What would you say these attacks are??

[couldthisbemoreserious]

I’ve been having strange attacks for about three years now.

Always starts the same way - usually been very anxious or trying to leave the house. Sometimes has happened after having a shower. The first one I had three years ago I was eating dinner after an extremely stressful day.

I usually get a sudden flash of adrenaline that’s a sort of warning sign, a sense of impending doom/that something awful will happen, horrible sense of urgency that I need to phone for help before I pass out. Heart races/goes irregular, misses beats. Hearing and vision goes funny, and can’t move my arms and legs properly as if they’re numb, find it difficult to stand up/walk. Feel very faint and dizzy. Usually lasts about 3-5 minutes.

After it’s stopped I usually continue to feel very faint and sick for a while.

Last night happened after getting clothes out of the laundrette, got back to my flat, heart racing, warning sign of adrenaline, ‘attack’ happened. Went to A&E as wasn’t sure what else to do - remember A&E reception asking my details but couldn’t get the words out, collapsed in A&E reception, put on a trolley, couldn’t sit up for feeling extremely faint, ended up projectile vomiting and taken through to resus, put on monitors, a drip and IV anti sickness.

I did have a fever and cracking headache last night too, so they said probably something viral on board.

I got let out of hospital at about half 1 in the morning, and all I’ve done is sleep since.

The doctors have told me what they think is wrong and that they don’t think it’s immediately serious, but it feels so physical to me and I’m terrified of another one happening (which would probably cause it).

Prefaced by saying I'm absolutely not a medical professional.

This sounds very similar, in fact almost identical to my condition, I have vestibular migraine. Have a look at VM on Google. The prodrome phase comes before, the days leading up to an attack I feel very agitated, stressed, sleep poorly, niggling headache sometimes on and off. I'm then hit with the situation you described, it sort of washes over me like a rising feeling? Very faint, blurry vision, jumbled speech sometimes, dizzy, weak etc etc. last anywhere from 10 minutes to a few hours. It's then followed by the post drome, which consists of a headache, feeling wiped out / emotional, weak and exhausted.

I was fobbed off as having panic attacks or anxiety for 14 years before a neurologist diagnosed me with what he described as classic VM, and he was disappointed on my behalf I hadn't been diagnosed appropriately sooner. I now take a preventative medication daily, it stops around 90% of the attacks.

See that’s what I was beginning to wonder, my mum has a history of epilepsy, BPPV, migraines. My sister has temporal lobe epilepsy and severe migraines too, and inner ear problems - she’s under a vestibular clinic. Also she two cousins with (much more severe) epilepsy.

Doctors last night said they are pretty sure it is panic symptoms, with an underlying virus this time too, and potentially low blood pressure as a reaction to medication, but I can’t see how a panic attack could cause such severe symptoms as that. Haven’t felt so horrendously ill in a long time.

I have had so much experience with vestibular issues over the years and as soon as I read your OP it shouted VM to me, so it's interesting you have a family history and some suspicion yourself.

All I can say is please chase it up and push for either neurology or vestibular clinic through your GP because I genuinely wasted 14 years of my life trusting doctors who told me it was anxiety!

The thing is, VM is terrifying. You don't know if you're having a stroke or about to pass out, so of course you present as frightened / anxious! Sadly that's all that's focused on, I understand why as anxiety and panic disorder is common and VM is quite rare but to not investigate to rule it out has cost many people precious years of being able to enjoy their lives. I really feel for you, sending a big hug actually ( very unlike me!) because I know so well how scary it is.

Did you happen to have feelings of muscle weakness after the event, any slight sensitivity to light or being emotional?