If you used to have panic attacks and don't now, what helped?

[IHeartKingThistle]

I need help!

I've had attacks like this before but never this many. I've been physically unwell with an ear infection and had antibiotics which has set off my IBS but the panic episodes started a little bit before that. I don't even know if they are panic attacks but I get very hot, my heart rate shoots up, I feel sick and get diarrhoea. I can't really separate what's stomach problems and what's panic but I feel like something really bad is happening at the time. They come out of nowhere - I'm normally a really buoyant person - and I can't put my finger on what's triggering them.

How can I reset myself? Life is stressful at the moment for everybody but I can't keep being ill!

I was very ill about a decade ago and had lots of similar episodes then but haven't had them for years.

Please tell me what worked for you.

Mine were very much linked to my stressful job - because of it I developed all sorts of things like agoraphobia and fear when driving on motorways and would have panic attacks when in situations where I felt trapped and out of control. When I changed jobs I got much better and was able to confront the things which I thought would give me panic attacks. The more I did them the better I felt. I rarely feel panicky now.

Avoiding triggers. Learning to control my breathing and thoughts, mindfulness.

I feel like that if I am reacting to something. Get your thyroid and vitamin d levels tested.
Oh and the gut and brain are linked, kefir is the thing, I get mine from here
www.chucklinggoat.co.uk
Start with a very small amount, a teaspoon, and gradually increase.

I cut out alcohol completely. And started on Sertraline. Changed my life.

Propranolol
No caffeine /red wine
CBT (only a couple of sessions)
Not getting too tired / stressed
Also , not eating huge meals - makes me feel like my lungs are being squashed and can't breathe.

They're so crippling, luckily mine eventually just went away , but I do sometimes worry about them coming back.

@WildCherryBlossom I went for CBT and the therapist described it perfectly to link ibs and anxiety. When you go into fight or flight mode your body starts shutting down things it doesn't need. So it doesn't bother with digestion and essentially just pushes everything out quickly! I had never made the connection either before he told me.

Making sure I was well-hydrated. Sounds absolutely mad, but a giant pint of water really helps me.

That and long, slow breathing.

A psychologist explained that anxiety has a peak that it has to climb down from, which calmed me down.
Also, if you try and feel anxious it can cancel out the feeling. So if I was starting to feel the stirrings of one, I would try to feel more anxious. I can’t really explain it well.
Also if I was in the house when I’d get one I’d throw my trainers on and go for a run. That was more when I got a handle on it.

A 12 week course of CBT delivered by members of the local mental health team. I was very skeptical and didn't think it would make any difference but it did. I still get quite bad depression but my anxiety and panic attacks are well under control now.

Breaking up with my cheating boyfriend. Sorry probably not much help.

In my case I was trying to continue on pretending everything was fine but my body knew different and panic attacks were how this materialised. Went away almost completely now but I still suffer from symptoms if life gets too stressful.

Integrating yoga into my life (most days) helps a lot.

I developed panic attacks as part of my depression in response to something I felt very guilty about. They were often related to being in public and suddenly feeling like everybody knew what I'd done, like my thoughts and feelings were being broadcast. Then I'd start to panic and have to leave the room or get off the bus until it passed. It was a very dark time for me. Sertraline helped the most, because it lifted my mood and my anxiety enough for me to remember that a) no one can read my mind and b) I didn't actually need to feel guilty about what I'd done. Once those 2 beliefs calmed down the panic attacks stopped.

'At Last a Life' Paul David.
Really helped me. I actually cried when I first read it. It was like someone finally understood.

Firstly Sertraline (other medications are out there so kept trying until found the right one). Secondly, counselling for worry management and problem solving. That really helped me. I no longer take the Sertraline. I hope you find your answer.

I’ve had both IBS and panic attacks and they were definitely linked in that a panic attack caused an IBS flare up. Then fear of shitting myself (to be blunt!) caused a panic attack.

What helped hugely with my IBS was drinking lacto free milk. I got the idea as DSis needed a gall bladder op and she was told that many people have issues with diarrhoea which are linked to the gall bladder but not serious enough to warrant surgery etc. So I suspect at least some cases of IBS are actually undiagnosed gall bladder issues. She was told post surgery to cut lactose from her diet. I can’t go completely dairy free as I love cheese and ice cream! But I can definitely see the link now as my IBS has improved 90% and I just have the dairy things I love when I know I don’t have to go anywhere that day or the next.

Beta blockers helped in the early days with my panic attacks. Also you have to just ride out the fear to a degree. Recognise how you feel but remind yourself it is not a permanent state and it won’t last. Take some deep breaths and be still for a few minutes.

About 10 years ago I was crippled with panic attacks. It was so bad I couldn't leave the house unless I was with my boyfriend or my parents except when I was going to work.

I had counselling and a 12 session CBT course - my employer at the time had an Employee Assistance Program which covered both (it is anonymous in the sense that your employer is not informed). Lots of companies have this and I am still incredibly grateful for it. Eventually something clicked and I was able to rationalize the thoughts that were leading to extreme anxiety and panic.

