Anxiety attacks

Anyone have anxiety attacks? Do you take something for it? I went to see my allergist today because I've been having a lot of what I thought were asthma attacks, but I wasn't coughing. He said I was having anxiety attacks and gave me nerve pills to take when I have them. I'm a bit weirded by taking a nerve pill. I haven't filled the script yet.

I used to have those types of feelings a few years ago. I really had to evaluate my life a bit and realized I had myself spread out way too thin. I was a people pleaser. Once I started saying no to things and cutting back I really started feeling alot better.

I hope you feel better - do you feel spread out too thin at times . I think we all do at times. Do you have some "me" time for yourself? Maybe on the weekends even if it is a nice long walk alone it's nice.

I have had anxiety attacks but I get sick, and so does my dh he throws up.. he took anxiety pills because he had it so bad and it just basicly helped him learn to control it on his own (he is a LOT better now). I would talk to another dr. before filling the prescription unless you feel okay about it.

I have had panic attacks in the past and had to take something when they happened cause I would end up in the hospital having major chest pains, etc. and once they started I couldn't stop them on my own - but it was all centered around the illness and death of my father - after he died and I knew he was at peace and no longer suffering they went away....see if you can pinpoint what triggers them - sometime changing those triggers (if possible - I know it isn't always possible) can help tremendously....

When I stress out real bad the next day I wake up in the am and I have them
Numb and tinglie body and light headed like to pass out oh yeah what fun not!! I just try not to stress out any more and I've been fine so far

I had panic attacks back when I was 18, my first year in college. I would breakout in a cold sweat and be short of breath. The room would sortof fade out and people's voices would sound muffled. I would get dry mouth and have to sit down and close my eyes. They typically pass quickly, but I do remember some lasting longer than others. I never took anything for them, but I think they were a symptom of my depression.

Does this sound similar?

When I get them (which has only started in the last year) I feel like I can't get a deep enough breath, I can breathe but I feel like I can't take the nice, calm, deep breath that would do the trick, kwim? And then it gets worse from there, I freak out and the harder I try to take a deep breath, the harder it gets.

I've used Colt's asthma inhaler a few times and it sort of helps. Mine are stress induced, although I can be sleeping perfectly well and wake up with one, and chest pains accompany them (but the chest pains are becoming more and more consistent) I've only asked a dr about it once and he recommended therapy to find a coping system, which I haven't done.

I have them pretty regularly. Have since I was about 14-15. Mine are usually triggered by being very tired, like if I don't get enough sleep for 2-3 nights. When one starts I usually just remove myself from the place I am (I go outside if I'm at home, get out of the car if I'm riding) and then try to get to bed if I can or at least start reading a book to get my mind off of it. I almost always have them at home or in the car, and it's 99.9999% at night.
I was put on a low-dose Zoloft, but found it really didn't make that big of a difference, so I got off of them. I do have a low-dose of Xanax though for when I have a really bad one that I can't get hold of. I usually take half of the pill, and that helps without making me feel weird. I average probably 1-2 of those a month.
I hope this helps... you can PM me if you want.

Karen, is it ativan? I sometimes still have some PTSS from an incident that happened when I was young. but thru counciling learned to deal with it thru deep breathing and relaxation tech. i used to take some ativan and it didnt do anything but make me a zombie, does the asthma dr know what other meds you take? i am sure you mentioned it, but just wanted to make sure. if you are interested in what i have learned feel free to pm me. I also agree that if you can find the route of what is causing the panic attacks, and deal with it in another way, its usually better. i know some need meds, and thats ok too, but if its possible to get away with it, i think thats best.

Wow, you just described mine to a T---I constantly take the deepest breath I can then I have to wait a few minutes before I am able to get another one deep enough. Mine is stress related too but once they get started they stay for awhile.

My doctor gave me Klonopin for when it is at it's peak. what did your doctor prescribe Karen?

Wow, you just described mine to a T---I constantly take the deepest breath I can then I have to wait a few minutes before I am able to get another one deep enough. Mine is stress related too but once they get started they stay for awhile.

My doctor gave me Klonopin for when it is at it's peak. what did your doctor prescribe Karen?

This describes mine to a T too, except my heart also feels like it skips beats for what seems like too long. Then I freak out more and can't breathe even more. After I force myself to calm down it goes away like it didn't even happen. I had one the other night at bowling and there was no stressful event going on, kwim? I can see why some of my other episodes were more stress related, but they are happening when it doesn't appear to be a stressful situation.

I had thought about using my inhaler when I have these attacks, but the doc said it's good I didn't because they can sometimes make them even worse. He told me to practice belly breathing when they come on because that takes off the pressure from your chest. What you do is try to catch your breath when you have these attacks and the chest tightens up even more so if you do more belly breathing it will make the attack go away faster. He did also give me ativan for it. Is this stuff bad? I am trying to deal with them without any meds. I am already on an anti-depressant as a preventative measure against migraines.

What is belly breathing? I need to know that if it will help

I know exactly what you are going through, I felt very strange about taking anti depressants and anti anxiety med, but they have helped me a lot. My anxiety ends up in my stomach and I have diarreah

good luck with the meds if you decide to take them or without if thats what your choose.

Belly breathing is basically breathing low or with your diaphram. I actually breath this way because of all the singing I do. We are born breathing this way and for some reason as we get older we start to take higher shallower breaths. Sometimes I feel myself doing this now and always feel short of breath because I wasn't breathing lower. There are some excercises that I have my students do to help them learn to breath this way. Huh in short spurts so you would be saying huh huh huh. You should feel your diaphram bouncing which is where you should be breathing. Just try breathing really deep.

