Question:
: : But, hey, whatever you do…stop being such a man!! Hey, careful, ASAP has some pretty courageous women!! Best Wishes, Arthur
WOAH Arthur! Here’s a classic case (my fault) of an internet misinterpretation. You bet there are courageous women on ASAP!! I get most of my strength from reading their stories. I was simply trying to persuade Daniel to not give into typical male pattern stubborness when it comes to asking for medical help. In no way was I implying that being stubborn was "courageous." Just the opposite in fact. I would not consider my grandfather, my uncle, and a very good friend courageous in their final days. They were too ‘macho’ to seek medical attention. They all died needlessly because they waited too long. So, I’m sorry, Arthur if I sounded like a sexist pig. It wasn’t intended that way at all. I’ll be more careful, next time. Thanks for calling me on it. Cheers. ERIK — A man convinced against his will Is of the same opionion still. (Ben Franklin? – sounds like something he would say)
Response:
<snipped for space Daniel, I am no MD, so please don’t take my words to be diagnostic. Few people in the support group are qualified to diagnose, and those who are qualified wouldn’t attempt to do it online. Many of your symptoms sound atypical for panic disorder (PD), but PD can present in a variety of ways for different people. When you mentioned mouth sores and wheezing, I wondered if something you are eating may be causing problems. If you think this may be the case, please see someone who specializes in allergies. If you are eating foods that could possibly be contaminated, e.g. certain seafoods, then try leaving them off to see if symptoms subside. Regarding the short attacks — yes, hurry-up attacks are common, particularly in people who have mild cases of PD. It sounds to me like the doctors are doing what they can. I doubt that they are quacks, but no one person can know everything. Until you know differently, I would trust their judgment. Their words and help will give you something to work with. Much luck, Anita
Response:
– Gwen Life is a dance of adaptation…. Remove ** to Email, the spam finally got to me! Do your attacks always last a maximum of three seconds?
I only wish! Does your symptom list include, along with the typical PD symptoms: * constantly feeling like you have to burp. * sore throat * limbs like lead * wheezing * canker sores
Nope, never had these things. An attack wouldn’t have time to make sores! I just (ha! just!) feel gripped by absolute terror and want to escape. Only thing is – can’t escape from my body as there is no imminent danger. I don’t know what else to tell ya, except see what the shrink has got to say. Perhaps you could contact someone else who specializes in panic/anxiety who could see you sooner. Best wishes!
Response:
: : My name is Daniel. My doctor believes that I may be suffering from PD. Hi Daniel, Welcome to ASAP! 
After reading your post, I have to say that I’m not sure you have PD, but it is a possibility. There are some medical disorders that mimic PD and need to be ruled out in your diagnosis. You can find the list of such disorders in our ASAP Dictionary in the Medical Disorders table; go to http://www.netaxs.com/people/aca3/ad-eng-d.htm Hope that helps and post to us anytime. Best Wishes, Arthur
Response:
: : But, hey, whatever you do…stop being such a man!! Hey, careful, ASAP has some pretty courageous women!! Best Wishes, Arthur
Response:
<snipped – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Does this sound like PD to you people? Do your symptoms spontaneously go into cyclical remission? Do your attacks always last a maximum of three seconds? Does your symptom list include, along with the typical PD symptoms: * constantly feeling like you have to burp. * sore throat * limbs like lead * wheezing * canker sores I have had a lot of patience with my doctor, but I honestly feel that the only anxiety I have right now is misdiagnosing this disorder. Thank you for your interest.. Daniel
daniel, i can say that some of your symptoms sound familiar to me. that constant feeling of having to burb, arms and legs that feel like they are lead, and bizare vertigo feelings. after many talks with my doctor, i started taking imipramine and things are getting better for me. hopes this helps some. —– sean hennessey
Response:
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi, My name is Daniel. My doctor believes that I may be suffering from PD. Before I concur with him, I would like some opinions from people who actually do suffer from panic attacks. My story begins in April of 1997. I woke up with a pain in my chest, wheezing – again. My wife insisted that I stop ignoring it and seek a medical opinion. Like most men, it takes a lot to make me see a doctor – but this wheezing was annoying. I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor asked me a few questions, then decided that I had pneumonia. He prescribed amoxicillin, and an asthma inhaler (salbutamol). I took the meds. As it turned out the wheezing and chest pains did not go away and I did not have pneumonia. Wait! What has this to do with PD? I am getting to that… Towards the end of the next month (May) I noticed that had