HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

1st panic attack!! not coping too well wit after effects

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 7/1/2013 1:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi..I'm a 26 yr old female and two weeks ago I had my very first panic attack. It was so intense tht I was rushed to emergency. All I was doin was layin in bed wit my boyfriend when I felt an unusual tingle in my left arm ( my arm has tingled for yrs but neva has it felt like dat) ..I tried touchin it to make sure I could still feel but da tingle only worsened..I got extremely hot..I ran to da restroom to throw water on myself and arm...I sat in front of my fan to coo off and all of a sudden my heart started racin..I couldn't breathe and I got even hotter...called for an ambulance immediately and they assumed dat it wasn't a heart attack cuz I wasn't showin signs of one...they took me to da hospital anyway cuz my blood pressure was high..once I got to a doctor they drew blood..monitored my heart..did and ekg scan and everything came bacc normal...da diagnosis was I had had a panic attack...I haven't been normal ever since..I'm really scared..some days I shoew little to no symptoms of a panic attack and sum days I feel like dat day mite b my last day here on earth...as of rite now..at dis very moment I am experiencing arm tingling..my muscles feel like their jumping...and my heart even feels weird...I'm scared rite now but I'm tryna think positive and believe dat its all in my mind and I will b fine and there's no need to go to emergency but its hard...is anyone else experiencing wat I'm goin thru..if so feel free to comment..I need to b calmed dwn by ppl who understand and who r goin thru da same thing..there is only so much friends and family can do :-( :-( :-(
Posted 7/1/2013 2:21 AM (GMT 0)
Ray, thats the real problem it's in our head, pretend you have a full glass of water(our bodies and mind filled with stress), as long as its sits still(no additional stress) no problem, but if you suddenly bump it(anxiety/panic triggers) it spills over, now from that moment on if you refill the glass it spills(don't relieve the stress) or life happens to add more stress it spills over real easy. Until you are able to start emptying the glass with (therapy or self help) it stays easy to bump (stress triggers) and cause an anxiety/panic attack. There are many self help resources here and they are free, if you have insurance try therapy one on one or group, but from this moment on its up to you to find a way to block the scary thoughts by some mechanism that works for you. This is Sunday night and a lot of our regular helpers are gone until tomorrow but for now try some very simple things to distract yourself, deep breathing the way its described in the resources, counting backward from any number you like try 21, do it as often as necessary. The thing is once you find some things that work you can keep driving the attacks away by ignoring them, if you can go see a doctor who knows about PAD he/she can help you get meds that will help you fight them off. Peace / Prayers
Larry ***
Posted 7/1/2013 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
I'm going through the same thing ray :-(
Posted 7/1/2013 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hello Ray,I know your pain been here a few times before myself&I have been dealing with anxiety&panic attacks for 14years off&on and they are no fun at all,I also deal with a few other health problems that can make my anxiety much worse. But when I learned yesterday in one of my trips to the ER yesterday not for anxiety but something else,I learn other then a few small problems Iam healthy then ever.

Good news is you are at the right place&can post whatever you are going through,like you already have and we are a family here that helps each other through. Keep your head up&stay strong know that you are ok&it's just a mind thing¬hing more then that&know that you are never alone it's not the anxiety we must shake,it's the feelings that come with anxiety&you can do it&knowing that you are healthy is a great tool to start with&I pray peace unto you. And again welcome to healing well this is a great place to be best of luck :-)
Posted 7/1/2013 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry I went to reply earlier and the post was blocked
Posted 7/1/2013 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
I thank u all for ur positive feed back..it feels good to kno tht I can talk to ppl abt dis issue and they can relate. Its a very scary ordeal and I wish nuthin but relief of it..it succs feelin like I'm abt to have a heart attack every otha day..its almost at da point to where I wish it would jst happen already so I can stop suffering frm dis. I'm in very bad shape after havin a panic attack. It interferes wit my every day life. I'm scared to go out to parties..I dread goin to work cuz I would hate to have an attack there and I'm even nervous abt sleepin in my own bed becuz dats where da attack took place. I hate dat my left arm tingles so much..I prolly wouldn't b as worried if it were my rite arm tingling but its my left and left arm tingling normally indicates a heart attack or stroke...I hate da weird pressure I get at da bacc of my head..I hate dat my vision gets blurry...I get lightheaded..my heart begins to palpitate..I have wat feels like hot flashes..I jst hate everything abt dis..as of now da tingling in my left arm has calmed dwn afta I took a pill my doctor prescribed..so I'm guessin dat dats proof dat it is only anxiety otha wise I should still b feelin symptoms of a heart attack...I jst want dis to go away..I haven't been sleepin becuz of dis condition cuz I feel like an attack will emerge everytime I close my eyes..its very scary...I dnt have insurance so gettin help is very limited if it is even possible and if it is possible i ceetainly cant afford it..feels like I'm rambling and not makin any since rite now lol but I'm just tired!!!!
Posted 7/1/2013 4:15 AM (GMT 0)
Since your panic/anxiety attacks only started few weeks ago it's normal for you to have those dreadful and miserable feelings all over, we've been there and also thought death is closing in on us big time. Some of us including myself were convinced we were dying soon of a serious disease or health problem. Some of us also felt tired and depressed just wanted to be free from this suffering in an instant, but in reality there's no instant, all we have is more hard time to spend on managing to get ourselves around this. All of the symptoms you mentioned was also experienced by most people here and yet there are still alive and kicking. And yes anxiety alone can cause all of those symptoms. Mine started last Feb, like you I thought it was my heart or probably was having a stroke, again like you ECG and blood test came back normal. My anxiety got worse when I started to google for symptoms, STAY OUT OF GOOGLE! You should start to believe all of what people have to say here in HW, IT'S NOT YOUR HEART and PANIC ATTACKS WON'T KILL YOU. You should also start to try different techniques to battle anxiety such as breathing exercises, coping mechanisms and self-help/therapy provided here in the resources page. You can also read some of other people's post to learn how they deal with it by visiting other posts.

