Panic attacks

[A Quiet Boom]

Originally posted by bb80sc
...Sadness due to life events like you mention is typically much different than not being able to get out of bed or leave home due to paralyzing fear.

I couldn't agree more! The sad part is that so many go on with life either without or undertreated. Janus is right on target, I have a great doctor. He holds 5 board certifications for psychiatry and is very aggressive with both medication and CBT. He is also willing to adjust as necessary, this is very important in a doctor.

[Bill Douglas]

One of the guys mentioned exercise. It's a good trick actually. If you go hell at it at the gym or a run in the evenings you can be so tired, you're actually to tired to stress, and you get a good nights sleep. After a number of good sleeps it helps break down this anxiety situation. Your mind needs to do some time out.

Herbal medications can help. I know they are not as effective as western medications, but they don't have the side effects. Again I'd recommend going hell at it at the gym and burn yourself out physically for a change, and you might end up with a stunning new body in the process and we all know what attention from females can do for ones mental state and self esteem.

[vash]

Originally posted by Bill Douglas
One of the guys mentioned exercise. It's a good trick actually. If you go hell at it at the gym or a run in the evenings you can be so tired, you're actually to tired to stress, and you get a good nights sleep. After a number of good sleeps it helps break down this anxiety situation. Your mind needs to do some time out.

Herbal medications can help. I know they are not as effective as western medications, but they don't have the side effects. Again I'd recommend going hell at it at the gym and burn yourself out physically for a change, and you might end up with a stunning new body in the process and we all know what attention from females can do for ones mental state and self esteem.

i have a friend with this mindset. her motto is: Save the mind, shred the body.

best of luck 1fastredSC and find help.

cliff

[A Quiet Boom]

Bill,

I lift three nights a week, it does help a little but not nearly enough for someone who has panic disorder. Diet, exercise, relaxation techniques all help but for many the only solution is medication. I personally am on a very small maintenance dose with permission to take more if I have an attack. I haven't had a full blower in about 11 monthes which is great but even doing 5x5 routines didn't stop it's onset. It's really hard to understand unless you actually have panic disorder. So much of it lies in the subconcious that better self esteem and such don't help all that much. Heck years ago I could barely even talk about the problem without getting anxious.

[silver912e]

I've found that one of the best ways to deal with an anxiety disorder is to get into a support group (live, not on-line) , and talk to other people with the same problem. It really normalizes the situation for you, and gives you some friends that can help you out. Check out any anxiety/depression clinic in your area.

Also, on the exercise thing, in moderation it is a great idea, but some people have a specific type of anxiety that is tripped off by lactose in the system. When you exercise too much, that soreness you feel in your muscles is lactic acid. In some people overdoing exercise can actually worsen anxiety.

Hope this helps.

[david.avery]

I've been there too... takes quite a set for you to post it here. I had a bout where my heart would race, to the point I thought I was having heart attacks (I'm 35). Once, while working on-site (software developer) working 15 hour days, I od'ed on caffeine, and skimped the sleep. When I went to bed, I was ripped out of bed with my heart trying to leave my chest. I was hospitalized, spent days in observation only for them to find that my heart was fine. The stress pushed me over the edge into a panic attack. For days, I would leave work (still on-site, hundreds of miles from home) I would finish my day, then drive to the ER, just in case it happened again. Even slept there (in my car) one night. I hit the ER 3 more times, and finally, met with a doctor with a brain.

The best thing that helped me was that I described my symptoms to a woman I work with (CFO at a customer) and she said she had that symptom all the time... comes when you are most relaxed... perhaps when you are trying to sleep. Heart racing (and hurting, like you just ran 5 miles), sweat, nausea, etc - basically like you're dying!

Anyhow, a very small dose of Paxil helped me. I went for almost a year taking it twice a day. Be prepared for some very uncomfortable side affects while you acclimate, but once acclimated, you're just a little tingly/numb in all the wrong places

Anyhow, it's been a year this August since I went off the drug, with no relapses. I now run 2-3 miles every other day (See what Bill and others wrote above) and drink NO caffeine (really can aggravate the situation). Anyhow, sorry for the long post, I thought my story could help; feel free to PM me if you'd like.

-DMA

[nostatic]

Originally posted by A Quiet Boom
I personally am on a very small maintenance dose with permission to take more if I have an attack.

It's really hard to understand unless you actually have panic disorder.

benzos? I have a stockpile but now only take them late at night on very rare occasions. Didn't used to be that way though...4x a day off and on for some time. Tapering was hard work though.

