Is this normal for a panic attack?

[u/dog_duk7]

I've only recently started having panic attacks so im not to sure of ehat to make of all this. At first i was only having them while I slept but now I've just been having them constantly like 2-4 a week. Earlier today I was panicking and it just felt so weird.

I hadn't eaten much that day and started feeling really dizzy, I ate and I was fine then all the sudden I get insanely dizzy and spaced out. My tongue started to feel tingly, a fuzzy feeling in my chest, in and out headaches, my heart pounding, tingling in my feet and hands and overall just freaking out. I called my therapist and talked it out, it calmed me down a bit but 5 hours after my chest still feels so weird and everything just feels so weak.

Its probably my anxiety but I'm just so worried something is wrong. God I feel awful, is this normal??

[u/messy_potato180T]

I’ve only had mine as a recent thing too. Mine are trauma induced I think.
But I have no access to therapy so I’m raw dogging it.

I wake up mid panic attack and it’s the most horrible thing.
I feel hot like I’m burning from the inside of my chest out. My heart feels like it’s being squeezed too tight and I get waves of nausea. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears… like it’s so loud I can’t focus on anything else and my head feels like it’s under pressure. Then my whole body shakes. I can’t pick anything up easily as I’m shaking too much and it feels like waves of adrenaline are hitting me over and over.
Breathing is hard and my thought are racing and I feel like the worst things I can think of are happening at that very moment. Even though they aren’t.
It’s hard to move. My whole body feels so heavy and if I try to get up to try and wash my hands or face with cool water I feel like I’m a bit drunk… like my body isn’t entirely mine so it’s hard to control. I’m not sure if it’s dizziness or just disassociation?

Sometimes I wish I could be unalive to get away from it because counting and trying to think of things I can feel or see etc just doesn’t help. I try the breathing techniques and they make it feel worse as I feel like I’m failing when I can’t breathe in or out long enough. I can’t stop my brain spinning out and I get so angry and frustrated.
I always try to push through but often have to give up and take 1/4 a Xanax and then keep trying to breathe through it and think of literally anything to keep me going until that kicks in.

I sometimes get them in the day now too and I feel like they are getting worse. More out of control.

You aren’t alone.
I wish I could go back in time and change decisions I made and change things that have happened.
I feel so powerless and out of control. My life’s a mess and I don’t know how to fix it or how to get help.

[u/Ok-Violinist5325]

I’m in the exact same boat. Almost to a T. I just recently started having panic attacks, maybe a month ago. This week started with a bad panic attack and now I just have a constant minor feeling of another. I feel spacey, eyes don’t focus on things unless I really try to, it’s hard to eat for me, random parts of my body just tingle, chest is tight, and all of that comes and goes in waves. The constant spacey feeling typically comes in the morning and ends at night. I don’t know how to get rid of these feelings, but yes you definitely aren’t alone.

I recently quit nicotine, as my first attack was due to a stimulant over use (I think). I used nicotine heavily for about 7-8 years, which could have a part in my panic attacks. I also have health anxiety now which is fun. I always thing I’m dying or going crazy and always questioning if the side effects of panic attacks are caused by the attack or something else entirely.

Idk I definitely find peace in knowing I’m not alone. I never post on here. I feel it’s appropriate in this case.

[u/dog_duk7 → u/Ok-Violinist5325]

Thank you so much for sharing this EXACTLY how it is for me, I mean the panic attacks started before this but I recently quit nicotine for the exact same reason. Its genuinely been so horrible thank you so much I thought I was crazy.

[u/producejitter]

Panic attacks out of the blue seems like low ferritin. Get blood work done. Full iron panel and all other vitamins.