...and let me tell you: it *wasn't* pleasant...
:eek:

hopefully this was a once-in-a-lifetime thing...
*sighs*

What happened to you during your panic attack? If you don't mind me asking..

i'd gone to bed, and was preparing for yet another lovely visit to "camp sleepyhead", when all of a sudden:

my heart started pounding so loud/hard/fast i thought i was having a heart attack
i had trouble breathing
i started sweating
i had trouble swallowing (i tried to have a glas of water)
i felt dizzy and nauseated, and thought i was going to pass out
it felt like the muscles on the right side of my face were being paralyzed
it was *very* scary (*:eek:*), and finally i had to sit up and focus on my breathing in order to not "go crazy"...

i called my doctor this morning, and we agreed that since i'm seeing her on monday (at our monthly get-together/appointment), i'm going to try to cope over the weekend, and then maybe monday i'll switch back to efexor (i recently switched to prozac, or "fontex" as it's called over here in sweden)...

They use the same word, fontex, instead of prozac on Denmark as well.

But do you think that the drugs could have triggered the panic attack? I'm only asking because you mentioned you'd never had any previous panic attacks before.

yeah, well...
i read about efexor, and it says it's for ("against", rather!;-) anxiety attacks/depression, whereas fontex/prozac is for ("against"...) depression *only*, so...

*but*, i've also been (and still *am*, actually) under a lot of stress: my father (who abused me both physically and emotionally) is dying from bone cancer, i haven't spoken to my mother in almost 5 months (she doesn't approve of my taking concerta and anti-depressants, so i "had to" push her out of my life in order to survive, kinda...), my best friend has friedreich's ataxia (progressive neurological disorder) and recenty she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, my personal finances are a disaster and so on...

so maybe the panic attack's due to a combination of switching meds and stress in my life...

:confused:

I don't have a lot of experience with drugs (chemically, rather) but I do have experience with what you've mentioned.
Number of times people in my life have died: 3
Number of times people in my life have been serious injured: 3
Number of times people...crippled: 2
Number of times people...chemotherapy: 1
Number of times people...mentally handicapped 1

Don't add all those figured up and expect a whole amount, it's rather the no. of times stuff has happened to me that I found out. So, I've had a lot of panic attacks in my family, heh. Panic attacks, that I know of through experience, is mainly stress related. When my aunt had two panic attacks, the doctor said it was soley stress related, but that was the only time I'd ever talked to him.

So, from my experience, it seems to be more the stress. Swedish doctors are good (I should know, a lot of them study in Copenhagen ;) ) so I think the drug prescription isn't really a problem, but maybe your body is having a hard time coping with them both at once. I still bet it's due to the stress.

i'm hoping i won't have to have this experience again - here's to a panic-free weekend!
:D

Indeed! And to a panic attack-free life!

naw, gotta have a *little* bit o' panic to keep it interesting, but nothing like last night, thank you very much!
;)

I hope you are feeling a little better today :)

Like Sam I don't have the experience/knowledge to comment on the medication you are currently taking to say if it is/isn't causing your panic attack or not but I have been suffering from panic attacks myself caused from PTSD.

It was after having my first panic attack that I went to see the Dr. and from reading different post you have made here, it might just be worth mentioning to your Dr if there is any possibility that you have PTSD as well.

I hope you are feeling a little better today :).i *am*, thank you!
:)

It was after having my first panic attack that I went to see the Dr. and from reading different post you have made here, it might just be worth mentioning to your Dr if there is any possibility that you have PTSD as well.i will discuss it with my doctor when i see her monday - thanks!
:)

managed to fight back the worst of the symptoms last night, but it was still scary...
:(

i am glad you got through it.... proud of you

thank you!
i am quite proud of myself, actually...
:)

i just got off the phone with my doctor (she's on call this weekend - don't want you to think i'm a *stalker*, or anything!;-) - she thinks it's the switching of meds that triggered these attacks, and so now i'm back on efexor...
:(

well lets hope you dont have any more Panic attacks, wishing you all the best :) take care

