Can a headache trigger a panic attack?

[star68]

Hello everybody,

Last night I went to a theater play and I quite enjoyed it but there was a lot of noise shouting and arguing and being intolerant to loud noises I could feel the beginning of a headache. Gradually my head was getting worse and I could feel waves of heat within my body which made me very uncomfortable. I could not take a tablet because I didn't have my bag with me, so by the time the play finished my head was pretty bad. I rushed to the coffee shop and had water and a paracetamol. Then I headed towards the station with my daughter, we had about 45 minutes travelling by train and I was dreading the journey, I kept thinking that I was going to feel ill with my headache and I will have to call an ambulance, I was literally scared and my mouth was extremely dry, my whole body felt like jelly, but we made it to the station and got home. I normally don't let panic attacks escalate, I will divert the catastrophic thinking and concentrate in positive thinks and positive talk, but last night I was struggling. Have you had a similar experience with a headache? Thanks for reading my post.

[HearYou]

Yep. Laser lights are the worst for me. When trapped with the loud noise and chaos, would be surprised if you didn't have a headache, and anxiety issue would blossom too. You're normal, very normal. Just need to read more about the next production before attending.

[star68 in reply to HearYou]

Thanks for your reply, yes I should read more about it next time! lol

[HearYou in reply to star68]

Yes, cause once you're there you're "trapped". Hard to make a graceful exit.

[reinagrace]

Hi star68 , not specifically a headache, but yes I've had panic attacks that started with physical symptoms. this is the nature of anxiety- the body can interpret ANY change, as a symptom of anxiety. Being out on hot summer day, for example, has triggered me to have panic attacks, and i researched this- it's because when someone is hot, their heart starts to beat faster and they sweat. Well these are 2 things that happen in anxiety also. So a normal person just goes on, not being affected by this sweat and faster heartbeat brought on by heat. But the anxious person gets triggered, bc somewhere in their brain they know, these are anxiety symptoms, and the fight or flight part of brain, can't tell the difference- (whether these symptoms are from the heat, or from anxiety). So that fight or flight part decides, it's anxiety and then turns it into a panic attack. Something like that, i may not be explaining it as well as the things I read. I avoid loud noises and can't go to concerts, etc bc for sure all that would trigger panic attacks. So anxiety was rising in you before the headache, from all that noise probably. I always have my pills with me- so hope you can make a reminder to yourself to always have the meds on hand, and i pray you improve in , not getting triggered.

[star68]

You are very right, most probably my anxiety was there before the headache, and now thinking about it, it was. They play was very violent, with a lot of swearing and arguing, there was even an scene of domestic violence, not hitting but pushing, arguing and swearing, the actors were very good, but I felt fear from the scenes because they looked so real, it was a very small theater so you had a very good view of the actors, even when one of the actors shouted so loud that her face went all red. I am always overwhelmed when I see violent situations in real life, even arguing and shouting, I cannot watch scary or violent movies, so yes the anxiety I was feeling kind of triggered my headache and as a result I suffered a panic attack, it makes more sense. Thank you.

[Indigojoe in reply to star68]

Sounds like you got triggered, and rightly so.

You described your anxiety as a" text book case". You sound normal for that experience and lord know's I have been THERE!

You have excellent insight, looking back on it. Relax. It's is over. Keep a tablet with you from now on............

[Kelbro]

That’s happening to me now I woke up at half past 7 made breakfast/school run etc then as soon as I sat down boom 💥 a splitting migraine... took two anadin extra as these usually work and had a lie down I must dosed off as I was actually woke from sleep with the worst sore head ever I got up to get a glass of water and honestly felt so dizzy and legs like jelly I started hyperventilating in a panic attack as I have NEVER felt a headache so sore! Thankfully after drinking a pint of water I’m stArting to feel a bit better but the sheer panic or the headache 🤕 honestly don’t know which one was the worst 😭😭😭 Lol