Interesting a previous poster mentioned iron - low iron levels had the same effect on me and iron tablets definitely helped at times. Also, if I drank too much the next day was unbearable.

I moved to New York for work the following year and I was completely free of anxiety/panic attacks. I remember the first time I did things I never ever thought would be possible - walking through Times Square alone, going for a run in Central Park, meeting my girlfriends for drinks, taking the subway...

Following with interest
for everyone

The calm app, learning triangle breathing, citalopram, and changing jobs. Tried them in that order.

I’ve had a few recently after having them daily for about a year, and I forgot how awful I felt afterwards. You have my sympathy. Panic attacks suck.

cbd oil and drinking 2 litres of water before 12pm.
the water thing was recommended to me by my cardiologist because of the palpatations. feeling Ill with them then made me panic even more... the extra water everyday somehow stopped palpatations happening.

CBT and Lofepramine.

You have no idea how much hope reading all this is giving me. Thank you so much.

This book saved my life.

Breathing is really important. Make sure your breaths aren't shallow or you don't hold your breath - just take note of what your breathing is doing and adjust it to breathing into your stomach, not shoulders. When you think of it, do a big sigh (into your stomach again), like a baby. Keep practising it and it will become second nature.

Shallow breathing /panting/holding your breath fires the adrenals and your system is flooded with adrenalin = panic attack. Proper breathing - steady, into your stomach - turns off the adrenals.

Have you had a blood test to check your thyroid levels? Panic attacks were the main symptom I had when my thyroid was crazily overactive. Haven't had one since that's been treated - it's well worth getting it ruled out.

I’ve been sent for thyroid tests 3 times in the last decade by 3 different doctors. All within normal every time! Not had it checked recently though so might be worth doing. It does feel like something is ‘off’ or imbalanced. But I guess that could be a lot of things!

It’s been quite a big deal to admit to myself that these are probably panic attacks - never thought of myself as someone who suffered with that sort of thing. But actually loads of people do, right? Even usually cheerful optimists like me?

A PP said about her attacks coming out of a stressful period where she had to carry on as if she was OK. I think there’s something in that. Almost everyone around me has needed support this year and there has been a lot of stress involved in doing that, even though the problems weren’t actually mine IYSWIM.

Two years ago I had severe IBS related panic attacks multiple times a day. I managed to get them under control to the point that I actually can’t remember when my last attack was. So there is definitely hope!

The list of things that helped me is quite long. I hope some of it is useful:

• I always carry medication with me for IBS symptoms. I don’t actually take medication that often but just knowing it’s there is reassuring. I use over the counter stuff: Buscopan, Rennie Deflation and Immodium.

• I’m not very good at distracting myself when I’m in the middle of an attack and things like breathing exercises actually make my panic attacks much worse as I become hyperaware of what my body is doing 😣 I’ve found that eating something like a strongly flavoured mint and really focusing on the taste calms me down no end. Slowly sipping a cold drink has the same effect

-it also helps to work out if there are any situations that specifically trigger your anxiety. It’s not about avoiding the triggers, but if you know that doing X always causes a panic attack you can mentally prepare yourself for it. I know it’s much much easier said than done, but if you fear your panic attacks it becomes very difficult to control them. If you think of them as just something that happens because of X, Y and Z, they do become easier to deal with.

• For a while I tracked my heart rate during panic attacks, using my Fitbit. It somehow made me feel more in control and also helped me realise that even when I feel like I’m about to faint, my heart rate isn’t actually any higher than if I did some intense exercise. That was hugely reassuring

-Apart from all that, try to find out what your IBS triggers are, get enough sleep and do exercise. Even just going for a walk can do wonders for both your IBS and your anxiety levels. CBD oil mentioned by previous posters is really good too. I only use it if I have a particularly stressful day ahead as it can upset my stomach, so I have to use it with some caution

My DD has had these attacks for around 7 years but they worsened significantly around 3 years ago. Before that she was very moody and very difficult to read in terms of temperament. She eventually had some talking therapy that we arranged because the NHS didn’t do anything. She was at her worst at the time of Grenfell and nothing was available. Her GP put her on sertraline and it was a total disaster. Made her feel worse. It was really difficult to know what to do.

However. She has now improved so much. She does yoga. She does exercise classes. (Well before Covid). She’s cut out caffeine and alcohol. She is a great cook and has cut down on meat. She’s found a better balance in life and realised some of her social life was actually stressful. I know that sounds ridiculous. But she’s ultra fashionable. She was so desperate to maintain her standards it was actually stressful.

Last May she got a job that she liked but it wasn’t in fashion. She hadn’t worked for 3 years after leaving university because she had anxiety about going out and lack of reliability. She then got an internship in a fashion house and that has seen her improve dramatically. So it’s been totally self help. Her GP tried to get appointments for her and therapy but nothing was offered apart from a 30 minute assessment with no feedback. It’s a lottery regarding help.

I feel for anyone going through this because your horizons shrink. Life becomes one long fearful struggle. I hope a mixture of suggestions from everyone works.