Anyone ever had an attack this bad?

So this morning. I had the mother of all anxiety / panic attacks. I have had some really bad depression the last several days. This morning, my husband suggested I take a bath and soak for a while. Interesting enough, I never, ever, ever take baths. I always take showers have never really thought about why I don't take baths.

Anyway, after about 5 mins of soaking I started noticing I was feeling slightly dizzy ( the water was warm, not hot at all ). I ignored the dizzy feeling concentrating or at least trying to on the book I was reading. 10 more mins passed, the dizziness was getting a little worse and breathing was becoming shallow. My son came in the bathroom ( he is 3 ). I told him to go back downstairs with his daddy, that I was gonna take a shower and I would be right down. At this point I knew I was gonna have an anxiety/panic attack and figured that maybe a cool shower and some deep breathing would help. BIG MISTAKE, I started the shower and no sooner than I stood up, I almost blacked out. I yelled for my husband, he came upstairs by this time I was in full blown panic/anxiety attack. He knew the drill, get me some cold water to drink and keep telling me to breath. Well none of this was working. I told him to help me out of the shower. He helped me out, I took one step forward and hit the floor. I couldn't move, everything was in slow motion, I couldn't breath right, it felt like I was dying and it seemed like the room was tilted and upside down. I could barely talk, my speech was blurred I told him to just get me on the bed, but then I blacked out. Woke to him yelling wake up, and that he was gonna call an ambulance. I managed to say no, just help me up, I need to breath. I felt like I was doing a little better ( even at my worse, I tell myself I am fine and will push myself ). He helped me stand up. I leaned forward and rested my head on the bathroom counter for a few seconds. Stood up straight went to turn around to grab a towel and blacked back out again. I came too with my husband standing over me and I was slumped against the wall. I started crying and telling him I was so sorry. I apparently had wet myself after I blacked out. He helped me to a sitting position. Handed me my water, I took sips of water and got my breathing under control and we cleaned up the mess. I took a quick shower with his help and then after I got dressed laid down for a while.

Now, I have never ever had an anxiety / panic attack this bad. In the past I have blacked out before but, only a few second and the attacks never lasted more than a few mins and took about 30 mins. to an hour to recover from. This one lasted about 10 mins and I blacked out twice. It took me all day long to recover. I just started feeling halfway decent about an hour ago and the attack happened around 9:30am.

My reg. doctor has had me on heart monitors before even sent me home with one for 24 hours and another for 2 weeks and of course, I never had an attack while wearing the monitors. Nothing showed on the results. My blood pressure always reads normal even when I am in extreme pain. After lots of tests they decided my attacks were anxiety / panic and of course sent me on my way. I have had to always just deal with them in my own way by, trying to calm down, breathing slowly, try to sip cold water and my husband if he is available talks me through them. If my attacks are becoming this bad my fear is what if my husband isn't around and I am here with my children all alone.

Has anyone ever had attacks this bad and if so what have you done to get through them?

I've never had any quite that bad but I have blacked out before from them. Usually I'm alone and try to talk myself down. Also a few times I've been on the phone with my boyfriend and had him help talk me down. Most of the time when they're that bad I get exhausted enough from them to fall asleep. And then spend the day trying to recover. Also I never try to stand when they're that bad. I stay seated where ever I might be. If I catch it early sometimes I will get in the closet (my safety zone, where I feel safe from myself) else I just stay where I am. The hardest part for me is the not breathing feeling plus the feeling that my chest is being compressed, because those make it hard for me to breathe for a day or two even though the panic is gone.

My minor panic attacks last around 1-10 min, but the bad ones like I mentioned above sometimes last up to 2 hours.

Mostly I can talk myself down, but sometimes if my breathing and heartbeat get out of control I take an anti anxiety med.

I'm not sure what I'd do if I had children. How old are they? I know you said one was 3, but do you have others that are older? Do they know you have panic attacks or are old enough to comprehend what to do if you have one and they are there? If one is old enough to take care of themselves and the younger one for as long as you will be the only one home then I'd be more likely to say don't worry about it. It would be good though if at least one was old enough to use the phone and had a list of people they could/should call if you ever need them to. I would also suggest talking to your husband about what he thinks you should do to prepare if this ever happens and it is just you and the kids.

That really bites that you have to go through all this.

I hope you are feeling a bit better now though.