Agreed on the "have to be there." The mind can do scary things to the body, and there is no way that you can just "stop thinking about it."

[A Quiet Boom]

Klonopin. 0.5mg once a day. We've tried tapering off, changing medications etc. the panic attacks come right back. Like I said my case is considered severe. I'm fortunate to be down to that level, meditation, exercise, proper diet and CBT have helped a great deal but have never been able to completely replace medication.

[nostatic]

is it an xr formulation? That was recommended to me but I felt like I wanted to be able to regulate my own dosage. It worked out OK, but I have a lot of experience with self-medication...don't try this at home kids

[A Quiet Boom]

Sort of. Klonopin or Clonzepam has something like a 36 hour half life compared to Xanax which is only about 8 hours. This gets rid of the highs and lows associated with Xanax. I didn't believe it until I was accidentally given Xanax by the pharmacy, I asked for generic so I just assumed. Anyway about 4 hours after taking it I got really nervous so I called the pharmacy and described the pills. They told me to come right down and exchange them. Looking back I should have sued there butts off but at the time I felt "no harm, no foul" and didn't want the poor guy to lose his job. Monthes later I realized getting him fired could possibly save someone's life, only now I had no proof. YOu know what they say about hindsight... Anyway, Klonopin has been very good for me. The only real side effect I notice is dry mouth so I always keep a beverage handy. Seems lately I've been hooked on Propel Fitness Water, good stuff I could probably make myself.

Did I meantion this board is great? This is the first time since my diagnosis so many years ago that I've had an open discussion with others who've experienced what I have.

[1fastredsc]

First off, just so everyone knows, i'm just curious about others methods of coping and such. Depression and anxiety problems are a sensitive subject for some, but i've delt with it for six years now. Here's what i've found, anxiety/panic attacks are a consiously derived illness that usually comes as an extra punch to the already lovely depression. I've also come to the conclusion that I'm genetically depressed, because i've had an easy life and nothing to really depress me. I will say one thing, in the whole new panic attack problem, i had developed a phobia of the highway (where the first hard one hit 6 weeks ago). I decided to go at it head on yesterday, because i had to see the doc, he doesn't make house calls. And with the help of my parents, it was the hardest thing i've done in quite some years, and once i got into town/city, it was like a weight of chains was lifted and i felt great. I do still need treatment, and i'm experimenting new meds just given to me. Unfortunately my pride and stubborness made me stop taking them. The new one i'm trying is zoloft, so we'll see where it goes. I need confidence to break my bad habits of panicking, and this is somewhere to start. Not only am i happy that there is hope, but also that there are many that actually replied. This is a subject to bring to light, not to over dramatize, but help others in the same boat realize they are not alone. I'm sure that many of you will agree that the worst feeling in the world, is when you start thinking that your the only one going insane from this.
PS I'm also really amazed at how many people are freely discussing this. It is you gentlemen who need to be recognized for that courage. -thanks

[1fastredsc]

I also want to clear something up. In case there is any confussion as to what exactly a panic attack is. Imagine thinking that you are flat out about to die, like death is staring you in the face, can't breath, pacing like a mad man, getting dizzy, your vision is blurring, hand go numb, sweating, hot and cold flashes, dry mouth, and fatigue all at once. This was what i felt like 6 weeks ago, with an oxygen mask strapped to my face on my way to the hospital. Since then i've been rebuilding by concoring fears, but it's hard, almost like your mind is working against you. BTW, i've been taking xanax for awhile, and i hate that drug, so i only take it when i know i NEED it. It does do the trick though, but i've never been good at giving in to the easy way (i own a 911 remember, lol). Thanks everyone for the support, and if somone is reading that thinks they are battling with this, please do yourself a favor. Admit it, seek help, and go from there. If one of these meds starts turning my life around, i'm going to really kick myself in the a$$ for the past 6 years and my stupidity during that time.

[1fastredsc]

You know what really funny about this, it didn't come on until i finished the rebuild of the trans and motor 3 some odd months ago and started driving the car. Now it's like instead of being occupied with thoughts of waiting for ups or fed ex to swing by, or checking my cam timing 4 times to make sure it's dead on, now it's like hmmm, no leaking, great power, perfect dead on ignition timing that i set twice to make sure, now i really can enjoy the car and can't. Ironic, LOL

[A Quiet Boom]

1fastredsc,

Ask your doctor about klonopin, I think you'll find it works better and has less side effects than Xanax. I've been on Zoloft, Paxil, Remeron, Lexapro and a few others and none of them do the trick like Klonopin. Of course people are different and results may vary but it's worth a try. Xanax and Klonopin are in the same family BTW, both are benzodiapamines. (SP?)

