I thought I was having a heart attack.

[JanetPluchinsky]

I woke up this morning with severe chest pains, dizziness, heart beating almost out of my chest. I really thought I was done for. I was sweating and shaking and nauseous. All the heart attack symptoms.

Dh called an ambulance and they were here super quickly, did an ecg etc but it was all inconclusive. So they took me to hospital. The pain in my chest moved down to my abdomen by this point but I still could barely breathe with the pain.

All blood tests and further scans came back clear. My pain lessened throughout the day and by mid afternoon I was discharged and called DH to come and get me.

Then it all went horribly wrong. One minute I was sitting in the waiting room, the next minute I was on the floor, the room was spinning, my chest was back to full pain, I couldn’t feel my hands or feet. Cue five or six hospital staff rushing over and dealing with me.

I am completely mortified. The whole thing was panic attacks. I had no idea this was what panic attacks are like. It wasn’t like I was panicking, either, but they’ve explained that I have been running too stressed for months and this was like a cortisol overload.

They were all really really lovely to me but I feel like just a massive time waster. Both of these episodes felt like I was dying. The second one passed a lot quicker because the doctor immediately recognised it as a panic attack and not a heart attack so was able to help me properly instead of sticking wires all over me and needles in me which they (rightly) did before and meant the attack went on for hours.

I had no idea this is what panic attacks were. I’ve always assumed it would be something you experienced because you were panicking or worried and these both came out of nowhere. The first one then fed into itself what with all the stress about dying and being in hospital. No idea why the second one happened as I was actually calm and looking forward to going home.

Not sure what I’m posting for really, just needed to get it out I think. AIBU to not have realised how awful and uncontrollable panic attacks can be?

Now I need to make some serious lifestyle changes because I can’t be this stressed all the time and I never want to experience this again.

Oh gosh I hope you’re okay. And don’t ever feel like you’re wasting time they can be extremely frightening! Do you feel a little at ease knowing what they are now? Did the doc give you some techniques? I get them and now I can identify them they pass significantly faster but honestly a few times I’ve thought nah, this is my time bye world!

I had no idea you could wake up with a panic attack!

I would totally have thought it was a heart attack too.

Sorry if not helpful but could it be gallstones? They feel like a really painful attack in the abdomen - sort of around the right shoulder blade but radiates and moves all over in my experience.
Bloody agony and my heart always raced when I had an attack, and did have paramedics out once who did an ecg.

Absolutely do not be mortified it was a panic attack. I repeat:

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BE MORTIFIED IT WAS A PANIC ATTACK!!!

There is no “just” about panic attacks. They can be horrendous and the most terrifying symptom people report is the feeling that you are dying. What you are experiencing is just as physical as a heart attack.

Have you thought about where to go from here OP? I very much sympathise. At the height of anxiety I have woken up with a panic attack. It’s miserable but totally controllable.

It definitely helped with the second one to know what was happening. The first one went on for hours and because I thought it was a heart attack it was a self fulfilling prophecy kind of thing.

I had no idea you could wake up with one either! I assumed panic attacks were situational, but the doctor said mine were stress induced, my body had a physical response to a prolonged period of stress.

I need to sort out my work/life balance and stuff.

YANBU at all

I helped a gentleman on a bus once who had a panic attack. He was collapsed across seats, clutching his chest, hyperventilating, his pulse was racing, sweaty, he said the room was spinning but could hardly speak. The bus stopped and threw everyone else off and I sat monitoring and supporting him whilst we waited for an ambulance. His physical symptoms were absolutely real but it turned out to be a panic attack. The body’s dysfunctional response to severe chronic stress.

IMHO you’d be justified to sign yourself off work for a week, do nothing but chill for a few days and then later in the week use the time to reevaluate your work life balance stuff.

I need to drop some balls. I’m working too many hours, plus studying. I have no separation from work, I get emails and messages to my personal phone 24/7. I need to step back.

I had a deadline for some work today and with the benefit of hindsight that’s what sparked today’s nightmare. I meant to spend all of today (my day off) catching up on study to meet the deadline. It’s an apprenticeship so meant to be done in work time mainly but hahaa to that chance. I went ti bed with it in my mind last night and woke up in a panic attack.

This is basically exactly what happened to me and it was the start of Peri-menopause. Peri can cause absolutely horrific anxiety even if, like me, you've never experienced it before.

Could peri be at play?

