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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
anxiety attacks Vs. Pottasium depletion - journal of experience
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
anxiety attacks Vs. Pottasium depletion - journal of experience
by bill77, Jan 10, 2004 12:00AM
My Symptoms:
- queasiness in chest, faintness, slight sensation in chest similar to that "pine needles in your throat" sensation like when you are running too hard.
- occasional very cold chills in upper body during the intense episodes. Cold clamminess..fluctuating body temp.. (95.9 to 96.7, and a week later (right now) and uncomfortable 98.7)(appropriately dressed, regular meals eaten).
- No signs of chest cold or congestion of any kind since first day or two. waking up feeling like coming out of a near blackout state with a sharp electrifying jolt.
- Occasional, slight but steady numb patches on upper-mid back, or chest, or left side of head and upper neck. all Symtpoms constantly rotating and some interchanging.
- Occasional ice cold or hot sensation isolated to upper left and middle chest..(sign of acid refulx afterall?)
- problems last most of the day now..until I started potass.
Blood test showed very low potassium..when I started supplements it helped 20 minutes after..eveytime.. but now it's starting up again.. I have psychotic reactions to meds like Xanax.. which I don't feel would treat the root problem anyhow.
I already harassed the ER twice.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jan 10, 2004 12:00AM
, Jan 10, 2004 12:00AM
You have to rule out potassium problems if your internist thinks the level is really pathologically low. But if that not the case, the anxiety reaction is best bet, and the way to deal with that is to get to the root of it, and the only way is through therapy. You can get started on identifying and doing some self help work at www.masteringstress.com.
It's going into the 11th day..nonstop aside from one day. Since potassium started 2 days ago. The reccomended FDA dose helped imensley every time, until supper tonight.
sorry. I just was thinking..if it is acid reflux related symptoms triggering this, that maybe my potassium improvements may be misleading, because before each dose I eat a couple pieces of bread and have some milk, and/or a snack in order to "soak it up" so the potassium doesn't irrate my stomach
(which it doesn't seem to..maybe a little flash of hot but it's tough to tell what is causing what during all this)
I need to stop thinking now. :)
I didn't bother with the basic potassium supplments today or tonight. Since last night, almost all the symptoms are now more distinguishable as severe burning in the upper chest, hotter and more intense than any "heartburn" I've ever experienced.
After being awake for about 40 some hours due to discomfort, I layed down after a day without any overwhelming symtoms. In just 50 minutes after my sleep I woke up with the most intense burning in the upper chest than ever, while most of my previously mentioned symptoms seemed to be gone.. only I am unable to warm myself up or relieve this.
It will be at least a week or 2 before I can see my family doctor. I'm looking for any relief.. as a week of over-the-counter prilosec doesn't seem to be offering it.
as of recent the original symptoms are now full fledged issues of extremely hot acid in my chest, even though i couldn't detect it during the early stages where it was just "discomfort". It is *always* majorly affected by having to stay propped up in bed otherwise it gets bad..especially if I eat even the most neutral food, or get any sleep.
There has been a small cough forming in the center of the upper chest acid, where the "discomfort" stemmed early on, and I have to hold in the cough otherwise the hotness of the acid is highly aggitated.
I came out of my 2 hour sleep today, still propped up..staring at the tv and my head fell back and hit the wall hunched over, then boucned back to position like nothing happened. and I didn't even feel a blackout symptom. It's a first--ever.
the sudden, fluctuating body temp 95.1, then an average calm temp of 96.7.. this morning after the 2 hours of sleep after 2 forced allnighters, my temp is 99.3..which is a little warm for me. Not a serious fever,.I do realize. But evidence of something internal causing temperature shifts. body is getting rundown from all this, now getting common cold symptoms on top of it. (1 large white tonsil "stone" too)
I can't go back to the hospital, because once I admit that I am prone to PANIC attacks, there goes everything else. I didn't notice the hotness until recently, but the one doctor who prescribed prilosec "just incase" was most likely right.
These ordeals are the very type of things that would TRIGGER MY panic attacks, so I've had bouts of them on top of it. Therefore, since I get panic attacks...I am not going to be able to get the cause treated, just what seems apparent, so I'm just told to deal with the panic despite the evidence of reflux. unless the over-the-counter prilosec starts doing something (8 days of it).
by 3rd ER visit, my fever rose from 95.6 (noon) to 103.7 (10pm)
these doctors finally x-rayed my chest for the "pressure" when I claimed over and over that it was seperate from the anxiety attacks that were stemming from being so sleep deprived and worn down. they detected the start of bronchitus (bronchitis), which that very night started in.
I was prescribed something to kill the bronchitus (bronchitis), an extra aide to get rid of the acid reflux..and they tested some anti-anxiety meds in my IV to make sure no reations occured..
I've been able to sleep normally every since, the unbearable Acid reflux has been neutralized...and that's all it took to get rid of the out of control panic attacks.
It took them a LONG time to rehydrate me, my heart would not slow..
Yes, I am deep in the heart of bronchitus (bronchitis) now, but it's much more bearable than the later.
*this* is why they should not just try and treat the panic attack and ignore anything further..they could be happening for a reason. The first 2 ER visits made this mistake and thr bronchitus (bronchitis) finally showed itself. They said it's been working on me a long time...my body was getting so run down, it's now wonder the panic attacks were going off like nothing, with a handful of sleep in almost 2 weeks on a crashing system.