Has anyone else experienced this?

C

Charlie_K

Joined
Jul 16, 2012
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For several months now I've been experiencing something new, and it's leaving me confused and uncertain about what it is. I'm even more confused about it because it all developed one day while taking part in a very involved discussion about a sensitive and poorly understood topic that stirs up emotions on both sides of the spectrum.

This comes about randomly with no real pattern. Sometimes it's several times a day, other times it's more like a couple of times a week. I get to feeling tense and uneasy like fight or flight was kicking in, and I can feel my heart rate increasing. There's an uncomfortable, tensing sensation in the muscles in my arms, and I get really hot really fast starting low in my abdomen and working its way upward to my head, before I start sweating and cooling off just as fast.

Sometimes it comes about as a result of certain thoughts being given consideration, certain discussions being entered into that aren't comfortable. Other times it just seems to come about randomly on its own.

Other than a hard-drinking grandfather who spent most of his life with a bottle in his hand, there's no history of cancer in the family, and my mother says she's experienced the same thing for the majority of her life, but she has no idea of what it is.

Does anybody have any idea what's being described here? Be it biological or psychological?

Edit:

I used to experience a much more intense version of the above about 12 years ago, which carried on for about a year before it finally went away on its own.
 
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It sounds like an anxiety attack. Have you talked to your doctor about any of this? Just to check and make sure it isn't a heart related issue.
 
First thing see a Dr.

If it is anxiety, it catches one off guard. I have had a few bouts of anxiety in my lifetime. One was from a horrible divorce and child custody issue.

The other was from detoxing off of norco pain killers from varicose vein operations, 2x. I went cold turkey and it happened both times. Sleeping was tough, my breathing was out of control.

I would look at a messy closet, and I would freak out about it and feel helpless that I could not clean it up. Mind you, I have had a messy closet most of my life, I could not care less, until I felt anxiety.

When my heartbeat was out of control, and my exhale panicked me thinking I needed to inhale right away, I would grab the leashes and walked the dogs, as vigorously as possible. Things evened out that way. Dogs benefit from the owner having anxiety attacks.

Anxiety is real, it is not psychosomatic. However, it is a mind game of sorts. Physical exercise always was the remedy for me.

Learn some relaxation exercises.

Use medication only as a last resort, but use it if you need too. It is a serious thing.

If you are a believer of a faith, your higher power is also a good venue.

Good luck, and exhale slowly.
 
Years ago in my early 20's, I started having what I thought was the beginings of a heart attack. I tensed up, heart beating really fast, couldn't breath well... scared me really bad. This even happened driving at times. Went to doctors and he checked my heart (EKG) and things looked fine. He prescribed some barbiturates to take as needed. Essentially my nerves caused all the apparent physical problems and didn't understand it. Once I knew that it wasn't a physical problem, I could deal with it but I had the downer drug just in case. People react differently to high stress and I was under high stress most of the time working. I dealt with it and I believe i only ever took one pill just to see the effect.... typical of me and drugs in general. The humorous thing was the perscription had unlimited refills (forever). They don't do that any more. :D

I can only tell you about my experience and my suspicions in your case. I'd go to your regular doctor and discuss with him/her. If they feel something past that is justified, they'll let you know.
 
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Definitely sounds like an anxiety attack, or as some people call them, a panic attack.

Several possible causes - genetics, long term high stress environment, PTSD-like events, past physical/mental traumas, body chemistry changes affecting brain function, among others

Most can be dealt with by medications, counseling, removal of the source(s) of of any causative stress.

The first step is to consult your doctor. Deep breathing exercises (as from yoga) and calming music (such as that used by massage therapists) helps. Avoidance of stress inducing events (such as political discussions, visits with exes, etc) helps as well.
 
Sudden infant death, is said to maybe be the result of babies getting caught up in fetal dreams were they forget to breathe, because they don't have to breathe in the womb. It actually could be a continuing symptom of this.
 
jill jackson said:
Sudden infant death, is said to maybe be the result of babies getting caught up in fetal dreams were they forget to breathe, because they don't have to breathe in the womb. It actually could be a continuing symptom of this.
Click to expand...

I don't get it. How does the dream cause death. How does a forgetting to breath kill a baby who does not need to breath.

