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Panic Attack

Discussion in 'Physical & Sexual Health' started by Kerze, Dec 15, 2012.

  1. Kerze

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    Last night I went to the student union at my university. I had two bottles of cider and got a little tipsy when we were hanging out before leaving but I didn't drink while I was there was was 100% sober when we arrived. Basically there was a massive room with a DJ and loads of people dancing; I don't know how many people were on the dance floor but they sold about 1,300 tickets to this thing.

    I was having a really good time but then I started to feel like I didn't want to dance anymore. My heart started beating really fast and I was breathing really fast and shallow. My hands and feet went alternately numb and tingly and I felt the need to get out of there so I started pushing my way outside to the smoking area with my friends following me (I got tunnel vision while I was doing this, and also tinnitus that blocked out the music). When I got outside I kinda crouched down next to a wall and everything was just very unreal feeling? Hard to describe. My overall feeling was that I was dying and that I wanted everything away from me and I hit one of my friends when he tried to touch me. Apparently I was there for about 10 minutes just panting and sweating and not letting people touch me. Eventually I was able to stand up and my friends walked me home (apparently security didn't drag me out because they told them I hadn't been drinking but they still insisted we leave once I could stand).

    I'm pretty sure it was a panic attack? I've never had one before but I sure as hell never want to experience that again. Should I go and see a doctor about this if it only happened once? I'm not sure what to do
     
    #1 Kerze, Dec 15, 2012
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2012
  2. Gen

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    You should definitely go to the doctor. This story may not have ended so well had you have been driving, at work, or in class. It may not be anything serious, but definitely something you are going to want to make note of.
     
  3. DhammaGamer

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    Sounds like an anxiety attack. I get them from time to time as well. A very small dose of xanax fixes the problem almost immediately. You should talk to your physician about it, because there is always a chance that it is the symptom of a more serious condition possibly involving blood pressure. My doctor prescribed me .5mg xanax which I only take when I am having an attack. It's good to have on hand just in case.
     
  4. Given To Fly

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    Like others have said best to go to the docs just to be sure it's not more serious. One of the few benefits of being in the UK - free healthcare at the point of use :slight_smile:

    OK - maybe the only benefit of being in the UK lol
     
  5. Kerze

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    Thanks for all the posts guys. I have a few things to ask though;

    1. My doctor is at my university and I moved out today for the holiday; would it be weird going to him when I move back and saying 'I had a panic/anxiety attack 3 weeks ago'?

    2. My friend mentioned that the SU is having a similar thing on the first night everyone moves back to uni and I kinda felt a bit on edge at the idea of going back? Does anyone know if there's a chance that the fact something happened there would result in me having another similar experience?
     
  6. afterthefact

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    Honestly, this sounds more like maybe someone slipped something into your drink. Tunnel vision and tinnitus are not exactly signs of a panic attack. You may have experienced fear, and sweating would be a symptom of a panic attack, but it was probably of different origin.
    Have you been heavily stressing over anything lately? Have you been able to sleep/eat normally? Re-cap all the events of the night. If this happens again you will definitely need to contact a professional, and/or do some yoga, drink some chamomile tea, or something. But really, it's important to not overstimulate your heart, you kind of need it.
     
  7. Kerze

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    I've had a think but I'm sure there's no way my drinks could have been spiked; I only had two of them, which I opened myself. I was with three friends who were using a mirror on the other side of the room to do hair/makeup/etc while I was sat at a desk. There was a bed between us and they didn't come over to where I was sitting the whole time we were talking/drinking so there was never any opportunity for spiking. I had non-alcoholic drinks 3 times while I was at the SU to stop me getting dehydrated but I saw them being poured and drank them in under a minute without setting them down.

    I've been sleeping at night (not napping during the day/going to bed very late) and getting at least 8 hours every night. I'm a little stressed about an essay I have due but not especially so.
     
  8. TraceElement

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    Are you claustrophobic? I am to some extent, and big gatherings like that can exasterbate it, giving me symptoms similar to what you described.