Good Luck

I'd talk to my doc about this. I have the chest pains & shallow breathing & once in awhile I'll go into some kind of a zone where everything seems unreal & I can't comprehend what people are saying or what is happening. It seems like stress can bring on the really bad spells, but the rest of the time it is just free-floating anxiety. I take Klonopin & Trazadone at night to help me sleep. The anxiety at night is really bad. During the day, I can usually "talk myself down"--knowing that it is just anxiety & I'm not having a heart attack or something. Talk to your doc!--Suzy

Hello I hope things are better for you at this time. Have you had a physical and had your thyroid and your hormones checked recently. Sometimes medication, and age can bring on changes in the thyroid and hormones. ( the feeling feels like a heart attack) if you have hormonal disorder, or a ovarian cyst problem that you may npt be aware of at this time. I had this experience myself when I thought I was having a heart attack to be found thatI had a ruptured Ovarian Cyst and a hormonal imbalance. Perhaps you should go see the Gynecologist in case it is a hormonal imbalance due to hormonal issues or an Ovarian Cyst. Take care I hope the best for you soon. Sincerely Soidhonia

I'm with Soidhonia -- I never had panic attacks but experienced what you did (but didn't pass out) with just a bad start to a menstrual period, I only had 3 bad ones in my life so it wasn't something that happened regularly or anything; I didn't have pain but had to be helped out of the shower. Physical weakness, mental fuzziness and blackouts don't have to involve the heart necessarily and if you didn't have an attack when on monitors, how can they see/rule out what's causing it?

Well I'm 35 and have twin 4 year old girls, and a 3 year old son. Just recently had blood work done and it came back normal, every physcal / pap test I get done it all comes back normal other than minor anemia which I take iron pills for.

I feel better today still a little drained but, better than yesterday.

I too suggest talking to your physician these symptoms can be many things including panic attacks like epilepsy, stroke heart attack and so on.

I have gotten dizzy from panic attacks but it was from hyperventilating - breathing too fast.

Hang in there

oh hunny have I ever.

my panic attacks usually start with heart palpitations, weakness, and tingling in extremeties with shallow breathing.

Ive gone to the hospital five times by ambulance because of them. E.R. was very understanding all times except for one.

I have had a full workup and I just have really bad anxiety. So I would get a full workup done just to be sure, but remember anxiety can really throw you for a loop sometimes.

Hope your feeling better.

I am wondering if you are breathing correctly when you say you are breathing deeply to control your attacks. I didnt breathe correctly, and it made all the symptoms worse. Once i learned the proper diphragmatic breathing, I didnt get to the point of feeling like I was going to pass out. When breathing properly - your belly should be moving alot more than your chest. Remember watching a newborn breathe ? Their little tummies go in and out, while their chest barely moves.......thats the way we should always breathe. If you are "gulping", or if your chest rises and falls more than your belly, or your shoulders move up and down while breathing, you are actually making yourself worse. WHen you breath wrong, it is hyperventilating - which can lead to passing out. I have known several people who WANT to pass out to stop their panic , saying when they come too - they are no longer panicked. Whew - I wouldnt wish that on anyone !

Another thought is vertigo. If the room actually felt sideways or upside down, that could be a possibility . (My Mom is going thru incapacitating vertigo right now and it is horrendous). I think I would talk to your Dr. and also, be sure that you are doing the breathing techniques corrrecly.

Good luck ! I hope you never have an attack that bad again.

Well I spoke to my dr's. assistant and was told if it happens again to go to the ER if their office wasn't open. So next time it happens regardless I am just gonna go to the ER.

Also thank you Parker I will tell my husband about the breathing so that he can help me to make sure I am breathing right. I have always just taught myself to take deep breaths. So you are probably right that I am not breathing properly. Its so hard to think when I am having an attack or even understand sometimes I even get irritated at my husband while he is trying to talk me thru one ( poor guy ).

charla, if it makes you feel better, god forbid the person dealing with my bad ones. Ive had four ER docs in arguing with me over whether or not im having a heart attak - there just isint any convincing me until after

im so sorry u have to go thru this. i never have a panic attax where i feel like im gonna black out but ive had them where i feel like im goin crazy & it doesnt go away & its just ongoing for days. this is always complicated by insomnia of course & in turn that just makes it even worse. i am having such bad anxiety right now i havent gone out of these house for almost a month except in my yard & forcing myself to walk to the store when i absolutely want something. the only thing that helps are the benzos which my doc took me off of cuz i abused them. i have to get them from other places & thats just been here & there. i feel 4 u & i do know what its like to have such heightened anxiety ive had a seizure. i dont remember it but my husband & motherinlaw were standing over me telling me what happened. what meds are u on? i know its been torture for me ever since my doc took me off my klonopin. it was my fault for abusing them but still its been torture. i hope u feel better & ill pray 4 u.

