Sign of panic attack/anxiety?

[WestCanada05]

About 3 months ago I woke up to go to the washroom. Just as I entered the room and turned the lights on I began to feel really weak, like my legs were going to give out on me. I also began to feel a little dizzy and nauseous. I had this intimidate fear of death, and really began to panic. This lasted for about 40 seconds, and I then brought myself to my room and lied on my bed in total fear. about 10 min later I got up again but felt really uneasy. While the symptoms of feeling weak went away I did began to become very fatigued, and this lasted for about 2 weeks. Ever since I have had a various amount of symptoms come and go like fatigue, weakness, hot flashes, nausea and general fear that I may have a serious disease. I also think that I did a lot of damage at the start because I began to look for my symptoms and of course cancer, diabetes and heart disease were up there and this defiantly made it a million time worse.

To give some background I did have a very hard time with a break up that ended half a year ago, and have put a lot of stress on myself thinking about it a lot. I also made plans for a date with a new girl the day before I had what I thought to be a panic attack. I just don;t understand why I would have a panic attack out of the blue. I mean I went on a great travel through Europe months earlier and had no anxious thoughts or panic attacks. I also notice that unlike a lot of people who have rapid heart beats from breathing to fast I realize that a lot of times I find myself holding in my breath at time of anxiety.

I went to see a doctor and told me to get a blood test, so I will end up doing that sometime this week.

[Enduronman]

Yup. Sub-conciously, your mind was still spinning this loss around, then the fact that you had the opportunity to "replace" what you lost, you panicked...Yes, anxiety.
Yes, blood test to rule out. Mind was occupied in European travels, busy, not alone...It'll hit most commonly, when alone.
You don't have a disease, I do.. Stop over-analyzing this...it is a reaction to stress started with a (traumatic event)...PTSD=anxiety=panic=fatigue=weakness=hot flashes=general fear of future relationship failure====get to the Doc and get this under control early, while you can.

How old are you, to rule out hormones playing into this too?

E-Man...:)

[alankay]

Sound like a temp lowering of blood pressure when you stood up. It passes and is normal. It will go away as your BP raises enough to restore good blood flow to the brain. Alankay

[artaud]

I went to see a doctor and told me to get a blood test, so I will end up doing that sometime this week.

The initial episode, on standing, sounds like a Vasovagal Response, you worrying about it is probably keeping the effect going, that and the other stress in your life.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response

Our bodies are incredibly complicated, adjustments to heart rate, breathing, even how much blood flows through our vascular system is constantly made, usually without our knowledge.

Stress can be a big factor in vasovagal response. My wife worked in doctor offices most of her life, and she'd give people vaccines or draw blood. She said some patients would make it to the waiting room but she could see a change in their face, she knew they were going to faint. One young man actually just tilted against his mother and slid to floor. These patients are reacting to the fear of the shot, and it's a vasovagal response.

I have a coworker that can't stand the sight of blood. He cut his hand one day, went into the lavatory to wash the cut, made it to just outside the lavatory and fainted, collapsing to the floor. Same thing, vasovagal response.

It happens more in young people because this system still works better, adjusting various aspects of heart rate, breathing, and vascular tone, than it does in older people. Sometimes though, it over adjusts things.

Just follow through with your doctor, but what you described does indeed sound stress related. Stress can do weird things to our bodies.

Merry Christmas (if applicable) and Happy Holidays!

[WestCanada05]

I am only 26. These things do make sense now that I think about it. I should also mention that I have been doing a lot of strength training in the months prior, and I did do a heavy workout the day before it happened. Also most the the troublesome symptoms didn't show up until many weeks after which could be the the anxiety that came from that event. I also notice that I am very sensitive to body changes, as soon as something feels out of the norm I get very anxious and begin thinking of worst case possibilities.

[artaud]

I also notice that I am very sensitive to body changes, as soon as something feels out of the norm I get very anxious and begin thinking of worst case possibilities.

You'll fit right in here ;-)

Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, as the case may apply.

[NixonRulz]

You have the pretty classic case of how one stumbles upon their anxiety.

Stress of course is usually the start and a twinge in your body makes you jump to a conclusion of worst case scenario and you react to those scary thoughts.

That gets your adrenaline pumping and you experience the fight or flight.

This happens to some people occasionally and they just go on without a hitch with their lives

Others will dwell on all the possibilities until they start to feel all of the lovely symptoms anxiety throws at you.

Constantly being afraid and trying to avoid anything that makes you feel anxious long enough and you now train your brain into an anxiety disorder.

Knowing and understanding this can knock the anxiety out.

Have a physical from your doctor and go to a second if you want reassurance that there is nothing physically wrong.

You have to believe that you are fine before the feelings will begin to subside.

Hope you find your way quickly.

[WestCanada05]

Thanks for the replies everyone, and happy holidays indeed. I have been learning a lot about anxiety lately and its quite interesting to read about since I can identify with so much of it. I hope I can treat this without medication, but will see.

I just hope spring comes early this year, I don't think that having anxiety in the winter is a lot of fun. Its always dark and I get so little sun its pretty depressing.