March- 12-2017 strange panic episodes during the day need advice

[GaryDaniel1988]

My name is Gary Daniel new to the community as some might have read in my previous post i had a heart attack in December and went into cardiac arrest once,but this post is about a different topic then the last,i had today a strange episode where my stomach started to hurt and feel really tight plus at the same time it felt like i couldn't breathe and that's when i started to go into a panic for about 10 minutes .Has this happened to anyone? Or does anybody have any advice on this?

[sca2013]

Yes, in this way - I'll get what I call a weird sensation in my solar plexus that makes me feel anxious about oh oh what's going on or my heart rate increases and blood pressure goes weirdly high. In my case I change the position I sitting or standing in, start focusing on my breathing by slowing it down, visualize a relaxing nature seen or experience, which all seem to help normalize things again. The doctors tell me in my case, since I don't have any blockages or other cardiovascular problems that the temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure will do no harm but can be disturbing. Yes, that is an understatement. I'm not sure what is causing what you are experiencing, but I can tell you for me I know it is upsetting when these things happen and can relate in some way how it may be for you. Sorry you're going through this and hope you find a resolution. Best wishes.

[GaryDaniel1988 in reply to sca2013]

I I know exactly what you're talking about when you say you get a weird feeling and your solar plexus I get the same thing and that's when I start to get really anxious and my heart starts to race actually I get that feeling in my solar plexus more often than the strange feelings in my stomach

[Read311]

I get the exact same thing, I can almost feel it coming a few seconds before it happens. What a terrible feeling. I'v found the #1 thing that helps is to get right in the shower. Soothes a bit, plus gives you a task to get your mind off of the episode. Mine is always accompanied by a racing heart. The water on your face also triggers the diver reflex (instinct) which helps slow your heart rate back down. Hope this helps. It's a feeling that is hard to explain, and scary as hell. Glad I'm not alone.

[GaryDaniel1988]

Read311 you're not alone with this,i want to try that shower technique but i would be too afraid to pass out unconscious if anything bad happened like my heart stopping or something and nobody being able to hear me (anxiety thing) now when i take a shower i leave the door unlocked lol

[Read311 in reply to GaryDaniel1988]

if the shower makes you anxious, try putting your head under the water in the kitchen sink and just let the water run over your head, the diver reflex definitely works to help lower your heart rate. good luck buddy!

[GaryDaniel1988 in reply to Read311]

Thank you for the reply Read311

[pinnelli]

wow, i was about to post similar today. I get all sort of aches and pains, including in top of stomach where it meets my chest / rib cage and across chest and sternum. All i get told by GP and my cardiologist is it's muscular skeletal. what at top of my stomach? When it happens it's even hard to talk for any length of time or exert myself as the breathing hurts. The GP told me this was because the strain it puts on the chest muscles etc. Fact is if you injure a leg you can rest it but all the damage to the chest can't be rested as we breath constantly.......

i've described the sensations to the cardiologist in detail and to be fair i have had 2 stress tests with him and i've been to A&E twice. All the time sent away after bloods and ECG report back fine. So i'm determined not to go again but it's so hard to trust them & it's my life or death type call.

I could understand in early weeks after 25 mins of CPR, coma etc but then it started to feel like it was steadily improving but whenever i start to feel like i'm returning to normal life it rears its ugly head again and the anxiety kicks in :-(.

last spell started last night, the last 2 weeks ago. it seems no one has a real answer. No one at rehab had the same experience but then only one other guy had CPR & only for a few minutes whilst the other paramedic got the defibrillator. Mine was 25mins from my mate (so i'm sure tad rough).

Tricky thing for me is trust, about 10 days before my CA i went to the docs with chest pain, that was more like heart burn to be fair, i went back twice and told acid reflux, but then went out cycling and that was it OHCA, so how can i trust these people?

[GaryDaniel1988 in reply to pinnelli]

How are you doing now?

[pinnelli]

I'm not too bad, but then just woken up & it tends to be better then, so suggest may be muscular skeletal &!long days exacerbate.

I booked appointment next week with cardiologist to discuss again!

How you feeling?

[GaryDaniel1988]

Sorry it took me so long to reply! ! Glad to here you are doing better! Yesterday unfortunately for me i had a attack where i was short of breathe for 20 mins i was panicking so bad

[pinnelli]

Sorry to hear that, Hope you are better now? Anxiety definitely makes these sensations worse, have you had anxiety support? I have & it helps a lot. Whilst they don't have a magic wand just talking to someone about your feelings really helps.

Do you see your doctor about these symptoms?

[GaryDaniel1988 in reply to pinnelli]

I agree talking with somebody who experiences similar symptoms helps alot,i made a appointment with my doctor to tell him about the shortness of breathe i was having but I'm almost positive it was a panic attack because once i was able to focus on reading it got so much better