Palpatations

[jule46]

I have regular palpatations since i had a severe panic attack about 10 months ago, have also been diagnosed with iron deficiency , and not cannot go out for fear of an attack again , My Doctor is going to precibe me Beta blockers are these any good?

[Lacedabeat]

Hi Jule,

I am so sorry you are so worried and have to deal with panic attacks.  I myself deal with panic disorder and it is not fun.  With BB's they can help, but they may not take the side effects away completely.  I would HIGHLY recommend seeing a therapist.  Anxiety meds can be beneficial, but the root of all anxiety and panic is something that should be treated mentally and not chemically.  At some point you were spooked by something and hard wired the two together.  Now when you may not even be paying attention, there could be something that reminds your brain of that activity and wala, a panic attack is born.  If you are having concerns about your heart, or if you are developing phobias I would again recommend going to see a professional so they can help you.

I wish you all the luck and love in the world, and I hope I helped :)

[seaweib]

I agree with both other posters.  Beta blockers may help with the palpitations as they do work for some but it sounds like the the real problem is the anxiety and panic which can be very debilitating.  

People on these sites often mention not to fear palpiations (PACs and PVCs) because they won't kill you and the same goes for anxiety.  Untimately anxiety and panic have to be faced and confronted in order to move past them.  The anxiety meds mentioned by Tom give you a safety net in case panic happens to hit and you need relief.  

Most people find benzodiazepines to significantly help with panic.  Drugs like xanax and klonopin are very effective against panic but must be taken carefully as they are very addictive.  Your doctor should be able to assess the situation and provide the medications and course of action best for your scenario.

[tom_h]

I mention those drugs because like Jerry, my wife also siffered from severe anxiety and panic attacks for quite a few years.  This all occured back in the 70's to the mid-1980's when things like panic attacks, anxiety, and agraphobia were virtually unknown.  It was pure chance, perhaps divine intervention that my wife saw a passing news article on our local TV, and exclaimed, "That's what I have!".  We got in touch with the psychologist and that was the start of the cure.

Both my wife and I believe that panic and anxiety is a learned response to a cause.  Intense psychological counciling found the cause, confronted it, and finally triumphed over it.  It took a lot of time, and money as our insurance did not cover the costs. I took my wife to every appointment, and can tell you there was a lot of runny mascara, and ruined make-up,  There were occasional smiles too when a break-through was made.  But by using the drug/counciling method, today my wife leads a life that's as close to normal as one can be.  I say this becasue there are certain situations when my wife may feel a twinge of anxiety.  Now though, my wife has the mental tools to break the anxiety feedback cycle that builds into a full blown panic attack.  Unlike several decades ago, help is out there today.  I hope you can get it, and get working on a cure.

[Jerry_NJ]

I hope you are taking a iron supplement too... did the doctor make any recommendation on this item?  Iron supplements are over-the-counter and don't require a prescription.  

There's nothing in your post that addresses the panic attack, tom is pointing to possible help.  I don't know if/how panic and anxiety are related, but I can say anxiety meds and counseling helps my wife with anxiety.  

[tom_h]

Hi Jule.  BB's often yeld mixed results for heart arrhythmias, but they are certainly worth a try.

Are you on anything for your panic attacks?  Drugs like Paroxitine (Paxil), or Venlafaxine (Effexor), and Alprazolam (Xanax) along with psychological counciling can work miracles for anxiety neurosis.