You can still have panic attacks while just laying down but it will not kill you. The more you get used to them the milder and less dreadful they'll be. Once you started working on your anxiety, it's guaranteed you'll have some good days ahead but don't expect it to be steady forever because anxiety is a series of ups and downs. The trick is find ways not to get yourself so stressed out and you have to accept that you have anxiety and your life couldn't be as perfect as before and try your best not to feel frustrated about it. This things are not easily done but once you work on it, you'll be on the right path to recovery.

Also I don't have the kind of insurance like you do to get all my worries ruled out since I became a hypochondriac this year. But the good thing is God is giving me bonus/extra time to spend another day here on earth because I thought to myself I already died few months ago. Now I'm grateful for each passing day. Being grateful and some positive things are something you should dwell on. Believe us you're going to make it through.
Posted 7/1/2013 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
The worse thing you can do is fear the panic attack. It feeds the cycle and makes them worse and more numerous.

Think of them like stray cats. If you feed them (with fear), they'll keep coming back.

I know its easier said just try to take deep breaths and relax. Have that boyfriend of yours give you a good back massage when you feel an attack coming on. Works for me!

Good luck and welcome aboard!
Posted 7/1/2013 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
You're going to be okay, you're not crazy, and you're not alone. Those seem to be the things I feel compelled to tell people on their first posts, because they were the things I needed to hear.

Things will get better in time, but this is a marathon and not a sprint. Accepting that, rather than looking for a quick fix, is important to dealing with this well. That's something I keep trying to remind myself. I solve problems - not deal with them. PAD is making me do things differently.

That doesn't mean that you'll be miserable forever. You'll get better at this. You'll come out a stronger, more empowered person with a better understanding of the world around you.

The reason your left arm tingles rather than your right arm is precisely because it is a heart attack symptom. Anxiety creates for us the symptoms that we fear most. Learning to understand that it is not really going to hurt you is essential - and you can do it. Look at all of the people here who have. :)

Cooling off in front of a fan is actually helpful for some people, so you were on the right track with that. Check out the breathing exercises in the resources page. If you practice them everyday, they'll help you control the attacks.

Please, try to resist changing your patterns because of fear. Your bed didn't cause the attack - fearing it will make things harder. If you have a panic attack at work, things will still be okay. (I've been there, done that, several times.) Take it from someone who has very nearly ruined her life by creating patterns and avoiding things out of fear - you don't want to do that to yourself.

That massage suggestion is a good one! Find things that make you happy or bring comfort and try to turn to them at the first signs of an attack.

The fact that your symptoms got better after taking that pill is pretty good proof that it's panic. Anxiety medicine would absolutely not stop a heart attack. :)

Did your doctor prescribe a month's supply or something? Are you able to get refills?

As far as insurance, I think there's stuff in the resources page about finding low-cost providers. My state has a public mental health authority. Many places offer a sliding scale. Anywhere you go for things like colds or infections should probably be able to help you with this.

Best of luck and welcome to healing well!
Posted 7/1/2013 4:58 AM (GMT 0)
Yes I can def admit dat I am known to GOOGLE EVERYTHINGGGG...especially when it comes to my health...I can't help it..but I do NEED to stop becuz although I may find sum positi ve things..da negative dat I find freaks me out and i kno its only contributing to my anxiety..so I'm definitely goin to work on strayin away frm google...Instead I will jst come to dis website and read different posts like uve suggested..hopefully it'll help ease my mind in put me in a more positive state of mind...wit dat said I jst want to say thanx again and ill begin prayin for all of u as well!! :-) feel like I may have found a new family and dat alone takes sum of da edge off!! :-)
Posted 7/1/2013 5:04 AM (GMT 0)
When you're tempted to look up symptoms, try reading the thread I'm going to link to. It's a riot and will remind you that you're not alone.

And yes, healing well is a family! And honestly, more helpful than my therapy. :)

Here's the thread -
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=9&m=2774703
Posted 7/1/2013 5:09 AM (GMT 0)
I really like wat u jst said berock abt "anxiety creatin symptoms frm things dat we fear most" dat too eases my mind a bit..so thnx for sayin dat...also I will navigate thru da resources page becuz I'm hearin a lot dat it has very helpful tips for dealin wit anxiety and panic attacks and lord knows I need to learn how to cope lol
Posted 7/1/2013 5:26 AM (GMT 0)
Ok.thnx a lot!! :-) i will check it out
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply