Hi I have Emphysema and have managed really well. All of a sudden I am suffering from regular panic attacks can anybody help?

[charlie19]

I know I bring it on myself but can't seem to stop it. My oxygen levels drop when walking and will have ambulant oxygen soon will this help?

[billl]

hello Charlie 19 .I used too suffer terrible panic attacks and end up calling ambulance .then about two mounths ago they kept me in hospital and taught me how to realise whats happening when I paniced .. then they sent me to pulmonary rehab .that's a exercise class twice aweek . who believe it or not taught me how to breath properly ..I was given ambulant oxygen my god what a difference tat made . could walk futher and recovered so much quicker .am on oxygen 24/7 now but I got more problems . if you need profession help call the blf .just don't stop doing any thing go for gold every time .keep on breathing

[charlie19 in reply to billl]

Sorry I am new to this forum and have written your reply in my reply box

[charlie19]

Thanks for your reply I needed to hear this as I have been reading lots of self help books but none are related to panic attacks with a lung condition. I seem to be dragged into the panic for no reason and it makes my hair stand on end to say the least. I have been offered Lorazepan which I have declined as I do not want to rely on them but have nearly thrown one into my mouth once or twice to take away the sensation.

[Hidden]

My husband has started to suffer with panic attacks and severe anxiety. As tobydoo says the pulmonary rehab. course is fantastic - it will teach you how to breath. My husband is also on ambulatory oxygen and he can walk further but he still has panic attacks. Last week we decided to go to the Doctor and he was prescribed citalopram which we are hoping will help. Apparently it is very common with COPD patients. Please don't just suffer with it go back to your gp. Our gp was lovely and said that my husband may not need to be on it forever but would recommend six months. Good luck, TAD xx

[charlie19 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you TADAW I have been put on the pulmonary re-hab programme for Sept as I was supposed to go on it in July but it was full near me. Will speak to my GP but he is actually the one who scared me off Lorazepan as they gave me some from the hospital and he said you can get addicted if you have them regularly.

[Hidden]

Hi Charlie,glad you have got into a rehab program,I'm sure that will help.

I started to suffer panic attacks,about a year ago I think.Related to panic when not breathing properly,he also didn't want me to have Lorazepan,for the same reason.Anyway he put me on Zoloft 50 mgs.& what a blessing that turned out to be! Haven't looked back since,I'm glad to say.

I'm also doing another rehab program,as it's over 2 years since the last one.

Hope all goes well for you,good luck,love Wendells xxx

[charlie19 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you did they work straight away for you?

[Hidden in reply to charlie19]

I noticed a difference after a few days,although they said its usually a couple of weeks before it takes effect!

[peterjones]

hi Charlie I should change your number for a start 13 never was any good but seriously when you feel a panic attack coming on I would try and blow air out through your mouth with pursed lips mate just do a few blows out until you start to feel a bit better give it a little try to see how you go I would be pleased if you would let me know whether this helped you or not take care peter jones queensland Australia

[initial]

Hi Charlie, and the advice above is all good. Something I try and do is take my mind off the panic - read a label, look at a picture - and at the same time breath out for four and inhale for two. This works for me. With this condition, it's a case of trial and error, as it's certainly not a one-size-fits-all. Take care x

[peterjones]

sorry Charlie I will have to get some new specs mate I thought you were Charlie no 13 but looking at it now I see it was 19 so I take back my smart remark about 13 sorry mate peter jones queensland Australia psp sufferer

[charlie19 in reply to peterjones]

Ha Ha there is no way I would call myself 13 cos with all that's going on I would be inviting danger.

Will keep trying these breathing methods and see if they eventually work for me.

[Hidden in reply to peterjones]

Hi Peter, was just wondering if that heat out there gives you problems, before I had this breating problem I was in Africa for 28 years working there, but if I had been there with breathing problems it would be another story. Malk Bedford England.

[Puffthemagicdragon]

Sometimes it's best to go against what your brain tells your body to to which is breathe fast. Try to breathe deep and slow and try to relax. You'll find your breathing will get back to normal a lot quicker.

[charlie19 in reply to Puffthemagicdragon]

Hiya Thanks for this I woke up several times in the night out of breath and beginning to panic but kept doing the breathing stuff and got myself out of it somehow. Still early days though.

[Puffthemagicdragon in reply to charlie19]

I'm glad to hear and well done. The more you do it the easier it gets.

[peterjones]

Charlie good on yer mate give it a go nothing to lose best wishes to you take care peter jones queensland Australia psp sufferer

[moneal]

This is how it was explained to me, and you are right it is self induced, the brain knows what's happened in the past, so if going up a set of steps triggered an attack, next time it sees the steps it goes into defensive mode. The body then goes into what could be called fighting mode, produces more adrenalin, tries to empty the bladder and increases the breathing and the heart rate and that fires off the panic. Controlling it is the trick.

I had a course of hypnotherapy. It basically teaches you a way to think of something else. In my case it is a rose garden, now in my mind I open the gate go into the garden and look at my flowers. This seems to trigger a calmness whether this because my mind is calmed or just thinking about something else has made me forget the original problem I don't know but it works. Anything that takes your mind off it helps. I had my first bad attack while sitting on the toilet, now I keep an electron hand held game there so I can play that and take my mind off previous problems. You GP can give you pills to calm you, very good on the days when you feel up tight before you start, but apparently addictive. They work well if you have a regular trigger and have time to take one a few minutes before. Good luck we all suffer you are not on your own

[ptliverpool]

I have just been sent to a physio at my Hospital by my consultant and she has given me some breathing control exersices to do for 10 minutes every night. It seems I need to learn to breath properly. COPD sufferers breath to shallow and we need to learn abdominal breathing so that the air gets into the bottom of our lungs instaed of just the top. She says this will help me control any panic attacks. I hope it works as I have even been hospitalised with one panic attack, even my doctor thought it was a heart attack.

[charlie19 in reply to ptliverpool]

I have spent two days practising breathing exercise and this has helped me a lot but when you get anxious it makes your heart rate go up, so now I try to breathe in this way before the anxiety takes over and it seems to be working up to now with the method you have been taught ,so hope it helps us both. thank you for your help.

[peterjones]

hi malk 19 well mate I cant say that the heat does bother me does bother me I love the summers here we only had a few days when it was 40 centigrade so could not complain mate the rest of the time it was about 38----39 we are in our winter now anyway the mornings are a bit cool and evenings but the days are terrific we live in the sub tropics so I think the temperature is great\\\\\ thats when we have no humidity of course thats what knocks the socks of yer mate\\\\ i should imagine that Africa was much the same mate you were there a good few years did you leave because of breathing problems or just \had enough of it there see yer peter jones queensland Australia psp sufferer if your wondering what the psp means mate it progressive supernuclear palsy