Hi I just joined this site yesturday and wanted to introduce myself, My name is Greg. A little history about myself My first attack happened at work, I was snapped at by a fellow employee for a reason I cannot even remember but immediatley felt flush, my heart racing and like most people here the fear of dying was suddenly my only thought. I've never feared death or should I say thought much about it being 33 and in pretty good shape. It progressively got worse I went to the mens room and put cold wet towels on my neck. I finally left work drived 60 miles to my town and local hospital, stupid I know considering I thought I was dying and drove right past 2 of the best in the country within 5 minutes of my job. I think back now and have to laugh at myself. Well I finally get into the emergency room and they treat it like a heart attack.. to make a long story a little shorter I was diagnosed with dehydration, yup and it was true, I had been sick for a while with diarrea and was self medicating. After being pumped with fluids and possibly valium I was sent home. But as most of you know once is never enough with anxiety and panic attacks.. back to the emergency room aweek or so later , they explained I was having anxiety/panic attacks due to my previous illness and fearing I was dying, my GP put me on SSRI's or similiar supposedly not habit forming drugs but they did not seem to help, I was not sleeping because I was in fear of never waking up and my GP gave me ativan to sleep and relax me, it was like a miracle drug and my GP gave me a prescribed regular dose of .5mg 3x aday. I went through the weening off process after a few month at the original ( my Idea GP said I should not) dosage and my GP actually let me keep a monthly prescribed dose of 30mg (every 30 days) but advised to take them on an as needed basis. Sorry to forgot to mention this occured around 2004. I finally was pretty much anxiety free after a year or so but every once in a great while I would take .25mg under the tongue when I felt like maybe I was starting to get another attack. I was also diagnosed with Gerd during my first 6 weeks of all this and going on Prilosec seemed to help allot with the attacks also. What really killed me about all this I was afraid of every ache and pain, cancer,heart or some other ailment, I also knew going to stores would possibly cause an attack as well as going out to eat. I forced myself through theses things and truely believe it helped, keep in mind I was basically house bound the first several months except for work and the absolute necessities like seeing my GP. I made many trips to the ER but made myself sit in the parking lot and not go in. Was it a therapy which helped? I have no clue. I would list my symptoms of the attacks but there what most people go through from the breathing,swallwing to gastro. I can honestly say the last several years have been good, few thoughts of an attack. about 2 months ago I had a breathing episode at work where it felt like I could't inhale properly, this was not the first time in the previous few weeks but it was the worst, I did not have an anxiety/panic attack but went to the urgent care, kind of a walk in see a doctor kind of place, they immediatley sent me to the ER after listening to my symptom, it was actually in the same building (wheeled me over) of course I went through the heart attack procedure again but was trying to explain to them that I thought it maybe my gerd acting up because I had heard it can effect your breathing or feel like it is. They gave me asprins to chew Nitros under my tongue took blood,ekg chest xrays etc.. WHile I'm on the topic of Nitro, when they put one under my tongue that was exactly the sensation I get when I get an attack, flushing,heat kind of feeling. I took a full stress /ekg /imaging stress test the next day. They finally said you have gerd thats acting up.. I said really? So to make my point I was thoroughly examined and I know the stress test is not the perfect tool but it kind of ruled out a serious heart condition ..I think. I want to mention I did not have an attack that day once again just the gerd / acid reflus thing going on. The main reason Im here is because the week following that episode I started having mini-anxiety/panic attacks, maybe I was so familiar with the first round years ago I refused to let them rule me. Well little did I know yesturday I'm at my Uncles house whos had 2 hearts attacks, has what appears to be another while Im there, he was taken away in an ambulance and they figured out he was just really sick and dehydrated from having food poisoning. Within 1 hours of getting home last night...whamo.. full blown Im going to the ER attack hit me.. I really had to work on not going to the ER the ativan helped but even today I had another attack.. some what less but still uncomfortable. I had the thought of a relapse but I think I here already as they say. I know the drill so to speak, no sugar, starches,caffeine,tobacco or alcohol, even though alcohol will alleviate the symptoms the rebound when it leaves your system at theraputic levels is hell. Thank god for the Ativan, took a full .5mg dose yeasturady but have kept it at .25mg as needed since and so far only needed 1 .25mg today. I will call my GP tomorrow and see what he thinks, I believe my current security blanket prescription I had for the last several years will be good enough. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. Talking really helps so sorry about carrying on.
Greg
Post Edited (Anxious-Greg) : 5/2/2010 5:57:24 PM (GMT-6)