Anyone suffer from anxiety/panic attacks?

Seems like that was the trigger. Read entire entry - see if you agree or disagree with this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labyrinthitis

 

Seems like a hypnosis either by someone or be able to do a self hypnosis might be the answer to help you remain more calm and take your mind off things. Good luck.

 

They tend to use drops. COLD drops. That'll pucker the stucker.

Say: "Otolaryngologist diagnoses labyrinthitis" 5 times, really fast!

Centrally located . . .
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&rls=ig&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Joseph+B.+Nadol+Boston,+MA&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Joseph+B.+Nadol&hnear=Boston,+MA&cid=8407683991455112000

He treats that condition, as well as a slew of others.
http://www.vitals.com/doctors/Dr_Joseph_Nadol.html

 

Very interesting, I don't suppose you could recommend someone in Central Florida.

 

Jackpot!
http://www.healthgrades.com/local-doctors-directory/by-specialty/otolaryngology/florida-fl/tampa-otolaryngologists#

Though any Otolaryngologist will be able to diagnose and treat treat many a condition including the one suspected, if either of you was in L.A. - House Ear Institute, all the way.

 

After I turned 40, and during a period of severely high work and family stress as well as some physical health issues (stress related), I went through a spell of similiar anxiety issues. I know what your going through. I saw all the docs as well (for ears, heart, stomach, thyroid, adrenaline rushes, etc) and couldn't locate the cause. It wasn't until I accepted the fact that it was STRESS and it was my own brain tricking me that it went away. It sux, but YOU CAN BEAT IT, if you understand it! There is no "real" danger its just your own brain is trying to rewire itself in a not so positive way.

There is nothing wrong with talking to a counselor, psych or anyone else about it. Keep in mind, some of the MDs will want to take you down the medication road. In my opinion, thats ok...but ...it only hides the symptoms it doesn't actually get rid of the problem at the root of the cause. I took the non med route and beat it. Counseling is a good thing and you could learn some other interesting things about yourself as well. Check with your employer and see if they have an employee assistance program (EAP). Many do and then then counselor is FREE, which is an even better thing if your issues stem from financial matters. Yes the thought of an approaching retirement can cause anxiety as well.

Dude it is a totally "normal" thing. Many people go through it at some point in their lives. Anxeity is brought on by all kinds of stuff, aging/dying loved ones, Post trauma, job stress, financial issues, relationship issues etc. What's stressful to one person may seem like a cake walk for another. Its a funny thing how phobias start and can snowball until you think your going to go bonkers. The fact that you recognize it means your sane, you just need to rewire the way your brain is trying to associate certain physical body reactions to the environment that your in. It's like a working dog who becomes afraid of storms. There is no real threat but yet he shakes like a leaf. He's still a big tuff dog, but he need some positive intervention to change that thought process. Dog trainer Ceasar Milan helped an explosives detection canine who returned home from Iraq and then started having issues. The point is the same. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help.

Some examples for ya...I have a friend who is one rough and rugged dude but he can't go to a dentist unless he's sedated, his anxiety is so bad and he refuses to try to fix it in his own head. I have another ex military friend who is the same way about haircuts & barbers. He will fight to the last man drops, but heaven forbid you take him to get a few hairs clipped. Again he refuses to delv into his past and figure out what the real triggers are. So they both just suffer by choice. Unless you delv into that chasm of fear and figure out what the trigger is it will only continue to get worse. There is a chance it could just go away on its own over time, but more than likely it will rear its ugly head again when you least expect it and want it to, like during a period of high stress.

If you don't work out, start. Even walking, cycling, or running will help get rid of the extra cortisol and adrenaline thats building up inside of your body. It also releases good endorphines and thats a good thing.

I highly recommend this workbook $20 (It helped me and some other friends, but you gotta be honest with yourself when answering the questions):

Dr. David Carbonell, Panic Attacks Workbook
His site is

http://www.anxietycoach.com/

Stay strong. Best of luck,

Dave

 

Had them a number of years ago . Started while doing long distance endurance ride and became almost incapacitating. Once I overcame them devoted a precentage of my practice treating others. It is a very interesting process, very time consuming and very rewarding to treat.

