Panic attack history with me...thanks so much for the concern...

....I knew right where to come when I was still so shaky. You guys are so wonderful.

I have had panic attacks almost 30 years. They hit me out of the blue. I have had every kind of test they can imagine...[real good insurance]  They were just never diagnosed as that until lately post WLS.....we all called them my "dizzy spells".

When I was in the hospital for my WLS, that O2 thingy on my finger kept going off all the time....it just drove me nuts. I had to be seen by a pulmunologist in the hospital and they sent me home on oxygen 24/7.

Then I had to go see a Pulmunologist here in Madison. I had been tested for sleep apnea....did not have, for arterial blood gases....which were a little abnormal.....then they tested me with a machine all night long to test and record all of my oxygen levels all night long and they found that I had many epsidoes of oxygen level below 70...which is not good at all.

This is a quote from a book I have read:
Due to the nature of the fight or flight response many cases of panic disorder may be linked with the limbic system and be initiated by those biological factors that could be biological, reinterpreted emotionally as a threat to survival, such as hypoxia(lack of oxygen). 

You probably recognize this as the classic 'flight or fight' response that human beings experience when we are in a situation of danger. But during a panic attack, these symptoms seem to rise from out of nowhere. They occur in seemingly harmless situations--they can even happen while you are asleep.

For years I have had Panic Attacks in the night usually around 5 am.....I used to say to my husband....."How fair is it that I have to wake up in order to pass out"....I was such a restless sleeper that he said I was like sleeping with a whirling dervish.  BUT now that I sleep with oxygen on all night.....I sleep like a lamb....no panic attacks which is wonderful.

So thanks for the concerns....but they don't know what to do with me, except perhaps make me wear oxygen 24/7 which I won't do. When I am up moving around I am okay, if I sit too long [ I put my oxygen on when I am on the computer]...I run into problems.

I guess it is all buried deep in my brain in the "limbic system"...they just don't know enough about what is happening yet, I would love to be in a study about this, but can't find any going on.
I take Paxil only because it helps.....they are not sure why....but it does. My neurologist says there is no cure for it.....So here I am....and I am sorry I bothered you all with it, I was just still shaky the next day and I guess feeling a little sorry for myself.
Love ya' all.
Marti

Marti.....you are not feeling sorry for yourself. Please feel free to share anything with us anytime. We are here to help in anyway we can ...even if it is just listening.

You are loved!!!  Sorry you are having this problem.

Hugs....connie d

Thanks sweetie....YOU are loved. I will admit it makes driving a little worrisome sometimes, but so far so good......I have had to pull over a couple times and dig my nails into the palms of my hands......One time years ago, I was in the ER and they were doing a electro cardiogram on me and I had an attack and passed out and they firmly verfied it was not my heart...thank God.

Love you,
Marti

((((((HUGS))))))   connie d

You did not bother us. We are here for whatever we need each other for. How odd it only strikes when you are sitting still. My mother's problems strike when she gets impatient (which she does a lot) or she decides to travel ... we've decided she just doesn't like to travel. Once, they had to take her off a cruise ship in the Pacific off the Hawaiian islands because she thought she was having a heart attack. She wasn't; just a panic attack because she was impatient waiting for the tender to get them off the ship for their excursions. And I thought I was impatient!

Take it easy on yourself. If the Paxil and the oxygen help, then use them.

They tell me there is a difference between anxiety attacks and a panic "disorder", it sounds like she is having anxiety attacks.Sorry I missed you last week, I really wanted to get there to see you.....didn't work out. xxoo M

OK, thanks for explaining the difference. She drives us crazy ... she almost made us miss my nephew's (and her grandson's) wedding in Colorado five years ago  ... but we made it ... it was right before I had my surgery ... boy, did I look different!

anxiety attacks can be dealt with behavorially sometimes and with medication..maybe prior to a trip you could ask her doctor to give you something to help her...like maybe alprazolam....she would probablysleep then onthe ride.

Love, M

Marti,

Panic disorder makes you feel horrid. You go ahead and feel sorry for yourself. I feel sorry for you too.

Please be especially careful when driving. 

Kisses
Annette

Thanks honeoy, hope your sciatica is better. Love, M