panic attacks / chronic anxiety?

[twik]

I think I'm going slightly crazy to be honest. I've got a thread elsewhere about a headache I've had now for just over 3 weeks. I've had lots of tests and now GP thinks it must be a tension headache. I've also got pins and needles in my feet almost all the time and my vision keeps going blurry. Last night I woke up after just 30 minutes sleep in a total state of panic. I thought I was having a heart attack as my chest was so heavy, heart pounding, covered in sweat and filled with a sense of dread. In the end I got about 3 hours sleep at most. Now I feel absolutely awful. I've got a 3 year old and am on my own.

Has anyone else been through this kind of thing? Does it sound like chronic anxiety? I'm so frightened ...

Thanks everyone. I'll check out your link now melsy.

But people's stories? Please?

Did any of you also get palpitations?

melsy, I just read your link and the link within it to a horrible series of panic attacks you had at that time. Your attacks are way more severe than mine have been, I've never been in spasm or anything like that. Mine seems much more continuous. Did you have that? What constantly confuses me about what's happening with me is that I'm having relatively few panic attacks per se, but being in a constant state of symptoms of pins and needles, headaches, palpitations, pounding in my head and ears, facial numbness, neck pain. How can this be panic? Can it be continual like this?

melsy, I should have said too that your experiences were awful, really traumatic, I felt for you massively, especially with the unsympathetic hospital doctors. I've had similar but have always been alone which has been harrowing.

oh yes twik , at that time , the feeling just didnt leave my body at all, although it was never never as bad as the period you read about which was very harrowing at the time. It was just always there, I wouldnt leave the house , cos I was in a state of flux all the time. All its takes is a few bad bad attacks to leave an impression on the body & mind to go into a state of alert constantly.

Its very much that your nervous system has gone really tight and wound up and needs some serious relaxation intervention. It will take some time , but if you continue to develop the breathing thats been suggested , It will ease. Its not easy breathing differntly , and it takes some time to learn to use visualisation , so take yuor time with it. Your just not used to concentrating on breathing thats why you get the panic feeling . It will give great relief keep at it more and more. Give it a few minutes 6-7 times a day. It really helps with the sleep too.

I now read my life then and think wow did that all happen to me???????!!!!. It seems so like another person was in me then !!

Can totally relate melsy. I had to give up driving because of it and haven't gone back though luckily our bus service is excellent.

I thought for ages it must be a brain tumour etc... or MS that was a fave! It was only when reading some info my friend had on PAs that I thought, hang on this doesn't really happen much at home? But remember twik I wasn't on my own, if I had been I think it'd been most if not all the time. I took citalopram and it was a saviour. I only got up to 20mg, even 10mg helped. I felt numb down my left side and my face in patches, tongue numb. head would feel full especially above my teeth. I'd feel as if I was sinking, disappearing.

Now I have a lot of worries, my friends have big problems, one just lost her fiance to adult cot death. We have big problems with dh's old firm. I thought I was ok but the PA is coming back. I don't feel anxious but get the head symptoms mostly. It's all to do with blood flow I think?

twik, could the ringing in your ears be tinnitus? And when you say you're ok if lying down with a good novel do you have any symptoms then?

you ok twik?

Twik, can you give these people a ring please. It's a freephone no. from the nopanic site.

1. PROVIDING A CONFIDENTIAL HELP-LINE, FREEPHONE 0808 808 0545, 10-00 am TO 10-00 pm, EVERY DAY, STAFFED BY TRAINED VOLUNTEERS.

2. PROVIDING A NIGHT-TIME ANXIETY CRISIS LINE, FREEPHONE 0808 808 0545, 10-00 pm TO 10-00 am, EVERY DAY (ANSWER PHONE SERVICE ONLY )

bump

twik - I had worked up that much tension that all across my shoulders and neck had gone into spasm, the pins and needles slowly went away with physio.

I had palpitations too, so much so that I felt I really really thought I was going to have a heart attack.

I also took citalopram (20mg), although did have some side effects at first.

I will call that number, yule, this afternoon when dd sleeps. I'm feeling awful still. Now it all seems totally endless. One good thing's happened though - the ringing in my ears has subsided which at least makes me feel slightly less insane. Now I'm suffering today mostly from light-headedness, pressure in my head and non-stop palpitations, well, one skipping beat every 30 seconds or so. Last night dp was here and we watched a DVD to 'relax' and he rubbed my neck and shoulders but the whole bloody time I still had these palpitations and a pounding head. Why oh why? Surey then at least I was 'relaxed'???

What is Citalopram by the way? What kind of drug? What does it do?

Hiya twik, sorry to butt in - but i my dp is on Citalopram - its an anti-depressant and it has worked wonders on him - he says he feels alot better to, things dont get to him as much and when anything stressful happens he can handle it ALOT better, he eats better and sleeps better too! HTH xxx

Butt away, helen. What kind of antidepressant is it? Oh, well, I'll look it up anyway.

I can go and grab the packet it you like and see what info i can get off it for you??

Oh, thanks, don't worry though. I'll google it.

Ok - i hope you feel better soon

I took those, it seems they are giving them instead of seroxat . They are all SSRI's ; serantonin re uptake inhibitors. Meaning that they help to keep the happy chemical seratonin up in yuor brain when it may be low.

It will take repeated relxation to really truely help to alleviate the symptoms you have described. So more neck rubs and relaxing please !!!

I just bought this cd I be surprised at anyone not relaxing with this music, sends me to sleep in no time !!!

Did you have these endless skipping beat palpitations too melsy? Anyone? I know I'm not doing myself any favours by going through endless possible physiological reasons for what's happening but I can't help it when I'm feeling so extremely unwell.

Seroxat was the AD I took for about 3 years until I got pregnant. Is there any reason that this other one is preferable that you know of? Do any of you still take anything?

I'm going to phone that number now, yule.

There has been problems with seroxat and investigations with glaxo I think. I had problems coming off of it , citalopram is meant to be safer.

Yes I got a lot of palpitations , all linked Im afraid. I also went on frantic search to link it to some physiological reasons , as it seemed such a horrid and desparate place to be in. IT will not always be that way for you twik x

twik, how did you get on?

Has the gp ever done an ecg on you? The heart monitor thingy? They did it on me twice as I had the same problem as you. I felt better though knowing it was ok, peace of mind is a great thing

Citalopram is good. If you can take it you may feel weird at first but those who've taken it will get you through it hun xx

Hope you're ok twik, will 'talk' tomorrow hun xx

ok

Haven't posted on here until now as have no helpful knowledge, but just to say citalopram works in about a fortnight, and seems a really safe and effective drug even in low doses. It has helped dh so much and I'd give it a try if the doctor suggests it. Wishing you all the luck in the world in sorting this out, you've had some excellent-sounding advice and support on here. XXX