Just had a massive panic attack, now arms and hands are tingling?

[Luanaa]

Had a huge panic attack, heart rate went up to 160bpm (according to blood pressure machine at home).

Tried so hard to calm myself for about half an hour but it just got a hold over me and came to a head. I was gasping for air and ended up passing out. Hit my head pretty hard on wooden floor and feel completely spaced out since then but funnily enough its like the passing out kind of reset me and my breathing and heart rate returned to normal almost straight away. Blood pressure normal but it’s been about 20 minutes now and both my arms are very weak and tingly (a bit like when you have a blood pressure monitor on for too long and it cuts the circulation). Thumbs are also twitching a lot and going stiff. Just wondering how normal this is?

Completely normal. Try to do something to distract yourself. Do you have a garden if you do make a cup of tea and sit in the garden to drink it, listen to the birds watch the wind blowing between the trees, feel the ground on your feet and take some deep breaths through you nose and out of your mouth xx

The very rapid breathing during a panic attack causes low carbon dioxide and calcium in the blood and can cause all the symptoms you mention.

This happens with me too. With my face going numb, even not with a panic attack.

however with a head injury I’d feel comfortable calling 111.

It’s the imbalance of blood gasses following hyperventilation. Slow your breathing right down, or breathe in and out of a paper bag. It will pass x

Sounds like tetany, don't worry it's a normal part of panic and will settle down.

Yes I think it's due to gasping for breath. Try to count for 1 or even 2 seconds before and after you breath in and out. It will pass.

Perfectly normal, I get it when in stressful situations, happens to my face too.

i find it subsides, if I can sit down/lie down somewhere , with my eyes closed for 30minutes or so to concentrate on my breathing.

How were you able to take your blood pressure amist all this?

Thanks all - this is reassuring. Bump on head and it does hurt but no sickness or issues with vision (apart from very blurred vision when I was on the floor but didn’t last long).

@tripleginandtonic with great difficulty-kept coming up with an error code because I couldn’t keep still. Not sure how accurate it actually was but I was in full panic mode