I'm not trying to insult or anything I just want to know.
 
Lapedog said:
I don't get it. How does the dream cause death. How does a forgetting to breath kill a baby who does not need to breath.

I'm not trying to insult or anything I just want to know.
Click to expand...

I don't know, It's something I watched on a documentary about death. It's only a theory, since no one actually knows why seemingly healthy babies seem to just die in their sleep. It stated that the babies just get lost in their dreams and leave. Because was saying dreams in infants are thought to be about time in the womb, where they don't have to breathe for themselves.

And it isn't babies dying in the womb it's after they're born and are under one year old.
 
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The only time I've ever had anything close to a panic attack, is when a loved one has passed and I'm in bed at night, suddenly waking and being overwhelmed by a dreadful feeling. Then I'd be unable to continue laying in bed and would have to get up and occupy myself with some physical task. Walking would help more than anything else.
 
Alright first off. To everyone that's suggested seeing the doctor. I don't have a doctor of my own, and right now in the middle of cold and flu season the hospital is the last place I'd want to be. Any appointments with physicians are going to have to wait until the season is over before it's a viable option.

Second, to everyone that said what I was going through sounded like an anxiety attack, I think you hit the nail right on the head. The symptoms are all there, easily searchable and referenced. Also I don't know if it's psychosomatic, but after that little discovery they stopped being so frequent.
 
The first thing that a doctor will suggest to combat anxiety attacks is excercise, healthy diet and relaxation and breathing excercises. The diet and excercise on any day and meditation and breathing excercises when a panic attack hits. They usually recommend something like breathe in for 3 seconds hold your breath for 4 seconds and breathe out for 3 seconds.

Meditation also helps in a panic attack. In judo class we practiced a kind of meditation called zazen which means roughly "sitting for sitting's sake." Basically you sit (we did cross legged on the mat but any comfortable position should be ok) and shut your eyes. Then you focus on your breathing and try not to think of anything. This is hard at first but if you keep focusing on your breathing, in and out, it will become easier. Any sound you hear you just imagine going in one ear and out the other. As you practice it will become easier.

Now the point of these things isnthat anxiety attacks often strike when you are feeling overwhelmed, rushed or overloaded. These are designed to help you pause and take yourself out of that.
 
Anxiety or stress. I had similar symptoms at one point.
 
Another thinking anxiety attack. My wife can get them really bad when she starts thinking about "life" and the future and all that kind of stuff. It gets worse when she becomes sleep deprived, which is often these days as she is a resident pediatrician in downtown Detroit and they work the residents like dogs sometimes.

As Lapedog mentioned, mediation, excercise, and things like that are often recommended. For me, working out or training was my meditation as I would zone out and reflect on the day, life, and shit in general. Cycling, and running to a lesser extent, have been great as you get to spend a lot more time out doing stuff than a quick 30-60 minute weight lifting session, usually with a lot more people around too so it was harder to zone out and just do my thing.

I would also consider finding someone to talk to. Clergy member, spiritual leader, something like that if you are into that kind of thing. I'm not sure what non-religious people do for that type of service for free but there has to be someone. Close friends or family are good too, my grandpa was always great to talk to over a beer when I was still living in his neck of the woods. Now it's my wife and her family (her dad's a shrink and pastor).

Sometimes, just time helps things like this. And why not add a new knife while you're waiting, like putter said. Stalking the USPS page helps pass the time.
 
Many have said it, but it sounds like a bad case of anxiety or excessive stress, which can be deemed as one in the same... and eating is known to reduce stress for many people. Go see your doctor, it could get worse if left unattended, and one day it could easily bring on a heart attack. Find a good quack, he'll sort it out, and I bet you he'll encourage you to do more walking or exercise. Do as he says, they come across these things all the time, they're professionals at it, we're NOT.
 
Cardio should help. As I understand it, good athletes have a lower resting heart rate because their bodies become more efficient. At the very least I figure even if you can't diagnose and cure the problem(and something where you can't reproduce the symptoms in a doctor's office is likely something hard to diagnose), it won't take as much of a toll on you if your body is in good shape.

You could also try laying off caffeine just to see if putting off the stimulants helps any.
 
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