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Did I experience a panic attack or something else?

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Did I experience a panic attack or something else?

Postby resource » Wed May 03, 2017 8:35 pm

Sorry if I'm in the wrong topic. I am not sure what it is so I chose the one that seemed closest; panic attack.
I have no diagnosis of any mental or physical illness. 30 y/o female.

This happens about once a year or less.
Symptoms are: cold sweat, cold limbs, pale face/blue lips, nausea, dizzyness, sudden blood pressure drop, blacking out, sometimes diarrhea afterward.

Trigger situations: 1. when I fell, landed on my hand and my fingernails bent, 2. saw the needle right before the dentist put it in my mouth, 3. popped my own cyst on my face and dabbed the excretion out.

Everything on the symptoms list except "sense of fear" applies. When it happens I'm thinking "Oh, my blood pressure's dropping rapidly. Better lie down before I hit my head or something." I'm calm and aware. No fear or panic. I am calm when I see the trigger scenes also.

Anyone know if this is a panic attack or something else?
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Re: Did I experience a panic attack or something else?

Postby frizzylizze » Tue May 16, 2017 1:37 pm

Hi!

Not a doctor so only speaking from my own personal experience, but it sounds like when I had drip in my arm, I had a vasovagal response. It's the body's reaction to the sort of shock I think, I near passed out, my BP dropped, I broke out in a cold sweat, went (according to my mum) a deathly white colour and got super nauseous. I hadn't had it before but I wasn't in great health but the nurses were very used to it, they just got me on a bed until it passed. Can't say for sure but what you described sounds a lot like what I experienced!

Hope this helps!

Lizze :)
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Re: Did I experience a panic attack or something else?

Postby KSalem » Wed May 24, 2017 5:48 am

When you have an anxiety attack, your body's blood rushes to the middle of your body. That would explain the cold limbs, dizziness and physical features.

At the same time, you seemed mentally in control of the situation. That could just be a tribute to your mental strength.

My understanding of the brain is that we have the smaller, more ancient "lizard" brain that is reactive and just induces fight/flight. Then on top of that section of the brain, as we evolved, the larger, more intellectual, thinking part of the brain was added.

These two parts of the brains are often at odds.

What I see is that your lizard brain went off at the trigger, filling your veins with adrenaline and other annoying chemicals, but your intellectual brain said, hey, there's no problem here. So you still felt the symptoms even though you were still in your right mind.

Kel xxx
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