Physical symptoms after an attack

[whose_da_man88]

Hi,

I had a panic attack yesterday. Prior to that, I can recall 2 previous ones since i was official diagnosed with anxiety in July/August 2017.

I have no idea what triggered the panic attack but I have lots of questions that I can't seem to find which is why I registered to post today.

I was shopping with my wife and daughter. I was there the previous day no problems. For some reason yesterday it resulted in a panic attack whereas the day before, wasn't a problem.

The lead up. I had a coffee at 11:30AM something I haven't had for a long long time but I really wanted to enjoy a beverage with my wife. Walking around the shops together and i went to feed my daughter and could feel panicky so started to breathe deeper. This didn't work and got to the point where I was sweating profusely and the world was moving no matter where i looked. I had a sense of dread that I could not cope and that I would black out and was trembling and shaking. Eventually I had to leave my wife and daughter to lay in the car.

Today i've been trying to meditate and relax. The way I mediate is lying on the bed. Each time I have gotten out of bed, I have been really dizzy and I have hot and cold flushes. Body could be warm but the feed is cold.

Now the questions.

- Does this sort of sound like a panic attack? What is the difference between panic and anixety attack?

- I've been reading articles, I can't tell if it was voluntary or involuntary. Why would doing something normal lead to this kind of feeling?

- Can coffee really bring on a panic attack? I'm guessing it is a stimulant so is it possible that it pushed my body beyond what it can currently cope?

- Could coffee plus the stress of looking after my daughter in a crowded mall all add up to cause a sense of not being able to cope?

- All forums about panic attack tell you that the panic attack symptoms peak for minutes to hours. However rarely any forums can tell what happens after. I feel fatigued (from insomnia, but muscles feel tired too), dizzy, weird sensations in my head like light headed, pressure moving around inside, hot and cold flushes. Is this normal after an attack? What is everyone's experience.

- I lay down for meditations with the Headspace app. Does laying down work?

Thanks in advance!

[blondguy]

Hi Man88

Its always great to hear from you! You are doing your best to understand these awful physical symptoms and they can be difficult to understand. I went through the same in my 20's....and then some. It does require strength...determination and a strong desire to find some peace

After a panic/anxiety attack here are some of the physical symptoms that happened to me

• Brain fog..fatigue...occasional exhaustion
• Inability to concentrate properly...feeling vague and distant
• loose bowel movements....sometimes feeling bloated....diarrhea
• cold sweats...shivers.....shakiness...shortness of breath sometimes...
• sleep problems...waking up wide awake in the wee hours for no particular reason

These physical symptoms that I experienced are very common. Overthinking the way we feel can also open the door for anxiety/panic too.....and yes...even if we are not feeling anxious

There are many people that have the same physical feelings as we do. Monkeysss posted classic physical symptoms of anxiety/panic above....and I quote....

Racing heart
Feeling weak, faint, or dizzy
Tingling or numbness in the hands and fingers
Sense of terror, or impending doom or death
Feeling sweaty or having chills
Chest pains
Breathing difficulties
Feeling a loss of control

These are very common Man88. Even if you are not feeling anxious at the time

So you can have a better idea of your situation I really hope you can copy & paste this link into your browser.

www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety-and-depression-checklist-k10

you are not alone Man88

I hope your weekend is good to you 🙂

Paul

[whose_da_man88]

Thx blondguy.

I seem to be having more panic attack symptoms lately. I had a near attack on the Sunday just passed but somehow managed to stop it going full blown.

I feel like there is a sense of heightened awareness in the gut, and the chest. Yesterday my chest was full hammering and it actually felt like I was rocking because of the palpitations.

Psychologist is trying CBT ... trying to make me think more positive, such as when i feel the symptoms, i need to think differently like, i'm in control, or i've felt this before and it will go away etc as opposed to, it's happening again, why is this happening to me.

I'm on the wort which i guess is almost equivalent to meds, and i've been reading that CBT, deep breathing and meds help. What is other people's experience trying to deal with panic attacks? What kind of treatment worked and how long did it take before the treatment worked?