mark84
03-03-2013, 11:21 AM
I suffered my first ever panic attack around 6 weeks ago, in a supermarket, it was absolutely terrifying. I was standing waiting while my girlfriend was talking to an old work colleague, absolutely bored out of my brains (I'd been standing there for around 45 minutes). I started feeling a pain, thought it was my chest but on reflection it was more my shoulder (or just below, right to the left side of my chest). It moved to my arm and I thought "oh jesus, I'm having a heart attack". Lo and behold, my left arm went completely numb and my vision began to 'fade', heat rushed up my neck and into my face and my girlfriend later told me I went from bright red to jaundiced yellow within seconds. My heart began pounding out of my chest and my right arm joined my left in going complete and utterly numb, before intense pins and needles in both hands.
Ambulance was called, ECG was done, heart rate and blood pressure both completely normal (other than heart speeding up and slowing down initially, which I assume was through me trying to regulate my breathing after hyperventilating) and my heart rate actually excellent (61bpm once I'd calmed down in the ambulance).
Doctor at hospital listened to my heart, said he had no worries (I get no problems when I exercise or play football) and it was decided I'd have a panic attack. I'd had a moment a couple of weeks previously which was similar to the start of my attack, a funny feeling in my chest started it then my eyes/vision started feeling a bit off, I stood up and then feeling s started to subside.
Since the attack, I've not felt right. I've had some good days, but my vision seems to be constantly (but only slightly) blurred, and I often have a 'heavy headed' feeling (or feeling of pressure in the top of my head, or around my face). Sometimes feel as though I'm dizzy, but not. This is the hardest one to explain, my body just feels floaty and off kilter - I can't really feel my feet hitting the floor, I feel a bit heavy on one side and that I'm not really attached to my body. Yesterday I had the worst day since the attack, walking across a bridge to get to the pub with my mates. I'd been okay on the morning, just eyes feeling a bit tired and a feeling of pressure between them but then I started getting a prickly feeling at the top of my head and as though there was a 'ring' of pressure around my face, then it felt as though my hearing and vision was starting to 'fade' again and everything got worse. Tingly all down one side and I could feel my heart speed up, I kept talking to my mates and it went away, although I didn't feel right at all for about the next 2-3 hours (oddly, this was the most caffeine I'd consumed in a morning since the day I'd had the full blown attack and I'd also had lasagne for lunch both times but I'm sure it's not related!).
I'm now taking B Vitamins and a Hops/Valerian/Passion flower mix to try and get things under control, probably too early to notice any significant difference.
I've had loads of symptoms, and hence have been on google almost constantly trying to find if there's anything serious wrong with me (although I had no symptoms of ill health before the first attack). The symptoms I've noticed have been:
Occasional 'twinges' in my chest, nothing painful just 'oh, what was that?'
Fluttering feelings in my chest, usually above my heart though, which cause me to catch my breath (this only seems to be noticeable when lying on my back in bed)
Slightly blurred vision
Rarely, a mild headache
Feeling of pressure in the bridge of my nose, also possibly making my eyes feel as though there is a little 'pressure' around them
Dizzy but not dizzy, like the feelings I got walking across the bridge
I never would've thought a panic attack would be as terrifying as it was, or cause such severe and traumatic physical symptoms. No-one really understands either, which makes it worse. "You just need to snap out of it", I've heard that quite a few times!
I know I need to stop googling serious illnesses, as I've pretty much ruled out all the things that I thought it could've been (strokes, brain tumours, heart attacks etc) but it's becoming almost an addiction. The only other thing I'm clinging too is that I may have some kind of inner ear/sinus infection (hence the soreness and pressure feelings, my Dad and Nanna both had lots of sinus and ear trouble and my left ear is almost constantly blocked) which may have brought on some of the symptoms which are worsened when I can't comprehend them and get that panicky feeling.
Sorry for the extra long post, but I've not really had anyone to talk to about it. I hate feeling like this, it's beginning to take over my life and I recently found out that I'm going to be a dad - all I want is just to concentrate on that!
Ambulance was called, ECG was done, heart rate and blood pressure both completely normal (other than heart speeding up and slowing down initially, which I assume was through me trying to regulate my breathing after hyperventilating) and my heart rate actually excellent (61bpm once I'd calmed down in the ambulance).
Doctor at hospital listened to my heart, said he had no worries (I get no problems when I exercise or play football) and it was decided I'd have a panic attack. I'd had a moment a couple of weeks previously which was similar to the start of my attack, a funny feeling in my chest started it then my eyes/vision started feeling a bit off, I stood up and then feeling s started to subside.
Since the attack, I've not felt right. I've had some good days, but my vision seems to be constantly (but only slightly) blurred, and I often have a 'heavy headed' feeling (or feeling of pressure in the top of my head, or around my face). Sometimes feel as though I'm dizzy, but not. This is the hardest one to explain, my body just feels floaty and off kilter - I can't really feel my feet hitting the floor, I feel a bit heavy on one side and that I'm not really attached to my body. Yesterday I had the worst day since the attack, walking across a bridge to get to the pub with my mates. I'd been okay on the morning, just eyes feeling a bit tired and a feeling of pressure between them but then I started getting a prickly feeling at the top of my head and as though there was a 'ring' of pressure around my face, then it felt as though my hearing and vision was starting to 'fade' again and everything got worse. Tingly all down one side and I could feel my heart speed up, I kept talking to my mates and it went away, although I didn't feel right at all for about the next 2-3 hours (oddly, this was the most caffeine I'd consumed in a morning since the day I'd had the full blown attack and I'd also had lasagne for lunch both times but I'm sure it's not related!).
I'm now taking B Vitamins and a Hops/Valerian/Passion flower mix to try and get things under control, probably too early to notice any significant difference.
I've had loads of symptoms, and hence have been on google almost constantly trying to find if there's anything serious wrong with me (although I had no symptoms of ill health before the first attack). The symptoms I've noticed have been:
Occasional 'twinges' in my chest, nothing painful just 'oh, what was that?'
Fluttering feelings in my chest, usually above my heart though, which cause me to catch my breath (this only seems to be noticeable when lying on my back in bed)
Slightly blurred vision
Rarely, a mild headache
Feeling of pressure in the bridge of my nose, also possibly making my eyes feel as though there is a little 'pressure' around them
Dizzy but not dizzy, like the feelings I got walking across the bridge
I never would've thought a panic attack would be as terrifying as it was, or cause such severe and traumatic physical symptoms. No-one really understands either, which makes it worse. "You just need to snap out of it", I've heard that quite a few times!
I know I need to stop googling serious illnesses, as I've pretty much ruled out all the things that I thought it could've been (strokes, brain tumours, heart attacks etc) but it's becoming almost an addiction. The only other thing I'm clinging too is that I may have some kind of inner ear/sinus infection (hence the soreness and pressure feelings, my Dad and Nanna both had lots of sinus and ear trouble and my left ear is almost constantly blocked) which may have brought on some of the symptoms which are worsened when I can't comprehend them and get that panicky feeling.
Sorry for the extra long post, but I've not really had anyone to talk to about it. I hate feeling like this, it's beginning to take over my life and I recently found out that I'm going to be a dad - all I want is just to concentrate on that!