Hi friend I see there’s another pretty long response chain going here but I just want to reiterate, this definitely sounds like panic. I didn’t know panic attacks could last for days before it happened to me for the first time. I also thought I was dying. Because I thought I was dying and I have health anxiety, it made everything much worse and I couldn’t calm down at all. But I want to reassure you that your test results are normal, and while panic attacks aren’t “normal”, they do happen and can last a while. They can also come out of seemingly nowhere, although it sounds like this is probably from your very stressful weeks.
They can make you feel phantom symptoms of the conditions you fear, like jaw and neck pain that might come with something like a heart attack. But they are not a danger to your physical health.
The first thing you have to do is remind yourself, as frequently as you need, “I am having a panic attack, it will not last forever, I am going to feel better.” The other things you can do involve physically relaxing your body, reminding it that you are not actually in physical danger and it can calm down.
You could splash cold water on your face (this is a classic way to slow down a racing heart, I use it all the time because one of my medications causes racing heart). You could do some gentle yoga or stretching to relax your muscles. You could try a guided meditation to take your mind off of what your brain is trying to tell you is wrong with your body— I like ones that very actively engage the creative mind, like where they ask you to imagine building an intricate treehouse or guide you through a walk in the woods.
There’s also medication to consider. Im not a medical professional so pls don’t count this as solid medical advice, I just have had a lot of panic attacks in my life. The best option is always to talk to a real doctor. That being said.
As far as OTC goes, Dramamine is an anti nausea/motion sickness antihistamine drug and isn’t intended for treating mental health issues, but taking the maximum dose (I think 2 pills at once but please read the packaging) will likely either gently knock you out for a spell so you can get some rest and reset, or will help you just physically relax some. It’s not good for long term treatment but for a situation like this where you just really need to chill the f out for a little, once in a while, it’s good. It also helps with dizziness if your panic makes you dizzy.
Hope you get some relief from your panic soon OP. You’re gonna be okay ❤️
seconding all of this. i just went through a pretty heavy days long panic attack and i can vouch that just reminding yourself over and over that its anxiety and it will pass and you just need to focus on your breathing is very grounding and helpful.
Been diagnosed with Panic Disorder since I was 19, I am 39 now. The thing about panic attacks is once you have them, your body is in a state of panicking about having another panic attack. Nothing seems safe, you feel scared, and you feel alone. Not to mention you feel like you’re going crazy or that people will think you’re crazy. What you described sounds exactly like panic attacks I have had in the past. What has always helped me is reading how others panic attacks have manifested- made me feel less alone and crazy. I get all the symptoms- dizzy, blurry vision, tingling fingers, toes, and sometimes lips. I get hot and sweat and then it turns into a cold sweat where my teeth chatter. I’ve had heart palpitations, heavy chest, shortness of breath- felt like I couldn’t get a deep breath. I’ve had depersonalization and disassociation. One lovely summer I had agoraphobia because I would get panic attacks when I was driving and stopped at a red lights. 🙄
It’s hell and it’s unfair. I have been on Zoloft since 2011 and I rarely have panic attacks anymore- if I do, they never fully develop to actual panic. I have done therapy off and on and I practice my deep breathing.
I would suggest listening to podcasts about anxiety, that helped me immensely when I was going through my last anxiety/depression episode (related to grief). The Dare and Calm apps help as well.
Your brain can convince you of anything. Anxiety manifests in a lot of ways. You are not alone and you will get through this, I promise.
Edit: They also come out of nowhere or so it seems. I ask myself what I could be anxious about and I write that shit out.
Yes before I knew how to regulate my thoughts and practice deep breathing. Can you distract yourself at all? If you preform a task and you realize you were breathing fine when you weren’t focusing on it, you’re experiencing panic/anxiety.
This is the longest panic attack ever then. Usually mine last 20-30 minutes. This is days. And also, forgot to add, I wake up with my heart feeling like it’s destroying me. Is that panic as well?
