panic or what?

[allsherote]

12 years ago I had sever panic attacks. I had racing heart, sweaty palms, tingling in arms and legs, jelly legs, and uncontrollable muscle twitching. I have had some other sypmtoms since that kind of suggested MS but had two normal MRI's with contrast. I have recently been having sever panic attacks again for the past three weeks and have the exact same symptoms as stated above. My problem is the internet is now my enemy and I read that muscle twitching could be ALS. I get jelly legs but I think that only happen when I am having a panic attack but now I'm so confused. Now I feel that my muscles are waisting away when i look in the mirror, it is a visious circle at this point. When I have an attack and get weak and have the twitching I can still pick up my 27 pound child, walk without tripping and I am not dropping anything. I do feel clumsy after an attack, kind of dispersonalized,etc.. but not falling, tripping and have strength to do things. If this were ALS wouldn't I know by 12 years later. The same exact thing happen to me 12 years ago with my attacks, the only difference now is tha I have more resources at my fingertips and don't know if I am imagining half of what I am feeling. After an attck if I get busy I don't notice it as much and the weakness subsides until another attack. 12 years ago they said it was anxiety and all of it went away then until now but the twitching is driving me nuts. I have been in a complete state of high anxiety or total panic since December and I can't seem to make heads or tails out of any symptom anymore.

[CCF-Neuro-M.D.-CS]

This does not sound like ALS. These symptoms are similar to one you experienced 12 years ago, and it would be very unlikely you would have had ALS that long. As I stated in my previous response, I would recommend seeing a neurologist who can exclude any abnormalities. Stress and anxiety can cause all of these symptoms. Good luck.

[kwag]

If this were ALS, for 12 years that would be unbelievable.  You would have had more symptoms much quicker.  Fear is an enormous incapicitator (I think that's a word).  Fear is your enemy.  I'm not saying that you are imagining your symptoms.  They are real and so is your fear.  The question is : how much of your symptoms are caused by fear and anxiety?  I would venture to say that  a high degreee is caused by fear.  It did it to me also but thank God that is better now.  May your faith increase and your fear dissipate.  Fear and anxiety can ruin your health.  May calm and peace come over you today.  God bless

[IronCatfish72]

My doctor seemed pretty confident it's nothing serious, after doing some tests (moving my head and neck around, feeling around the area I said hurt, and testing my strength in each arm/shoulder. He told me to take ibuprofin for a week and call him back. Should he have done an x-ray/MRI? Should i still ask for these tests, or is it safe to wait and see, given what my doctor said?

[allsherote]

So you did the same thing? I can't get out of the cycle of the physical symptoms and then I wake and panic that I will feel weak or whatever and will think disease. I am so exhausted right now and I think I am trying to hard to understand why. No wonder I am exhausted, being in a complete state of panic for a month but then my mind goes back to saying no you are exhausted and weak because you have a disease. It is a viscious cycle!!! I say the serenity prayer over and over and over. I do not know how to break the cycle!!!

[kwag]

Theonly way I could break the cycle was to write down many prayers and the very words of Jesus.  I walked around repeating His promises and I finally recieved the faith to believe Him.  I'm not saying I never start to worry, but i'm not in panic anymore and my symptoms are so much more minimal.  The panic made me soooooooo ill.  I could not sleep and then I was exhausted also.  I understand exactly how you are feeling.  I pray that God grants you the faith to believe Him and what He says.  Do you beleve that God can do anything?  I do.  Fear is not of God so where do you think it comes from?  You can go on with your life without fear.  You may have a heart attack tomorrow or get hit by a flying saucer (doubtful).  All your days are in the hands of the Almighty.  Think about it.  What can you do about anything really?  You can't even make your next breath happen.  That's a hard realization to come to but be glad that you are realizing it.  Some people never realize that.  You are at a new point in your life and you need something.  You are looking for guarantees in this life and there are only a few like taxes, death, and God.  There may be some more but I can't think of them now.  I hope that I am connecting with you and I truly wish you peace of mind. God bless

[Anna522]

Talking about anxity and Panic attacks. At age 11, my dad shoved me against the wall and then try to correct the problem by reajusting it. Hurt worse then the chiropractor. My mom did take me to a regular doctor, doctor took xray of my neck and back. Nothing done at that time. Spent 13yrs in discomfort. It was not painful, it was just there. At times it felt like a hand around my neck. Thats when I started to have problems with anxiaty, and panic attacks. Everything was triple the atensity. There were times when my arm would go numb. Four yrs later I tryed to kill myself. No one would currect the real problem. Next thing put on medication, which is another story. A year ago I did take phsycal therapy three times a week for three weeks, stretched my neck which gave me relief. The regular doc. put me on non-steriode anti-immflamitory medication. I then did see a chiro. who adjusted using the thrust method, which made the problem worse. In Oct. I switch to a new one who uses the spring loaded instrument up and down my spine. For the first time in my life, no depression or anxiaty. I feel a lot calmer, and currently dealing with getting my meds reduce since I feel overmedicated. I wished that the problem would have been corrected sooner so I didn't needlessly suffer all these years. No one as connected the two together of psychological problems with pysical. It was I who did, but no proof. Never saw a Neurologist, or ever refered to one. I just wanted to put my story out there, since its difficult to post a question on here.

