Hi all.. First of all I apologize for what's about to be a long post.

I'm a 22-year-old male with a strange but not very extensive medical history. My post today is in concerns with a few different problems I've had over the past 12 years or so. I'll try to break up the post and correlate my concerns best as possible.

Have I had panic attacks?
This question dates back to when I was about 10 years old, 5th grade. I was staying at my aunt's house with some cousins for the week and my mom had come to pick me up. Unfortunately, I can't recall if anything stressful had been going on but my aunt's house was always a busy place. We stopped by Subway on the way home, got back into the car and going down the highway heading home I black out but am still conscious in some way. I can feel what's going on. It actually felt like you would imagine a seizure feeling like. It felt like I was shaking and also felt like I was urinating on myself. My mom never noticed and I'm really not sure if I even told her at the time because it was embarrassed for whatever reason. Before I blacked out, I felt light headed and like my chest was constricting.

Sometime passes on...At school, lunch time. I'm in line, get my food, pay, walk to my table and before I even get a few bites into the meal, the same chest and head feelings hit me and I black out once again. I can't see, feel like I'm shaking, can hear my surroundings and wake up on the floor. There wasn't a teacher near when it happened but just a table full of students. They were as freaked out as I was but didn't actually see whether or not I was shaking like someone with a seizure would do. I told the teacher and she actually didn't let me call home and said it was probably something to do with my blood sugar. I tell my mom when she picks me up and we go to the doctor. We get there, they hook me up to a bunch of machines and we're there for awhile. Results were inconclusive.

That was 5th grade. Fast forward to 10th grade and I hadn't had anything like that happen again. Sitting in math class around 1pm, my scalp and abdomen start itching. A little while later I realize I'm breaking out in hives. This started in 10th grade and still happens today with no real pattern. I've had a couple allergy tests done in my life.

The pattern for the hives always changes but almost always show up in public if I haven't taken a minimum of 2 benadryl recently or hydroxyzine(which I was eventually prescribed about 2 years ago).

Before being RXed hydroxyzine(atarax/vistaril), it turns out only benadryl was the other antihistamine that worked. Before hydroxyzine, I tried Zyrtec, Zyrtec+Zantac(doctor said zantac would help with histamine release from stomach) and allegra. To my knowledge, Zyrtec and Allegra don't have sedating effects.

One summer near the ending of high school(about 18), still hadn't been given hydroxyzine I experience my first blackout episode in my room. Even though it had been around 7 or 8 years, I instantly recognized what was about to happen. Feels like my chest is being crushed, light headed and I go to my bed ASAP. The same exact experience - feels like I'm shaking, feels like I'm urinating on myself(never actually have).

At this point I'm uninsured, didn't tell anyone, and life goes fine for awhile. One day comes around and it feels like I have to go pee, I try..only a little bit trickles out. Come back to my room, get the urge to go again..same thing, only a little bit comes out. This repeats about 5 times and I'm getting nervous about having kidney stones or something. While standing at the toilet, same pre-blackout feelings hit me but it happens way too fast and I black out. Same feelings during the blackout. I wake up with a pain on my head and realized my head bounced off something.

Time goes on and nothing more happens. I'm on hydroxyzine, no hives in sight as long as I'm taking it once every day or two at 50mg.

Some days in college, in class, not too common but maybe once or twice a month I got the same pre-blackout feelings, but they weren't as intense and I would lose my concentration hard. If I focused on breathing, just zoned out from everything else and focused on one thing it seemed to help.

There were a few periodical blackouts I didn't mention that had no special circumstances but they all happened after 18 years old. There were none between 10-18.

Late May 2007 on a Sunday I'm getting abdominal pains in the afternoon that persist into the night time. Around 10:00pm I begin vomiting probably on average of twice per hour all night long while the pain continues. {REMOVED} it got to be pretty obvious what I had was appendicitis. I get to the hospital, have a CAT scan done and have appendicitis. Get the surgery, come home next day and have 40 5/500 hydrocodones. These kept me fairly sedated and pain free.

During that time I ran out of hydroxyzine and since I just developed about $17,000 in medical debt and am still uninsured I wasn't too eager to go running to the doctor for another $90 visit and $50 hydroxyzine prescription.

After the surgery, I've been feeling EXTREMELY unsettled. Sometimes it feels like my heart rate is up but I don't believe it actually is. When this is going on, it's almost impossible to concentrate - can't even sit still. This is daily. For a large portion of every day I feel like this.

So I'm wondering..could this be anxiety? Can anxiety cause hives? Since the hydroxyzine and benadryl make me drowsy and are sort of sedating, I notice the unsettled feelings go away. Zyrtec and Allegra were completely useless and to my knowledge those were the ones advertised as being non-drowsy antihistamines.

In short: Could the hydroxyzine I was prescribed for an unknown allergic reaction that caused hives possibly have kept anxiety in check? Hydroxyzine is the absolute most effective antihistamine for the hives. I seriously never saw 1 hive while on the medicine and not one itch.

After the appendectomy, the unsettled feelings are really interfering with my work{REMOVED}. Sometimes when reading a few articles or refreshing my mind with some coding tutorials, I just cannot concentrate at all. I feel trembly and really strange. I did ask my surgeon about the unsettled feelings when getting my staples removed a little while back but he didn't really give it much thought.

Do panic attacks where the person black out sound like any of the things I felt during my black out? It goes black, can sometimes still hear my surrounding, feel like there's a light electrical pulse going through my body and feels like I just urinated on myself though I never actually did.

Once again, sorry for such a long post and if you even read it half way, thanks.

