Having a realy bad day

[rossmom]

I have mvp and panic disorder. My first full blown panic attack i called the ambulance, because my heart was racing and i was on my way back from a trip when it happened. I had no medication at that time for the panic, but i thought i was having a heart attack. They couldnt find anything wrong with me, and gave me nothing to calm me down. T reated me like i was a drugie. Just because i asked for something to calm me. To make it short it went on the next two days, going to the emergency room. This happened 3 or 4 yrs. ago. Today, I was having this discomfort in my neck. Its ben going on for about a week. Then my left jaw started getting tight, then it seem to get worse. My neck started to feel like it was too. Then my face on the left side started feeling numb, and it moved down my left arm. I was starting to freek, so i called my cardiology office to talk to the nurse. She said it didnt sound like mvp that some women have these symptoms when they are having cardiac problems and advised i went to the emergency room. My husband had gone to the store, and he religiously carries his cell phone. I called it three times and couldnt get an answer. I didnt want to drive and i didnt want to call the ambulance, but i did. They had the sirean on and i could hear it from far away and i started to hyper ventalate. Any way they took blood and did a ekg. and gave my a pill to help if i was having blood clotting. They called my doctor to get some of my history. I have had the dye work done about 3 yrs ago to check the mitral valve, so they said that ther were no signs of heart attack or stroke. He seems to think its stress. and it could be, i have had my share of it the past yr. But has any one out there with or with out panic disorder, had their face and one arm go numb. I know that i have had both my hands do that, and my feet. Panick disorder can cause you to feel all kinds of things. And i think i have had about all of them. Except this. Am i crazy, or has anyone went through this. Panic disorder is something if you ever had it you wont forget it and its not like panic like you feel if you were to give a speach in front of an audience. You can feel like your short of brath, dizzy, weak, heart racing, feeling like your going to die, Feeling like your not in this world, like your going crazy, numbness. cant think clear. Like someone has scared you and you cant calm down.
I am so tired of feeling this way. I read books and talk to the doctor. I wish i could just find someone that could help me. I want to feel free. Im not crying, im just tired, you know what i mean. Thanks for listening.

 

[Innercalm]

Maybe this will help during a panic attack

Maybe this will help during a panic attack

I heard from a very reliable person that when someone is having a panic attack, what will help is to blow into a brown paper bag. Always carry a small bag with you just in case. The carbon dioxide from breathing in and out in the paper bag helps.

 

[Chrisandgary]

I oh so know how you feel. I started having panic attacks when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. My fourth was even worse - I was hospitalized at 38 weeks with dehydration - couldnt stop throwing up and diarrhea. It isnt until recently I was aware these were panic attacks.
I have had a few since then. Now when I found out my hubby needs his 3rd OHS for an aortic aneurysm - the day we found out the bad news - I had a very bad one - so bad my husband called the doctor who saw me the same day and put me on Xanax. Again I couldnt stop throwing up, diarrhea, I felt like my skin was crawling and the end of the world was coming - I always feel this way when it happens, my husband always tells me I have to learn to relax - I cant - this is a bodily function and there is no way I can stop it or prevent it from happening.
I took the Xanax the first nite - 1 pill and 1/2 pill for the next 3 days. That was it. I have the pills - which I think make me feel better knowing they are there - they are non addicting - I did not bug out or feel weird - they made me feel calm and I was able to get thru the day as if I wasnt having an attack. - The whole pill did knock me out - I went right to sleep! The 1/2 I was normal!
I am taking them with me next week - Gary goes in on Sunday and the surgery is Tuesday. I plan on taking one Tues. morning as his past 2 OHS I had a panic attack in the waiting room. Someone offered me a pill then and I refused - stupid of me at the time. Even this time - when I took the medication I felt I was weak when I am normally a very strong person. I had several people tell me I was weak if I did not take them. So that is it - I totally sympathize with you because when it happens I cannot function - I pace the floors, throw up and cry - I just dont know what to do - and as it subsides it is as if you have been hit by a mac truck and are completely exhausted.
I also have mvp - as far as I know my heart does not race - I am so panicked at the time I may not know it is happening. I am just learning from this site that mvp and panic attacks are related. I too will be researching further after Gary is on the road to recovery.
Take care and I hope this helped for you to not feel so alone.
Christine

