Hi Sharna.



You must be feeling very scared and very confused about things. It does sound like panic attacks but as many people will tell you, we just don't know how they start and why. I still have no idea why mine started over 9 years ago.



I agree that medication is not the answer but you do need to start some 'treatment' now to stop these panic attacks getting any worse.



What interested me the most was you saying that you are now scared of going to the next concert in case you feel the same. If you have read "My Story" on the site and some other pages you will notice that I say the problem seems to get worse because it 'breeds' bad thoughts. I get these whilst driving and I still can't get rid of them! I think back to previous episodes that I panic'd in so I automatically start to think that I will panic again and this can trigger an attack off.



You need to start assuring yourself NOW that this is not going to take over your life and you will not let it beat it. Start some relaxation and practice your abdominal breathing (see tips on the site) and above all tell (and convince) yourself that you are going to be ok.



As for Calms - yes I have tried them - mainly at night to get me to sleep. Can't say I had great success but that is just me, they may help you. I now use some herbal tablets containing Valerian as theat promotes sleep - I have lovely dreams with them.



Certainly try the "calms" and another thing that several people have told me about (and swear by) is "Rescue Remedy" (a flower remedy) available at most chemists.



I do hope you can get over these attacks before they take hold and I am sure if you are strong enough now you will be able to "knock them on the head" once and for all.



Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes.

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Replying to:

Just before Christmas, me and my friend was going to a pop concert which we do often. Well my friend was driving and i was just sat in the passenger seat singing away to the stereo, i thought i was quite relaxed, of course i was looking forward to the concert but no more than any of the others. I started to get pins and needles in my hands and lips. I just ignored it, then my hands started to go stiff and my muscles up my arm went tight so my hands was bent up towards my wrists, by that point i told my friend to pull over for some fresh air. Then this was when i got scared, my whole face and neck even my ears was prickly and throbbing. I stepped out of the car and tried to tell my friend what was happening but i could hardly speak, it felt like my tongue had swollen up, my face was numb, i thought i was having a stroke. We went to the nearest A&E and they called it a 'carpel pedel spasm' and thought i lacked in calcium, so we waited ages to find that everything was clear.

The next day i went to my GP to put my attack in my notes and he suggested panic attacks. But i just went on thinking that when that happened i wasn't panicking or excited.



Then it happened again in January when me and my friend went to Gala Bingo which again is something we do regularly. I do get excited when i go. This time i was 1 number from winning £100 as per usual i got excited and it happened again. So that was when i agreed it was a kind of panic attack. Then the other night i was watching a scary movie and i started to get tingly fingers and my heart started to race but i managed to control my breathing so it went away.



I told my GP and he said because my case wasn't bad theres no point going on medication (which i'd rather not do anyway). I asked why now, i'm 25 and never suffered from anything like that before and he could not come up with anything.



I've read other peoples cases and i wondered if you know whether my attacks can get worse and why these attacks have chosen me! Ok, its not effecting my life, but i have another concert to go to the end of March and i'm getting worried that it might happen again, i don't know how im to be, because i didn't feel that excited at the last concert but it still happened. I thought i might try those herbal tablet called 'Calms'. Has anybody tried them? If so let me know if they work.



Sorry i've gone on abit but its nice to tell people who understand.



THANKS.

Thank you shelley and nomorepanic for your advice. My concert is on the 27th March so I will let you know how it went. I will try to stay relaxed and try to think, 'PANIC ATTACKS? WHAT ARE THEY?!'



Thanks again.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

Hi Sharna.



You must be feeling very scared and very confused about things. It does sound like panic attacks but as many people will tell you, we just don't know how they start and why. I still have no idea why mine started over 9 years ago.



I agree that medication is not the answer but you do need to start some 'treatment' now to stop these panic attacks getting any worse.



What interested me the most was you saying that you are now scared of going to the next concert in case you feel the same. If you have read "My Story" on the site and some other pages you will notice that I say the problem seems to get worse because it 'breeds' bad thoughts. I get these whilst driving and I still can't get rid of them! I think back to previous episodes that I panic'd in so I automatically start to think that I will panic again and this can trigger an attack off.



You need to start assuring yourself NOW that this is not going to take over your life and you will not let it beat it. Start some relaxation and practice your abdominal breathing (see tips on the site) and above all tell (and convince) yourself that you are going to be ok.



As for Calms - yes I have tried them - mainly at night to get me to sleep. Can't say I had great success but that is just me, they may help you. I now use some herbal tablets containing Valerian as theat promotes sleep - I have lovely dreams with them.