I would say you really need to see a doctor.That could be to many things.And most children dont have panic ,,,,they love to play.And wont even stop with a fever or sore throat half the timme.Since this came on as a child for you ,,,,,,,,,,,,,You really need to see the doctor.Good luck

Hi,

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I did have 2 doctor visits as a kid when it happened. And after my surgery I informed the doctor there of the way I had been feeling but he didn't address it.

I did consider that typically a child won't have panic attacks but around then was a major turning point in my life. My parents had divorced late 3rd grade, went to a different school in 4th, then went back to living with my mom, her new boyfriend, and his son. I had a real problem of wanting to stay home, absolutely hated school and did end up seeing the school counselor for awhile and a therapist. Neither the doctors or the counselor had any real diagnosis. I tried to keep things relevant and wasn't sure how personal the moderators like posters to get.

I'm now hit with $17,000 in medical bills from the appendectomy and am seriously considering going to a doctor, which is sort of the reason I'm here. It just shakes me up to know that I may end up going through thousands of dollars more of tests and doctor visits. This seems like a large community and was thinking maybe this fit a description of something, or someone with a similar experience had some advice. I know it's not really going to be possible my problem will be treated via the internet - I'm just kinda looking for a place to discuss it.

So I do plan on seeking a doctor's advice very soon.

Atatrax is actually prescribed for anxiety as an alt use of the med. It is likely that whlile you were taking it it alleviated the anxiety symptoms. I have taken benadryl and allegra and zyrtec and the latter two are actually stimulating for me. The benadryl works but if I take too much Im out like a light.

What's interesting is when I read your post I was reminded of how this anxiety thing crept up on me. Around 22 or 23 I would experience short, fleeting episodes like you describe. I wouldnt black out but I would have intense panic and couldnt feel my legs, etc. I was frequently pulling off the roadway and freaking and then it would subside and I would go on about my business. Now, I'm 34 and I dont have these episodes just a general feeling of uneasiness on occasion that I douse with a benzo. I would obviously get checked out again, let them know you dont have insurance. For what it's worth, I have read on various message boards that some people have passed out due to anxiety but all "official" literature I have read said it isnt likely. Doesnt mean it cant happen though. Do you notice a pattern with the passing out? Your post says it happened in school a few times, particulalry stressed at the time?

Hi,

Thanks for the reply brysonav. I did find out that atarax was given as an alternative to other anxiety medicines but never really thought about the things I mentioned in my original posts until the past week or two.


About your question if I noticed a stress pattern around my blackouts:
My first: My aunt's house was always a bit stressful with rowdy older cousins. The blackout didn't happen until about 10-15minutes after leaving.
The second: For whatever reason after my parent's divorce and moving in with some new people, I HATED school with a passion. I don't remember if anything particularly stressful was going on since it was so long ago.
..After those two it stopped for a long time.

The only time I've blacked out in recent years when directly panicking about something was when I had the really strong urge to urinate many times but couldn't do it. My mind was racing to a thousand places then came the symptoms of whatever it is I have,then black out.

I've also had them in college like you asked and while in class nothing was really bothering me at the moment, there were some things going on with work, class schedule issues, etc., etc.

My social life is fine with friends and I've really never had a problem with anyone. I'm still uneasy in lots of social situations but I'm sure most people are. I stay home a lot but it's mostly by choice.

Right now I'm just plagued with the new medical bills that recently showed up. Paying for school next semester, car, phone, and other miscellaneous bills. So when these things are hitting me now - I'm usually at home, and here at the computer, but I work from home. I have all the financial things on my mind and it usually comes up while doing my work. I start feeling unsettled, can't concentrate, breath gets a little short. Kinda like what was happening in class. It makes sense the blackouts would be extreme and not likely. I kinda just wanted to post my story here in a large community and see if anyone could relate or identify. It's starting to get pretty rough and was hoping it would pass but it looks like a doctor's trip will be inevitable.

Can hives come from anxiety and maybe it hasn't been allergies? That was also another question on my mind. The hives always come while I'm doing something. I used to think it was heat related but I took a number of martial arts and usually didn't get them there. It was pretty much guaranteed I would get them before I made it to first period at school every morning though.

Sorry for the long posts. I think I type too fast, lol.

Valetudo -

Hives can definitely be a symptom of anxiety. When I am particularly anxious I get itchy but dont have the noticeable hives. I wanted to also mention that another symptom of anxiety is a strong urge to urinate or urinating more frequently or rapid bowel emptying. Our bodies are preparing for the "fight." I think that the urge to urinate and not being able to is part of your symptom group of anxiety attacks and goes hand in hand with the black out type feelings your having. I can relate to the mind racing feeling as that is a symptom I had/have when in the midst of a panic attack. It sounds to me like you are having these episodes during times of stress even though you may not feel stressed. College was a stressful time for me and when I graduated I didnt notice any anxiety until I was approaching my wedding date. I started having more attacks etc. IMO stress is a cumalative thing and when your stress glass is full, BAM, you get hit with anxiety attacks.

I hope you find some relief soon, you can try meditating and see if it helps with your stress level. Run a search on mindfulness meditation on the net. It helps me to just sit and be still even if its for 10 min a day.

That could be alot of things and they are blaming too much on panic anymore if you ask me.I know when im panicing i get very nerous and flight or flee feeling.........scared comes over you.I know you should have it checked out and see if they will do blood work ect ect........I dont even tell them i have panic untill they give me a dignous anymore.Or they would say right off that is what it is.

If you are actually blacking out, i.e. losing consciousness for even a few seconds, you really should see the neurologist for an exam before deciding that it's anxiety - it may be anxiety that's triggering it but blacking out is a symptom which should be addressed by the neurologist. You want to rule out/treat anything medical that may be going on.