Passing Out during Anxiety Attack

[JPWillikers]

I have just started experiencing what I think might be anxiety. I passed out on my 5th day back to work after having my son. I still exclusively breastfeed my 6 month old. I am healthy, in shape, eat well, drink lots of water, take vitamins and am fairly active. To me it feels like an anxiety attack of sorts because it's happened before in a familiar situation. It's always when I am waiting or growing impatient. Waiting on a concert to begin, waiting in line at a store, waiting at work for a hearing screening to complete, and when I was pregnant, even waiting for myself to finish the dishes. It's like I get anxiety about something being over and start to get dizzy, loss of sight, and fear passing out which seems to mandate that I do pass out. But I don't feel what I define anxiety as. I'm not panicking about anything, worried, or nervous. It comes out of nowhere! When I feel coming on I get short of breath, my heart races, I start to sweat, feel lightheaded and then I'm down unless I can escape the situation I'm in and go somewhere and sit down and try to calm myself. When it happens I tell myself over and over "I'm fine, there's no reason I should feel this way. Just breathe." But it doesn't help. I'm more just scared that I may pass out and embarrass myself (which I have). I also have been extremely tired. Now that I passed out just the other day, I walk around thinking about passing out all the time and almost feel as though I make myself lightheaded. I am going to my doctor to get my vitamin levels checked, but I really feel like it has something to do with anxiety. It's really scary! I feel like if I can just forget it ever happened to begin with i'll stop bringing it upon myself. Is any of this normal? HELP!

[phoenix888]

i get all the symptoms you mentioned as well as a dripping/wet/tingling feeling in the head is this normal because although my therapist has never heard of this symptom  she is not concerned by it. i got a ct scan and it came back normal but i still get the feeling in my head. i feel something is wrong but if someone could straight out tell me that this was anxiety or perhaps a nerve problem i would feel alot better about the whole thing. i am convinvced that all the other sypmtoms i have are anxiety but this feeling in my head troubles me if you could tell me something that would be great. hope you will respond thanks.

[nursegirl6572]

While a panic attack can most certainly cause symptoms of dizziness, etc...it is VERY very rare that a person actually would pass out/lose consciousness as a result of a PA. My bet is there is some kind of underlying physical cause (ie, tendency to have low BP) that when combined with very high levels of anxiety/panic, it causes you to pass out.  How many times have you actually fainted in this type of situation?  The fact that you are postpartum, and breastfeeding I bet added to the circumstance.

Any which way...a visit to the doctor is in order.  ONE to rule out any kind of physical cause (hypotension, blood sugar issues like hypoglycemia...especially with nursing, anemia...also common post partum)...and TWO to get a referral to a psychiatrist who can help you start addressing the anxiety.  What you describe sounds like a classic panic attack (minus the actual fainting)....especially in those kind of "crowd" situations...or situations where you have idle time to "wait". Those two scenarios are actually the worst for me as far as predisposing me to panic.

Best of luck and please let us know how its going!!!

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

yes my sister has the attacks where she passes out like you and yes its anxiety, she has same sysoms you do and than down she goes , not all the time but most the time. is there some kind of stress your under .

[MMahon]

The way you describe your panic attacks,their onset, and lack of reason for them, is exactly how I'd describe them when they happenned to me. I never passed out however, but sometimes I wished I had.  I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.  
I urge you to see a psychiatrist.  Ask your doctor for a referral.  There could be many reasons for what's happening to you, many of them quite physical.  A psych is a specialist in this area and your fastest way to help in my opinion.  No one wants to live with the ever present fear of what you are going thru and you don't have to..
I wish you the best of luck and congrats on the little one!!