 

[rossmom]

I oh so know how you feel. I started having panic attacks when I was pregnant with my 3rd child. My fourth was even worse - I was hospitalized at 38 weeks with dehydration - couldnt stop throwing up and diarrhea. It isnt until recently I was aware these were panic attacks.
I have had a few since then. Now when I found out my hubby needs his 3rd OHS for an aortic aneurysm - the day we found out the bad news - I had a very bad one - so bad my husband called the doctor who saw me the same day and put me on Xanax. Again I couldnt stop throwing up, diarrhea, I felt like my skin was crawling and the end of the world was coming - I always feel this way when it happens, my husband always tells me I have to learn to relax - I cant - this is a bodily function and there is no way I can stop it or prevent it from happening.
I took the Xanax the first nite - 1 pill and 1/2 pill for the next 3 days. That was it. I have the pills - which I think make me feel better knowing they are there - they are non addicting - I did not bug out or feel weird - they made me feel calm and I was able to get thru the day as if I wasnt having an attack. - The whole pill did knock me out - I went right to sleep! The 1/2 I was normal!
I am taking them with me next week - Gary goes in on Sunday and the surgery is Tuesday. I plan on taking one Tues. morning as his past 2 OHS I had a panic attack in the waiting room. Someone offered me a pill then and I refused - stupid of me at the time. Even this time - when I took the medication I felt I was weak when I am normally a very strong person. I had several people tell me I was weak if I did not take them. So that is it - I totally sympathize with you because when it happens I cannot function - I pace the floors, throw up and cry - I just dont know what to do - and as it subsides it is as if you have been hit by a mac truck and are completely exhausted.
I also have mvp - as far as I know my heart does not race - I am so panicked at the time I may not know it is happening. I am just learning from this site that mvp and panic attacks are related. I too will be researching further after Gary is on the road to recovery.
Take care and I hope this helped for you to not feel so alone.
Christine

Christine,
It dose help to know that someone knows what im going through. Especialy sence you have mvp, and i do know that they are related. I take medication for the panic disorder, plus the colansapam for my nerves. I hate takeing medication. it makes me tired.
I will be praying for you, and Gary, for his surgery to go well on tuesday, and for you to be able to manage your panic. It is hard enough to deal with the thought of a loved one in surgery, and to have to deal with the panic on top of that is tough i know. When you are ready after the surgery i will be glad to give you all the information that i have on panic attacks. It has helped a lot of people but for some reason it hasent helped me as much as i would like. I think it is because of the mvp. But maybe it will help you. Im still working on it. I wish i could be there to hold your hand. So just remember when your there that we will be huging you with our hearts, and my prayers will go on the whole day for Gary. Maybe you can post a prayer request in the forum For Gary on Tuesday. I know that everyone will be saportive to the both of you. Im still a little shy about writing but i will if i havent seen anything on here tomorrow night from you. Thank you for writing to me and God bless you.

 

[Karlynn]

I had panic attacks prior to and for a short time after my my surgery. (I had MVP) They do tend to go a long with MVP for some reason, but not all people get them and those who do get them in varying degrees.

The paper bag idea sounds similar to the suggestion I got to start deep breathing when I felt one come on. I was told to deep breath and tell myself "This will end soon." over and over again as slowly as I could. I found that both of those did tend to shorten the length of the attack, as well as decrease it's severity.

However, if I had experience the symptoms that you did, I think I would have freaked out too. They were new to you. They were symptoms of other serious issues and how were you to know it wasn't "just" a panic attack. You did the right thing to call for help.

Even now I can get small ones every once in a rare while. They are very disconcerting and sometimes out and out scary.

