7 weeks and still no explanation... Panic attack

[Stevey88]

Hi peeps. I found this site on Google while trying to research some help on what's happening to me. I wonder if any 1 has been through what I'm currently going through.

7 weeks ago I was driving and my body went into shakes and panic attacks, my first ever time. There was no reason for it, it just came out of the blue.

I went to the hospital and was told I'm all clear and that it was panic disorder.

When this happened, it made me very light headed and my balance abit wobbly. Which left me in bed for the 1st 4 weeks feeling like I was just going to constantly pass out.

After 4 trips to the Dr and 4 weeks in bed, I was put on sertraline, and kept getting told the light heasedness will dissappear.

We are now on week 7, I'm still very light headed, to the point I can't work still as I drive children for a living.( I tried going back to work but it just made me feel very poorly driving due to my head) I feel light headed from the minute I wake up until I go to bed. I've got a bout of tinnitus ( which I think has been caused by sertraline) my ears feel blocked up just behind my ears, bit like a pressure feeling( had them checked twice and they are fine) and I still feel like I'm going to pass out alot. The Dr has given me some proponol to take along with sertraline but all that does is slow my heart rate, it doesn't help with this light headedness in any way shape or form.

The Dr's are repeatedly telling me its just in my head and my balance isn't coordinated and I need to get out more and exercise, which I have done for 3 weeks now and still nothing.



Has any 1 else suffered with anything like this. I'd be great full for any advice.

 

[HollyG16]

Hi there, I am new to this forum but just came across your post which I can relate to. I started with anxiety around 4 years ago, when I was laid in bed and began to feel light headed & disorientated. I had never experienced any thing like this before and hadn’t had any mental health problems. It can be very scary when you first experience it I was adamant I was having a stroke or that there was something wrong with my brain.

I notice you say there was no reason for it, that it came out of the blue. What I have learnt about anxiety is that although you may not have any stress/worries at that present moment, is there anything underlying that you are worried about or stressed over in your home/work life? I often find that when I feel anxious there can be a number of factors that comtirubute towards it. It’s worth having a think about.

I also was prescribed Propnanol which I agree did nothing other than slow my heart rate. Have you had your blood pressure checked recently as I understand this can cause dizziness & make you feel light headed. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Stevey88]

Hey Holly. I've always been abit of a stress head due to an unprovoked attack about 11 years back. So that is quite possibly the underlying cause for it all. I've had my bloods done and pressures checked a couple of times and it seems to be alright. I've taken myself of the proponolol as it made me like a zombie. I was adament there was something ring to start with like you said, I've accepted the fact that's it's all anxiety based ect, but I'm just still worried that I'm feeling dizzy after nearly 8 weeks now.

 

[HollyG16]

Good morning, yeah it definitely sounds like that could be an underlying factor contributing towards your anxiety. Did you ever have any counselling or discuss what happened to you? I too stopped taking Propanolol as I didn’t like the effect it had on me. I can relate with you when you say it made you feel like a zombie. I think if you’ve accepted that it’s anxiety based but are still feeling dizzy I would go back to your GP and ask for further testing. You know your self when you don’t feel right and they should be listening to you, not brushing you off and blaming it on anxiety, especially if it’s gone on for nearly 8 weeks. Do you feel dizzy all the time or just some of the time?

 

[PlasticPilot]

Good morning, yeah it definitely sounds like that could be an underlying factor contributing towards your anxiety. Did you ever have any counselling or discuss what happened to you? I too stopped taking Propanolol as I didn’t like the effect it had on me. I can relate with you when you say it made you feel like a zombie. I think if you’ve accepted that it’s anxiety based but are still feeling dizzy I would go back to your GP and ask for further testing. You know your self when you don’t feel right and they should be listening to you, not brushing you off and blaming it on anxiety, especially if it’s gone on for nearly 8 weeks. Do you feel dizzy all the time or just some of the time?

I have found Propranolol worked well for me with anxiety, the key with using this medication is to take shortly before you start to feel anxious like when you have a social meeting or a stressful scenario coming up such as a job interview, it will make you feel calm and confident

 

[HollyG16]

That’s good news, I suppose what works for one may not for another. I didn’t seem to find them helpful or making a difference I just couldn’t feel my heart beat which I didn’t like. Glad they work for you though

 

[PlasticPilot]

That’s good news, I suppose what works for one may not for another. I didn’t seem to find them helpful or making a difference I just couldn’t feel my heart beat which I didn’t like. Glad they work for you though

Yes Holly, i found them very useful. They actually do slow down your heart rate as they are classed as a Beta Blocker so it can be concerning ..x..

 

[HollyG16]

Yeah that’s what I didn’t like about them, I suffer quite bad with health anxiety so didn’t find the side effects useful they just made me feel,worse and worry more

 

[SleepeeSam]

Living with anxiety and vertigo for about 10 years now. I can tell you that both disorders can cause what youre currently going through and it happens to me at least once a year anf can last a few weeks, the longest it lasted me was a few months the first time i experienced this. I didnt take any medication for it, although i was prescribed. It does go away its own, and you just have to find away around it temporarily

 

[Tazmelbs85]

Y

Hi peeps. I found this site on Google while trying to research some help on what's happening to me. I wonder if any 1 has been through what I'm currently going through.

7 weeks ago I was driving and my body went into shakes and panic attacks, my first ever time. There was no reason for it, it just came out of the blue.

I went to the hospital and was told I'm all clear and that it was panic disorder.

When this happened, it made me very light headed and my balance abit wobbly. Which left me in bed for the 1st 4 weeks feeling like I was just going to constantly pass out.

After 4 trips to the Dr and 4 weeks in bed, I was put on sertraline, and kept getting told the light heasedness will dissappear.

We are now on week 7, I'm still very light headed, to the point I can't work still as I drive children for a living.( I tried going back to work but it just made me feel very poorly driving due to my head) I feel light headed from the minute I wake up until I go to bed. I've got a bout of tinnitus ( which I think has been caused by sertraline) my ears feel blocked up just behind my ears, bit like a pressure feeling( had them checked twice and they are fine) and I still feel like I'm going to pass out alot. The Dr has given me some proponol to take along with sertraline but all that does is slow my heart rate, it doesn't help with this light headedness in any way shape or form.

The Dr's are repeatedly telling me its just in my head and my balance isn't coordinated and I need to get out more and exercise, which I have done for 3 weeks now and still nothing.



Has any 1 else suffered with anything like this. I'd be great full for any advice.

You honestly have the closest thing I can find to my own experience on here. I had dizziness start first though, and blocked ear feeling. about a week of it and then massive panic attack. Then after first panic attack came panic attacks every day and admission to hospital where they did every test possible, ecgs, MRI’s, CT scans, checked ears, eyes all normal and diagnosed with panic disorder. Told Psychiatrist I was on antidepressants but that wasn’t helping. He got me on Seroquel which stopped the panic attacks. I still have dizziness and blocked ears most of the day every day and it’s been going on for over two months now but I have improved so much since being on the seroquel so I’m hopeful. It’s just so strange the physical symptoms, and I keep feeling like there’s something more but trying to accept it’s just anxiety. I have a follow up appointment with psychiatrists if I need to adjust medication and follow up with neurologist so if symptoms persist I will keep pushing for answers from somebody