Posted by rskontos on July 10, 2009, at 0:28:52
In reply to Tips to reduce the frequency of panic attacks?, posted by Vincent_QC on July 8, 2009, at 18:23:03
Vincent,
I understand your history of panic attacks. Mine all started at the grocery store, WTF, and when I went out to clean my barn/stalls when I owned my farm. This was three years ago. Now my entire life I have had extreme anxiety, untreated, I did not even recognize how extreme my anxiety was until my p-doc told me that those incidents, were indeed panic attacks and prescribed xanax. I worried at first about becoming dependent on it so I did not take it. Until I wasn't leaving the house anymore except to go to therapy. I could not go to the grocery store without feeling like I was dying. I would go weeks in between until we were out of all food. I simply did not understand how they work. Well finally taking the xanax daily, twice a day for quite a while my anxiety levels lowered and I thought great. My dx is Dissociative Disorder so if I wasn't dissociating I was anxious. My p-doc helped me alot to get things under control until this January things were to became worse.. I would medicate prior to going to the grocery store or any social outing since I hate going out around people. (I still hate that).
I started a new job and my dissociation peaked extremely and finally this May I wound up in ER with my work calling 911. Mainly because with this panic attack, it was so severe my blood pressure shot up. And the nurse (I work at a school) freaked and called for the ambulance and they took me off to the hospital. It wasn't until an EMT said if you take xanax for panic attacks could this be one, I was in no shape to determine this and finally when the ER let me go home I called my p-doc and he phoned me back immediately and yes that sounds like a very severe attack and scheduled an emergency session.
In the meantime the gp put me on a beta blocker. I was averaging an attack a daily and if I took xnanax they subsided. But still got another one next day. My p-doc thought it might be because I went off topamax and that can have a calming effect or mood stablizer. I did not want to go back on it because I felt so stupid and my memory sucked.
Now my p-doc doesn't think I have true hypertension he thinks it is panic attack driven and I agree since my blood pressure taking the beta block is often below normal. But since I think it is helping the attacks I will continue for a while longer. Until other things in my life change and I feel the beta blocker is no needed anymore.
I think the advice for the beta blocker might a good one. I have now been on it for almost a month, 3 weeks I guess, and my attacks with that and the xanax are so much better. I also started exercising again, and while I dissociate because I have a trainer my husband paid for because he thinks exercise cures all problems, I was a little freaked out about someone new but the trainer is good and I am beginning to calm down with him. I do take an xanax before I go to him because i know what can happen if I don't. But I noticed today that my panic and anxiety was better, my mood seems more stable and I think the beta blocker, bystolic is what they prescribed and it is only 5 mg. is working to help. Plus the exercise. The voices in my head are calmer and that is what gets my anxiety up. I have nightmares I don't remember and that is also another source of anxiety.
So I do understand. See if a gp will prescribe the beta blocker. It is helping I really believe. I feel better lately than I have. I do think it is also the fact I am not working for the summer and I am not sure if I will go back since work triggers me so much.
I hope this helps. I feel for you because I can feel a panic attack coming on. I did have one this week, I start out wanting to wring my hands, shake them up and down and my heart starts racing. If I take the xanax immediately it will help.
My p-doc says a severe panic attack is the worst because he said when you are in the grips of it you can't recognize it and it takes over. He says meds are needed to first help reduce the severity and then calming or grounding exercises can help from that point on. I haven't found really good grounding exercises or calm except for physical activity.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
rsk
poster:rskontos
thread:905657
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090709/msgs/905929.html