My first one I ever had was when I was driving on an interstate with my 6 mo. old daughter in her car seat in the back. I thought I was having a heart attack. My heart started to race, I felt like electric current was going through me and I got a metalic taste in my mouth. My husband was behind me in another car with our 2 year old son. I was right next to the exit that was 3 blocks away from our hospital - so I drove to the ER. This was before cell phones so my husband had no idea what was going on. It had passed by the time I got there, but the attack had stirred up my arrhythmia, so they kept me over night. All of this went on before I found a doctor who would take my MVP symptoms seriously. So this is an unpleasant memory.

Do not be afraid to seek treatment for your panic disorder. It is a real thing that has real physiological causes. Now that you've had this big, really scary one, you will probably be more sensitive to your body and they may trigger more easily. Try the suggestions of the bag, deep breathing and talking yourself throught it.

Best wishes.

 

[TjCarpenter]

Well it seems i am new to it too... last three weeks... when I get stressed.. I Can't breath! Start wheezing, shoulders tense up... coughing... trying to get my lungs to fill etc. Finally I feel like blacking out.

They have given me a tranquilizer, I think... lorazepam .5mg i tablet three times a day as needed.

I don't think they are doing much. I take them and still have the same problem. ( Maybe a bit lessened ).

I hate this but I don't want to be a zombie either. I have tried the paper bag thing... saved my butt a couple of times recently.

Tom

 

[rossmom]

Well it seems i am new to it too... last three weeks... when I get stressed.. I Can't breath! Start wheezing, shoulders tense up... coughing... trying to get my lungs to fill etc. Finally I feel like blacking out.

They have given me a tranquilizer, I think... lorazepam .5mg i tablet three times a day as needed.

I don't think they are doing much. I take them and still have the same problem. ( Maybe a bit lessened ).

I hate this but I don't want to be a zombie either. I have tried the paper bag thing... saved my butt a couple of times recently.

Tom

Thanks guys, The paper bag has helped me to breath better, but i dosent take away the scary thoughts. I have trouble getting that under control. The numbness in my left side may or may not have come from the panic, im not sure. I still have the feelings in my neck. It could be from the tention of worrying. There are so many muscles in that area. I will be seeing the cardiologist this week or he may still make me wait till the 9th. I know that i will feel better once i see him. It is a mind over matter i guess. I have had all kinds of panic symptoms, from feeling out of control to wanting to pass out. I pase the floor and my legs feel like rubber. The hard part is when im alone. If i could talk to someone it takes my mind off the scary thoughts. Im just glad the doctor at the emergency room found nothing wrong with my heart. I have tryed a technic that the doc. told me that helps sometimes. That is to write as fast as i can with out stopping to correct or think about what im going to say. It keeps your mind busy, It has helped me on long nights when i cant sleep. Its funny what you write after you stop and re- read what youve wrote. But it puts me to sleep. He said that its a fact that it helps releave stress. Im to do this ever day but i dont Thanks again God bless

 

[geebee]

Me too.

Me too.

I found out in 1976 that I had MVP & stenosis. I did not have my first panic attack until my valve got very bad. That was in 1978. I was sitting in front of my fireplace and, all of a sudden, I could not catch my breath. My mouth went numb, I could not seem to swallow, my heart was racing and I felt like I was going to pass out. I was taken to the ER where the tests indicated my blood gasses were all messed up. That generally happens after hyperventilating. I was told, if it happened again, to stay calm - yeah right. Hard to do when you can't breathe - real or not.

There seems to be no good reason or triggers for my panic attacks. They are considerally less frequent since my surgeries but still pop up now and then. I am still concerned that, one day, I will ignore symptoms of something else thinking it is a panic attack. Sometimes really hard to deal with but part of the panic attack, Catch-22 world.