Docf

 

Anyone who needs specific on the spot relief for a phobic situation should ask their doctor about taking a beta blocker.

My wife had a severe phobia about signing her name in public, and on occasions when she's needed to sign legal papers.

Beta blockers keep the heart from racing and prevent the anxiety from mounting and manifesting in other symptoms like sweating and shaking.

 

I started getting them about 15 years ago in my late twenties. Heavy palpitations. Throat closing. Couldnt breathe. First time I thought I was having a heart attack and drove to emergency room.

Went to doc and started taking zanax but I didnt like that feeling either.

Then I taught myself to control them. When I felt one coming on I would remind myself that A) I wasnt going to die, it wasnt a heart attack and B) things were not that bad. I wasnt going to prison or diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Took me awhile but I eventually got full control over them. They rarely happen these days but when they do I can dismiss them within 10-15 minutes.

Whatever you do dont start popping pills to control them. Dead end street.

 

If you want to go the professional route, you are close to MGH (Mass General Hospital) which is one of 13 hospitals affiliated with Harvard Medical School in MA. They were rated by peers in a national survey this year as having the #1 psychiatry department in the country. They have an anxiety disorders program there. Traditional approach involves counseling with anti-anxiety agents combination (depending upon course and severity of symptoms) and programs generally consisted of 8-10 week hourly sessions to remedy the problem. Virtually all health insurance carriers will pay for the service. Now this is a very conservative institution despite their belief of being quite avante-garde and cutting edge. There are experimental therapies (non-drug) which can alleviate the problem in a matter of minutes but these approaches are viewed with skepticism or outright disdain by most traditionalists. Further, the efficacy of these experimental approaches (e.g., thought-field therapy) depend largely on the skill and experience of the practitioner working with you.

 

Interesting that you think the MRI machine throwing off your inner ear could have caused it.

I went out drinking a month or two ago and felt pretty bad the next day (as usual). However, for the next week, I would get really car sick feeling. I had to pull over three times during a 30 minute drive because I felt like I was going to be sick or something. I got all sweaty, had to roll down the window, etc. It wasn't fun.

The good news is, I am ok now. Hope yours passes as well.

 

Ok, since your panic attacks started w/ the MRI it is clear the situation started something whether it be mental or physical. Likely mental so go see a psychologist & let them walk you through the event. Meds like beta blockers are for high BP & cardiac problems & shouldn’t be taken lightly w/ side effects including impotence. Benzodiazepines are very addictive. Get to the source of your problem. You can get through this.

 

In the meantime, hie thee to an Otolaryngologist & let him/her diagnose condition.

 

If it's anxiety attacks, see a psychiatrist. If you think your inner ear is off, neurologist. It doesn't seem to be impairing your life, but certainly get it checked out.

 

I concur that you should definately seek a therapist if you feel that they are true panic/anxiety attacks. If you can try to make yourself more aware of what triggers them and at all costs avoid those things or minimize the "stress" that they tend to have on you. I would suggest that if they occurr when you are say for instance sitting in front of a computer working to get up and walk away, step outside for some fresh air, and concentrate on breathing. I was diagnosed with both of these disorders and with help I found that mine were triggered by stressors especially negative stressors. I tend to have to step away from whatever it is for a least 5-10 mins in order to redirect myself and then return to situation when i have calmed or the anxiety and panic will only continue to build until I break. Exercise, Yoga, just walking in general helps a lot for me when I feel I have been stressed too much. Reading helps to if you are more of a reading type of person because it can allow you to "escape" from your thoughts for a bit so you can return to your life calmer later.

 

I had my first one about 7 years ago in the middle of the night before an exam in the first year of my B.Sc. degree. At first, I didn't think it was life-threatening but was certainly worried. So I called NHS Direct, which is a sort of 24-hour help line for the national health service here... the idea is to call it when you need consultation but you don't require an emergency service. After I described my symptoms, the operator on the other end of the line did nothing for keeping me calm with a reply to the effect of: "Oh my God, where are you?! I'm sending an ambulance!!"

