I am having bad anxiety attacks

pace1987

pace1987

Cathlete
It is so horrible. I finally came off this medication called zyprexa which made me gain 40lbs. It is just awful. I am already on paxil cr but my doctor is going to add trazodone so I can sleep well. Please say a prayer for me that this will past. TIA:)
 
Have you tried

licorice? It can be really helpful for anxiety. Also, avoid caffeine it raises anxiety. If you are on prescription meds be sure to avoid grapefruit because that can cause an overdose of your prescription especially the paxil.

I hope you feel better soon.
 
I get panic attacks, though not nearly as often as I used to, and they are HORRIBLE. Some times, depending what is happening in my life, I feel like I'm in a mild state of anxiety all the time. Good for weight loss though :p

Seriously speaking, now that I know what they are and that they aren't dangerous, I can handle them. It also helped knowing I wasn't along; my father had them as well. I just put in a movie (something funny) or sleep (if applicable) and they'll go away. You'll get there. I keep a supply of Ativan on hand at all time though.
 
I have had panic disorder since I was 18 years old- I am now 45.
My BEST recomendation to you is to read the books by Aaron Beck (University of Penn) and feeling Good by David Burnes ( he studied under Aaron Beck. It's cognitive therapy where you ferute the negative thoughts you are having. It works. Some people do it with meds and without. I needed meds but gained a tremendous amount of control over my anxiety. My father was agoraphobic my whole life (never left the house) and i have gone thru periods of this. I am MUCH better now.

Please take into account that stressful times in your life can make it worse, and change in medicine too. Do not give up. There is great treatment for it. I could write a book but don't want to confuse you.

remember one thing- it is your body's normal Fight or flight response that is working overtime!!!! That's it!!!! And you can get it to work regular time.

Any help I can give please ask. BTW, I went on to be an ER/TRAUMA nurse, have 2 children and am very happy now.

ellie
 
Thanks everyone for the wonderful words.

Ellie thanks for your suggestion. I will look into the books.

Well last night I took the trazodone and all night I felt like I was coming out of my skin. It was just awful. I also had some nightmares. I will have to speak to my NP today about this. I do see her today. I hope I can get the right medication. This is so hard to handle sometimes. Please keep praying for me because I really need it:). Thanks.
 
Barbara

Good Luck today. Don't let anxiety define you. it's very difficult but you can do it. Trust me. Sometimes you just really need a good doc and a great support system. I am always available if you have any questions or just need someone to relate to

ellie
 
I have struggled with this also. Sometimes I will just lie down and let the panic literally wash over me knowing it will peak and then subside. I also remember "anicca"--everything will pass the good and the bad. Nothing lasts forever and while I am having this horrible anxiety attack it WILL end. This really helps me as does paying attention to my breathing. I also think about what is going on in my life that is making me this anxious and often it is nothing new--nothing has changed just my perception of it. I also at times--when things are fine--find my mind searching around looking for something to be anxious about. I have never taken anti-anxiety medication but maybe my anxiety attacks are not as severe as others have experienced. I have a friend whose son had asthma attacks and she learned to talk him down and not to have to rely on medication which had an adverse affect on him. Good luck and I hope you feel better.
 
I have them too. So bad that I went to a cardiologist to see if something was wrong with my heart. I have "white coat" fear, so my blood pressure spiked at over 167/121 last time I was in his office, my heart palpitates and I get flushed and break out in hives, its horrific!!!

I record my blood pressure at home now and its never been over 115/80...Its normal, my heart still palps, but the EKG says its normal, I think its perimenopause as it happens only certain times of the month...and the panic attacks only happen at the doctor's or once or twice a year, I carry Xanax with me everywhere...I only need to take of very occasionally though.
Now that I have had every test done known to man, there is nothing wrong with my heart, etc...I am starting to settle down and rest easier...plus I stopped the sugar and the nightly wine fest, so I noticed that might be helping with my anxiety. I used to think a drink or two would help relax me, but wonder now if it actually made me worse...
 
Oh wow thank you so much for all your kind words. I did take someone suggestion from here this morning and let the panic attack happen and it pass. I called my NP and told her and she said I should of took the Xanax but I am so afraid of taking it because I did get hook on a high dose of ativan and the withdrawel was really horrible. She said it is there for emergency only to get me through this.
 
Hi,

I had good results with the Midwest Center's Attacking Anxiety and Depression program by Lucinda Bassett. The first lesson is how to deal with the physical symptoms so that they don't scare you as much.

Best of luck to you.

Cindy
 
I suffer this also. Mine always hits me in the car and now I am afraid to drive. Actually it doesn't matter if I am driving or if someone else is doing the driving. I have to literally talk myself out of it. It's horrible. It doesn't happen every time but it happens enough.
 
