Panic Attack - Any Danger?

[varenik09]

Hi All,

New to the forum, have had anxiety all my life and battled panic attacks, specially recently which have been really really bad.

I am also a hypochondriac.

My question is - during a panic attack the thing that freaks me out the most is the very rapid heart beat and being hypochondriac makes me even more scared, so question is, is it at all dangerous to have such high heart rate during a panic attack?

Thanks

[Cornstarch]

Hi varenik09,

I can't assume that your anxiety is nothing more than a biological medical condition because that's all it may be, with no 'sad' story behind it so to speak. You can't assume everyone has a sad story. The worst case of depression I have ever seen was a friend of mine that had pretty much the closest thing to the perfect childhood. This made her more depressed because doctors would always ask, "is there any history of child abuse" and she'd go "no, I had an absolutely amazing childhood and I have amazing parents". Medical science just hasn't figured it out yet. Lot's of people reckon it may be an inflammation problem and that may make sense because I always had this sneaking suspicion she was hiding something - I was right. She was bulimic. Hmmmm I think that could increase inflammation pretty easily. Hid it for over 20 years. I was sooooooo cranky at her because she's had that many hospitalisations and frightened people around her.

My heart goes ballistic when I have a panic attack but mine are connected to a real world, direct threat to life. So I have to cope with the yucky story too. Then my heart rate plummets down to about 42 beats p/min. Which is my resting heart rate.

It is humanly impossible to not freak out when your heart is going wild. Don't beat up on yourself. Sorry about the pun! Ha! It is just hard wired into our biology to alert us.

Can you see a cardiologist and eliminate all physical problems? We have a medical system that isn't too bad, use it.

Because guess what? Because I do have an anxiety disorder I've always been fobbed off as 'damaged'. No-one thought, gee, better check this women out for physical stuff. Turns out I have a heart abnormality.

You say you're a hypochondriac. Do you have any personal history of your needs not being taken seriously. Have you heard of somatoform? I don't have it but a lot of traumatised trinnies do.

[varenik09]

Hi Cornstarch,

Thank you for response. I do have history of my needs not being met / taken seriously as a baby. My mother raised me by the "book" as in only feeding my per schedule and leaving me to cry uncontrollably when i needed something as she thought i was being naughty. Maybe it stems from that - i will never know.

I have had numerous ECG's and had monitored recording which are normal. You mention u have panic attacks and you have a heart abnormality? - does that make it harder for you knowing ? what is your diagnoses? anxiety? panic disorder?

[Cornstarch]

I wish it was still the good old days when I only had my regular run of the mill anxiety symptoms. Looking back it was so warm and cosy just to have that. Almost delightful. My diagnosis is PTSD. I graduated to panic attacks at approximately age 23/25ish.

Always had a lousy tummy and doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. Lousy immunity. So stripped back my diet and went gluten and dairy free before it was trendy, and the results were so dramatic for me I refuse to go near the stuff. Have been really good at sticking to it, if I walk past a loaf of bread now I get itchy. And then bizarrely I did so much inner work, guess what, they went!

But then I graduated again - to full blown PTSD. I've been on the anxiety trajectory my entire life, it was bound to happen one day. So I am feeling very sad and sorry for myself because they came back. Oddly a panic attack is now a mate, and one of my red flags that I am about to have a HUGE flashback, so I need to prepare myself for the drop and possibly start being sick, and need to make arrangements for time off. I have a Complete Right Branch Block and Bradycardia as a result of a violent attack at a very young age. Bradycardia is a symptom of dissociation and that's how doctors can tell that your trauma was very severe in that there was a direct threat to life, and at a young age as well. I was a bit freaked out when the doctor told me, because I was scared I couldn't exercise, because CRBB does make you weak and dizzy. I also had a 7cm blood clot about 6 months earlier. I simply cannot cope if someone told me I couldn't exercise with PTSD. He was such a lovely man and could see I was really upset because coping mechanisms were potentially being taken away from me. He didn't pretend that science has all the answers yet so I really really respected him for that. He just said "it is an odd thing for someone like you to have an upper arm DVT and this heart thing that cannot be explained. Keep exercising. Don't be scared. You need your exercise with PTSD because it is such a cruel condition to have inflicted upon you by a monster". I still have two more heart tests to go, because I couldn't get in for 2/3 months, they are that booked out. I'm pretty sure cardiomyopathy has been ruled out. That's what I was really scared of, but he hasn't told me. I think he just wanted me to keep exercising because I have to wait for these tests.

[blondguy]

Hi varenik09

Thanks for posting!

I have had acute anxiety since 1983 when I was 23. Anxiety disorder seems to come on in the early 20's unfortunately. I still remember how awful it was.....so draining...