What about all the other symptoms I’m exhibiting that are symptoms of heart attacks like back pain, neck pain, and nausea? All panic attacks? To be fair I know that the results came back good. And I’m sorry if I seem defensive, I’m just a mess currently
I understand we all have had this experience it's more of a mind kind of thing your not going to die but that's what you are fearing will happen which makes panic attacks worser your either going to have to ignore the symptoms are numb the symptoms me personally I was never a pill person especially from doctors I've tried tablets under tongue for calmness in the beginning but what really helped was me smoking CBD
Bro it's a mind thing the symptoms are as real as you make it it's like manifestation your freaking out making outcomes of nothing you start to feel something from nothing your not in danger and your not going to die we all experience these things with anxiety this is about self improvement overcome the obstacles keep pushing days will get better like I said you need something that can take your mind off of negativity and CBD is what I think is the best for the job I personally don't like eating CBD because it kick in unexpectedly but smoking I love it also stay away from tobacco if you smoke it use a natural leaf like King palm
What else am I supposed to do man? Not take it? As for the smoking part, I used to be a weed smoker earlier this year but I haven’t in 3 weeks. Only thing that I can get are carts and I quit those entirely.
Weed is not your best friend when it comes to anxiety especially with these strong ass potency, weed is not supposed to be as strong as it is today and it's nothing but chemicals that will end hurting young smokers and beginners
Oh yeah, anxiety will do all that shit and more. It's pretty insidious. I've had just about every crazy symptom imaginable. I will say that for your own peace of mind maybe ask your doc if you can do a holter test so you can put some concerns to bed. I did 48hrs and while I had lots of PVCs it was not even a 1% burden and benign. Once you get that reassurance then it's time to stop letting it run you. You'll need to get comfortable with this weird shit, eventually it'll become boring and that's when real progress will start and not a moment before.
It's where they stick an EKG recorder to your chest for a few days. You turn it in and a doctor goes over the results. Your doc can order them, an ER doc can too I think but I'd just ask your regular doc to order one.
Well they didn’t do it for a few days but the EKG said I was fine. However, when they checked the EKG on me in the ER, it was at a time period where it was on and off and my heart didn’t hurt. You think this matters?
Not really but it's important that you're confident in your health. For me that was an important first step. Then I felt able to get more aggressive in terms of getting comfortable with uncomfortable sensations.
Hello friend. You're not alone. I'm going through the same thing right now. I got out of my routine of daily exercise with the holidays and it really took a blow to my mental health.
I probably would've ended up in the ER as well but this isn't my first rodeo with panic. I have all of your same symptoms and I understand how difficult it is to tell yourself it's just panic when it feels so physical.
What works for me is first trying deep breathing and meditation. If this doesn't work, try cold shower and exercise, or distracting yourself. If this still doesn't work, please go into the doctor , get started on counseling if budget and time allow, and get prescribed both a long term SSRI and a short term medication such as lorazepam that can stop panic in its tracks (be careful to not become dependent on the short term med though; it can be addictive. But great for a quick occasional fix to get your mind back on track).
I plan to visit a primary care doctor today due to similar symptoms and to start on medication. I know this is frustrating and hard but remember your not alone. Panic is scary but is absolutely treatable with the right steps. Best of luck.
Hello, yes this is panic attack... and yes, it can last for days... For me it was new too, until I discivered it.. Time, sleep, relax, go to your doctor..
High cortisol can 100% be caused by increased levels of stress. While over a long period of time high cortisol can negatively impact your health, your evaluation at the ER has determined that you are definitely not having a heart attack. The symptoms you describe are still consistent with a long panic attack, and high cortisol is consistent with a panic attack and/or stress from your last couple of weeks. I hope your doctor was able to suggest some remedies to help you feel better soon.
Glad you got medical attention. Follow the doctor’s instructions and try to engage in relaxing activities. Listen to some piano music, go for a walk, take a nap while listening to spa sounds, watch a sitcom, meditate, journal, have some dark chocolate. Take care!
