Question:
I had a feeling last night that was like my heartrate was moving
like a freigh train. It scared the hell out of me. I have been on
long term pain medication of Vicodin 7.5, usually 3 per day. I also
have had Panic attacks, but never as Long, or as enduring as this. I
still feel very racey today. I took a .5 mg Xanax when this really
got bad, and about 25 minutes later, took a second .5 mg Xanax. After
at leats an Hour or more, I got some relief, but not complete. Now,
today, about 16 hours or so later, I feel racey again, and shortness
of breath. I just want to know, if anyone else goes through symptoms
such as mine? Also, having been on any sort of pain medication as
mine, for any length of time, along with this. I know that it was not
from overmedication, as I do not take the Pain Med more than directed,
and had no problems with it in past. But I still havent realized if
an Anxiety Attack, or Panic Attack, is just a short episode, or can go
on pretty strong for days. I dont want to keep on taking the Xanax
throughout the day.
Answer:
It resurged again today. My chestt real tight, unable to breath
properly. I went to the ER, got an EKG and monitoring, and as I lay
there, telling how my heart is pounding, they said all was normal.
Therefore, calling it anxiety. And they gave me 2 shots of Ativan,
and a shot of Benadryl. Eventuallt tyring me down. But if this
doesnt subside, I dont know what to do, its scary as hell
Sometimes panic attacks do last for days. Usually when this happens
they fluctuate in intensity with waves of greater and lesser strength.
As Vicki indicates, sometimes people feel fatigued and highly anxious
for days after a major panic attack.
Vicodin, and other narcotics, are surprisingly good anxiolytics --
probably due to their antagonism of cholecystokinin. Some people with
panic disorder take Vicodin as an anxiolytic.
The symptoms you describe are fairly common in panic disorder.
I went back to ER again yesterday. Same thing, couldn't
breathe, tightness in chest, felt all racing in heart. I didnt take
any medication. Went right to ER. They did an EKG, Chest X-Ray,
Blookwork, Continued Monitoring, Then, sent me to be checked by
Pulmonary/Cardio. They performed an Echo CardioGram, along with Stress
TEst, which I passed with flyingt colors, so the Pulmonary Doc,
assured me it wasnt Heart Related, For my own peace of mind, he sent
me for a VQ Scan, whcih looks at all the Vessels in the Lungs, etc...
very detailed. In the end, All of these Tests, were perfectly normal.
This left me so csnfused as to what was going on. I have gotten
Anxiety/Panic, but never quite as bad. I have Xanax .5 MG for the
anxiety, but on a Take as needed basis. When in the ER o Sunday, the
injection of Ativan helped somewhat, then a second does was given
before it kicked in. The ER doctor says my medication doesnt work.
BUt I tried to explain to him, I dont take it regularly, and never had
an attack like this. My doctor disagrees with what he said, and the
Pharmacist told me that I was on a low dosage of xanax. Now that I am
clear it is not Heart or Lung Related, I know its the Anxiety or
Panic. I dont know of anything triggering it though. I had a horrible
Root Canal done the day before all this started.
I am sorry you are going through this. I know how scary it can be.
I have had all the symptoms you describe,cant breathe,tightness in chest and
racing heart. They are all symptoms of panic and anxiety. I found it hard to
believe that symptoms this bad could be produced from just anxiety and was sure
something bad was wrong with me. I was like you. I had all the blood work done
and an EKG,echocardiogram and the last time an echo stress test. All came back
normal.
It got so bad I even went to an allergist who did a pulmonary function test to
check for asthma. Based on the symptoms I was having plus our family history of
asthma he and I were both sure I had it. My test came back excellent. No
asthma. He feels all my symptoms were brought on by acid reflux and anxiety.
With panic and anxiety you never know what to expect. Sometimes the attacks
will be mild and be over with quickly but the next time it might last all day
or longer.
You might want to talk to your doctor about taking the xanax on a daily basis
for awhile instead of as needed. If your attacks are severe now taking it as
needed is most likely not going to be enough to get them under control. I have
always had to take it on a regular basis instead of as needed when I have a bad
setback.
As for what might trigger it. THere doesnt always have to be a trigger. I used
to get them a lot out of the blue. Other times I know exactly what caused them.
This past couple of days when I woke up I had the shortness of
breath,anxiety,tightness in the chest like I was getting a cold and pounding
heart. I get up and take my xanax and within fifteen minutes I start to relax
and can breathe again. Once that happens all teh other symptoms go away also.
Having the root canal done could have contributed to it. Its very stressful for
most people to have something like that done but when you have panic and
anxiety to contend with also it makes it even worse. Also the novocaine can
trigger panic like symptoms in a lot of people.
I know you said you dont want to keep on taking the xanax throughout the day
but I have found sometimes its the only way to be able to get through a bad
episode like you are having right now. I have had to take it every few hours
when I am having a bad setback.
This probably isnt much help but I just wanted to let you know that what you
are experiencing are all normal symptoms of anxiety and panic especially since
you have had all the other tests done and they all came back good.
I do know what you are going through right now and I hope you find some relief
from it very soon.
