Can P.A. & racing heart last days? - Panic Disorders Message Board

lori j · 08-21-2004, 11:55 PM

Last monday, we had a huge "fight" occur within our family, well with my depression, p.a. and general anxiety, it has affected me all week. I tensed up so bad that it has my back & neck & shoulders all stiff & hurting, plus my heart palps have been bad for almost a whole day now. I had to take a half klonopin & a whole xanax to settle it down to get to sleep. Has anyone else had it last thru a whole 24 hour period???? I know it's panic & I know the more I concentrate on it, the worse it gets, but HOW do I stop thinking about my heart when it's racing???? I'm a mess. Thanks.

tooanxious · 08-22-2004, 06:54 AM

It really is a catch 22 with your heart when your try not to think about it and not focus on it and tell it to go away it wont just by you telling it not to. You have to completely ignore it and let it do its thing and eventually it should calm down. However if it still wont calm down you can get a low dose beta blocker that people use for stage fright and high blood pressure and that will settle it down. It stops that adrenaline from affecting to your body and many people take it for performance anxiety ( muscians, speakers). I was exaclty where you were and I couldnt get my body to calm down no matter how hard I tried. Sometimes the physical symptoms can get a life of thier own and the adranaline wont stop and worry and obsessing about it only makes it ten times worse. Try to float with your symptoms (rather than fight them) and give them time to calm down on thier own. Explore your options with the meds and hope things get better for you!! Hang in there and dont work your self up over symptoms.

dizzygirl · 08-22-2004, 10:11 AM

Hi Lori,
I am so sorry to hear what you are going through. I have had palps for days on end when I go through a really rough patch. I have found that keeping busy as much as you can will get you through it. I was taking walks and getting out as much as possible, even though you probably don't want to. Hang in there, it always gets better.

Carrie

hry33 · 08-22-2004, 12:12 PM

these long running panic states are dealt with by a large dose of any valium type meds, including the sleeping pills and some beta blockers

lori j · 08-22-2004, 11:44 PM

Thanks all for the replies. Can beta blockers be taken as needed or are they a everyday thing? I also take konopin daily & xanax for emergencies. I did up the xanax & the klonopin & finally broke the cycle today, plus going out on our boat & just slowly riding on the water all afternoon did more than any pill can do for me. too bad I can't do that everytime I get this stressed!!!
I am going to discuss this with my pdoc at next appt. I never had these panic attacks til my family doc tried me on effexor xr & it caused racing heart, well you know the rest of the story, now my mind dwells on it & therefore goes into panic attack about it. I've had depression for most of my life and been treated for it for over 8 years now & this past year when my old standby AD quit working, that is when my family doc tried me on effexor & it sure started these rotten PA's which I never had before that, have been with a pdoc since last Jan. as I feel he knows these meds better than my family doc.