Are these panic attacks?

[BreathlessCommotion]

Background: I do have mental health issues, although not generally anxiety or panic. I have had some dark days over the lockdown/pandemic, but it hasn't all been awful.

Things have been recently a bit shit, because I'm on the verge of leaving dh, or making a decision.

Today I keep feeling... weird.. Light headed/dizzy and then a wave of tearfulness. Sometimes palpitations. But it doesn't seem to be linked to anything I'm doing at the time. I can be making a cup of tea, or hanging washing out. Or just now watching TV with my lunch.

It could be. It's really hard to say. I have had a few anxiety attacks. Usually don't really have any mental health issues and generally very even keeled, but I had an awful one out of the blue one time. We were on holiday, all very relaxed and lovely, we'd ordered takeaway and we in the middle of having dinner. And all of a sudden my heart just started racing, my face went sort of number and my hands felt like they were on fire. I had to go lock myself in the downstairs loo, sit on the toilet so I didn't pass out, and run my hands under cold water to make them stop burning. It was bizarre. It lasted a few minutes but I felt weird the rest of the evening. I've had a few others that were mostly just racing heart and dizziness and I had to sit down on the floor to avoid passing out (this was at a time that I was actually quite anxious). It's very possible that's what they could be, especially if you do think you've been stressed lately. Sometimes our bodies respond in ways when we don't even realise how overwhelmed we are.

Mindutopia yours sounds like it could have been a reaction to MSG

Breathlesscommotion it definitely sounds like it could be panic attacks. I used to have them years ago and they did just seem to come out of nowhere which made it worse somehow because of the unpredictability. You are under a lot of stress ATM; don't underestimate what it can do to your body.

It's best to get it checked out at the gp though, as I was also checked for anaemia, a thyroid issue, diabetes, cardiac ...lots of things. Chances are it won't be anything serious but you need to get a blood test.

And if it is panic attacks , there are some excellent resources on line to help like mindfulness exercises which help you to live in the moment and not feel depressed about the past or anxious about the future. Good luck.

Mindutopia meant to include link in post www.everydayhealth.com/allergy/does-msg-allergy-really-exist.aspx. The hands on fire is a classic symptom.