Gabriela,

I live day to day with panic attacks, and stress is a major contributor to this.
You have mentioned that your abusive father is dieing from bone cancer. My father is also abusive, and he has come close to death several times over the years. Every time I hear about him becoming ill I have major panic attacks over it. One would think it would be a relief if he were to pass, but in fact the panic attack comes on because of unfinished business ie..feelings of being accepted for who you are, and just that simple apology and him confessing his wrong doing.
Your mother is also playing a role in this, by not accepting you for who you are and your need for medication.
Top that off with life's consistent interference into our lives..LOL by this I mean financial ups & downs, and then the people close to us having to face what ever is thrown their way. We just become over whelmed and our bodies react to it.

Here is one thing I do to help when I am unable to either buy medication to help control it or in need of more then what my meds can provide.
Put a picture on the wall that is pleasing. While staring at this picture work on controlling your breathing and clearing your mind. Keep a note book and pen/pencil handy also. Write down the feelings as they come to you. Ie..Fear, anger, sadness etc.. Go back to these feelings and think about them individually. Ie..what is going on in your life to make these feelings occur and who may be playing a role in these feelings. Next, try to resolve these feelings with a solution whether it be a solution to the problem/feeling it self or an alternative to alleviate it.
Then after you are able to calm down a bit. Warm yourself a glass of milk, I put maple syrup in mine to make it taste better. Avoid Chocolate due to the caffeine. The enzymes in the warm milk will calm you and make you sleepy again.
Also if you continue to have these attacks, Exercise before bedtime. The release of endorphins and adrenalin will help lessen the severity of these attacks.

Although I do not have a degree in panic disorders, I have lived with them all my life and have been to several Dr. & seminars on dealing with them.

I hope this works hon, because I know these things can be very scary.

Huggz.

I am a panic anxiety survivor. Here are the things that have made difference for me.

1. At times when a relaxing thought comes to your mind, write it down. Go through this list of thoughts just before you go to sleep. That way you let the panic attack fighting thoughts take root in your mind.

2. Regular exercise and eating healthy indeed made big positive difference. When you have acid reflux, indigestion or any physical discomfort, it is easier to get a panic attack.

3. Understand that without panic attack, 70-80% of your life sucks anyway. This negative thought actually brings comfort. Because much less is at stake when you get a panic attack. Thus you try not so hard to fight panic attach. That hard fight to avoid panic attack was causing panic attack itself more than half the times.

4. Understand that at one point in future, when your body and your environment and stuff changes enough, panic attacks will automatically go away. It always does. All things do.

5. Medications work.

6. PANIC ATTACK NEVER KILLS. Would rather have panic attack than a heart attack. What would you rather have given a choice? Heart that beats a little faster or heart that chokes and stops?

7. Last but not the least. Make your life simpler. Do less things. Pursue less things. Put less demand on yourself. Remember, you can stop anything from bothering you if you give it enough space in your life. Give all your ailments including panic attacks enough space in your life and suddenly they won't be so bad after all.

I still get panic attacks once in a while. But now within an hour of getting it, forget about it.

I Knows What You Mean I Get An Got Painc Attacks At Night For Meany Resons An Some Triggers Like Strees Bp Noise An Cold As Well Would Trigger One Off I Fully Understand They Put Me On Betta Blokers An Porsza In The End 4years Later I Hardley Ever Get One Now Iam Off Porszca Now An My Betta Blokers Ive Cut In Half By 80% So There Alot To It An How You Get There It Take Each Daty As It Comes If You Waa Chat More Pm Me
Aslllways Happy To Have A Listening Ear..... Good Lock An Be Safe

Dorm An

Warmwecome To The Add Forums

She said she was on Prozac, I had a really bad panic attack when I was on Prozac.

I take zoloft for panic attacks myself. It works very well for me but i do get increased agitation for which I'm dealing with for right now.