Am I getting a Panic Attack??

[TCarol]

Hello.  I am here trying to find some answers.  For several years I have been going through these dizzy spells along with other symptoms.  Lately it seems to be getting worse.  I was on birth control for years and I thought the pills were causing all these side effects.  I have been off them for about 4 months and I am still getting the dizzy spells like before so I am lost.  

I can be having a good day and out of nowhere It hits me.  Usually it starts off with near black out and horrible dizziness.  Everything seems to be spinning and it's hard to see straight.  I feel like I am going to pass out.  I usually hold me head because I am extremely dizzy.  I feels like my head is moving out of control.  I get nausea and sweat but at the same time I get the chills.  It lasts for a few seconds and my vision comes back but I still have some  dizziness.  I get the chills for several hours after and I am so weak.  Sometimes it takes me days to recover and I just can't function having to stay in bed.  

Can this be a panic attack?  I know people usually say that they feel like they are having a heart attack.  I don't feel like I am having a heart attack.  I do get realy scared when it happens.  The last time it happened I was just shopping in a store and I got a really bad one.  I got really scared and I was so overwhelmed with the fear of loosing control of my body. Sometimes when it happens it is mild.  

I am an anxious person and have a lot of stress.  I feel like this is debilitating my life.  I can't do the things I used to.  I used to love working out and now I just can't.  I am always feeling dizzy and I am afraid to set off another bad dizzy spell with everything else that follows.  

I have seen a doctor several years ago for this.  I had a lot of tests and they all came back fine.  The doctor prescribed me antidepressants/anxiety meds and I could not tolerate the side effects so I just stopped taking them.  I also never went back to the doctor.

Does anyone else experience the near blackout?  Can I be getting a panic attack?  Thank you!

[TCarol]

I feel anxiety everyday but sometimes it's just worse.  After these attacks I have a bad case of anxiety where it takes me a long time to recover.  

And not that I'm researching more I am almost positive my almost blackouts are tunnel vision.  Which is also panic attack symptom.  

[Paxiled]

Panic attacks don't feel the same to everyone, and they certainly don't feel like heart attacks for me.  That's only some people.  But they do always come when you're feeling really anxious.  Now, anxiety can indeed come out of nowhere, but it does feel like anxiety.  In your case you seem to feel anxiety only when you have these disturbing physiological symptoms.  Anxiety is pretty weird, so it can't be ruled out, but follow the above posts that suggest you first rule out any possibility of something physiological.  Good luck.

[TCarol]

I read the CNN article.  I don't feel like its my heart at all.  So I'm probably not having panic attacks.  Very interesting, thank you.

[TCarol]

Thank you all for responding to me.  The first time I saw my primary doctor  was a couple of years ago.  My blood was taken and tests ran and they came back fine.  The anti depressant/anxiety meds I took was only once.  I got extremely sick with it.  I was so out of it and it made me so much worse.  Sorry I don't remember what the name of the medication was.  I never wanted to take it again because it make me feel worse than what I was already feeling.  I have never seen a specialist or psychologist.  

About 8 months ago I went to a new doctor.  The doctor scheduled me to take my blood and run more tests but unfortunately I never went back.   I just felt discouraged that the resulsts were going to just come back ok and no answers for me.  And plus the costs fo all the added medical bills.  

Jerry, I can't say I am holding my breath.  Usually when it happens I am in a good mood.  Sometimes driving, having a normal conversation with someone, shopping, or watching tv.  Not really feeling stress over anything particular. After an episode I do feel a lot of anxiety usually lasting for several days.

I want nothing more than to get my life back.  I do need to call my doctor and get those tests going and follow through this time.  I would really want to see a specialist.  I appreciate all of the helpful advice.  I will post an update.  

[birdie0907]

This guy in the CNN article gets panic attacks from nowhere, even his first one so I don't get your second sentence.
http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/857117/5--CNN-article-about-anxiety-sufferer

[nursegirl6572]

I concur with the advice you received above, by both posters.  I would also encourage you to get back in front of your doctor, and ask for specialist referrals as well (ENT, Neuro).  To be honest, it doesn't sound like much was explored when ruling out a medical cause for your symptoms, it sounds as though it was attributed to anxiety pretty quickly.  If you were never referred to any specialists, I'd say that your work-up wasn't comprehensive enough to nail down an anxiety diagnosis, IMO. It MAY absolutely be anxiety, but I think it's important to cover your bases first.

Once you've ruled out a medical/physiological cause, then you can start addressing the symptoms as anxiety, which would include a thorough assessment by a mental health practitioner, like a psychiatrist (who primarily prescribe medications) or a psychologist (who cannot Rx medications, but can help to assess, diagnose, and offer treatment options).  Have you ever tried any kind of therapy?  What medications did you try, and how long did you take them?

It sounds to me like unfortunately, you just kind of let everything drop, and you didn't follow up with either the medical route OR the mental health route, which has left you kind of "stuck" in the same predicament.  That's not uncommon, people find themselves scared and unsure of what to do next, so they kind of pull away from everything, just HOPING that things will get better on their own.  Now it's time to get busy working on this again, as it clearly hasn't resolved for you.

I think you need to take the bull by the horns and get proactive in addressing this.  Please come back and update us, okay?  Best to you!

[mariedc]

I second the view to get this checked out again by a doctor.  I would definitely reserve judgment that this is anxiety and so should the doctor based on your statement that this comes out of nowhere when you are having a good day.  

You could start with your primary care physician.  I would not let him dismiss you with a prescription for anti-depressants; a specialist should see you first before this is decided to be a result of anxiety.  Dizziness is often an inner ear problem, so an ear, nose, and throat doctor would be a logical next step.  The last step would be a neurologist, but I'd leave that up to the ENT, provided you get a good one.

[Jerry_NJ]

I can't relate directly, but think if it has been "years" since you were checked by a doctor and the conditions have gotten significantly worse, it is time to see a doctor agaiin.  I would start with a Primary Care doctor and a full physical and discuss your problems with that doctor.  This could;should, result in you being referred to a specialist... I don't know which type.

You are paying too high a price in quality-of-life to put off seeing a doctor because of past failures or because of cost.

At first I though:  "are/were you holding your breath?"   some people do that, I believe, and don'[t realize it.  Or can you relate some other physical activity that may be common to two or more attacks?