Panic Attacks!?

[elizabeth]

I used to be quite the poster on the old original site and we talked on and on about all of our symtoms almost obcessively just trying to get a handle on everything we were going through.
I remember when I was first diagnosed back in 2001, how much the boards meant to me and how much love and compassion the ladies on this forum had and how they helped me and my family who were so desparatly seeking answers to the questions we had about our scary situation.
I am SO thrilled to see that this forum continues on. It has seen its ups and downs through the last 4 years and even though I am working a full time job now and trying to raise my what I like to call my "high mantainance" 3 1/2 year old and a 17 year old, so you guessed I do not get to post or visit the site like I wish I could . It is good to know that newly diagnosed women can come here and get their questions answered and just get piece of mind.

I am a 2 time survivor of this horror story and I just want to say, I have, by no means, all the answers, but I do know what you are feeling.
I live my life now as normally as I did before a diagnosis of PPCM. I am on no meds anymore. I will have no more children, but that is okay, I want to be here for the two darling daughters I have now.

Now to get to the reason I posted this under Panic attacks. I had never had a panic attack before I first had one in the hospital the night after having my last baby girl in August 2001. I find it strange that the doctors are quick to say, "oh, you are just having a panic attack you are fine, here, have some xanax." I conciter myself a pretty stable person I have been through and seen ALOT in my lifetime. When I had my panic attacks after having my baby I have to say it was one of the worst experiances in my life. I can compare it only by imagining being pulled down to hell by demons. It was a horrible sensation.
So my question is how many of you had these before diagnosis, or after diagnosis, still have them, or have they stopped? I am just curious. I haven't had one since about a year after diagnosis.

Elizabeth, Wife to Todd, Mother to Amber 1988, Taylor 2001.
God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change . The courage to change the things I can . And the wisdom to know the difference.

[KarenV]

Hi Elizabeth

I have been a sufferer of panic attacks since 1995, and I agree, they are terrible. They mimic so many other symptoms especially heart related ones. I have been to the emergency room many a times thinking I was about to die only to find out that I wasn't. I have had 1 attack since having my baby and being diagnosed, and I actually thought that I was having a heart attack, and called an ambulance. How embarrassing to find out that it was just a panic attack. I take Zoloft to control them, and I don't get very many anymore, thank God!! I hope that yours are under control as well, they are so scary, and not many people can understand what we go through. Good Luck to you.

[marissar]

Never had them before dx but now I have them. Doc said alot of people have them after a heart problem it just goes along with it. :(

[JellyBean]

I got PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and panic attacks from my diagnosis in 2002. For well over a year I spent a good portion of all my weekends in the ER thinking I was in heart failure. I also spent a good portion of that time on the message board and calling and emailing poor Dr. Fett. It wasn’t until I saw a psychologist that I was able to overcome my my PTSD and panic attacks. I had also learned that my main trigger for a panic attack was that the night I went into HF, everyone told me it was just a panic attack when in fact I knew it was much more. I still get the occasional panic now and then, especially when I get a chest cold. But other than that, the panic attacks are gone now.

[mikeyandBellesmommy]

Elizabeth I just wanted to say WELCOME BACK... I haven't seen you posting in ages!

I hope all is going well!

:p

[deidre61]

I still get them since dx and see a psychiatrist and take lexapro and klonipin for it. They are getting better but I must say it is absolutely disabling to have that feeling.

[elizabeth]

Thanks for everyones input. And thanks for the welcome back Carianne, I am doing well and hope you are the same. I hope to able to come and visit here more often. Love ya!