Panic more intensified, the longer I go between attacks? Is this Panic Disorder ?

My symptoms are, I feel "impending doom", palpitations, heart racing rapidly, and that I'm going to pass out. I usually have to grab ahold of something, so I don't fall down. Sometimes these attacks are so severe, I do get down on the floor, because it feels like I'm going to die. It definitely feels like something is wrong with my heart. These attacks come on randomly and intensely but only last for about 30 seconds intensely. Then I am ok again. But I still wonder if something else is going on with my body or my heart.

I've had a heart stress test done a year ago, multiple heart monitors, and they never caught anything when I had these episodes. All they caught, was my heart rate going up rapidly. I have tried a lot of medications over the years. Last year, Zoloft and Buspirone, and Buspirone made anxiety worse. This year, doctor tried Lamictal, becuase it's the only thing I can take, while on Multaq for my AFIB condition. Lamictal gave me anxiety and increased palpitations, so it was stopped.

Now....I keep randomly having some very minor build-up to an attack. I just had one starting, and took Klonopin. Usually this blocks it if I have prior warnings of attacks. But a lot of the time the attacks come out of no where. One odd thing is, if I go a long time, say a couple weeks or longer, without an attack, then the next attack is VERY SEVERE. It hits my heart very bad, and feels like I'm having a heart attack. I feel intense feeling of "impending doom", and that I'm going to die right there. My doctors keep reassuring me that there is NOTHING wrong with my heart, but every time I get these feelings, it's the first thing that comes into my mind.

I wish it would stop. These all started 10+ years ago. When I was on Zoloft, it seemed to help a bit, but the more time that went by without one, the next one was VERY SEVERE. It's like the drugs blocked the adrenaline for so long, that my body finally broke through it and shot me all at once with it. After an attack, my heart feels OVERWORKED and I shake/tremble, and get worried that my heart was damaged. I've been to the ER multiple times, but they have not found any damage to my heart.

I have AFIB, and also had two DVT/PE's (blood clots in lungs) over the past two years, and now on Xarelto. My psychatrist once blamed my very short attacks on possible blood clots going thru my heart. But now he is thinking it is just a very short panic attack.

1. Are these short attacks(30 sec) really panic disorder, or is there some other disease or medical condition that I should ask my doctors about to get checked?


2. Can panic attacks damage the heart over time?

3.
Can Panic attacks really only last 30 seconds and get more intensified if you go longer without one?

Panic Disorder Treatment | Panic Attacks

Found this article on the treatment of Panic Disorder. Hope it helps.

Thanks. Yes it seems this is what I experience. Although it sure feels very intense at times, like my heart is having issues. But when I would go to the emergency room to get checked out, they always said my heart was okay and claimed I just had a panic attack.

I wish I could get these under control.