Awful headaches and feeling of passing out...IS THIS A PANIC ATTACK?? - Panic Disorders Message Board

gradysgurl18 · 10-24-2003, 07:30 AM

A month ago I started getting a slight headache. A week after the headaches started I was in class and suddently felt dizzy,light-headed,nauseous,my heart starting beating really fast, and I was terrified.After the episode I got the worst headache in the back and sides of my head for like 4 days afterwards. I have had 4 more of these episodes in about 3 weeks. I have had several tests (catscan,MRI,spinal tap) to try and figure out whats wrong...DO THESE SOUND LIKE THEY COULD BE PANIC ATTACKS? And does anyone else get awful headaches with them???

DawnMarie1978 · 10-24-2003, 08:08 AM

They sound they could very well be panic attacks to me. Did they give you an EKG? I do get rather extreme headaches sometimes during or after my attacks. Sometimes in the back of my head near me neck, sometimes my temples and sometimes kind of all over. If your just in the beginning and have not been diagnosed with panic there are a few other tests that can be done. No need to worry, in the rare case something does come up it can be corrected so its not anything major to stress over. Have you had your thyroid checked? Some people with "panic also end up getting a holter monitor test which is a recording of our heart for 24 hours. Don't worry if you decide you want any of these tests 99.9% of people are so sure that there will be something wrong with there test and there isnt. Another thing to know is if it has been mini panic attacks. The most important thing is not to worry about it. Just learn a little about it and relax. If the doctors tell you it is anxiety they are almost always completely accurate. Believe me they wouldnt purposely send you home with something wrong (they could be sued) and they could probably fix it anyways. Panic Disorder, when it happens all the time is a cycle or trap you can fall into "if" you do not take the time to learn that no matter what happens when you get these symptoms dont let them bother or scare you. They will go away and as scary as they are they CANNOT hurt you. Believe me go ahead and type up panic attacks not dangerous and you will get thousands of websights. All will be ok.

Axenstar · 10-24-2003, 09:51 AM

Whenever i get them, the muscles in the back, sides, and front of my neck tense up. ANd it usually has an all encompassing kind of headache. But they never last for more than a few seconds, which i find rather odd. Also, I tense up big time from the moment i wake up, till just about when i go to sleep, unless i am doing something that does not bore me or leave me completely inactive with nothing to do. Often times, for no apparent reason, when a room is totally silent, i get this pressure like feeling all over my body, like the silence is crushing me. But needless to say, panic can do anything and everything to you in terms of benign symptoms. The trick is to realize that if you were actually to fall over, you would have already.

DawnMarie1978 · 10-26-2003, 12:48 PM

I almost forgot. If one of your fears is fainting. You should know it is almost absolutely unheard of with panic. We all get it from time to time, we get dizzy and feel faint. But what is happening is we are getting scared and our blood pressure goes up a little bit. So even though you feel like you are going to faint you arent because when someone faints it is because there blood pressure goes down not up.

Its just anxiety trying to play with you, dont let it.