Does this sound like a panic attack to you?

[Ldog]

Hello everyone 🙂

I've been wondering if I've been having panic attacks or not for years, and I think here would be the best place to find out. 

These are my symptoms: Faster heartbeat, trembling, feeling like I'm being smothered, feelings of unreality/de-realization/depersonalization, sometimes I get a really strong feeling like I'm going to vomit (not nausea, it might be panic), déjà vu, not being able to talk normally (if I'm talking, I might trail off) and sometimes after I get a really bad headache, or I get REALLY tired.

I was diagnosed with focal epilepsy about 3-4 years ago, but I don't believe it. The doctor I saw and the neurologist I thought were hopeless. I feel like no-one's listening to me. I was at the neurologist for seriously 2 minutes, and after my EEG says I have focal epilepsy, the doctor still insists it's absence seizures (._.) 

I do have generalised anxiety, so it makes MUCH more sense for it to be panic attacks, and I have experienced strong panic that has led to one of these...panic seizures? 

I'm sick of worrying about this! I had a panic seizure while I was with my psychologist, and she agrees with me that I'm not unconcious (the neurologist says I have complex partial seizures, which I don't agree with...and neither does the psychologist, since she witnessed it) 

I don't know if it's just me not hearing what I want to hear, because I can't drive. I REALLY want to drive, and I think I'd be fine driving. It's happened in a car before and I knew where I was; I could see a white car drive past. 

Anyways, if anyone has had any first hand experience with either partial seizures or panic attacks, information would be much appreciated 🙂 Thank you!

Did I mention I want to be a truck driver? 😞

[dougall]

Hi well I have had panic attacks and one of the things that worried me was the feeling that everything was coming in at me, like a black hole and I was in the middle with all my surroundings just being sucked into me, weird feeling.  There are many symptoms we experience so it would be hard to say exactly, some mine faster breathing, pain in the chest like a truck is on it, racing mind, everything being clearer but tunneled, wanting to escape but your legs are taking forever to get the message, paranoia thinking everyone is thinking you look weird, drained afterwards.   There are sites you can look up and find out a list of symptoms but I think it changes with each individual.  Hope this helped.

[AGrace]

Hi Ldog,

Welcome to the forums. I think here is a pretty good place to start exploring what's happening with you. It would be silly of me or anyone else to go against what your specialist has advised but in order to bring you piece of mind i think it's worth getting a second opinion. If you're uncertain about the diagnosis and think it could be something else, why not get a diagnosis from another neurologist? 

I also think in exploring this it's worth looking at treatment options. What has the neurologist suggested? Is it working? What has the Psychologist suggested? Is it working? I think we spend a lot of time worrying about diagnoses and yet our efforts are best focused on treatment and action. Is it also worth getting the opinion of a Psychiatrist? 

Now is the time to explore all of your options, and you never know, you could eventually end up driving a truck after all.

AGrace

[Ldog]

Hi AGrace!

The doctor I'm currently seeing said he might be able to get me in to see a private neurologist, which would be nice if they actually help, unlike the last one. 

What did the neurologist suggest? Nothing....he had pretty much nothing to say. I was there for pretty much 5 minutes, and I was sitting there while he said I had epilepsy. My psychologist urged me to go back to the doctor and follow up on the private neurologist offer. I have seen a psychiatrist, but a long time ago for different reasons.

I'm sure I'll get all this sorted out. 

Thank you 🙂