Help! Was this a bad panic attack???

MarieLily said:

I went out for a little walk and my heart was beating so fast and I was breathing heavy, felt short of breath. I got scared this is a real symptom of an illness so I called my mom to pick me up. I felt faint and weak.

I got in the car and on the ride back my face, lips and hands began to tingle. I was scared I will pass out. I kept getting these head rushes.

Suddenly I told my mom to pull over and my arms and legs felt like electricity was running through them. My fingers closed on their own and I was crying at my mom to take me to the hospital, I felt like I can't move a muscle. My ears and throat were tingling too. After few minutes it passed and my muscles felt like jello but now I am better but very concerned.

Please I don't know if I should rush to the ER now or something?

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Good morning! This absolutely sounds like a panic attack to me. It doesn't hurt to get checked out by a doctor if you have continuing symptoms, but if they passed quickly, it's most likely panic.

When you have a panic attack, your body releases a lot of adrenaline into your system. It makes you on "high alert" for whatever danger your body thinks its fighting - causes the tingling, and the ringing ears. It can give you kind of "tunnel vision." I get tingling arms and legs, and sometimes they feel like they are burning. You can get muscle tics, or freeze like you're describing. And then afterwards, when it leaves your system, you feel exhausted and your muscles go limp. Panic attacks are miserable, but they're completely natural and not dangerous. The more you educate yourself about them and what happens in your body during them, the better you will be able to handle them and even learn to stop them in their tracks.

Sorry that you're going through this!

MarieLily said:

I went out for a little walk and my heart was beating so fast and I was breathing heavy, felt short of breath. I got scared this is a real symptom of an illness so I called my mom to pick me up. I felt faint and weak.

I got in the car and on the ride back my face, lips and hands began to tingle. I was scared I will pass out. I kept getting these head rushes.

Suddenly I told my mom to pull over and my arms and legs felt like electricity was running through them. My fingers closed on their own and I was crying at my mom to take me to the hospital, I felt like I can't move a muscle. My ears and throat were tingling too. After few minutes it passed and my muscles felt like jello but now I am better but very concerned.

Please I don't know if I should rush to the ER now or something?

Click to expand...

When i had/have panic attacks...my main symptom is feeling like i need to walk(a fight or flight type feeling) because i feel like my legs will not be able to work. Jello/very fatigued type feeling. Also have experienced the electrical type sensation. Sounds very much like a panic attack.

This has panic attack 101 written all over it... I know exactly what you just described here... Those same symptoms happened to me. It's not a pleasant feeling at all. The good news is, that stuff comes to an end eventually... just be sure not to start cancelling stuff because of your anxiety...Stay the course. And remember, this stuff comes out of nowhere... or you could have a negative thought that could trigger it... Like when you explained how you got scared because you thought you'd pass out.. that caused the continuation of the rush you had...

My first job panic attack was very similar to this, except I was by myself

The part about your hands clenching stuck out to me. The panic causes you to hyperventilate which forces the hands to clench up. The key in the future is to understand what it is and focus on breathing slowly. This will prevent the panic attack from escalating.

This all said, still would suggest getting checked out by a doctor to rule anything else at some point.


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We have all been checked out multiple times. Over the last 24 yrs, I've been checked out the wazoo countless times. And usually, for a bit after you sometimes feel more at ease. If u have never been checked out, I'd say it would b a good idea. It's very obvious to me it's a panic attack. I've had hundreds I'd say as long as I've dealt with this. Mine most often mimics heart attacks. Dizziness, titeness of chest, rapid heartbeat/pvcs, shortness of breathe, left arm pain, nausea, I mean every single symptom of it I will have. Because that's one of my biggest fears is a heart attack. I get tingly numb extremities too, feeling faint, about every symptom anxiety/panic can throw at me I will have quite often. It's scary. And in my mind, I know it's a panic attack, but often times the fear will still build and build until ultimately, a trip to the emergency room! Most times I can fight it off, but sometimes I can't. If I've been under a lot of stress prior to said attack, they usually are more intense. Distraction is the key. When u feel it coming, instead of checking in with ur symptoms, play a game on ur phone, get up and get busy at home, anything that requires you to focus on the task at hand. Before long u will notice you are feeling better. It helps me. Coming to this forum helps me a lot. Actually that's why I'm here now, being distracted, trying to fight one off. God bless you all.