So far I am not on any meds. still waiting for first appt. with a T. I am calling my new Dr. on Monday and making an appt. to go in and tell him everything that is going on with me, hopefully he can do something for me.

charlajustin hi there wowie what an experience woulda scared the shitters out me that one...... But i had a similar experience yrs ago when i got in some hot tub spa thingo!! Stood up and PLonk..... I rekon or my theory is maybe were so tense all day long 24/7 that when we do relax IE bath hot tubs its like having a hit all at once.... I've never step foot in one again after that either....... with a shower im not sure about you but im in and out quick..... as with baths you relax there etc..... hope ur feeling better anyhow......

Btw im a newbie hello

Hello Outbackjack

I always take showers in and quick as well. Normally don't take baths at all. Showers are quicker. And yes, I am feeling alot better today, took 2 days to recover from that.

BTW, welcome to the forums. You will find all kinds of helpful information on this site as well as very caring and friendly people. PM me any time if you just need to talk to someone or want to rant about life in general. I might not have greatest advice but, I'm a good listner.

I've never had any that bad and I'm sorry you are dealing with all that. I have a thought though, and by no means am I a doctor. But I work with folks who have seizures often and that does sound like it could be what that was. The symptoms can be many things, and most of what you described. Especially the loss of bladder control. That's very typical of a seizure. Seirzures don't have to be the grand mal, total body shaking that is what most people think of or would recognize. They can be a lot of different things. Anyway, just some info to think about. I hope you're feeling better

I suffered from panic attacks and but I never blacked out... My psychologist told me that in the midst of an attacks, one has to be careful of overbreathing because it will cause more dizziness...

So the answer is nope - I never suffered an attack this bad but I had on occasions had 2 attacks in a row and it usually leave me so drained, I will be very pale and weak on top of being disappointed with myself.

Oh and if you are on meds, be very careful not to abuse them, it makes matters worse cos the meds are supposed to help...

I'm on fluoxetine for depression and it's supposed to help with my anxiety (though I don't see it happening and i've been on it for 6 weeks!) and clonazepam (as and when needed) to help me sleep...

Feel for you as I've been through it. Tell your doc, he should be able to help you through it.

Cheers!

I would get a second opinion and make sure you do not have a medical problem that is causing this. I have have become dizzy but I have never blacked out. I know you can, but to black out for ten minutes seems extreme.

Also, along the same lines of the seizure issue...have you thought of seeing a neurologist? They may be able to pinpoint what is causing the blacking out.

{{{{Charla}}}} I did have really bad panic attacks when growing up, from around when I was 13 to until 21 or 22. They were really bad and worst because I lived in a big city and we used the trains a lot, well, guess when the panic showed up??!! ohh yeah in the middle of the trip. I started having these same symptoms
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Rainbowzz said:

my panic attacks usually start with heart palpitations, weakness, and tingling in extremeties with shallow breathing.


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Now, I'm 33 and I have had some but not this bad and not so often unless if I'm under a lot of stress.
Hang in there hon~

Well, I see my doctor in the morning 9:30am eastern standard time. I am very nervous about the apt. I plan on talking to him about hell, I dunno what. I figure before I leave he will think I am some kind of nut case. lol

I am not sure how to go about telling him about all my symptons. Anxiety attacks, neck, back, hip, leg pain, numbness in my arms and hands, mind racing, depression, etc..but, the one that scares me the most lately is I am forgetting everything. I went and regirstered my son the other day for Head Start and I couldn't even remember his birthday or the how to spell his name. I couldn't remember phone numbers ( that I call every day. ) my husband says I have always had trouble with my memory but, that it seems here lately its gotten worse. I have noticed its alot worse lately as well. I forget what I am doing int he middle of doing something. I forget why I walked into a room. I forget a conversation I had an hour ago, a day , a week or even a month. I even forget what I am talking about while I am talking?!?!?! ( Makes me feel Like I am going CRAZY!!! ) Even if I write everything down, I still forget. It seems mostly random like for a few hours or a day or two I am fine then all of a sudden I forget something and sometimes its on the tip of my tongue but, I can't get it out and others I have no clue and have to ask my husband to remind me. I dunno, I dunno, I feel like I am going crazy. I don't know whether I am coming or going.

I am just gonna go in and tell them what my symptons are and let them figure it out.