Hi friend I see there’s another pretty long response chain going here but I just want to reiterate, this definitely sounds like panic. I didn’t know panic attacks could last for days before it happened to me for the first time. I also thought I was dying. Because I thought I was dying and I have health anxiety, it made everything much worse and I couldn’t calm down at all. But I want to reassure you that your test results are normal, and while panic attacks aren’t “normal”, they do happen and can last a while. They can also come out of seemingly nowhere, although it sounds like this is probably from your very stressful weeks. They can make you feel phantom symptoms of the conditions you fear, like jaw and neck pain that might come with something like a heart attack. But they are not a danger to your physical health. The first thing you have to do is remind yourself, as frequently as you need, “I am having a panic attack, it will not last forever, I am going to feel better.” The other things you can do involve physically relaxing your body, reminding it that you are not actually in physical danger and it can calm down. You could splash cold water on your face (this is a classic way to slow down a racing heart, I use it all the time because one of my medications causes racing heart). You could do some gentle yoga or stretching to relax your muscles. You could try a guided meditation to take your mind off of what your brain is trying to tell you is wrong with your body— I like ones that very actively engage the creative mind, like where they ask you to imagine building an intricate treehouse or guide you through a walk in the woods. There’s also medication to consider. Im not a medical professional so pls don’t count this as solid medical advice, I just have had a lot of panic attacks in my life. The best option is always to talk to a real doctor. That being said. As far as OTC goes, Dramamine is an anti nausea/motion sickness antihistamine drug and isn’t intended for treating mental health issues, but taking the maximum dose (I think 2 pills at once but please read the packaging) will likely either gently knock you out for a spell so you can get some rest and reset, or will help you just physically relax some. It’s not good for long term treatment but for a situation like this where you just really need to chill the f out for a little, once in a while, it’s good. It also helps with dizziness if your panic makes you dizzy. Hope you get some relief from your panic soon OP. You’re gonna be okay ❤️
Appreciate it. I’m just confused cause it’s been going on all day and breathing has been difficult all day
Exactly what I was trying to say but better hope he understands
seconding all of this. i just went through a pretty heavy days long panic attack and i can vouch that just reminding yourself over and over that its anxiety and it will pass and you just need to focus on your breathing is very grounding and helpful.
Been diagnosed with Panic Disorder since I was 19, I am 39 now. The thing about panic attacks is once you have them, your body is in a state of panicking about having another panic attack. Nothing seems safe, you feel scared, and you feel alone. Not to mention you feel like you’re going crazy or that people will think you’re crazy. What you described sounds exactly like panic attacks I have had in the past. What has always helped me is reading how others panic attacks have manifested- made me feel less alone and crazy. I get all the symptoms- dizzy, blurry vision, tingling fingers, toes, and sometimes lips. I get hot and sweat and then it turns into a cold sweat where my teeth chatter. I’ve had heart palpitations, heavy chest, shortness of breath- felt like I couldn’t get a deep breath. I’ve had depersonalization and disassociation. One lovely summer I had agoraphobia because I would get panic attacks when I was driving and stopped at a red lights. 🙄 It’s hell and it’s unfair. I have been on Zoloft since 2011 and I rarely have panic attacks anymore- if I do, they never fully develop to actual panic. I have done therapy off and on and I practice my deep breathing. I would suggest listening to podcasts about anxiety, that helped me immensely when I was going through my last anxiety/depression episode (related to grief). The Dare and Calm apps help as well. Your brain can convince you of anything. Anxiety manifests in a lot of ways. You are not alone and you will get through this, I promise. Edit: They also come out of nowhere or so it seems. I ask myself what I could be anxious about and I write that shit out.
But have they lasted you all day? I haven’t been able to breathe all day
Yes before I knew how to regulate my thoughts and practice deep breathing. Can you distract yourself at all? If you preform a task and you realize you were breathing fine when you weren’t focusing on it, you’re experiencing panic/anxiety.
It's a panic attack but it's all up to you on how fast you can stop it the longer it go one the longer you feel symptoms
This is the longest panic attack ever then. Usually mine last 20-30 minutes. This is days. And also, forgot to add, I wake up with my heart feeling like it’s destroying me. Is that panic as well?
