Can someone please describe their Panic Attacks?

[bherm324]

I'm trying to determine if I have a panic disorder or if I'm experiencing partial seizures. I'm 26, female, no prior history of panic attacks or seizures, however I have mild OCD symptoms & mild general anxiety since becoming a mother (about 6 years ago). My attacks started this past November, a week after I completely cut out caffeine from my diet. Due to some white matter/dysplasia on my brain, my Neuro thinks I'm having seizures. The dyplasia on my brain has been there since birth so I don't understand why 26 years later I would just now develop seizures from a birth defect that has not changed. Plus, seizure medicine is not helping me.

My attacks start like this: I get a weird almost nervous type feeling in my body, my heart starts pounding & thoughts start racing through my mind so fast that I can barley understand them, sometimes they are sentences that make no sense, sometimes they are just random words. During this I cannot bring myself to speak or I find it hard to form a word in my head to say out loud, however I can think so it's sort of hard to explain this. They last anywhere from 1-4 minutes. As soon as they end, I usually have to go to the bathroom (sorry, TMI) because my bowels get upset. Then a few minutes after they end, I feel normal again. I'm conscious during these attacks, I know they're occuring, I know where I'm at, what I'm doing, who I'm with, etc. I just can't speak which makes it very frustrating. Recently, I discovered that deep breathing helps stop them.

I have tried SSRI's (Paxil & Prozac) back in December to try to treat these attacks because my family doctor thought it was indeed panic attacks but that only made things worse & it made the attacks more frequent. I would much rather overcome this on my own without medicine.

I also linked my attacks with my menstrual cycle. They only seem to occur around the time of menstruation & the time of ovulation. I had my hormones tested & some are off balance. My Cortisol hormone is low. Could this be a trigger? Could the caffeine withdrawal be a trigger as well?

Other symptoms include: mood swings, irratibility, muscle pain/stiffness in back/legs/hips/neck, numbness in right side of head, head & hands easily fall asleep while sleeping, brain fog, etc.

Does anyone else have similar attacks or symptoms?

[NixonRulz]

As stated above, I'm no neurologist but I had a friend who had seizures and they were tough to watch

Doesn't sound anything like I would watch him go through

He wouldn't remember anything and would be so exhausted he could hardly stand have to go to sleep almost immediately

[bherm324]

Firstly I am not a neurologist.

But the symptoms you are describing sound like "silent migraine" (no headache)

They can come on triggered / worse around monthly cycle.

Can affect speech/mental disturbance

Tingling/panic sensation

Vomiting/diarrhoea following an episode.

The fact your cortisol levels are low would be unusual for panic attacks (as normally on the elevated end during panic disorders).

Hope you get to the bottom of it.

Regards

James

I've heard of these before. I'll mention this to my Neuro too.
My attacks are very sudden. I could just be sitting on my couch & all of a sudden it starts, so I haven't noticed an actual trigger or aura like symptoms or signs other than the timing with my cycle.
Also, the numbness in the right side of my head all started a few weeks after I got a new bed & pillows so I thought maybe I slept the wrong way, pinched a nerve or twisted a muscle in my neck, etc. especially since I sleep on my right side & that's where the sensation occurs. I do notice if I lay on my back the entire night I don't have the numbness the next day & the "pins & needles" feeling I get in my head & hands only occur during sleeping too. So maybe I should pay a visit to a chiropractor?
Regardless, I'm starting to think hormones play some sort of role in all of this.

Thank you for your reply!

[bherm324]

As stated above, I'm no neurologist but I had a friend who had seizures and they were tough to watch

Doesn't sound anything like I would watch him go through

He wouldn't remember anything and would be so exhausted he could hardly stand have to go to sleep almost immediately

My Neurologist said seizures come in all different forms. I was diagnosed with Partial Focal seizures. They are definitely no comparison to the ones that cause people to go unconscious or convulse. I have nothing like that. But I still feel like what I'm experiencing are not seizures.

[NixonRulz]

My Neurologist said seizures come in all different forms. I was diagnosed with Partial Focal seizures. They are definitely no comparison to the ones that cause people to go unconscious or convulse. I have nothing like that. But I still feel like what I'm experiencing are not seizures.

I would suggest a second opinion from a different neurologist then

You may be right and wouldn't want to be treated for something you don't have

[bherm324]

I would suggest a second opinion from a different neurologist then

You may be right and wouldn't want to be treated for something you don't have

That's what I'm thinking too.

Thanks!

[bherm324]

I think you are right to try a period of time with no drugs, at the very least you can get a better sense of the patterns you are noticing.

It is very difficult to pin down causes that are not "typical" as much of it is (educated) guesswork. In that it's unlikely to show on MRI/fMRI unless you are in the throws of an attack.