Most of my panic attacks these days are either when I am trying to get to sleep or I wake up with them. I take Inderal which causes weird and vivid dreaming so I think that might trigger the night attacks. The ones that come when I am trying to get to sleep I believe are triggered by my mind racing and frustration about not being able to get to sleep.

I use biofeedback and talking to myself to get out of the attack. If my SO is up, he will give me a massage which helps also.

You are not alone but panic attacks make you feel that way. I pray you will find some peace in knowing there are many, many of us out here.

 

[Yaps]

 

[Marty]

Barlow's syndrome

Barlow's syndrome

The relationship between panic attacks and MVP has long been known and first described by Dr. Barlow a cardiologist from South Africa in the 1950's. We are still not sure how the relationship works and the cause of the attacks. However it is good for the patients to be reassured that they are not crazy and that help is available. Most patients recover completely and learn how to suppress the very uncomfortable symptoms. Try googling Barlow Syndrome for more information and realize you are not alone.

 

[bvdr]

I have mvp and panic disorder. ....I was having this discomfort in my neck. Its ben going on for about a week. Then my left jaw started getting tight, then it seem to get worse. My neck started to feel like it was too. Then my face on the left side started feeling numb, and it moved down my left arm. I was starting to freek,......

It is very common when someone is hyperventilating to have the symptoms you mention. It is very disconcerting for the patient because the shortness of breath and numbness are real but as someone mentioned can be treated by breathing in and out in a small paper bag. It is important to breath in the air you have just exhaled. It will help the SYMPTOMS but not the cause of the panic disorder.

My mom (now age 83) has MVP and she too has had panic attacks on occasion throughout her life. She is very debilitated with Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's dementia. She also has renal problems and has a horrible time being able to tolerate most medications including any type of anti-anxiety drugs. It is so hard to see her almost tormented by some things that in her case aren't treatable.

I think you should follow-up on this and get competent psychiatric help and do whatever you need to do to free yourself of this panic disorder. I have never had it but I know it can rob you of enjoyment of this gift called life. You will be in my prayers because I know you are in a battle.

 

[Marguerite53]

Hope you are better today!

Hope you are better today!

Hello. I'm sorry you have these recurring panic episodes. I don't know if I've experienced the same thing or not, but reading others' accounts, it would seem that I have, in fact, had a few myself!!

I think the relaxing thing is important (not as important as seeking the professional help which you are doing and must continue to do). There was a thread sometime back about MRI's and claustrophobia. Many relaxation techniques were described. I have found that my best technique is one I learned in childbirth class. I use the vision of a triangle to breathe. The triangle has equal sides like the famous Pyramids. I start at the bottom left, breathe in to the top. Breathe out down the other side. Then, as I draw the imaginary line across the bottom of the triangle, I just pause. Then I'm at the bottom left of the triangle again, breathe in, breathe out, pause. All equal counts. It's that pausing that helps me relax. It forces me to gain the benefit of the oxygen I've just taken in. It allows the oxygen to travel without adding to the hyperventilation. There are triangles everywhere. I distinctly remember using the little sideways arrow on the baby heart monitor machine to help my breathing! If you can't find a triangle in your visual field, cut a square in half, or imagine the Great Pyramids in Egypt.

Anyway, just a thought. I do hope you find some relief. Keep coming back here, that's what we're all about!!

Marguerite

 

[rossmom]

I have mvp and panic disorder. ....I was having this discomfort in my neck. Its ben going on for about a week. Then my left jaw started getting tight, then it seem to get worse. My neck started to feel like it was too. Then my face on the left side started feeling numb, and it moved down my left arm. I was starting to freek,......

It is very common when someone is hyperventilating to have the symptoms you mention. It is very disconcerting for the patient because the shortness of breath and numbness are real but as someone mentioned can be treated by breathing in and out in a small paper bag. It is important to breath in the air you have just exhaled. It will help the SYMPTOMS but not the cause of the panic disorder.

