Hyperventilation

Hello, I've been having some strange symptoms and I've been told that it come from hyperventilating discreetly when I'm anxious. At it's worst, I feel electric shocks, numbness, tingling, distorted sense of touch going through my hands, arms, feet, and face and sometimes all over my skin. When it is not at the worst, it's numbness, mostly in my hands, feet, and face. Fabric textures feel the worst. It is just so strange. The strangest part is that it lasts 6-7 days. And sometimes I will wake up at night, feel it, go back to sleep, and wake up fine in the morning. These symptoms happen full force when I smoke weed. Needless to say, I don't touch the stuff anymore. Don't tell me to "try and relax" because I have been. I just find it very strange that I've been feeling numb for 7 days. I've gone to the doctor and gotten Buspar but it's only been a few days since that. I'm really scared that I might have MS.
Please give me any advice you have about "hyperventilation syndrome" and if it can really last for a week or more.

[Etiean]

Well, theres a bit of a misconception. Like when people say a panic attack peaks in 10 minutes. What you're experiencing is not a single continual event, but an initial event that causes sensitivity and fear. That sensitivity and fear leads to over examination and obsession over an issue.

Its a positive feedback loop, that repeats in waves, those waves being timed to your adrenaline releases. (about 10 minutes each.) Every single time you get yourself back in that mindset, it can re-trigger.

Hyperventilation is...Weird. Because during a panic attack you will have absolutely no idea you're doing it. You likely wont even believe it. The pot makes things worse through dizziness, but its never really the drug's fault. Its just amplifying a fear, especially now that you have a negative association.

The electric shock symptom is important: Its one of the most bizarre, and unique, panic symptoms. We all get it and its stupid and irritating. The smoking thing causes periods of low oxygen, obviously, and can make any hyperventilation much much worse, since you're just not getting enough air..It wont kill you, of course, but it can be very disturbing. I had to give the stuff up because I could not handle dizziness beyond what panic caused.

So yeah, it can last for a week or a month or a year or a decade. How long is entirely up to you. Though I understand if you wont believe me. Still, I wish id taken that advice.

...And really, do try to relax. Not like the way you think. Pick one, head or body. Or pick one place, like a limb. relax THAT. When you panic, you subconsciously tense up. You cant get un-used to this in one go, but if you can just manage to relax one part of you that is causing trouble, it will help you to see that yes, you can relax to some degree.

Panic attacks get better the more in control of it you realise you are. You are 100% in control of it, unless its brought about through startles because your jackass neighbors cant figure out how to not slam the freaking door and..

..Sorry, back to you.. You don't have MS. Panic can mimic any symptom. ANY SYMPTOM. In my case, I am in constant terror my heart is going to stop. To the point where I will check my pulse and if theres any abnormality (which is always cause a heart is not a metronome,) my jaw tenses up with the rest of me, which puts pressure on my ears, which causes vertigo.

think about that. I am afraid of sudden cardiac arrest..And my physical response to this fear is the exact thing needed to generate a confirming feeling.

I hate panic. Really, really hate panic. But you are okay, okay? You just need to find a way to distract yourself, find a way to take control. Something that takes your mind off it.

Because thats what gets you in the end: Stinkin' Thinkin'. (Thank you, Dr. Killinger.)

[spidersong]

Thanks. I think you really do have some good advice. I think the reason this bad feeling peaks after a couple days after it initially starts is because I start to freak out about it more, and then after a while I get tired of worrying about it, and then it goes away in a few more days. I will keep in mind what you said and I won't overthink this anymore. Thanks for reading my story.