Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Cassie]

Did anyone else suffer panic attacks in their younger days, I was really bad in my late 30's my heart would pound for hours on end and really high rates, fortunately seem to have outgrown it and haven't had an attack for many years but am concerned that I may have done myself a damage. My Dr did say to me once that a panic attack is pretty similiar to an athlete running a long distance race, their hearts also get to  high rates for hours but I keep thinking what if this has caused damage to my heart or arteries over the years and I am unaware of it, having said that I am healthy and relatively fit but I do think about what our bodies went through in our younger days and if its all going to come bk to haunt us later....

[jillydoll]

Hi Cassie,
If there's no problem with your heart at the moment and you
take no medicine for anything heart or veins related, then if it was
me, I wouldn't worry about.
If it turns out later, thàt I've got something wrong, then I'll deal with it then
To me, aren't we supposed to get our hearts racing, ie, aerobic exercise ,
it's supposed to do us good, I think things like jumping, running, ect
can have a result on knees and hips, as I have found out from always playing
Some kind of sport when I was younger. If you haven't had any diagnosis for
any kind of heart problem, or whatever, then don't worry. You'll bring on
a panic attack just thinking about it, I know I would. 

Jd x

[CLKD]

I had my first panic attack at age 3  and these continued.  Intermittently.  Until they took over.  I'm now mid-60s.  Heart OK!

An 'expert' once told me that panic attacks cannot sustain themselves 4 more than 20 mins..  I walked out.  The longest attack I had was 3 nights and the bed shook.

[Cassie]

Wow CLKD thats scary glad that you came through smiling, my daughter gets them now and I am so hoping that she will outgrow them as well, they are so debilitating.

[dangermouse]

I'd say the opposite, that it would have strengthened your heart like a runner!

The heart is pretty sturdy and it's good to push it to its max now and again.

If the panic is psychological then it's likely to come down quickly but if it's physiological (hormonal etc.) then it can turn into a tachycardia which is just a higher rate than normal. Some people get a super tachycardia where it's around 180bpm and they are normally put on beta blockers.

[Wilks]

The increase in heart rate through exercise is via a different physiological mechanism to that caused by panic attacks. Exercise is definitely good for your heart and while panic attacks aren't necessarily “bad” for your heart, an increased heart rate caused by anxiety leads to changes in metabolism such as increased levels of cortisol. Although we need cortisol, if levels are too high for prolonged periods, it can lead to weight gain.

I'm not a medic (I'm a scientist), but in a nutshell, if it's a long time since you had panic attacks and you're fit and well, try not to stress yourself worrying about it. If you have any worrying symptoms, of course ask your doctor.

[Cassie]

Thanks ladies, very interesting, I am def not overweight but it does worry me how bad I used to be, so glad that I dont get those anymore, nothing worse than that feeling.

[Bracken willowshimmer]

Hi ladies, can any of you give some tips on how you cope with your panic attacks? Xx

[Dierdre]

I used to wake up with mine in the middle of the night, legs shaking first then all over shaking and teeth chattering uncontrollably.  I'd read somewhere about lactose helping to calm panic attacks so I started getting up and making some warm milk, it worked.

[Taz2]

I agree that the effects on the heart caused by panic and stress are very different to the beneficial effects through exercise. This is a really helpful article from Nuffield Health on the reason that stress is bad for the body. I found it interesting as I wasn't sure before reading this as to the reason that raised Cortisol is bad for the body https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/resilience-how-stress-affects-your-body-and-brain

Taz x

[CLKD]

Dierdre ......... same here 

[mrs_bella]

Hi ladies, can any of you give some tips on how you cope with your panic attacks? Xx

I use Mindfulness Apps. I find listening to guided meditations really helpful. My fave is Insight Timer.

[CLKD]

I've had to take an emergency tablet today  , waiting for it to kick in .  Otherwise the spiral would have taken over.  Sitting in the garden.  Watching the birds. Wondering where I went wrong in my diet during the week   .

[Cassie]

I find a glass of dry white wine helps very well when I am feeling overwhelmed

[CLKD]

What effect does that have?  I avoid alcohol.