I wish you the best of luck :)

Thank you so much!

I see my doctor on Monday so I'm planning to hopefully start weaning off the medicine next week. I felt better off them than on them to begin with. But thanks again!

[Applecherry]

I can't explain your other medical issues, but, that sounds like a panic attack to me. That's what happens to me when having them, my mind races, it feels dreamlike, almost distant from everything else during that moment, you pay no attention to your surroundings, and yes, I get the runs afterwards depending how bad the attack was. Be careful getting diarreah (sp? damn that word, can never think how to spell it right) from your attacks, you can get very sick from losing fluids if you're having daily attacks. Be sure to drink and eat, I ended up in the hospital due to this with severe dehydration.

[bherm324]

I can't explain your other medical issues, but, that sounds like a panic attack to me. That's what happens to me when having them, my mind races, it feels dreamlike, almost distant from everything else during that moment, you pay no attention to your surroundings, and yes, I get the runs afterwards depending how bad the attack was. Be careful getting diarreah (sp? damn that word, can never think how to spell it right) from your attacks, you can get very sick from losing fluids if you're having daily attacks. Be sure to drink and eat, I ended up in the hospital due to this with severe dehydration.

Thanks for your reply. Finally someone else who experiences the same type of attack! Sorry you have to go through that too, they suck! But I have a gut instinct it is panic attacks. My theory is my sudden caffeine withdrawal (I drank hundreds of mg's of caffeine a day, everyday for the last 5+ years) triggered a hormonal imbalance or chemical imbalance possibly causing my fight or flight response system to be disrupted. I also display many symptoms of adrenal fatigue. So I think that + hormones is the root to my problem. None of this started until about a week after I kicked the caffeine habit. It took me 3 doctors to finally get one too look into my hormones, etc. to see there was indeed an imbalance there.

I understand about the dehyrdation issue. It can be very serious. When I took the SSRI's I threw up & had diarrhea every day that I took them plus on the days I was waiting for them to get out of my system. It was horrible. I lost 10 lbs in less than 2 weeks. I kept telling my doctors what was happening & one of them suggested I was just having bad anxiety & I should stay on them! No way. I stopped after 5 days & it took over a week for them to get out of my system for me to feel "normal" again. Luckily, I dont always get loose bowels afterwards. Lately, its just been a strong urge to have a bowel movement & they've been normal for the most part.

How are you handling your attacks? Do you have any triggers?

[vonnhelsing]

Mine start off similar to yours but I also get extremely hot like I will start sweating like mad and yeah my thoughts start racing im thinking a hundred things at once and then boom. Its happening. Heart pounding like a drum, racing 160 bpm

[Applecherry]

Thanks for your reply. Finally someone else who experiences the same type of attack! Sorry you have to go through that too, they suck! But I have a gut instinct it is panic attacks. My theory is my sudden caffeine withdrawal (I drank hundreds of mg's of caffeine a day, everyday for the last 5+ years) triggered a hormonal imbalance or chemical imbalance possibly causing my fight or flight response system to be disrupted. I also display many symptoms of adrenal fatigue. So I think that + hormones is the root to my problem. None of this started until about a week after I kicked the caffeine habit. It took me 3 doctors to finally get one too look into my hormones, etc. to see there was indeed an imbalance there.

I understand about the dehyrdation issue. It can be very serious. When I took the SSRI's I threw up & had diarrhea every day that I took them plus on the days I was waiting for them to get out of my system. It was horrible. I lost 10 lbs in less than 2 weeks. I kept telling my doctors what was happening & one of them suggested I was just having bad anxiety & I should stay on them! No way. I stopped after 5 days & it took over a week for them to get out of my system for me to feel "normal" again. Luckily, I dont always get loose bowels afterwards. Lately, its just been a strong urge to have a bowel movement & they've been normal for the most part.

How are you handling your attacks? Do you have any triggers?

In my case I do take Sertraline (Zoloft) but, it isn't the trigger for me running to the toilet after an attack, cause I did that after an attack before I was on the antidepressant too. The expression "scare the sh*t out of" (pardon my language) rings true.

but anyway, I think definitely caffeine withdrawal can cause some anxiety, cause it's a change. Heck, when I go a day or more without some soda, I get terrible headaches and feel really tired.

I doubt though, your caffeine withdrawal is the root cause of your anxiety, the withdrawal probably just exacerbates it, it's probably something bigger than that, and what I mean is, life stressors. I know when I got my first really bad panic attack in years back in 2010, I was trying my hardest to analyze what was causing it. I kept thinking "Was it because I didn't sleep well the night before?", "was it something I was eating?" none of the above, it was some bigger issues going on, I had/have issues of abandonment, self esteem problems etc..loss of interest etc...