also started experiencing moments of lightheaded. At first I ignored it but within a week I had had some sort of attack. The attack was unlike anything I had ever felt. It lasted about 2 seconds. It started as a funny feeling in my chest, and then seemed to explode like a chemical rush through my whole body! I was not frightened before the incident, but following it I harbored a healthy concern. This ‘attack’ did not seem common. But in typical denial, I ignored it. The next day at work, I had a similar experience. Again I ignored it. Again it lasted only a second or two, and when it was over it was over. There was no significant preamble either. But I was starting to notice a pattern. The following day I was flabbergasted to experience a big one. There was a preamble to this one. My chest pain (which could be described as the similar to the echo one has after a highly productive cough) was present, and I felt like I was suffering from a hangover without the room spinning. The attack came at lunch lasted the requisite 2 seconds and left me feeling weak as a kitten. I felt like I could barely hold my head up – though in fact I could. I was by this time really anxious (but in a healthy – Hey! I might actually be dying! – kind of way ) I was at a lost to describe my symptoms properly to the doctor. I told him I was feeling vertigo. (I wasn’t! I thought vertigo was a sort of nausea!) I told him that I had chest pain. I told him that I had an attack of some kind at lunch. He asked me if my job was stressful. I told him the truth. No. I set my own hours, work only as hard as I want, and have no deadlines. There are no expectations and I can’t be fired – government work He asked about my home life. I told him the truth. My home life is my salvation. I have a loving, caring wife, and coming home at the end of the day is a comfort. What about money problems? Nope. I am very well paid. Any trouble sleeping? Nope. Sleep like a rock every night (to this day!) Any Phobias? None that I know of. Did you feel anxiety as this ‘attack’ approached? I answered honestly. A few minutes before the attack I started to feel physiologically incorrect. Ha! You are experiencing panic attacks! He prescribed heavy sedatives on the spot (I had been in his office all of ten minutes!) I was speechless. In all my life no single pronouncement seemed so incredible as the one that faced me then. I spoke not another word to this doctor, and instead left his office directly and went to the nearest Hospital emergency room. They ran a few tests, took an X-ray, and suggested that I get a family physician to look at me. then sent me home. I went home. I was concerned that I may be suffering from atherioschlerosis (I am 30 years old), or maybe some cardiovascular disorder (two of my grandparents had heart aneurysms!) So I slept that night with a little trepidation. The next day I went to work. Moving made me sort of nauseous, and so did temperature changes. They drove me home before 10 am. I made an appointment with another doctor. It was not for a week. The following days I could barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom. My limbs felt like they were made of lead, and I felt funny. Like I was poisoned, or like I was drunk. I feel confident in saying it felt like a chemical imbalance somewhere. I tried to go back to work before my appointment – but had another attack while I was there. When I saw this new doctor he seemed very good at first. He gave me a quick EKG, did some blood work, ordered a 24 EKG, some urine work, and said that if this chest pain concerned me again I should go to a hospital. He made an appointment for two weeks later to review the various tests. This has gone on for two and a half months. He sent me to a neurologist, and an endocrinologist. But in my last appointment, after all his tests returned nothing, he looked resigned and suggested that I see a psychiatrist that I might have PD. My appointment is in late October 97 (guess I am high on his priority list). I think he is just giving up. I should qualify this further. My ‘attacks’ while frightening in and of themselves, last only a second or two. I have had only one in the last six weeks. They are almost trivial (except when I am having them!) My list of symptoms seems cyclical. I will have 2-10 days where I am healthy and upright, then I will have 2-10 days where I am feeling chest pains, heaviness in my limbs, and that constant physiological incorrectness I mentioned. There are other symptoms sore throat, the wheezing etc. and even oddities (I had 13 canker sores the other day! – ouch!) Does this sound like PD to you people? Do your symptoms spontaneously go into cyclical remission? Do your attacks always last a maximum of three seconds? Does your symptom list include, along with the typical PD symptoms: * constantly feeling like you have to burp. * sore throat * limbs like lead * wheezing * canker sores I have had a lot of patience with my doctor, but I honestly feel that the only anxiety I have right now is misdiagnosing this disorder. Thank you for your interest.. Daniel Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit <HTML Hi, <PMy name is Daniel. My doctor believes that I may be suffering from