@HellToTheNope

This is basically exactly what happened to me and it was the start of Peri-menopause. Peri can cause absolutely horrific anxiety even if, like me, you've never experienced it before.

Could peri be at play?

I’m 42 so that would make sense.

It was like nothing I’d ever experienced and I was terrified. I never want to experience it again.

Huge sympathy with all of you suffering them.

People don't know. They think it's all drama and breathing into a paper bag. They're actually horrible. Middle of the night ones are a special kind of fun.

I’m so sorry for you. This is exactly what a panic attack feels like. I went to A&E three times before I accepted that it was a panic attack. It’s awful!! You feel like you are going to die. My saviour has been Citalopram. I wish you all the best. 💐

I had exactly this. It's horrible. xxx

My advice is to get some counselling as you may benefit from unpacking anything that you've been pushing down and down and down whilst you've made yourself too busy as a coping mechanism xxx

Please don't be embarrassed. Panic attacks are horrible. I had a couple, the GP signed me off work for a month. I took the time to reassess everything and made some big changes, I also had some CBT. Take care of yourself. It sounds like you have a lot going on.

Panic attacks are terrifying. You'll hear lots of people say that one feels like dying and it really is a very good description. Take some time now to look up ways of controlling them - breathing, 'grounding', focusing on things you can see around you all help.

I have panic disorder. When my panic attacks are at their worst, I cannot suck air in, my lungs will not inflate and I feel like I am about to suffocate. I get tightness in my chest and pains in my arms. I've been to the hospital multiple times believing I am dying. After they're finished I am utterly exhausted and often cry with relief that they're over. Ime doctors are extremely sympathetic to panic attacks, they do not think you're wasting their time, I have never yet experienced impatience, only kindness and reassurance. They are a very real and terrifying thing and doctors know this. You didn't waste anyone's time.

I was in hospital at Christmas. A nurse was admitted during her shift. She and her colleagues thought she was having a heart attack and it was a panic attack. They told her she must go home and to take a few days off and think about what help she needed.

I wonder if we should call them something else. I am blessed not to suffer with anxiety but I am very stressed. My heart rate rises and I get dizzy when I'm relaxing eg dropping off to sleep

I read the first paragraph and thought panic attack.

I had these about 10 years ago and it was the klaxon sound to say something is very wrong in your life. I made a lot of changes on the back of it.
They are surprisingly debilitating and frightening.

Panic attacks are horrific, and l feel so sorry for our young people inflicted with them and struggling to attend school. Schools need educating on how debilitating and difficult there are to overcome instead of threatening to fine parents or worse still send to prison which only makes matters alot worse.

Oh OP you poor thing.
Very similar happened to me but I only got as far as the ambulance stage. I was absolutely mortified too, but then I realised how unwell and stressed I actually was. It was an eye opener.

I really hope you're OK, it's so awful. I'm in a much better place now and it's only now, years later, that I see how unwell I was and it was just waiting to happen!

@HellToTheNope

This is basically exactly what happened to me and it was the start of Peri-menopause. Peri can cause absolutely horrific anxiety even if, like me, you've never experienced it before.

Could peri be at play?

Yes! I hadn't had one for a few years and one night I woke up in the early hours with the worst one I had ever had. Called an ambulance and was admitted with my children as I am a single parent and had no one to care for them. The doctor was bloody brilliant. He said you're having a panic attack but I am going to run All The Tests so you can see the results and know you're fine. He gave me all the paper work showing me that everything was totally normal - blood tests, EKG, blood pressure, every single test possible. I still have the paperwork and still look at it to remind myself that I had never felt more ill and terrified but all the while my body was fine. I now know it was the beginning of peri menopause.

How awful OP. I didn't realise you'd get actual chest pain with a panic attack; my heart was pounding so hard that my body shook with every beat and I was soaked through with sweat but I didn't have pain. I think if you wake with chest pain it's fair enough to get help, I believe that's what you're expected to do. I hope you sort it out and feel better.

These are my panic attacks, they come on completely out of the blue. I now know when they are coming on and quickly focus on something, anything and then they pass.

My first panic attack happened in day 2 of a holiday of a lifetime. It was so scary and the fear of another one ruined the entire trip. My second happened after a normal day at home. My therapist told me that sometimes the body will throw one out there when you feel safe, because it can express emotion. Bottling up feelings means it’s gotta come out somehow - a panic attack is one of those days.

I’m glad you’re ok

You poor thing op my heart goes out to you.

Did you have a ct scan?