I don't know what your particular stress issues are, but I would be willing to bet there is a deeper root cause to the anxiety.

How do I handle them? Ah, god..I'm currently in one of my bad phases with them right now and have been for a month or two. Other than taking Zoloft, I just try and get exercise daily by taking long walks with my dog, try and do some hobbies. Force myself to cry to get out some bad emotions while listening to some music.. While I'm having an attack, and feel really out of place, I look at my hands and see them shaking and it reminds me it's just an attack, and nothing bigger..sounds weird, but it helps me.

I hope you can get to the bottom of your problems soon and have some peace of mind.

[bherm324]

Mine start off similar to yours but I also get extremely hot like I will start sweating like mad and yeah my thoughts start racing im thinking a hundred things at once and then boom. Its happening. Heart pounding like a drum, racing 160 bpm

Can you understand your racing thoughts? Do you only have the racing thoughts during an attack? I know some people think of racing thoughts as thinking about one thing, then another, an another that dont really relate to each other. Or they associate them with bipolar disorder. But my racing thoughts are not like that. They are so fast I dont understand them & they only happen during an attack. I might hear & comprehend a word or two here & there but thats it. I dont experience the sweating but I have experiences shivering or chills before & after an attack. Are you able to talk during one?

[bherm324]

In my case I do take Sertraline (Zoloft) but, it isn't the trigger for me running to the toilet after an attack, cause I did that after an attack before I was on the antidepressant too. The expression "scare the sh*t out of" (pardon my language) rings true.

but anyway, I think definitely caffeine withdrawal can cause some anxiety, cause it's a change. Heck, when I go a day or more without some soda, I get terrible headaches and feel really tired.

I doubt though, your caffeine withdrawal is the root cause of your anxiety, the withdrawal probably just exacerbates it, it's probably something bigger than that, and what I mean is, life stressors. I know when I got my first really bad panic attack in years back in 2010, I was trying my hardest to analyze what was causing it. I kept thinking "Was it because I didn't sleep well the night before?", "was it something I was eating?" none of the above, it was some bigger issues going on, I had/have issues of abandonment, self esteem problems etc..loss of interest etc...

I don't know what your particular stress issues are, but I would be willing to bet there is a deeper root cause to the anxiety.

How do I handle them? Ah, god..I'm currently in one of my bad phases with them right now and have been for a month or two. Other than taking Zoloft, I just try and get exercise daily by taking long walks with my dog, try and do some hobbies. Force myself to cry to get out some bad emotions while listening to some music.. While I'm having an attack, and feel really out of place, I look at my hands and see them shaking and it reminds me it's just an attack, and nothing bigger..sounds weird, but it helps me.

I hope you can get to the bottom of your problems soon and have some peace of mind.

Same. I had issues with that after an attack before taking any medication too. For me, the meds just made it worse. I dont always get that sensation tho. Sometimes I get the chills afterwards or get really pale & feel nauseated.
Like I said in my very first post, I've always had mild general anxiety especially when its something that involves my child or husband. I worry about everything. Once my kid had to get dental work done & had to get laughing gas & I was so worked up about it I literally had to run to the bathroom at the dentist office! I call them my "anxiety poops"! It's tmi but that is what it does to me.

I know stress & other factors play a role too. I guess because I always experienced some anxiety but never an actual attack I didnt really relate the two. Or I thought there was an even bigger problem. But I definitely could have anxiety that was building up & building up that maybe started all this. I still think I'm headed in the right direction of balancing out my hormones & getting off the medicine to see if that helps.

I think your approach is good. I'm not a big fan of excersise but I think I may start some at home yoga a few times a week to see if that helps. I do the same thing during an attack! I don't look at my hands but I stare at an object to distract me & I try over & over again to say what the object is out loud & once I can the attack stops & I'm able to talk again. I also deep breath through it, if I can bring myself to do it & that seems to be helping them come to a stop too.

Thank you again for your feedback & sharing your experiences! Just hearing your story gives me some peace of mind.

[Applecherry]

Well you are welcome. I hope I could offer some help. It's really just something you have to think about yourself, how much stress do you currently feel at the moment? If you feel you are missing something in your life, feel a void or feel empty. Or maybe it's just stress over being worried about family. Over time, you'll start to see a pattern with it. It doesn't make the anxiety go away, but it helps to manage it, and that is like 50 percent of the battle knowing what is going on.

I know you wonder about your racing thoughts, a part of your brain becomes hyper aware of everything around you during an attack, that causes your thoughts to go crazy, in truth though, it's not really "thoughts", it's just feelings of fear, that's just what happens during the attacks, it kind of all becomes a blur, because you are not thinking, you are only feeling. My driving instructor once told me "panic is not thinking, don't panic", he was right, it's not thinking..at all.

oh and last thing, cause I know I'm talking too much, I get chills too, that's kind of how it starts for me if my attack is worse than normal. I feel like I can't get focused, I feel like I could fall asleep (which is god awful feeling out in public), I get chills and then I feel my stomach gurgle, I am sweating like crazy.. I didn't used to sweat really bad til I started on Zoloft.. but anxiety attack will get me sweating like crazy. So yeah, that is what it is basically like for me during an attack.