Certainly try the "calms" and another thing that several people have told me about (and swear by) is "Rescue Remedy" (a flower remedy) available at most chemists.



I do hope you can get over these attacks before they take hold and I am sure if you are strong enough now you will be able to "knock them on the head" once and for all.



Please keep in touch and let me know how it goes.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

Just before Christmas, me and my friend was going to a pop concert which we do often. Well my friend was driving and i was just sat in the passenger seat singing away to the stereo, i thought i was quite relaxed, of course i was looking forward to the concert but no more than any of the others. I started to get pins and needles in my hands and lips. I just ignored it, then my hands started to go stiff and my muscles up my arm went tight so my hands was bent up towards my wrists, by that point i told my friend to pull over for some fresh air. Then this was when i got scared, my whole face and neck even my ears was prickly and throbbing. I stepped out of the car and tried to tell my friend what was happening but i could hardly speak, it felt like my tongue had swollen up, my face was numb, i thought i was having a stroke. We went to the nearest A&E and they called it a 'carpel pedel spasm' and thought i lacked in calcium, so we waited ages to find that everything was clear.

The next day i went to my GP to put my attack in my notes and he suggested panic attacks. But i just went on thinking that when that happened i wasn't panicking or excited.



Then it happened again in January when me and my friend went to Gala Bingo which again is something we do regularly. I do get excited when i go. This time i was 1 number from winning £100 as per usual i got excited and it happened again. So that was when i agreed it was a kind of panic attack. Then the other night i was watching a scary movie and i started to get tingly fingers and my heart started to race but i managed to control my breathing so it went away.



I told my GP and he said because my case wasn't bad theres no point going on medication (which i'd rather not do anyway). I asked why now, i'm 25 and never suffered from anything like that before and he could not come up with anything.



I've read other peoples cases and i wondered if you know whether my attacks can get worse and why these attacks have chosen me! Ok, its not effecting my life, but i have another concert to go to the end of March and i'm getting worried that it might happen again, i don't know how im to be, because i didn't feel that excited at the last concert but it still happened. I thought i might try those herbal tablet called 'Calms'. Has anybody tried them? If so let me know if they work.



Sorry i've gone on abit but its nice to tell people who understand.



THANKS.

The only advice I can give is keep youself busy before you go to the concert, by thinking about it and what might happen - it sort of brings it on....start to take the attitude "SO WHAT", I have had panic attacks since April 2001 and try very hard just get on with things, if you decide not to go to this concert you'll just decide not to go to the next and so it goes on....I did that with driving and dont anymore - and motorways!..good luck x (shelley)

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

Just before Christmas, me and my friend was going to a pop concert which we do often. Well my friend was driving and i was just sat in the passenger seat singing away to the stereo, i thought i was quite relaxed, of course i was looking forward to the concert but no more than any of the others. I started to get pins and needles in my hands and lips. I just ignored it, then my hands started to go stiff and my muscles up my arm went tight so my hands was bent up towards my wrists, by that point i told my friend to pull over for some fresh air. Then this was when i got scared, my whole face and neck even my ears was prickly and throbbing. I stepped out of the car and tried to tell my friend what was happening but i could hardly speak, it felt like my tongue had swollen up, my face was numb, i thought i was having a stroke. We went to the nearest A&E and they called it a 'carpel pedel spasm' and thought i lacked in calcium, so we waited ages to find that everything was clear.

The next day i went to my GP to put my attack in my notes and he suggested panic attacks. But i just went on thinking that when that happened i wasn't panicking or excited.



Then it happened again in January when me and my friend went to Gala Bingo which again is something we do regularly. I do get excited when i go. This time i was 1 number from winning £100 as per usual i got excited and it happened again. So that was when i agreed it was a kind of panic attack. Then the other night i was watching a scary movie and i started to get tingly fingers and my heart started to race but i managed to control my breathing so it went away.



I told my GP and he said because my case wasn't bad theres no point going on medication (which i'd rather not do anyway). I asked why now, i'm 25 and never suffered from anything like that before and he could not come up with anything.



I've read other peoples cases and i wondered if you know whether my attacks can get worse and why these attacks have chosen me! Ok, its not effecting my life, but i have another concert to go to the end of March and i'm getting worried that it might happen again, i don't know how im to be, because i didn't feel that excited at the last concert but it still happened. I thought i might try those herbal tablet called 'Calms'. Has anybody tried them? If so let me know if they work.



Sorry i've gone on abit but its nice to tell people who understand.



THANKS.