are they related to herpes, it hasn't been cofirmed by the doc that i have them but i know i do....i did have 2 panic attacks, anyone else get panic attacks? are they due to herpes?

Lobo-- I've been having panic attacks since I was 15 years old (I'm 21). I don't think herpes causes the attacks... rather the other way around. I think the anxiety causes me to break out

I have had depression and anxiety as long as I can remember. I have learned (I’m now 31) to recognize the anxiety attacks and "self sooth". I believe that is an important skill.
I was JUST diagnosed with GH and my anxiety attacks have been OFF THE CHART. I believe the idea that I have GH and not being able to get over the fact of it, and the shock of being in a committed relationship for 9yrs has driven me off the edge. My mind cannot accept that DH has not cheated, even though he says he hasn’t. Every time I take Valtrex I have a huge anxiety attack and think that I'm having a server allergic reaction to the meds. I'm not, I'm just having an anxiety attack at facing the fact that I am taking this huge blue pill because I have GH...probably from my husband.
It's like an evil practical cosmic joke.
I would say that herpes can cause a panic attack, if you are prone to anxiety disorder, simply because of the psychological aspects of the illness.

thanks for the help, i do need to learn how to self sooth myself as well, i no longer take the doc's chemical imbalance crap...i feel alot better too, lately however, i think I have been breaking out, red spots on my feet and arms, and i felt anxious twice this weekend. Your answers do make sense.

I have found that stress and lack of sleep and the two major factors that precipitate an OB.

With every twinge I begin to anticipate an OB and trying to keep my anxiety level down in quite a challenge.

My goal is to learn to accept that this demon is going to be with me for life...and not freak out if feel an OB coming on. This is hard work..wish I could get paid for it.

Susie1

Well, I’m no stranger to panic attacks! I went through a dark period before H where I suffered terribly with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). I used to have 8 hours of trembling, 140 heart rate, hyperventilation, just generally freaking out. This was 4 months into being almost bedridden from IBS, losing weight (I was 113lbs at 5’10”) and I still didn’t know what I had. Finally, the doc concluded that the stress of thinking I was dying, over a long term, created huge anxiety. He gave me 6 weeks of Celexa (an SSRI similar to Paxil) and I refused to take even one. I created the anxiety in my mind, and I used meditation and relaxation techniques and never had a panic attack since, even through the worst of the H experience. I hate when people say “it’s ONLY in your mind”. What was ONLY in my mind could have killed me. And it was the same mind that cured me of IBS symptoms, and does so every time it flares up – I don’t use drugs.

So many people could probably cut their OBs in half if they became more sensitive to even slight increases in their anxiety level. It takes practice and knowledge, but it’s worth it.

Nonexist

Hey panic attacks are a big deal but they aren't herps realted I have had them since I was about 11 yrs old. I hope u feel better God bless u.

In my opinion panic attacks are as much a trigger as stress is. Ten years ago I had my first attack and have been on meds ever since. For some odd reason, a couple of months ago they started up again. I finally went to see the doctor and said that not only am I having severe panic attacks, my herpes outbreaks are continuous. He changed my meds and my herpes outbreaks disappeared the very next day. I think it's been about a month or so since I stopped having the panic attacks and the herpes outbreaks. So, IMO, I really believe the two are related. Obviously my body was undergoing some kind of chemical change which presented itself as panic attack and herpes outbreaks. I was also taking Famvir daily and he made me stop it immediately because he wasn't convinced that the two issues weren't related. I'm sure there are a million things worse in the world one could have other than a panic attack, but honestly, if I lived in an apartment building, I'd be terrified I might do something drastic just to get it to stop. The last one lasted an hour, I was popping Ativan like crazy. I'd trade herpes for panic attacks any day. I've never been depressed but these panic attacks are so overwhelming that it is difficult to explain it so someone who has never been through one. Even witnessing it, my husband find it difficult to understand what I was going through. He said he felt utterly helpless and hopes to never have to witness someone having one again. Although he grew up in the 60's he never did drugs so telling him it was like having a severe reaction to Speed, grass, hash and LSD all rolled into one, really didn't mean much to him. I often wonder if my use of drugs in the 60's somehow caused my panic attacks to appear many years later. I was never a serious drug user but I did go through most of my high school and college years in a drug induced haze. Fun at the time. But not something I would do again.