Mild Anxiety or Panic Attack - Help, Please!

[wanttolive]

I saw the thread on panic/anxiety attacks, and read it with great interest. I have been having problems with what seems to be episodes of panic/anxiety. I wake up with my heart pounding and feel like I can't breathe (even though I sleep with oxygen). My mind is racing, and usually there is one subject that I can't get out of my head.

Sometimes it's death, cancer, and dying: I start thinking about how far away Heaven is, and that I don't want to be separated from my family. Sometime's it's a fear of something happening to my husband or one of our nine children. At other times, it can be something as basic as fear that I won't be able to get organized enough to get them ready for school and keep up with activities, homework, etc. (School starts this week.)

I try to breathe slowly, pray, and coax myself back to sleep. If I'm too far gone, I wake up my husband and ask him to squeeze my shoulders, or rub my arm or my hair. As a last resort, I get out of bed completely and move to my lift chair and play games on the laptop until I fall asleep.

Is this a panic attack, or some kind of anxiety problem? I had never had this happen until this summer, when I started getting worried about "what's next". (Cancer shattered my femur in 6/2005; six months later, a cancerous spinal tumor took all my feeling from the waist down.) It has been six months since the SCI, and it seems like that's about how this cancer works; I've have 12 surgeries in nearly 6 years since it was diagnosed.

If it is a panic attack, is there some home remedy or a mild medication that I can take when this happens? It seems to be happening more often -- three times in the past week alone.

Thanks for listening!

WantToLive
Cancer-related SCI, 12/26/2005

[SCI-Nurse]

No, a panic attack happens for no apparent reason. You are worried about your health and another cancer showing up. Any sings of anything. Time for a repeat MRI/scan/blood test? Follow up with a doctor? The best thing woul dbe to have the doctors say you are cancer/tumor free. They could give you sedatives and some antidepressants help panic attacks and I am sure you could take sleeeping pills but I think the best thing would be to go for a check up or follow up and get a clean bill by your doctors.

CWO

[zillazangel]

It seems from CWO's answer that you had cancer wanttolive, and if so, if you need testing, do it. If not, then don't.

Either way though, you need to be taking something or doing something to quell the anxiety. Low tech ways: vigorous exercise, B-complex vitamins, cool or hot (whichever you prefer) on your eyes while you go to sleep, guided dreaming or meditation, massage therapy, smelling lavendar, counseling.

Pharmaceutical: a sedative like Ativan or Xanax. Ativan works very quickly, within 5-10 mins you feel calmer and MUCH better after 20 mins and it lasts 4-6 hours. Xanax packs a bigger punch, so it's usually better to try Ativan first. There are also longer acting benzodiapemes such as klonopin that you take twice a day for several weeks and it prevents most attacks. There are possible issues with dependency though. Lastly, antidepressants are good for panic too - they also prevent it. Zoloft, I believe, actually has a registered indication for panic disorder.

Good luck, and either way, see your doctor about your anxiety. It probably won't go away even with a clean bill of health, these are just brain misfirings that need to be adjusted one way or another. And unfortunately it's virtually impossible to talk yourself out of having them.

[wanttolive]

Unfortunately, I do still have cancer. I have it throughout both lungs (inoperable), on my scalp, my submandibular gland, left arm, left hip, right adrenal gland, and right femur. The lung tumors had grown at last check (CT scans last month), and now we are investigating chemo options.

Since my diagnosis in 10/2000, I have had 12 surgeries and 32 radiation treatments. I haven't had chemo yet, because my cancer (leiomyosarcoma) does not respond well to it. At this point, I am still able to live fairly normally (other than the residual damage from the broken leg and the spinal tumor), so stability is our main goal.

I really hate to add another medication, but it's happening so often now that I feel like I need to do something. I wonder if something like Tylenol PM would help?

I AM planning to be more active once the kids are in school. I can hobble with a walker from one end of the house to the other right now, and it leaves me breathless. I am going to do PT 2 or 3 times per week and I'd like to buy some simple home equipment for cardiovascular exercise. I'm thinking about one of those pedalers (with resistance) that you do with your hands. Maybe the exercise will help the anxiety, too.

Thanks for your help!
WantToLive
Cancer-related SCI, 12/2005

[betheny]

Sometimes a panic attack is an out-of-proportion reaction to actual problems. It never makes much sense to hide under the covers with your dog. Even if things are dramatically falling to crap left and right, and you're real worried, it's just not logical.

I'm trying to say your actual physical problems and stressors don't rule out a panic attack. School starting for 9 children would stress a saint. A panic attack is a different feeling than stress.

Good luck. If all else fails, please know, that hiding under the covers with the dog thing is working out pretty well for me.

Hope you feel better. Get your thyroid checked, that's the cause of my panic attacks.

[SCI-Nurse]

wanttolive-

From all that you have shared, it seems as though you have good cause for your anxiety. I would encourage you to speak with your doctor about trying a mild medication at bedtime. Sleep is definitely something that you need in order to manage your life (I am sure that you don't need me telling you that!) I would also encourage you to try some non-medical things- meditation, prayer, etc work well for some people.

THere are definitely reasons for you to have this anxiety. Addressing the issues helps, but some of them there are not answers for. I would also encourage you to try some counselling, but that is not for everyone.

CKF

[lilsister]

Wanttolive, I'm sorry you have to go thru this. We used to live in Knoxville and my bro went to the Patricia Neal outpatient rehab center over by UT. His therapists were GREAT--much better than Sheperd Center for Jim. He also got emotional counseling from a psychologist with the outpatient center at Patricia Neal. Unfortunately I can only remember her first name, Susie something and she was very helpful to Jim. Maybe some time to talk and explore your feelings would help, there are probably some stategies to control or help you through. Having a third party to talk to can really help alot. Best wishes