I started having panic attacks right after Christmas last year. I was working really long hours at Target and just stressed to the max. I was just sitting there at the operators desk and just couldn't catch my breath. My heart was beating fast and I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Turns out I was having a panic attack. I started having them off and on for guite a bit there. I haven't had one in a while, but I did learn that taking in deep breaths helped when I was getting one.

I teach those same exercises for my voice students.

A basic way to explain it would be that when you breathe, your belly expands rather than your chest rising and falling.

That's exactly right. He told me to lay down, put one hand on my belly and the other on my chest. Then breath pushing your belly in and out.

I have them almost daily since Zavier was born. I tried to talk to my doc about it but she just prescribed a high dose of ativan. I can't (won't) take them because i am alone with the kids all the time. I just try to cope with them, put the baby in his crib and settle zander in with a cartoon and so sit somewhere and settle down. Its scary though.

Wow, you just described mine to a T---I constantly take the deepest breath I can then I have to wait a few minutes before I am able to get another one deep enough. Mine is stress related too but once they get started they stay for awhile.

My doctor gave me Klonopin for when it is at it's peak. what did your doctor prescribe Karen?

This describes mine to a T too, except my heart also feels like it skips beats for what seems like too long. Then I freak out more and can't breathe even more. After I force myself to calm down it goes away like it didn't even happen. I had one the other night at bowling and there was no stressful event going on, kwim? I can see why some of my other episodes were more stress related, but they are happening when it doesn't appear to be a stressful situation.

I had thought about using my inhaler when I have these attacks, but the doc said it's good I didn't because they can sometimes make them even worse. He told me to practice belly breathing when they come on because that takes off the pressure from your chest. What you do is try to catch your breath when you have these attacks and the chest tightens up even more so if you do more belly breathing it will make the attack go away faster. He did also give me ativan for it. Is this stuff bad? I am trying to deal with them without any meds. I am already on an anti-depressant as a preventative measure against migraines.

karen, for me ativan 0.5mg wasnt to bad, but i wasnt on anything else either, but once it got to 1mg it started to make me feel like a zombie, i found myself staring at the tv a lot and not knowing how much time passed, or what was even going on around me.
but that was my own experience.

Wow, you just described mine to a T---I constantly take the deepest breath I can then I have to wait a few minutes before I am able to get another one deep enough. Mine is stress related too but once they get started they stay for awhile.

My doctor gave me Klonopin for when it is at it's peak. what did your doctor prescribe Karen?

This describes mine to a T too, except my heart also feels like it skips beats for what seems like too long. Then I freak out more and can't breathe even more. After I force myself to calm down it goes away like it didn't even happen. I had one the other night at bowling and there was no stressful event going on, kwim? I can see why some of my other episodes were more stress related, but they are happening when it doesn't appear to be a stressful situation.

I had thought about using my inhaler when I have these attacks, but the doc said it's good I didn't because they can sometimes make them even worse. He told me to practice belly breathing when they come on because that takes off the pressure from your chest. What you do is try to catch your breath when you have these attacks and the chest tightens up even more so if you do more belly breathing it will make the attack go away faster. He did also give me ativan for it. Is this stuff bad? I am trying to deal with them without any meds. I am already on an anti-depressant as a preventative measure against migraines.

karen, for me ativan 0.5mg wasnt to bad, but i wasnt on anything else either, but once it got to 1mg it started to make me feel like a zombie, i found myself staring at the tv a lot and not knowing how much time passed, or what was even going on around me.
but that was my own experience.

I left the script at home so I'm not sure of the dosage. Thanks for the heads up. I will definitely keep that in mind. Right now I'm able to control the attacks -- work through them. I hope that continues. I just wish I could catch them before they happen, kwim? Like the one at the bowling alley last week -- it hit me out of no where and I'm not even sure why.

That's exactly right. He told me to lay down, put one hand on my belly and the other on my chest. Then breath pushing your belly in and out.

When I was in college one of my voice teachers had me lay down on the floor with books on my belly. I was told to breath in and raise the books. Works pretty good actually.

I've taken ativan for them. And I've been on Prozac for other issues. The only side effect was feeling sleepy. You gotta do what you're comfortable with though. The breathing and meditating stuff just didn't work for me, so I had to rely on meds. Hopefully you won't.

Sleepy? Ugh. I don't want to take that stuff then I already battle tiredness with my allergies. I battle that so bad (along with winter blues) that it seems like I'm sleeping more than awake and that's a problem with two kids.

Really? This is weird because I get diarrhea a lot and my diet never changes. But I don't have an anxiius feeling. Do you? Gosh this place is better than Web MD.

karen sorry I can't be of more help, I'm not really sure but I wanted to offer

Really? This is weird because I get diarrhea a lot and my diet never changes. But I don't have an anxiius feeling. Do you? Gosh this place is better than Web MD.

karen sorry I can't be of more help, I'm not really sure but I wanted to offer

Me too, but in my case it's Irritable Bowel Syndrome (lovely, I know ) I know you've mentioned in the past that you eat a lot of fast food, which is a major culprit for me

Really? This is weird because I get diarrhea a lot and my diet never changes. But I don't have an anxiius feeling. Do you? Gosh this place is better than Web MD.

karen sorry I can't be of more help, I'm not really sure but I wanted to offer

Me too, but in my case it's Irritable Bowel Syndrome (lovely, I know ) I know you've mentioned in the past that you eat a lot of fast food, which is a major culprit for me

I have IBS, too. I was diagnosed that just recently. It actually started back around Mother's Day when I got a terrible virus and later was diagnosed with an ulcer but other symptoms did not go away - the IBS.

ETA: My mom had IBS and it was always triggered by anxiety attacks.

This post has been edited by coasterqueen on Oct 23 2007, 01:26 PM