump - I was convinced it had missed a beat. It sent me into such a panic I ended up in exactly the state you described - hyperventilating, shaking, sweating etc etc. For ages any palpitation like that would set me off too.
I saw a counsellor last year who told me that palpitations (which isn't your heart missing a beat, it's just being slightly irregular and weird) are such a common stress symptom, and they're not actually dangerous unless they're really severe and prolonged (which would usually be caused by a medical condition), so you're doing exactly the right thing getting checked out but try to reassure yourself that no harm will come to you. It won't honestly.
I know that's a lot easier said than done though!
My anxiety is tons better this year. I do sometimes feel it coming on a little bit, but now I know if I just relax completely it will go away. That takes a lot of practice though and you've got to learn to trust your body that it's purely an emotional reaction and it's not going to hurt you.
I think you might well find they go away after you move. If you're getting some palpitations caused by stress I find they often go when the stress does. Another thing that might help is the fresh start actually. Often we're our own worst enemy and things that remind us of panic, like places we panicked before, can set us off again.
Be patient with yourself though, everyone gets better at different rates because we're all different. And you've beaten it once - you can do it again. Best wishes.
Sometimes I'm able to do that,other times no such luck. Any other tips you want to pass along would be great!
For me, if I can relax my shoulders and stay still that's the biggest hurdle, because the urge to move used to be really strong and I'd just wind myself up even worse by frantically walking around.
Then I tell myself that no harm is going to come to me. Because I believe that now. It can be harder to convince yourself when you're "in that place" but with practice I found it helped me.
I don't think I saw anyone mention the use of antidepressants, and the fact that sleep is very important. I also have a long list, and at the moment it is getting a bit longer. Just be sure if you take an antidepressant that you are on it a full year.
For me, if I can relax my shoulders and stay still that's the biggest hurdle, because the urge to move used to be really strong and I'd just wind myself up even worse by frantically walking around.
I read this and started chuckling to myself, because its EXACTLY what I do, I start walking around and around and around, pacing back and forth. My husband knows exactly what that indicates. I feel like if I stand still something bad is going to happen. I could wear a hole in the carpet!!
Its the build up of adrenaline that makes us want to move, part of the "flight or fight" response.
I read this and started chuckling to myself, because its EXACTLY what I do, I start walking around and around and around, pacing back and forth. My husband knows exactly what that indicates. I feel like if I stand still something bad is going to happen. I could wear a hole in the carpet!!
Its the build up of adrenaline that makes us want to move, part of the "flight or fight" response.
Yeah - I think I dubbed my technique (as the alternative to "fight or flight") the "play dead" a few tens of pages back... I can't believe how long this thread has got!
That's why people are worse when they feel trapped isn't it? Like in cars at traffic lights etc.
I get them alot in vehicles or overly crowded places or if it's too quiet of a place (like a meeting)
Oh yeah - meetings. Too much pressure to stay still and behave normally! I've lasted the last few OK but I know not to have any caffeinated coffee first. My worst ever was quite a small meeting with our Director and a load of other very senior people. I was offered this bucket of coffee which I accepted to be polite, then spent the rest of the meeting desperate to run out of the room screaming. I must have fidgeted like crazy. Bad times...
Oh yeah - meetings. Too much pressure to stay still and behave normally!
The whole I hope I don't make a fool of myself,and fighting not running out.I have a 2 day management class in 2 weeks and I'm already fretting it.The whole "what ifs" keep popping in my head.
Hey guys, sorry I havent been here for the last 2 days, my anxiety has been really bad again. I have been having a lot of panic attacks..wow, they have been pretty bad. I just came on to see if things were going ok on here. I see there have been some new posts added, I will try to come back on tonight, providing I can calm down long enough to read everything...everyone have a great day.
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Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. I have been having a lot of panic attacks..wow, they have been pretty bad. I just came on to see if things were going ok on here. I see there have been some new posts added, I will try to come back on tonight, providing I can calm down long enough to read everything...everyone have a great day.