It's great that you are facing you're known fears, just take it slow and conquer one at a time. As for an easy life, that could actually be part of the problem. People (like me) who grow up with relatively little hardship or trouble aren't as protected or hardened as those who faced great adversity. These days I create my stress, by working hard and setting high goals and standards for myself. I do this so that if things get bad I can back off a little and reduce a bunch of stress but also to harden myself to stress. Believe it or not I took up drag racing a few years after I was diagnosed as a way of facing stress head on. I gained a lot from that experience, maybe tracking your 911 will do the same? These days I'm an old hand at dealing with anxiety, I can mediate while doing other things (like work) change my breathing, self massage my neck and shoulders and if it still hasn't gone away I can take an extra pill.

If there anything good to say about having panic disorder it's that it has changed my life for the better, I am a more focused, responsible, creative and courageous than I have ever been in my life. Two years ago without thinking I even (on instinct) ran into a burning house across the street to make sure everyone was out, I escaped the collapse by about half a minute. Stupid? Maybe, but 12 years ago I would have frozen in place and somebody might have died. As it turned out no one was home but I still feel like a hero both for conquering fear when it counted and for at least trying to save someone's life. I guess what I'm saying is take this illness and make it a positive in your life, everything will get easier after that.

[Wrecked944]

If one of these meds starts turning my life around, i'm going to really kick myself in the a$$ for the past 6 years and my stupidity during that time.

Hey man, please don't kick yourself for anything. You didn't ask to have an effed up disorder that is totally hard to figure out. Nobody does. And you're not a trained medical specialist with years of experience in anxiety disorders. So don't beat yourself up for not solving this complex problem all by yourself. It took me decades to finally solve my problems. But hey, I'm a programmer, dammit, not a doctor, right?

As for an easy life, that could actually be part of the problem.

I must respectfully disagree. I had a full-blown ****ty upbringing (with no substance abuse) and yet I ended up with similar symptoms. I think it is just a crappy disease like diabetes or arthritis and while external circumstance can effect it, I believe genetics and plain dumb luck are far more important. I think it falls under the category of "**** happens". I guess it's obvious I feel strongly about not blaming yourself and cutting yourself every possible break. I think it is because these disorders typically have biological causes, but they feel like a character flaw - which often prevents us from seeking solutions. So I am always beating the "be good to yourself" drum.

Ask your doctor about klonopin, I think you'll find it works better and has less side effects than Xanax. I've been on Zoloft, Paxil, Remeron, Lexapro and a few others and none of them do the trick like Klonopin. Of course people are different and results may vary but it's worth a try.

It really is amazing how different we can be. Paxil rocked my sorry world and has very few side effects. And yet I have a friend who passes out when she takes paxil. Zoloft did nothing for me except give me endless diharria. Bizarre, huh?

[1fastredsc]

I've taken paxil, celexa, lexapro, and xanax. Paxil obliterated my sleeping habits (16 hours sometimes, 3 hours others). Celexa was week, lexapro did nothing but made me weak stomached. And xanax just makes me feel at peace with the world, and sometimes a slight headache after it's done too. Zoloft i'm taking now, let's see what it does.

[A Quiet Boom]

1fastredsc,

If you like Xanax but not the coming down part, seriously have a look at klonopin. Heck I'd even show this thread to my doctor if I where you, but I'm not and I don't know your doctor.

[juanbenae]

zoloft makes it hard/impossible to bust a nut. i was wearing my chick out on that stuff. paxil kinda the same but not as bad. just some side effects to be aware of.

[1fastredsc]

LOL, maybe that will improve my non-existent love life, "hey ladies, i promise i won't finish early, i'm on zoloft, who's coming with me?"
I have to see him again for a check up on the zoloft in 3 weeks, i'll ask about the klonopin and his opinion on it.

[david.avery]

Heh, what k911sc said You'll see my above post about the tinglies. At first, it was like, hey, these tinglies feel great, and perhaps I can sideline as a replacement for Ron Jeremy.

After a while, the tinglies (paxil) lead more to the sensation of "whose d1ck is this anyway?" which was not so great

These drugs are actually used to treat "fast finishers", and now I know why.