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Original poster

Nearly ended up in hopital last night because of PND

61 replies

melsy · 22/01/2004 09:29

I dont really know if I can write what happened last night as it is still raw and painful this morning.

I had a terrible terrible panic/anxiety attack, of which was so terrifying I cannot explain just yet and if it wasnt for the most amazing paramedics at 2:00 in the morning I would have ended up being strapped to a bed in A&E. I pleaded and cried with my mum & them not to let them take me as I was so fearful of going back into Chase Farm.

I feel very overwhelmed today , my mum is coming over to look after dd so I can rest in bed. I cant really write to much now as I am very drained. But I feel I will need to talk about it later as I am a bit shell shocked from it right now.

OP posts:
sb34 · 22/01/2004 18:06

Message withdrawn

fio2 · 22/01/2004 18:09

Oh melsy panic attacks are vile arent they Hope you feel better soon. The first one I had was quite bad and I honestly thought I was dying.

bundle · 22/01/2004 18:19

oh melsy, lots of love and hope you're feeling better soon, x

susanmt · 22/01/2004 19:39

melsy - I'm having a terrible time with pnd too at the moment, so sending you lots of hugs ((())). My MIL is coming to help out tomorrow (mother no use!!) - hope you manage to rest while your Mum is here. Take care,

Demented · 22/01/2004 20:37

Hugs Melsy {{{{}}}}. Hope you are OK.

WideWebWitch · 22/01/2004 22:19

melsy, thinking of you too.

Kayleigh · 22/01/2004 22:25

Melsy, just seen this thread. You poor darling.
If there is anything I can do let me know as I can be there in no time. You've got my number, please use it.

Big hug
XXXX

tigermoth · 22/01/2004 23:29

melsey, hope you can rest and recover now your mum is with you. So sorry you are feeling this way.

Bron · 23/01/2004 09:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MammyShirl · 23/01/2004 09:57

Melsy
so sorry to hear about your scary experience.
i suffered from pain attacks for 4 years near the end of my teens. no-one really knew about them then so i had no advice and just thought i was going bonkers. when i eventuallu found out about them i almost was rid of them instantly. if you want to chat about them and want any advice then contact me by email.
i wish when i had them that someone just said to me to not worry and that i would not always feel like that - so just to let you know that panic attacks can be contolled and it is possible to get rid of them too. dont worry it will be ok.

Hulababy · 23/01/2004 10:13

Melsy. Poor you, how scary.

Try and make the most of your time away from DD today and get some rest. Thinking of you.

katierocket · 23/01/2004 10:17

everyone is thinking of you melsy. Poor, poor you, paniac attacks are the most frightening thing. Please keep posting and try to take it easy {{{}}}

celandine · 23/01/2004 10:32

oh melsy, thinking of you.

Original poster
melsy · 23/01/2004 14:22

Thank you all for your words of support.The attack was a typical severe anxiety /panic attack coupled with involuntary convulsing and spasms in the whole body emanating from the back of my neck and causing paralysis feeling so much so that I cannot speak very easily . I can only explain it like a epileptic fit but withought the epilepsy.

I finally had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance from my GP yesterday afternoon (Fri), as I had an appt there yesterday to discuss the citalopram dosage & internal check for ovulation pain . To cut a long story short; I was on the examining bed and told the nurse and doctor what happened on Thursday night and I just went into spasms again and started having the attack there and then. I was kept in the room for about hr and a half waiting for an ambulance. I got taken to the mental health unit and had to wait in the waiting room a further 2 hrs whilst going through the attacks, (not avery nice place for it), quite embarrasing and nerve wracking really. I finally go to see a phsyciatric nurse who took all my life history and everything leading to the night before. I then had to wait a further hr to see the phsychiatrist , who then asked me to repeat EVERYTHING again. I asumme to make sure I was not lying about answers??? Any way I am none the wiser after all thoses hrs of questioning, he feels it is a severe panic/anxiety attack but he has never seen the convulsions and spasms before during it.So he phoned the physician whilst there and they found no know medical/physical cause for this. I am wondering if any one else has had anything like this at all as it is horrible not knowing what this is??? Although he did say if it continues I will be referred to a nuerologist.
I have been asked to have cognitive behaviour therapy which I actually wanted to have many years ago, but the NHS waiting list is 6months or £600 for immdiate private therapy, so how do I cope until then as the money seems crazy?? Although family have all said they would contribute to it financialy.

I am now on diazapram for 5 days to help relax me to sleep and increased dose of citalopram to see if this helps. Unfortunately I am still spasming and convulsing whilst sitting here writing. It is very upsetting and I am in a lot of pain now as it has been going on for nearly 48 hrs. The horrible thing is that I am able to be fairly lucid and normal throughout and now it comes on either discussing negative stressful things and also positive things to. I am so worn out and exausted I just wish it would all stop and I can get on with normal life.

OP posts:
StressyHead · 23/01/2004 14:24

message withdrawn

aloha · 23/01/2004 14:28

Melsy, it sounds dreadful and I can't help with the cause of the spasms. They sound awful. But one thing, the 'double' questions won't be because they thought you were lying - so please don't think that. The initial questions would just be a standard assessment - like the triage nurse in casualty and I'm sure the psychiatrist would probably have not even known the questions had been asked before or known your previous answers, and even if he had, would have felt professionally obliged to ask himself so he could be sure he understood you properly.
I hope all this can be resolved for you very soon.

fio2 · 23/01/2004 14:28

melsy how horrible for you. I would think if your family have offered to pay (or help) conginitive behaviour therapy and you really feel you need it, I would take them up on their offer. Lots of sympathy from me xxx

Hope the diazapan(sp?) works. My mum has used it successful, through difficult periods - she used to have bad panic attacks at the time.

katierocket · 23/01/2004 14:31

melsy - just a thought on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy - why were you told it would be £600 for private therapy? obviously I don't know all the circumstances but is usually around £35-£45 per hour and sessions are normally one hour each.
thinking of you.

sb34 · 23/01/2004 14:38

Message withdrawn

Clarinet60 · 23/01/2004 22:18

Melsy, a friend of mine had this. They called it 'agitated depression' and the spasms were similar to yours. Different drugs were tried. I hope you feel better to know that you're not alone in this, but it must be very frightening for you.
xxxx

pie · 23/01/2004 23:01

I tried to email you Melsy, but you ticked the do not contact box. I'm thinking of you, if you need anything let me know.

pie xx

ninjinglebells · 23/01/2004 23:05

Hi Melsy,

Just seen your post. I've spoken to my dp who's a mental health nurse with a lot of experience, just to ask for his comments and advice.

He wanted to ask you some questions and if you want to you could contact me through Mumsnet.

He wanted me to write in big letters - although you probably know this. That mediaction isn't a great solution and can cause it's own problems.

Again you probably know this but anxiety attacks are a physical thing brought on by triggers, medication just dampens the symptons without dealing with those triggers but there are very effective ways of controlling them.

He said when did they start? How long do they go on for? and what physical tests did they run to exclude physical and neuralogical causes.

He also said have you contacted local self help groups who can be more effective than medics

If this is any help to you Melsy, please feel free to get in touch. If it's all too much feel free to ignore it.

Hope you're feeling better xxx

kizzie · 24/01/2004 23:32

Hi Melsy
While I agree that medication isnt the long term solution (things like CBT are) - when symptoms are severe a lot of people need the drugs just to get them through until the other techniques can start to work. This was certainly the case with me - even though I was 100% against medication initially it did at least get me to the stage where i could function (the panic attacks were so debiliating at one stage that I had no sleep for days on end and was unable to eat etc.)
I am also waiting for CBT on NHS (unfortunately I became addicted to an AD so on a slow withdrawal programme and want to be prepared for when Im finally 'drug free' - dont worry its not the one you are taking)
In the meantime Im going to pay for a few sessions just so I feel like Ive started. Ive checked out a few and it looks like about £45-£50 per sessions and apparently 3 to 4 would be enough jsut to get the basics of CBT to be able to start working on the techniques.
Ive also got details of some relaxation exercises etc so just in case you havent got any of these just email me and Ill send you some details.
I know it feels really * awful now - but things WILL get better!
Kizziex

kizzie · 24/01/2004 23:39

Melsy - forgot to say - I have often had panic/anxiety attacks when I have not been in anyway anxious. I can have been having a really nice day , not sitting worrying about anything and they just hit out of nowehere. Apparently this is quite common.
What dose of diazepam are you on?
Im also taking it at the moment because Ive had to swap to prozac to try to get off the other drug and prozac makes me more anxious!!!.....

I was really really against it but it has actually helped.
Hope youre feeling a bit calmer soon.
Kizziex

Beccarollover · 25/01/2004 18:31

Melsy - hows it going pet???