Hi everyone I just got back from my NP and she check me out from head to toe and talked to me for about 1 hour. She is also a therapist too which is good. She made a slight change not much because she didn't want to do to much at once. Thank you everyone. It really helps to know that I am not the only one going through this. I just had no idea how many people are going through this.
 
I would like to add my two cents. My DH has had panic attacks ever since I've known him. They can get pretty bad sometimes but thankfully they do not happen often. His manifest in the form of panic/fear. And they are far more likely to happen when he does not get enough sleep.

Last year, I ended up in the ER with what I thought was an asthma attack and it turned out it was an anxiety attack. I was under a lot of stress from a lot of different areas and it manifested itself in the form of a general feeling of unease and breathing issues (which scared the crap out of me for a long time). Because of the breathing problems, my doctor put me on asthma meds. I was still having issues and it felt like I just couldn't take a full breath and it was very unsettling. So I saw a different doctor in my family practice (she is hard to get in to see) and she told me it wasn't asthma but that it is stress that is causing this. I got a big yet loving lecture from her about how I need to manage my stress better. She weaned me off of the asthma meds.

The biggest turning point for me was finding out that it wasn't asthma and that even though I had problems breathing now and then, it was stress related and not something that could potentially be harmful to me. Now I realize that when it happens (I still have the breathing issues now and again which I now recognize as anxiety) I am better because I know it will pass. Usually changing my environment, even just by stepping outside for 5 minutes, is helpful. And guess when I tend to have these attacks? When I haven't been getting enough sleep.

Don't feel bad about having anxiety. Find a way to help manage your stress. Some people need regular medication for it, some don't. But despite how it feels at the time, take comfort in knowing that panic attacks will end and they will not kill you (although sometimes it feels like they will).
 
Anxiety is awful! I feel very alone and don't share it with very many people. It was good to see this thread.

I have found, exercise helps, not light excercise, but full on heavy weights or hard fast cardio! Its hard to get the oomph needed when you are suffering, but you have to push yourself! You need happy endorphines in your body.

Another tip, "PUT" your aniexty elsewhere. Breath as normally as you can. Close your eyes. visualise putting the panic or anxiety on a deserted island and you arre sailing off relaxing in a boat, even wave to it as you pass it. I know this probably sounds crazy but it actually works! While putting the aniexty elsewhere, make sure you tell yourself, you are not dying (my anxiety is caused through fear of death so I use myself as an example). I may have to do this process several times, but I am determined NOT to let "it" get the better of me. Another tip is not to put yourself in any situation where you know you may be effected. ie I hardly ever watch the news, I don't want to hear the bad things. Putting my head in the sand - maybe, but at least I am well. Limit the things that cause you stesses/grief, if you can.

Thats a very brief rundown of some of the little things I do.
 
idream said:
Anxiety is awful! I feel very alone and don't share it with very many people. It was good to see this thread.

I have found, exercise helps, not light excercise, but full on heavy weights or hard fast cardio! Its hard to get the oomph needed when you are suffering, but you have to push yourself! You need happy endorphines in your body.

Another tip, "PUT" your aniexty elsewhere. Breath as normally as you can. Close your eyes. visualise putting the panic or anxiety on a deserted island and you arre sailing off relaxing in a boat, even wave to it as you pass it. I know this probably sounds crazy but it actually works! While putting the aniexty elsewhere, make sure you tell yourself, you are not dying (my anxiety is caused through fear of death so I use myself as an example). I may have to do this process several times, but I am determined NOT to let "it" get the better of me. Another tip is not to put yourself in any situation where you know you may be effected. ie I hardly ever watch the news, I don't want to hear the bad things. Putting my head in the sand - maybe, but at least I am well. Limit the things that cause you stesses/grief, if you can.

Thats a very brief rundown of some of the little things I do.
Click to expand...

Another firm believer in the power of vigorous exercise here, I just love the endorphin buzz!! I think you'll find that more people suffer from some sort of anxiety than don't, it's just that most aren't comfortable sharing with others.

I myself had severe anxiety in the late 90's...turns out I have something called Generalized Anxiety Disorder w/depression as well. Exercise, Medication, and eliminating people, places, and things..(barstool buddies, alcohol, and huge crowds in my case) have been godsends for me!

The medications bring me to a normal level...case in point...I attempted to drive over a huge bridge a year ago with just my normal meds to keep my stable....bad move...I hate large bridges, and once on the bridge, my knees started knocking and I thought my heart was going to pop right out of my chest..for that reason, I was prescribed Xanax for times like that, and will not hesitate to pop on if needed.

Realizing you're not alone can make a huge difference, I know it did for me! Sending positive exercise endorphins your way!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top