PD. Before I concur with him, I would like some opinions from people who actually <Ido</I suffer from panic attacks. <PMy story begins in April of 1997. I woke up with a pain in my chest, wheezing – <Iagain. </IMy wife insisted that I stop ignoring it and seek a medical opinion. Like most men, it takes a lot to make me see a doctor – but this wheezing was annoying. I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor asked me a few questions, then decided that I had pneumonia. He prescribed amoxicillin, and an asthma inhaler (salbutamol). I took the meds. As it turned out the wheezing and chest pains did not go away and I did <Inot </Ihave pneumonia. <PWait! What has this to do with PD? I am getting to that… <PTowards the end of the next month (May) I noticed that had also started experiencing moments of lightheaded. At first I ignored it but within a week I had had some sort of attack. The attack was unlike anything I had ever felt. It lasted about 2 seconds. It started as a funny feeling in my chest, and then seemed to explode like a chemical rush through my whole body! I was not frightened before the incident, but following it I harbored a healthy concern. This ‘attack’ did not seem common. But in typical denial, I ignored it. <PThe next day at work, I had a similar experience. Again I ignored it. Again it lasted only a second or two, and when it was over it was over. There was no significant preamble either. But I was starting to notice a pattern. The following day I was flabbergasted to experience a big one. There was a preamble to this one. My chest pain (which could be described as the similar to the echo one has after a highly productive cough) was present, and I felt like I was suffering from a hangover <Iwithout </Ithe room spinning. The attack came at lunch lasted the requisite 2 seconds and left me feeling weak as a kitten. I felt like I could barely hold my head up – though in fact I could. I was by this time really anxious (but in a healthy – Hey! I might actually be dying! – kind of way ) <PI was at a lost to describe my symptoms properly to the doctor. <PI told him I was feeling vertigo. (I wasn’t! I thought vertigo was a sort of nausea!) <BRI told him that I had chest pain. <BRI told him that I had an attack of some kind at lunch. <PHe asked me if my job was stressful. I told him the truth.<B No</B. I set my own hours, work only as hard as I want, and have no deadlines. There are no expectations and I can’t be fired – government work <PHe asked about my home life. I told him the truth. My home life is my salvation. I have a loving, caring wife, and coming home at the end of the day is a comfort. <PWhat about money problems? Nope. I am very well paid. <PAny trouble sleeping? Nope. Sleep like a rock every night (to this day!) <PAny Phobias? None that I know of. <PDid you feel anxiety as this ‘attack’ approached? I answered honestly. A few minutes before the attack I started to feel physiologically incorrect. <P<BHa! You are experiencing panic attacks!</B He prescribed heavy sedatives on the spot (I had been in his office all of ten minutes!) <PI was speechless. In all my life no single pronouncement seemed so incredible as the one that faced me then. I spoke not another word to this doctor, and instead left his office directly and went to the nearest … read more »
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi, My name is Daniel. My doctor believes that I may be suffering from PD. Before I concur with him, I would like some opinions from people who actually do suffer from panic attacks. My story begins in April of 1997. I woke up with a pain in my chest, wheezing – again. My wife insisted that I stop ignoring it and seek a medical opinion. Like most men, it takes a lot to make me see a doctor – but this wheezing was annoying. I went to a walk-in clinic and the doctor asked me a few questions, then decided that I had pneumonia. He prescribed amoxicillin, and an asthma inhaler (salbutamol). I took the meds. As it turned out the wheezing and chest pains did not go away and I did not have pneumonia. Wait! What has this to do with PD? I am getting to that… Towards the end of the next month (May) I noticed that had also started experiencing moments of lightheaded. At first I ignored it but within a week I had had some sort of attack. The attack was unlike anything I had ever felt. It lasted about 2 seconds. It started as a funny feeling in my chest, and then seemed to explode like a chemical rush through my whole body! I was not frightened before the incident, but following it I harbored a healthy concern. This ‘attack’ did not seem common. But in typical denial, I ignored it. The next day at work, I had a similar experience. Again I ignored it. Again it lasted only a second or two, and when it was over it was over. There was no significant preamble either. But I was starting to notice a pattern. The following day I was flabbergasted to experience a big one. There was a preamble to this one. My chest pain (which could be described as the similar to the echo one has after a highly productive cough) was present, and I felt like I was suffering from a hangover without the room spinning. The attack came at lunch lasted the requisite 2 