[bherm324]

Well you are welcome. I hope I could offer some help. It's really just something you have to think about yourself, how much stress do you currently feel at the moment? If you feel you are missing something in your life, feel a void or feel empty. Or maybe it's just stress over being worried about family. Over time, you'll start to see a pattern with it. It doesn't make the anxiety go away, but it helps to manage it, and that is like 50 percent of the battle knowing what is going on.

I know you wonder about your racing thoughts, a part of your brain becomes hyper aware of everything around you during an attack, that causes your thoughts to go crazy, in truth though, it's not really "thoughts", it's just feelings of fear, that's just what happens during the attacks, it kind of all becomes a blur, because you are not thinking, you are only feeling. My driving instructor once told me "panic is not thinking, don't panic", he was right, it's not thinking..at all.

oh and last thing, cause I know I'm talking too much, I get chills too, that's kind of how it starts for me if my attack is worse than normal. I feel like I can't get focused, I feel like I could fall asleep (which is god awful feeling out in public), I get chills and then I feel my stomach gurgle, I am sweating like crazy.. I didn't used to sweat really bad til I started on Zoloft.. but anxiety attack will get me sweating like crazy. So yeah, that is what it is basically like for me during an attack.

You def did offer a lot of help! I never really thought about stress or being under stress because I dont realize what stress all involves. But I am a worrier & that does not help my case at all. Plus with my ocd, I can become obsessed over certain topics that do stress me out plus I am always up & down with mood swings & that def affects my personality, self esteem, worrying about how I affect the people around me, etc. So I guess there are quite a few factors in my life that do contribute to this.
Your absolutely right about the "thoughts". That makes a lot of sense because they really are not thoughts at all. They are like a blur. I never thought to really describe it that way. But it is like my brain just scrambles! And I just recently realized that the chills were a symptom. Now that I think back, a few years ago I went to the dr for an exam & I was kind of nervous & I started shivering on the exam table & kept thinking to myself "wow, it's really cold in here", but it really wasn't cold at all & no matter how much I covered myself up I just could not get warm. My Dr kept asking if I was ok. Gurantee that it was anxiety then too. That just recently happened to me at another Dr visit. I could not stop shivering & sure enough about an hour later I had an attack. Then after an attack I started shivering too. It is so crazy what anxiety can do to a person. Going through this makes me look at anixety disorders & the sufferers of it, in a whole new light.

[Applecherry]

You def did offer a lot of help! I never really thought about stress or being under stress because I dont realize what stress all involves. But I am a worrier & that does not help my case at all. Plus with my ocd, I can become obsessed over certain topics that do stress me out plus I am always up & down with mood swings & that def affects my personality, self esteem, worrying about how I affect the people around me, etc. So I guess there are quite a few factors in my life that do contribute to this.
Your absolutely right about the "thoughts". That makes a lot of sense because they really are not thoughts at all. They are like a blur. I never thought to really describe it that way. But it is like my brain just scrambles! And I just recently realized that the chills were a symptom. Now that I think back, a few years ago I went to the dr for an exam & I was kind of nervous & I started shivering on the exam table & kept thinking to myself "wow, it's really cold in here", but it really wasn't cold at all & no matter how much I covered myself up I just could not get warm. My Dr kept asking if I was ok. Gurantee that it was anxiety then too. That just recently happened to me at another Dr visit. I could not stop shivering & sure enough about an hour later I had an attack. Then after an attack I started shivering too. It is so crazy what anxiety can do to a person. Going through this makes me look at anixety disorders & the sufferers of it, in a whole new light.

I'm again glad if I could be of help, I think for some of us it's just in our nature to worry. I've had OCD since I was a child, and stress makes it even harder for ppl like us to deal, so we need to understand its a condition, learn more about our individual triggers. I too just learned more about anxiety in the last few years and learned so much of my thoughts and behaviors were linked with anxiety, it was eye opening.

I hope things will improve for you balancing out your hormones, that can only help.

[jessed03]

So many symptoms aren't there. So many ways a panic attack can go pshysically

I was thinking back, the symptom I remember the most, was that RUSH. That rush of 'OMG' that I felt. I didn't know why I was saying OMG, most of the time I was doing nothing out of the ordinary, but it'd always perk my up... and I'd gulp a little, and take a really deep quick breath

... And then the attack would start.

Ugh. Horrible memories!