My mom (now age 83) has MVP and she too has had panic attacks on occasion throughout her life. She is very debilitated with Parkinson's disease and Parkinson's dementia. She also has renal problems and has a horrible time being able to tolerate most medications including any type of anti-anxiety drugs. It is so hard to see her almost tormented by some things that in her case aren't treatable.

I think you should follow-up on this and get competent psychiatric help and do whatever you need to do to free yourself of this panic disorder. I have never had it but I know it can rob you of enjoyment of this gift called life. You will be in my prayers because I know you are in a battle.

It realy helps to read about everyones experience with panic attacks, But truly sad to know that you to have to deal with it, its a horrible feeling. Betty, i realy feel for your Mom that she has to suffer with it without any medication, i can emagine sence my Mother, also had panic attacks. But at the time we didnt know what they were. She thought it was smells, like perfume, or strong oders that was causing her to react this way. I guess she must have had an attack when she smelt something and associated it to the smell. She has passed away about 5 yrs ago. She never did go to the doctor for it. I kind of understude, sence i was just starting to have symptoms at that time. I guess she suffered with it for 10 yrs. It was very scary to watch her deal with it. But she was very old fashioned and always treated herself when she got sick. She was a tough bird. She passed at the age 73. So i know how hard it is to watch someone you love go through it. So you two will be in my prayers too. Thanks so much to all of you for your suport, and prayers. YOU ALL are a bunch of wonderful people. Bless you all.

 

[Gnusgal]

I've never thought of myself as having panic attacks, but as I read I wonder if maybe I've had some after all. I've had several times when my heart will start racing, I start breathing hard, and my chest will hurt very badly and my arm will start to hurt and I think it must be what having a heart attack feels like. I've never gone to the ER for them, but I have mentioned them to my card. She said it's probably anxiety. The most recent occurance was right after I was offered my current job. You wouldn't think that would be a panic situation, but I think it had been all the anxiety that had been built up all day over whether or not I would get the job and then it finally released after I got the call. I hope you can find some relief soon. I can't imagine having symptoms as extreme as you describe and not panicing even more! Sure is hard to relax then! You'll be in my prayers...

 

[TjCarpenter]

Just spent the last two days in the hopspital... "Panic attacks"? Well, in a way.

After much poking, proding, x-rays, cat scans, etc. They determined that I had excessive fluid around my heart ( over 1.5 pints ). This was causing a chain reaction of sorts. The bottom line was, my body sensed the pressure and told itself I was having a heart attack. That is when the uncontrollable wheezing and hyperventilation starts.... Since thay have removed the fluid, the symptoms have disappeared!

The tap of the heart was no major to-do compared to the increasingly regular panic attacks.

Love you all for caring (or at least being polite enought to let me vent)

Tom

Nice to be able to breath for a change...

 

[geebee]

Tom,

So happy to hear they found the problem for you. There is nothing worse than not being able to breathe.

Hope you will be back to normal soon.

 

[rossmom]

Just spent the last two days in the hopspital... "Panic attacks"? Well, in a way.

After much poking, proding, x-rays, cat scans, etc. They determined that I had excessive fluid around my heart ( over 1.5 pints ). This was causing a chain reaction of sorts. The bottom line was, my body sensed the pressure and told itself I was having a heart attack. That is when the uncontrollable wheezing and hyperventilation starts.... Since thay have removed the fluid, the symptoms have disappeared!

The tap of the heart was no major to-do compared to the increasingly regular panic attacks.

Love you all for caring (or at least being polite enought to let me vent)

Tom

Nice to be able to breath for a change...

Tom Im glad they found out what the problem was , and you are breathing better. Your right, panic attacks is very hard to explain to someone who has never had a full blown one. Are you seaking help for your panic disorder? There are three levels of panic disorder, or stages. The third is where you cant do things you use to. Like leave your safty zone (house). Some people cant drive a car. I guess it kind of sounds like a fobia, but its realy where you associate the first attack with where you are or what your doing at the time. sometimes its just a scary thought. So fell free to vent any time you need to I think we all do, dont we.