I had my first panic attack.....?

[jamie177]

I've always been a very anxious person and have had mild anxiety, never been on any medication. A little about myself, I am 31 years old, have 2 kids with my husband, ages 4 and 5, I just started working again a year ago and have a very busy life. Anyways, I was in Vegas 3 days ago having sushi with a group of 10 people when I got light headed and dizzy, told my husband I needed a taxi and wanted to go back to the room. That taxi ride was the worst ride of my life, I thought I was having a heart attack, couldn't breath, my entire body was tingling, my tongue was all weird. Pretty much I went straight to the ER, worst place to ever go in Vegas, a million people waiting to see a doc. They did an EKG on me and said go sit in the waiting room, meanwhile I think that I am dying because I couldn't breath. Long story short, some lady come up to me and said your having a panic attack and calmed me down, took the next flight home. I saw my doctor yesterday and she said it was a panic attack. Ever since I have this tight feeling around my chest and I just feel weird. What is going on with me?? I'm I always going to get this now? How come this feeling in my chest wont go away, feel like my heart is about to jump out. A couple times since I've been back, my heart starts to race and I just practice the breathing until it goes away. How long will I have this tight chest feeling around my chest???

[kconnors]

Hi Jamie177,

I am not a professional so I think that I would go by what my doctor said that it was a panic attack. Now, the issue for me would be if this is an isolated case or if there was some trigger in Las Vegas that caused you to have the panic attack. The symptoms you describe are not unusual and they are probably continuing because you do not have an answer to the cause of your panic attack so that is creating more anxiety. Perhaps, you might considering asking your family doc for a referral to a counselor to help you to develop some management techniques or to help you to identify what might have triggered the panic attack. As for the symptoms, you seem to be successful with breathing and that is great . . .

No one can answer the how long question as we are all individual and have different histories but you may benefit from working with a therapist / counselor if for no other reason to articulate these issues and have the therapist ask you follow up questions . . .who knows, the Las Vegas trigger may simply be too much input coming in from the type of city that Las Vegas is . . . .by the way, you were very smart to check out your symptoms with your own doctor and not just take the word of a woman in the waiting room . . . the lady did help, but it is always best to make sure . . . let us know how things work out, okay? Take care, kc

[jamie177]

Honestly, I don't think it's because of a certain issue in my life.  I do have a very busy life, I work, have kids, studying for my realtors test, have a busy social life, so all together I am very busy.  But my first attack came out of nowhere, I was just having sushi with friends.  Ever since I've ben back home, I just feel weird, my body feels weird but the worst is the feeling my chest that I can't get rid of.  It's like someone sitting on my stomach.  Will medication help??

[kconnors]

Hi,

Some of us on the forum do take meds while others do not . . . .this decision is a highly individual decision that is best made between you and your medical practitioner(s). Would it be possible that you are * too * busy and have a bit of anticipation anxiety that you will be able to complete all the stuff going on in your life successfully? Some of us get hit by "anticipation" anxiety that is triggered by not knowing how events will unfold . . . just something to think about . . . because the Las Vegas panic attack was so strong, you may also be anxious that a repeat will happen . . . again, I probably would go with some guidance from a therapist to get past that attack and to help manage your current symptoms . . .if it makes you feel any better, the symptoms you have, though, are not unusual for anxiety . . .take care, kc