seconds and left me feeling weak as a kitten. I felt like I could barely hold my head up – though in fact I could. I was by this time really anxious (but in a healthy – Hey! I might actually be dying! – kind of way ) I was at a lost to describe my symptoms properly to the doctor. I told him I was feeling vertigo. (I wasn’t! I thought vertigo was a sort of nausea!) I told him that I had chest pain. I told him that I had an attack of some kind at lunch. He asked me if my job was stressful. I told him the truth. No. I set my own hours, work only as hard as I want, and have no deadlines. There are no expectations and I can’t be fired – government work He asked about my home life. I told him the truth. My home life is my salvation. I have a loving, caring wife, and coming home at the end of the day is a comfort. What about money problems? Nope. I am very well paid. Any trouble sleeping? Nope. Sleep like a rock every night (to this day!) Any Phobias? None that I know of. Did you feel anxiety as this ‘attack’ approached? I answered honestly. A few minutes before the attack I started to feel physiologically incorrect. Ha! You are experiencing panic attacks! He prescribed heavy sedatives on the spot (I had been in his office all of ten minutes!) I was speechless. In all my life no single pronouncement seemed so incredible as the one that faced me then. I spoke not another word to this doctor, and instead left his office directly and went to the nearest Hospital emergency room. They ran a few tests, took an X-ray, and suggested that I get a family physician to look at me. then sent me home. I went home. I was concerned that I may be suffering from atherioschlerosis (I am 30 years old), or maybe some cardiovascular disorder (two of my grandparents had heart aneurysms!) So I slept that night with a little trepidation. The next day I went to work. Moving made me sort of nauseous, and so did temperature changes. They drove me home before 10 am. I made an appointment with another doctor. It was not for a week. The following days I could barely get out of bed to go to the bathroom. My limbs felt like they were made of lead, and I felt funny. Like I was poisoned, or like I was drunk. I feel confident in saying it felt like a chemical imbalance somewhere. I tried to go back to work before my appointment – but had another attack while I was there. When I saw this new doctor he seemed very good at first. He gave me a quick EKG, did some blood work, ordered a 24 EKG, some urine work, and said that if this chest pain concerned me again I should go to a hospital. He made an appointment for two weeks later to review the various tests. This has gone on for two and a half months. He sent me to a neurologist, and an endocrinologist. But in my last appointment, after all his tests returned nothing, he looked resigned and suggested that I see a psychiatrist that I might have PD. My appointment is in late October 97 (guess I am high on his priority list). I think he is just giving up. I should qualify this further. My ‘attacks’ while frightening in and of themselves, last only a second or two. I have had only one in the last six weeks. They are almost trivial (except when I am having them!) My list of symptoms seems cyclical. I will have 2-10 days where I am healthy and upright, then I will have 2-10 days where I am feeling chest pains, heaviness in my limbs, and that constant physiological incorrectness I mentioned. There are other symptoms sore throat, the wheezing etc. and even oddities (I had 13 canker sores the other day! – ouch!) Does this sound like PD to you people? Do your symptoms spontaneously go into cyclical remission? Do your attacks always last a maximum of three seconds? Does your symptom list include, along with the typical PD symptoms: * constantly feeling like you have to burp. * sore throat * limbs like lead * wheezing * canker sores I have had a lot of patience with my doctor, but I honestly feel that the only anxiety I have right now is misdiagnosing this disorder. Thank you for your interest.. Daniel
Hi Daniel! The chest pains you describe, I feel it’s safe to say, many people on this ng have experienced. But, some of the other things — sore throats, cancer sores — not sure if they’re typical physical symptoms of PD. But, they could be. Everyone has different manifestations of PD. Many sufferers feel nauscious. I don’t. Some complain of a choking sensation. I haven’t had that problem. But, the dizziness you described foreshadowed my big panic attack as well. So, who knows? As advised in the previous post, look up good info on the internet on PD. As for your doctor? The tests for heart disease are standard everywhere, whether at a rural hospital or the Mayo Clinic. If nothing came back, you should be OK. Panic disorder is a strange animal and can bring on a variety of phyical symptoms. But, hey, whatever you do…stop being such a man!! It was my stubborness that precluded me from considering getting help in its earlier stages. It took an expensive ride in an ambulance to get me to wake up. It’s scary stuff! Don’t take it on yourself, Daniel. This ng is a great place to start. Welcome to it, and good luck ERIK —
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