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Exercise induced simple partial or panic attacks? My story, need help

Tue, 10/07/2014 - 06:20

Hello,

I saw a psychiatrist, she said I have panic attacks, I don't believe her. 

This is how it started. 

I had an adverse reaction to cocaine 6 years ago. The adverse reaction can be described as follows:

*Out of the blue very sudden intense, extreme fear. Fear actually dosen't come close to describing the feeling, but its the only word that is close enough. More like what I would expect if I was sent to hell, that kind of feeling. Lasted about 3-4 minutes maximum(although my concept of time was questionable). This happend in three distinct waves about 5-10 minutes apart, with relief(sort of) between the waves. 

*Each wave was also accompanied by shaking(similar to hypoglycemia shaking), colors seemed brighter(could be adrenaline), mild confusion but could understand and respond to my friends who were there perfectly,.

*each wave was also accompanied by, what I now think is epigastric rising from my research. There is this intese felling in my stomach, like the most intense butterflies you could ever imagine, that then feels like it pulsates up my chest into my neck to the top part of my neck, then fades away and repeats every second. 

I ended up going to the emergency room 2 days later due to a similar event. They checked my heart (EEG, chest Xray, c reactive protein blood test) and it was fine. Feelings I had were similar. I was hypertensive bordline hypertensive crisis with blood pressure of 190/96. It fell down to 140/88 after a few hours, then they let me go with no diagnosis other than cocaine OD. I would get these progressively less and less over the years, but they still would happen. 

My situation now is that I can get these events randomly(almost randomly keep reading), although now they are typically not as extreme. However, exercise of any kind (could be walking up a flight of stairs even) can trigger these events. The longer and more intense I exercise the more likely this event will occur. But when I say longer and more intense, I mean like just 15 minutes of shooting a basketball around can trigger these events, just light-moderate activity. WEight lifting is even more likely to trigger it. 

I have read that exercise induced seizures are rare, but can happen. I have also read the same thing about panic attacks. From a statistical point of view, I think its 50/50 that I have exercise induced panic disorder or exercised induced simple partial seizures of my limbic system. 

 

I am also positive I have panic disorder in general from this, but my panic attacks typically are longer lasting, not as intense and respond to phenibut very well(which I am taking under doctors care). I do not know if these events can be treated with a GABA receptor angonst like phenibut because they don't last long enough. Taking phenibut before exercise does not seem to prevent these events from happening. 

My gut feeling is that I have simple partial seizure with physcial exertion(or dropping blood sugar) as a trigger for the seizure. Because of these traumatic events I also have comorbid panic disorder. This is my gut intiution. 

 

I am going to see a neurologist soon, but am wondering what this community's thoughts are. 

 

Thanks for all your help. 

Regards,

 

Mike

 

 

 

Comments

Glad I scrolled down.  True

Submitted by just_joe on Wed, 2014-10-08 - 22:19
Glad I scrolled down.  True EKG is for the heart which checked the heart beat.  Your heart beat is controlled by electrical impulses. Which means if you have a problem like A-fib yo uneed to take a medication to hepl control the number of beats per minute. I have A-fib. The EEG is a test which shows the electrical output in your brain. In a lot of peoples cases they all come back normal. In some they come back abnormal, Abnormalities are seizure activity in the brain. You do not need to be in a seizure for the brain to show that activity. When you take the EEG be sure to inform them of all medications you take and that means over the counter meds to. Oh and have you ever looked at the phenibutside side effects. For your own sake and your health tell them everything you take since medications can counter other medications.

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