panic attack or something else????

The first time I had a panic attack I too thought I was going to die. I was surprised that no one else could hear my heart beating, as it seemed to be beating out of my chest. For me it started with menopause when your hormones are wacky at best. Over the years I learned that I suffered from anxiety and panic attacks and have been on meds for almost 20 years. Zoloft first and now Effexor.

Go and see your doctor and rule out that it isn't heart related - perhaps he could start you on a low dose of meds. to see if that helps you. I will be on meds for the rest of my life and that is a good thing because it is so much better than having panic attacks or anxiety.

You will feel better after you have seen your doctor. How old are your children? If your youngest is a baby could it be postpartum depression. Have you ever asked about this.

Hope tomorrow will be a better day for you. Good Luck.

Welcome, Shannon. I'm also a new member and I've already found these forums to be very helpful! Just knowing there are others out there who experience the same crazy symptoms that I do makes me feel safer. We are close in age... I'll be 28 in December.

I get panic attacks very similar to yours at least once a day. It's been going on for years in varying degrees of severity. Some of the symptoms I experience include chest pain/pressure (both stabbing and crushing), shortness of breath, dizziness, lightheaded-ness, back pain right over my lungs, jaw pain, numbness and tingling in my extremities, pressure and sharp pains in my head, difficulty focusing my eyes, feelings of surreality, etc. There are so many symptoms that can come up and if you do have panic disorder the disease can find new ones everytime you google. ;) My point in listing all of these is not to scare you, but to ease your fear of this being a life-threatening problem. I've read that nobody has ever died from a panic attack. It's not truly dangerous, just very, very terrifying. I know how real it feels and I'm sorry you've experienced it. :(

You should make an appt with your MD to make sure that there isn't a physical cause, then see if he can refer you to a psychiatrist. MD's will often prescribe anxiety medications, as well. I'll be going to my first ever actual psychiatrist appt this Tuesday. I have high hopes for it. I hope you are able to get help soon, as having uncontrolled panic attacks is no way to live.

I've also heard that many people experience just one or two isolated attacks in their lifetimes, based on situational anxiety, and never develop a true panic disorder. I'm hoping this is true for you. :) Try not to overthink it. One if the strongest triggers of panic attacks is the fear of having an attack (for repeat offenders, at least).

I get the tingling/numbness feeling in my arms and legs several times a day. It only lasts a few seconds for me. I also get the crazy heart rate and feeling like I cant breathe.