By the time the ambulance got there, I was struggling to breathe and - being enrolled in a Biomedical Sciences degree - I wanted to see my ECGs in the ambulance, but the paramedics told me that I should just sit back and relax. Their refusal to let me see the screen had me assuming the worst. They also kept on at me for the entire time asking me what drugs I had taken. I kept insisting I hadn't taken any drugs and they kept insisting "We are not the police, we're here to help, what have you taken?". I was beside myself with horror at the thought that I was going to die of a heart attack because the paramedics wouldn't believe that I really hadn't taken any illicit substances. Needless to say, I was in a pretty bad way by the time we reached the hospital... by this point, I'd probably been 'enjoying' my panic attack for an hour or so.

When a doctor examined me, after about 30 seconds he had determined it was merely a panic attack and started doing his best to calm me down. He showed me the ECG monitor to allay some of my fears and then prescribed an analgesic, a muscle relaxant, and a sedative. I was discharged at about 5:00am, got a taxi back to the dorms by 6:00am, and was sitting in the course administrator's office at 7:00am requesting to sit the exam the following day. She was sympathetic but said that I couldn't do it at any other time. She asked if I'd done my revision, I replied that I had, so she suggested I just have a go at it and I might surprise myself. So I was filing into the exam room at 8:30am.

Well, the muscle relaxant was making the grip of my pen rather weak so my handwriting wasn't great, and I was struggling to stay awake, but somehow still managed to pass the exam. So, the course administrator was right - I did surprise myself after all! I've still no idea what caused the initial panic attack though, as it wasn't an exam I was particularly worried about it until I had to sit it after a sleepless night, and full of muscle relaxants and sedatives.

Since then, I've had three other panic attacks, and none have lasted as long as that first one or been nearly as bad - presumably because I recognized it as a panic attack rather than getting myself worked up about heart attacks. I think Jerry is on to the right idea here:

...for the last three I've tried to bring myself down from the panic attack by concentrating on reassuring myself that it will pass more quickly if I can stay calm. I try to put other worries out of my mind and just focus on breathing and calming. It does seem to help.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Next time do a quick bio-feedback, if your shoulders are tensed/raised and/or your thighs are tense then 99.9% it's a panic or anxiety attack (especially the thighs - flight or flight response).

 

Thanks Wade, that's much appreciated.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Well I had my first last night, and spent half the night in the ER. I have been having a warm pain on the left side of my chest/ribcage for 3-4 days now. I was starting to get worried about it and was reading about heart symptoms. A lawyer friend died two weeks ago at 41 from an attack; he was about my weight. That of course was running through my mind repeatedly.

Leaving work about 9:30pm, I was driving home talking to my mother (nurse) about it. Didn't seem to fit all the symptoms, maybe an esophageal ulcer? As I got in the house, and we were still talking about it, I went to move my left arm to take stuff out of my pocket and my arm felt weak and numb. I remember that I looked down at my left arm and everything started to spin.

I could feel my eyes trying to roll back as I was going to black out, and my legs starting shivering pretty wildly. I just remember like a trumpet sound in my head "STAY AWAKE! STAY AWAKE!" I kept myself from hitting the floor and bent over with my head down to try and get blood in it; mom on phone said it's time to call an ambulance. Vertigo stopped after a minute or so, legs calmed down and I got out to the curb to sit and wait. Fire dept paramedics, who are only 1/2 mile away got there within 2-3 minutes (or so it seemed). I sat down they hooked me up and monitored for a bit.

Then the question: "Do you want to go to the hospital?" My insurance says it doesn't cover ER visits, and my deductible is crazy high. He advises me to, since it's potentially heart related. Ugh. I grew up in Canada and a lot of things about Canadian medicine aren't as fast, convenient or high-tech as US hospitals (from my own experience), but at least you don't have that fear of crushing debt when you are trying to make emergency treatment decisions. My fear of dying wins over the fear of bankruptcy, and I reluctantly agree.