Panic Disorder?

[Joerg Pino]

I have had some kind of Attacks for the last 5 month....i have been in the hospital 2 times but eeg, ekg, mri and cat scans didnt show anything.....after the second hospital stay in november 99 it went better every day until about 2 weeks ago.
I dont get real attacks like before but i have these UNREAL feelings.....when i enter my house it seems like i have never been there before...when i look at my hand it doesnt seem to be mine and i get these strange sensations like i dont belong in my body......today i had an attack for the first time in a long time......but it felt different....it felt like beeing electrecuted....starting in arms and legs working its way to my head.....i thought im gonna die.....my question is :
could this be panic disorder?...my neurologist told me that i have cluster headaches....but my headaches started after a couple of attacks month ago......another question is this: IF it is panic disorder....can an attack last ALL day?   after my attack this morning i am STILL feeling UNREAL and DIZZY 10 Hrs later!!
I hope to hear from You with any suggestions You might have!

Thank You

[HFHS.MD-AJ]

It must be difficult suffering from the symptoms you describe, which could be caused by panic attacks, especially if extensive evaluation and testing has not revealed any medical or neurological causes. Panic attacks usually last for about 5-10 minutes; it would be unusual for an attack to last for 10 hours or all day. Please discuss your concerns further with your treating physician, and seek evaluation by a mental health professional

[april]

Joerg-  I have been diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder and along with it I suffer from panic attacks.  I have never felt the way you describe feeling.  Usually I feel uneasy and it escalates from there...heart pounding, irregular breathing, etc...a few times my hands have gone numb.  I have heard that it is common for people who experience panic attacks to think that they are going to die...however, my attacks usually pass within 5-10 minutes.  After having a panic attack I am usually more anxious for the rest of the day (worrying that it may re-occur), but I have never had a panic attack last an entire day! It doesn't sound like the descriptions of panic disorder that I have heard...but I have no knowledge beyond my own experience.  Best of Luck to you in your search!!!

[D.]

From all the stress you are suffering from, you may have neurological problems.  I suffer panic attacks and free floating anxiety and as a result have sever problems with the vertebraes in my neck going out.  This causes dizziness, "balloon" head (feeling detached), burning, tingling sensations that start in your hands, head, etc. and travel.  When you panic, your blood pressure can drop contributing to your dizziness.  Check with a chiropractor.

[Paul]

hey- your not alone. i was diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder in 1995 i have had the same symtoms as you did. freaken, losing it. trust me your not gonna die!! i went thru about a year of hell until i met a doctor that helped me!!! what i can tell you is you have to get back at the panic and treat it like your enemy. you must challange it every day. you will win. you must find out as much as you can about it before you can feel better. there is a book out on this problem that i will give you. after you read it you will feel 80% better.   i promise, please get the book. it helped me out so much.  today i am 95% better and enjoying life and never ever worry.... its called "MASTER OF YOUR ANXIETY AND PANIC" CALL 1-518-439-2206 OR 1-518-456-4127 THERE FAX IS 518-439-2206.  GOOD LUCK!!!  GET THIS BOOK.
LET ME KNOW ABOUT YOUR SUCCESS!!!  ***@****

PAUL

[monica]

Just know that you are not going crazy, everything you just described, been there done that and still going through it today.  My doctor just recently switched me from zoloft to serzone, in which i have a  3 day washing out period from the zoloft.  This washing out has caused me to relapse to back about 6 months ago.  I hate these feelings.  I had to leave work early today because of the dizziness.  Just hold on.  two years ago when I started having panic attacks I was having them all day long for about two weeks, until the doctors determined what was wrong and put me on xanax.  If you need to talk to anyone about these feelings, please feel free to email me.  We'll be dizzy together.  Best of luck.

[Diane]

I had a severe panic attack sunday at 3am.  I was asleep and all of sudden woke up with a full blown attack.  I don't know why.  I'm not in a crisis, my kids are ok.  I had another one this afternoon when I took a nap.  Can dreams cause an attack?  I have borderline personality disorder and depression but, I became intergrated 2 weeks ago after 8 years of therapy and I thought things were going well.  I'm still trying to learn to live in your world as one but, I don't see how that would cause these attacks.  What could be causing these attacks?

[Leah]

Does anyone describe a panic attack like your heart skipping a beat then racing?  Sometimes with the irregular heart beat, I get a hot sensation that radiates from my chest and down my arms.  Occassionally I feel so panicked that I feel like I have to run away.  Like a fight or flight response.   I'm only 27 and have seen my primary care physician who did an ekg that was perfect & checked my bloodwork and that seemed fine too.   Since physically, everything seems fine I am wondering if my symptoms are those of panic attacks.   Thanks!

[Raymond Gray]

In 1992 I was found to be suffering from anxiety, which included feelings of unreality.  I seemed to be looking out at the real world as if through a window.  Frankly if you are 'wound up' then these feelings can last as long as your tension.  It is amazing what effects anxiety can have on the body, things you would never have thought of.  Bottom line though is that if your doctor/psychiatrist is any good, you'll eventually come to accept these things.  You can get better, but from my experience the most effective things in combatting anxiety are:

being able to accept anxiety, let it 'win' sometimes, over time you'll see that you are not going to die, and that helps to draw it's sting. Anxiety's only real weapon is fear.

Don't allow anxiety to 'cramp your style', fear will lead you to avoid situations which cause anxiety, allow yourself to be in anxiety provoking situations and don't be disheartened if you have to retreat, losing a battle doesn't mean you lose the war.

you CAN do it.