[HollyPresents]

Ill Give you Advise my friend.

No Dr will tell you this though, But I give you 100% truth. You want to get rid of the Panic Attacks?

The Answer Is simple, Pray. your father will hear through Your tears and your words. You need help? Contact me I will help you.
You should open your mind Young one. if your willing to pay all your dr's for that a cure, try Prayer I dare you. I garantee 100% with my life on the line. If you pray And you meen Every word, If you ask your heavenly father jesus Christ to help you He will.

I know this Young child becasue I had the same problem as you.
Let me share my expirance with you.

My Personal Expirance With God One Of My Biggest Problems I had A few years Back Was I had Alot Of stress For My age.. My Mom was Going Bankrupt And It scared me, Not to Mention I would Find Myself Walking In on my Mom while she cried Out With tears Everynight For Help, not just for Money But For The Pain to go away. let me tell you something About My Mom first Off. My mother works Nights And Is a single Parent, Somehow Always Finds a way to put food on are plate And Clothes On are Back raising 2 children , And 1 Expirimenting With Drugs Because of His freinds (My brother) Who is only 16. Now These Pressures Of Life Constantly Dwelled In me And One day i found a way to release It, But Only It was Not Something That helped me, iNFACT It was even Worse Then the stress.. Panic Attcks..... Now If you have ever Seen someone with panic attcks or know what it feels LiKe you Know Its worse then you can Ever Imagine.. You are scared, You feel Nothing Or no-one can help you, You feel Like your About to die, And all you can do is shake Violently And Hope to God u Die Or it Ends SomeHow...Anyway I went through It everyday 3 times a day... I went to phycoligists, Dr's, And Counsling.. Nothing worked, They tried to put me on drugs But i never took them. I dident wanna be some druggie On pills..... I was On my 7th Month With These Panic Attcks.. One Night I couldent Help notiCe i was shaking, See thats How they start Is you shake first. Then you dont know where you are, And your color You see is Wierd Black and WHite In a sinse..I Couldent stand It I have prayed Before for god to help me with these and Everytime Nothing.. This Time I Went Crazy In prayer I went to the shower, tHE sHOWER is one place that helps Sorda when i had panic attcks. So i went to the Shower And Went Nutts in prayer Like i was In a trans... I Cried Out My hardest With tears Ruling Down from my cheak GOD PLEASE NOMORE I CANT TAKE THIS GOD, PLEASE HEAL ME FATHER!!!IM TO YOUNG TO HAVE THESE FATHER PLEASE HELP ME, OHHHH GOD IN THE NAME OF JESUS I BEGG OF YOU FATHER HEAL ME!!! AfTER those Words My Body Went Into a Complete Sinse Of Relaxation And A confort you would Never dream Of..I knew I was Over the Panic Attack, But thats Not all. I found The next day No panic Attcks, Days went by , Weeks, months, Years! Till this day NOT ONE PANIC attack...CHANCE? WAS My Body Somehow Self Healed Because Of my State Of shock? NO, YOU AND I KNOW jESUS hAD pITTY on me.. He healed Me. So Whenever I Am ever filled With doubt I look back On that day That Time That Jesus Came down and Touched me, And healed Me.... PRAISE GOD!!!
"Do not face the day until you faced God." "If trouble drives you to prayer, prayer will drive the trouble away"

All that I am...All that I have...All that I ever hope to be...I now and forever dedicate to the Lord Jesus Christ for His use and glory, absolutely, unconditionally, now and forever!!

You Have Nothing to Fear My young friend, With Jesus Christ.

[labrat66]

HollyPresents,

I'm glad you have found comfort in prayer, but please do not do a disservice to us sufferers from true panic disorder by saying it can be cured. From what you discribed, you suffered from anxiety attacks NOT panic attacks. True panic attacks cannot be evoked by worry. True panic attacks are like alert seizures. They come out of nowhere, they wake you up from restful sleep. They are most likely a paroxism of the autonomic nervous system. There are even "panic alert" service dogs available that can give you a 20 min-2 hour notice of an impending panic attack. As awful as anxiety attacks sound panic attacks are much worse. Medical volunteers have been given injections of lactic acid and put into a panic attack. Those volunteers with a minor panic attack descibed the experience as the worse thing they have ever lived through. Try having no warning, and have the waves of terror hit you for 13 hours straight.

Most of us with true (biological) panic disorder also have other signs of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, such as:

Tachycardia
orthostatic hypotension
labile blood pressure
gastroesophageal reflux
irritable bowel syndrome
heat/cold intolerance
inablility to shiver or sweat properly
syncope (with black or gray outs)
intolerance to barometric changes
etc.

I pray that you never truely experience a panic attack. I pray that I never experience another one. Please do not tell people that panic disorder can be prayed away as it is (in most instances) not a psychological phenomenon, but a biological one. Yes, we with panic disorder do go to therapy, not to eliminate the panic attacks, but to cope with the looming ambush of the next episode.

labrat66

http://bearpaw8.tripod.com/pd.html