Ask Me Help Desk - Anxiety attacks?

(Before this happened I took happened and had my first soft drink in a long time, one doctor said it might have been the caffeine)I was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep, when I felt like my heart was going to stop(think because of the happened it made me a little delusional because my heart beat was just soft) but later, something (best I can explain it) jolted through my heart; every now and then it did it again and it was a hard to breath. After that I got up I felt like my heart was going to stop or have a heart attack or something, but I felt like I was suppose to move around so I started walking, skipping, w/e. My heart later tensed up and I really did feel like I was having a heart attack (for a few seconds) then it went away (I'm thinking because all the skipping/jogging/panicking)

I went to the ER that night and explained everything to them and that it kind of went away when I got my mind off it but would come back later. They concluded that it was anxiety attacks. My brother was moving but I was kind of happy about that :p but other then that I shouldn't of had anything to trigger this. They gave me an anxiety pill or something so I could get to sleep. Got to sleep and the next day came; The next day when I tried to go to sleep it came back.

I stayed up all night and next day went to the doctor. I noticed when I got in the clinic that I started getting nervous I guess (I do have a social phobia I believe, haven't went to the doctor over it yet. When waiting for the doctor I starting having a hard time breathing and almost passed out. He came in and said I was hyperventilating and concluded it was anxiety attacks too.
He put me on anti-depressants and I have been feeling a lot better but I still feel it (I'm only on the first week 37.5mg 1 more pill then it goes to the 75mg for 2 weeks), especially when I am trying to go to sleep. I also noticed that I start having lots of gas throughout my body whenever I start to feel it come back. On another subject my mom is worried that it "might" be linked to diabetes somehow but the doctors said it wasn't. Although they told her this, she makes me drink some orange juice at night because that's what my dad did (he had diabetes) when he had problems; I feel a little better after I drink the orange juice but I think it is because it calms down the gas somehow. The only problem is no one is for sure what it is? Anyone try and shed some light on this subject?

I use to have those same symptoms and I do have diabetes, so your mom may be right, One of the better pills that I have taken in my life was Zoloft 50 mg. It really helped me through my anxiety of driving, I was on the pill for six months, and took myself off, and I have not had anxiety driving any longer. So ask your dr about that medication, I didn't receive any side effects and it didn't feel like I had taken anything either, like some medication, as xanax which use to give me a buzzing feeling in my head.

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm currently at school (first day back because lack of sleep) but I think my medicine is Effexor XR. A few questions for you though MissAdvice; How long did you still have the feel after you started taking your medicine?(again mine has a low dose till tomorrow then it ups to 75mg). Did your doctors think anything of the diabetes part?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Superfly999

thx for the quick reply. I'm currently at school (first day back because lack of sleep) but I think my medicine is Effexor XR. A few questions for you though MissAdvice; How long did you still have the feel after you started taking your medicine?(again mine has a low dose till tomorrow then it ups to 75mg). Did your doctors think anything of the diabetes part?

Well I never mentioned the diabetes part to my doctors, as they don't know everything. I was commenting on the fact that your mother may be right, in her conclusion. As I am living proof of both. :)

Thx for your help MissAdvice, I am feeling much better since I have been on this medicine and it has put my mind at rest with your help, which of course is what you need when your having these attacks :P.

I figured it was Effexor XR because of the beginning mg of 37.5 then an increase to 75mg.

You should understand that Effexor takes a few weeks to reach a therapeutic level, so you may continue to experience this, but the experiences should lessen with time.

Also, what time of day do you take your meds? Effexor is one that can cause these types of symptoms if taken in the evening before bed, and, therefore, should be taken in the morning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by J_9

Also, what time of day do you take your meds? Effexor is one that can cause these types of symptoms if taken in the evening before bed, and, therefore, should be taken in the morning.

?? Effexor is what I am taking for the problem and is not what caused it if that is what you're saying (If you could enlighten me on what you meant J_9 I'd appreciate it). But you its been a week since I started it and I'm feeling MUCH better almost to the point where I really don't have the problem any more. I am currently taking Effexor after I eat dinner because I have the problem at night the worst ( I was taking Effexor at 10AM because that's when I got out of the doctor when I first got the pills) and it seems to help more because I just got it in my system a few hours before bed, but if you say I need to take it earlier you're the expert not me :D. Get back to me if you can on that J_9 and thanks for your help everyone.

