Tingling sensation in left temple and possible panic attack

[mechelle908]

I am a healthy 22 year old female. Lately I have been having what I can best describe as an axiety attack...with difficulty breathing and occaisionally a radip heart beat. I've been to the docotor and was put on medicen for a sinus infection which is effecting my left ear. The thing that happened to set off "the panic attack" was a tingling sensation in my left temple. Then I think I might've scared myself into an attack but now I don't know because it's happeneing again and again. I get some sort of sensation (like a tingle or a numbness) in my left temple to cheek area then I start having trouble breathing because Im sacraed of what it is. Also I feel "cloudy" or light headed when this happens. And it does not go away immediately. I have no idea what's going on and I've never had panic attacks or anything like this before. I just do not feel right.

[tanns]

Just curious, what med did they give you for the sinus infection.  

I was given Levaquin for a horrible ear infection and about 20 minutes after the first pill had a horrible anxiety/panic attack.  Something I was not really familiar with.  Anyway, I've heard the quinlones can do that; cipro, levaquin, avelox.  I'm not a doctor, of course, but just had a few shared experiences about those antibiotics.

Just a thought.

[mechelle908]

They didn't give me what you had, but the weird attack thing happened before i had any medicine...so who knows...Thanks a lot for your comment though.

[tanns]

I just wanted to say another thing.  About 16 months ago now I had a panic attack out of the blue.  No apparent reason.  I didn't know what one was and thought for sure it was a heart attack.   It took almost a year for me to somewhat realize it is not my heart.  I've had LOTS of tests and spent LOTS of money for them.  Somewhere in that year I started to get this tingling sensation on the top of my head.  Very weird and very concerning.  Immediately I rushed back to my doctor.  I've seen the same GP for almost 20 years, he was NOT concerned.  Not even a little.  I thought he was crazy.  I knew something was wrong and about 2 months later I convinced him to order MRI/MRA's for me.  Clear, nothing.  The tingling caused my great amounts of anxiety as my heart awareness now became a brain thing.  I felt so out of touch with reality.  And just to let you know, I have no history of anxiety/panic.  It just happened one night and hasn't let go.  Anyway, one day the tingling stopped.  Just stopped.  I have found in my quest for a trigger to the anxiety (and hopefully explaination of my chest pain) that every feeling in my body is now heightened to a degree that would never, ever had concerned me 16 months ago.

I'm not saying it's nothing, I know that being said wouldn't have been enough for me to believe, but there is a great possibility it is anxiety related and really testing you.

Just another thought.

I wish you very much luck.

[mechelle908]

Thank you! That sounds a lot like what I'm going through. So maybe it's just anxiety over nothing. But your comment really really helps! I just had some bloodwork done to make sure my sugar and everything is okay...so we'll see. Thanks again...you helped!

[bkm208]

Your experience sounds almost identical to mine. Almost a year ago, I experienced what I thought was a heart attack. Tingling sensation in face and neck. I felt all foggy and disconnected from reality. My heartbeat was rapid. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

It started happening again in January, out of the blue. This time it was more frequent. At first, it was every week or so, then it started happening almost every night. I had all the tests done (inclding MRI/MRA, echocardiogram, EKG, etc.) and nothing turned up. Most of the doctors said it was a panic attack, but I didn't feel any panic or anxiety (until after my symptoms appeared). After I did some research, I found that there was a lot of conditions that can cause panic attacks as a secondary symptom (pheochromocytoma, Sjogren's syndrome, thyroid problems, hypoglycemia just to name a few).

I have a history of frequent sinus infections, and was taking Avelox both times. However, the symptoms continued weeks after I quit taking Avelox.

After a few weeks my symptoms just went away on their own with no explanation. But I'm still trying to find a diagnosis. Recently, I had a blood test that showed elevated ANA levels, so it's off to the rheumatologist next I go.

[monilark]

I used to get panic attacks in  my 20s.  They ALWAYS seem to come out of nowhere - that's why they seem like something is really wrong!!  You just have to tell yourself, "I'm having a panic attack.  I'm ok," over and over and over, while controlling your breathing.  Try getting the book, "From Panic to Power" by Linda Bassett.  Don't worry, they won't last forever.