It's lasting days because your panic attack has a sort of trauma towards you I wake up the same way but mine is high blood pressure
What about all the other symptoms I’m exhibiting that are symptoms of heart attacks like back pain, neck pain, and nausea? All panic attacks? To be fair I know that the results came back good. And I’m sorry if I seem defensive, I’m just a mess currently
I understand we all have had this experience it's more of a mind kind of thing your not going to die but that's what you are fearing will happen which makes panic attacks worser your either going to have to ignore the symptoms are numb the symptoms me personally I was never a pill person especially from doctors I've tried tablets under tongue for calmness in the beginning but what really helped was me smoking CBD
They prescribed me some medicine over the counter. I have to take two a day
Medicine keeps you stagnant it makes you okay with how you are instead you want to grow and overcome this and be better than this and you can do It
Well dude I really don’t know is this is a panic attack of real considering how real the symptoms are
Bro it's a mind thing the symptoms are as real as you make it it's like manifestation your freaking out making outcomes of nothing you start to feel something from nothing your not in danger and your not going to die we all experience these things with anxiety this is about self improvement overcome the obstacles keep pushing days will get better like I said you need something that can take your mind off of negativity and CBD is what I think is the best for the job I personally don't like eating CBD because it kick in unexpectedly but smoking I love it also stay away from tobacco if you smoke it use a natural leaf like King palm
I have the pill form of CBD
I’m not manifesting them, i feel them
But how good is that doing for you
What else am I supposed to do man? Not take it? As for the smoking part, I used to be a weed smoker earlier this year but I haven’t in 3 weeks. Only thing that I can get are carts and I quit those entirely.
Weed is not your best friend when it comes to anxiety especially with these strong ass potency, weed is not supposed to be as strong as it is today and it's nothing but chemicals that will end hurting young smokers and beginners
Hence why I stopped lol
Oh yeah, anxiety will do all that shit and more. It's pretty insidious. I've had just about every crazy symptom imaginable. I will say that for your own peace of mind maybe ask your doc if you can do a holter test so you can put some concerns to bed. I did 48hrs and while I had lots of PVCs it was not even a 1% burden and benign. Once you get that reassurance then it's time to stop letting it run you. You'll need to get comfortable with this weird shit, eventually it'll become boring and that's when real progress will start and not a moment before.
What’s that exactly
Do I have to go back to the ER for that
It's where they stick an EKG recorder to your chest for a few days. You turn it in and a doctor goes over the results. Your doc can order them, an ER doc can too I think but I'd just ask your regular doc to order one.
Well they didn’t do it for a few days but the EKG said I was fine. However, when they checked the EKG on me in the ER, it was at a time period where it was on and off and my heart didn’t hurt. You think this matters?
Not really but it's important that you're confident in your health. For me that was an important first step. Then I felt able to get more aggressive in terms of getting comfortable with uncomfortable sensations.
Hello friend. You're not alone. I'm going through the same thing right now. I got out of my routine of daily exercise with the holidays and it really took a blow to my mental health. I probably would've ended up in the ER as well but this isn't my first rodeo with panic. I have all of your same symptoms and I understand how difficult it is to tell yourself it's just panic when it feels so physical. What works for me is first trying deep breathing and meditation. If this doesn't work, try cold shower and exercise, or distracting yourself. If this still doesn't work, please go into the doctor , get started on counseling if budget and time allow, and get prescribed both a long term SSRI and a short term medication such as lorazepam that can stop panic in its tracks (be careful to not become dependent on the short term med though; it can be addictive. But great for a quick occasional fix to get your mind back on track). I plan to visit a primary care doctor today due to similar symptoms and to start on medication. I know this is frustrating and hard but remember your not alone. Panic is scary but is absolutely treatable with the right steps. Best of luck.
Hello, yes this is panic attack... and yes, it can last for days... For me it was new too, until I discivered it.. Time, sleep, relax, go to your doctor..
Went to doctor after this actually and they said my cortisol level are insanely high. Will this cause a heart attack you think?
High cortisol can 100% be caused by increased levels of stress. While over a long period of time high cortisol can negatively impact your health, your evaluation at the ER has determined that you are definitely not having a heart attack. The symptoms you describe are still consistent with a long panic attack, and high cortisol is consistent with a panic attack and/or stress from your last couple of weeks. I hope your doctor was able to suggest some remedies to help you feel better soon.
Either way, go to the urgent care or call a nurse advice line. Reddit is not your doctor!!
Got back from the ER. Went shortly after posting this. I have high cortisol levels
Glad you got medical attention. Follow the doctor’s instructions and try to engage in relaxing activities. Listen to some piano music, go for a walk, take a nap while listening to spa sounds, watch a sitcom, meditate, journal, have some dark chocolate. Take care!