I think I confused you, and for that I apologize.

Effexor can cause one to stay awake at night, as well as strange dreams, and should be taken in the morning if you tend to be experiencing those symptoms.

I am glad you are feeling better, that means that the Effexor is reaching it's therapeutic levels. Now, if this does seem to continue, you may consider talking to your doctor about adding Klonopin. It is very good with anxiety attacks and helps induce sleep if you find sleeping is a problem.

Ahhh, OK I understand what you were getting at now :). I'll keep that in mind, but no I'm not having problems sleeping anymore and that was just from the root of the problem not the effexor (I was having little jolts at night in my heart which in turn was keeping me up). I think I know what was the cause for all of this now though (the anxiety attacks) and it wasn't the caffine but attacking I was putting the attacks on myself because of the state of mind I had at the time(I was on benedryle and when I went to sleep I felt like my heart was going to stop because it was so subtle and I think this is why it was MUCH worse at night then any other time because of the fear of dying, but I just thought of it once and that thought flew away so I just dismissed it and forgot about it). But thanks J_9 if my medicine does give me some problems sleeping since it upped to 75mg now I will tell my doctor.

Ya, I've been having a lot of those symptoms lately too, mostly from stressful situations (namely labs and getting marks back from assignments and tests). I get stomach cramps and nausea, gas, sometimes headaches, lightheadedness and inability to concentrate, and I find myself breathing more deeply. If I knew the answer to this question, it would make my life a lot easier, but I think the first step is identifying what stresses you out.

Before this happened I took happened and had my first soft drink in a long time, one doctor said it might have been the caffeine)I was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep, when I felt like my heart was going to stop(think because of the happened it made me a little delusional because my heart beat was just soft) but later, something (best I can explain it) jolted through my heart; every now and then it did it again and it was a hard to breath. After that I got up I felt like my heart was going to stop or have a heart attack or something, but I felt like I was suppose to move around so I started walking, skipping, w/e. My heart later tensed up and I really did feel like I was having a heart attack (for a few seconds) then it went away (I'm thinking because all the skipping/jogging/panicking)

I have the same sytoms as you explain, here, shortness of breath, heart feels like its beating really fast but its really not, I get a little fevery, and really panicky, I feel as if I am having a heart attack but no pain in my left arm, I have them all the time, My last one was yesterday and I believe it was the orange soda (the caffiene) because I didn't drink caffiene for a while, they are panic attacks. They are really hard to explain but they are quite scary to me.

Hi. I used to suffer severely from panic attacks and anxiety for years. I was really poorly and it was very hard. You eventually get yourself into a routine of being frightened you are going to have a panic attack so that makes you panic and then the symptoms of a panic attack make you think there is something wrong with you so you worry about that too. I really doubt it has anything to do with diabities and feeling better after the orange juice is probably just a placebo. I used to eat herbal sweets because they would calm me down and stop me feeling so sick but really there was no reason it was just because I related them with feeling better. All I can say is taking tablets is NOT the answer. All they will do is make you feel better until they take you off them and you feel bad again. It is merely a quick fix to a complicated problem. There may be no particular reason for your panic attacks but go see a counciler. Earn to manage them . Trust me having panic attacks had made me a stronger and more caring person now. I hated them at the time but now I am happy with who I have grown to be and I believe its because what I went through. I can recomened a book called. : self help for your nerves by claire weeks. It is the best book I ever read and this lady is so familiar with te problem that your will read it and feel she is writing a booka about you. Hope all goes well.

Try to remedy the problem without the prescription drugs. They only mask the problem and you get immune to them, they deplete the natural vitamins and minerals that your heart needs and so forth. Also many script drugs have so many side effects.
First, try taking vitamin B complex, sublingual vitamin B 12, magnesium, Omega 3 and co Q 10. It may take about 5 weeks before you can tell if that helps.
Also cut out the soda and drink the orange juice at night it can't hurt.