Praying for advise about this panic attack thing - Anxiety Message Board

msmkrs · 12-10-2004, 11:47 AM

Please help! I really need advise and support!

re: Last post......I have been having these symptoms for almost 2 years now. Have been to many doctors and specialists to rule out more serious life threatening illnesses and everything seems fine except that panic and anxiety attacks always seem to come up at these visits.
It started not long after I donated bone marrow to my brother (which sadley failed) in January 2002.
The symptoms include, palpatations, uncontrollable high blood pressure, fatique, feeling flushed, hot ears and neck, pain in the neck area, medicine head feeling alot of the time, feeling of passing out, thickness in throat, ......I could go on, really.
I have had a CT scan of my sinuses, thyroid ultrasound and biopsy, (negative), MRI of kidney, EKG, EEG, Echocardiograhm, every possible blood test, 24 hour urinalyis,.....ALL negative so far.
Driving makes the symptoms worse, so does any alcohol consumtion.
I am now on Lotrel 5/20 2x a day, and Lopressor 12.5mg 2x a day.
No change yet, does anyone have any words of advise? It just seems so impossible to me for all of these pyhsical symptoms that I am having to be phycologically manifested.
HELP!

hry33 · 12-10-2004, 02:00 PM

the meds you mention are basicly for high bloodpressure byt the lopressor, being a beta blocker will also reduce the physical problems from anxiety

are you saying you get panic attacks when visiting a doctor

if so this is called white coar syndrome and is not unusual

have you been tried on an antidepressant med? these often help with longterm anxiety

obviously you need to learn how to relax and reduce your stress and anxiety, exercise helps a lot

msmkrs · 12-10-2004, 09:14 PM

Thanks for your reply.
No, the panic attacks are not related to a doctor visit. They are daily. No matter what the agenda.
I have tried antidepressents in the past with not much success. The BP and flushing don't seem to improve. However, they may be considered again after my next appointment, since it seems the latest tests I have had thankfully proved negative.
To be honest my life does not seem to be stressful at this time and hasn't for a while now. That is another reason why I am so confused about why I am experiencing these panic attacks.

stcarlsen · 12-10-2004, 11:26 PM

Hey, something that has helped me a lot is to get a self help book about how your mind can heal you and harm you. i know it may sound like hocus pocus, but our minds are very powerful and they control everything. it may take a long time, but if you can learn to control things you didn't think you could. I have been suffering with some physical problems that have had no medical answers for months, and i finally decided to take matters into my own hands. it has
been real helpful to me. panic attacks suck. that is what started all my problems
i was so afraid of getting another attack, that i have fallen into a viscous cycle of fear and panic. I believe that the answers are all in our minds. a good book is called, Your Body Believes Every Word You Say, by barbara hoberman levine. good luck.

howard678 · 12-11-2004, 02:25 AM

I know how frustrating this is, and you probably think you have gone crazy. But you have not.

This is a very common condition. And the physical symptoms you have are common anxiety symptoms, believe it or not. I am working to get over it with controlled exposure, or in other words, doing the things that I am afraid to do in small doses, gradually working up... Sometimes I just tell my mind to "shut up." Irrational fears become habits and set off the body`s fight/flight response. This condition got a foothold in me as a result of drug withdrawal, and biochemical alterations made my the drugs makes the task greater for me, but it is doable. There are a lot of good books out there and therapists should all have plenty of experience dealing with this condition. If you are welling to go to work at it, you can beat it before long. But you need tools. Start with a good panic book.

P.S. Another good panic book is Power Over Panic by Carol Christensen. Is a good starter, brief and to the point. She does come from a religious perspective so if that is not your thing, skip it.