Having hundreds of anxiety attacks there has been no physiological damage at all. The adrenaline is making everything awful....nothing will happen....even fainting is extremely rare

There is NO danger having even a full blown panic attack....none whatsoever.

My kindest thoughts for you Varenik09. There are many kind folk on the forums that can be here for you.

You are more than welcome to post as many times as you wish 🙂

Paul

[varenik09]

Thank you Blondguy

[Cornstarch]

RE: your Mum's caregiving.

I'm so sorry for that.

It's a strange method isn't it. I've forgotten what nurses call it, where they apparently 'teach' babies something like self-soothing by letting them cry.

But as you say you'll never know. And in the end anxiety is here. So regardless of where it comes from you have to manage it somehow. Everyone feels like they're dying when you have one, that's the common feature. And no one ever forgets their fist one. Wow.

Anxiety begins to hurt your confidence because it is so illogical at times and you become anxious over nothing. It makes you feel like a neurotic, incapable person to be on high alert all the time. It is just awful.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi varenik09,

This is a great question and a tricky one to answer because heart racing can mimic a lot of other conditions. It's great that all the tests and things have come back clear indicating that what you are experiencing is anxiety.

It's true that a rapid heart beat is not dangerous. Sometimes when people have panic attacks they may hyperventilate or pass out, however this is uncommon. The important part to remember is that even though the body is reacting in this weird way, its a physiological response. The idea is that this response protects you from the perceived danger - even if there is none at the time. Recovery is quick, and long-term there is no damage to your heart - even though people generally feel tired after.

If you want to learn more about what's happening to you, you may find this helpful - http://www.youngdiggers.com.au/fight-or-flight

[Koala12]

Hi Cornstarch, I'm new on here and looking at a few posts relevant to me. I found yours resonated with me. I have suffered with anxiety for years, worst triggers being anything medical and flying. Recently after a really bad anxiety attack when husband was having a routine medical procedure I got paranoid and started taking my pulse frequently - I noticed on occasions it was very slow and stopped which freaked me out as had never noticed this before. Half of me thought must be nothing as I keep very fit and healthy but I had to go to the Dr as she's trying to sort out my IBS and I mentioned it. Had a 24 hr holter monitor fitted and got a call yesterday to say come in to surgery as it's come back abnormal - totally freaked out and thought would have heart attack on the spot. Apparently apart from a few ectopics my heart does have frequent pauses and maybe electrical system not firing properly. Due to see cardiologist on Tuesday but can't eat sleep or function as constantly worried going to drop down dead or have heart attack. Dr said keep calm as it's not helping (yeah right, tell that to an anxiety sufferer!). Prescribed medication for a few days but I don't like taking drugs so not sure whether to start. Not sure how I can get through the next few days let alone the actual appointment itself, feel constantly bad and can't differentiate now between anxiety and what's going on with my heart. Hate being me at the moment 😞

[Cornstarch]

Oh I am sorry Koala12 for your pain and suffering.

It is humanly impossible to not freak out with heart stuff. Of course you are nervous. Everyone is. For me what makes me upset is that no-one ever thought to consider that it may be anything else other than anxiety as a result of a trauma. All they see is the yucky story & anxiety and they didn't do due diligence and rule out something physical. My family & clinical psych were really upset and said we want you to stop being so forthcoming with your history and make the doctor figure it out for himself/herself! Otherwise they become blinkered and only judge the personal biography which generally is a patronising bias.

I had a horrific PTSD flashback the day I found out I had a CRBB. I was a plane ride away from disappearing onto an island and never coming home. It was a routine health check through work. I was sitting up on like the 45th floor of this high rise building overlooking Sydney Harbour and this doctor is like, "are you about to faint your pulse is so low and your blood pressure too". I told them my whole melodramatic story. So he did an ECG and said "has anyone ever told you that you have a heart abnormality". I was like "I can make my heart do funky things on command because I had to pretend once that I was no longer living. You ask me to "relax" and I can get my heart rate below 40 in a couple of seconds. Is that what you mean?" He was like, no an actual problem.

What can a girl do. I'm trying to not freak out. I see the doctor next Wednesday or Thursday I think and then another test maybe a week after that. I suppose for me nothing is worse than the physicality of my PTSD. I am experiencing "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction", it can't be worse than what I am already going through.

But in terms of being anxious yourself. Of course you are anxious. It is literally humanly impossible not to be. The Fight/Flight/Freeze/Appease response is hard wired into us. We get no choice.

I hope you will be Ok. I don't want to be a moron that is afraid of feelings and go "you'll be Ok" because health problems are a problem and a frequent one at that!

I bet you've got a beautiful heart even if it is a little wobbly at times and being a brat.