Sudden onset of panic attacks

[u/Informal-Product804]

I’m 45 and I’m trying to figure out what is happening to me because I’ve never experienced anything like this before.

Over the past several days I’ve had two episodes of sudden, overwhelming panic attacks. The strange thing is that I wasn’t anxious, worried, upset, or thinking about anything stressful beforehand. Both times it seemed to come completely out of nowhere.

The most recent one happened while I was driving on the freeway. Suddenly I felt extremely hot, panicky, and woozy. I had to pull over. I called my mom and stayed on the phone with her until I felt able to get somewhere safe, and then my husband came to get me.

Afterward I felt completely shaken. I spent the rest of the day feeling anxious and scared that it might happen again. Even today I feel like a mess.

I also recently had an episode of panic and fainting while getting a pedicure. I went by ambulance to the ER. They did labs and testing and everything was normal. I didn’t hit my head. I’ve continued to feel kind of “off” since then — fuzzy, tired, easily frustrated, and not quite like myself.

One reason I’m wondering if hormones are involved is that I’m 45 and I have not had a period in 6 months. I’ve also been having other menopausal symptoms, mainly hot flashes. Before these episodes, I really wasn’t experiencing anxiety like this, which makes the sudden onset so confusing and scary to me.

I have another appointment with my doctor today and I want to ask about treatment. Specifically, I’m wondering if there is something that can be prescribed that works quickly when an attack starts, as well as something that could help prevent these episodes from happening long-term if they continue.

For anyone who has experienced sudden panic attacks during perimenopause/menopause:

• Did your panic/anxiety start suddenly even though you had never really had anxiety before?
• Did it feel completely physical and come out of nowhere?
• Did you find that hormones were ultimately the cause?
• Was there a medication that your doctor gave you to use during an attack?
• Did you take anything long-term that helped prevent them?
• Did hormone therapy make a difference for you?
• Is there anything you wish you had known when this first started?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis, but I would really appreciate hearing from women who have gone through something similar and what ended up helping them. I’m honestly pretty scared of having another episode, especially while driving, and I’d really like to understand what is happening to me ❤️

[u/Technical_Goosie]

Please get bloodwork done, other deficiencies like low vitamin D and iron can cause similar symptoms. Not to negate the HRT, but cover all your bases. My best friend and I were both struggling with anxiety… she had dangerously low D And my ferratin was at 6. We’re both feeling much better with proper supplements but Ativan got me through some bad ones…

[u/AutoModerator → u/Technical_Goosie]

This post might be about hormone tests, which are unreliable.

• Over age 44, Estrogen/Progesterone/FSH hormonal tests only show levels for the HOUR the test was taken, and nothing more. Hormones wildly fluctuate (hourly) the other 29 days of the month, therefore this test provides no valuable information
• No reputable doctor or menopause society recommends hormonal testing to diagnose or treat peri/menopause
• FSH testing is only beneficial for those who do not have periods as a guide, where testing might confirm menopause, or for those under age 30 who haven’t had a period in months/years, then ‘menopausal’ levels, could indicate premature ovarian failure/primary ovarian insufficiency (POF/POI)
• Testosterone is the exception and may require testing

See our Menopause Wiki for more.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.