I hit my head about 3 months ago. Felt fine besides head pain, Then 5 days later I'm out with friends and I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I start freaking out having what I guess I'm coming to realize are panic attacks. At first it was like once a week for like a day now they seem to be lasting 3 or 4. I'm usually really a calm guy but I'm losing it. When I lay down to go to bed I'll start to fall asleep and then wake up like someone hit me with a taser. I stare at my self in the mirror trying to judge if my pupils are the same size(maybe I go on the Internet to much when I can't sleep) Had a CT scan came back normal. This board has really helped me just to see some people feel similar, But I feel like I needed to post something myself. I have a friend who has ptsd from the war and it helps to talk to him, so maybe it will help talking to you guys too.

Thanks in advance

And Welcome

I'm glad you introduced yourself and started a thread! By doing that, you not only get one-on-one support, yet also your condition can help someone else who may be searching around for answers (like most of us who end up here!)

I'm sorry about your head injury. Do you still have pain or get regular headaches since this accident?

The part of your post that stuck out the most was the 'panic attacks' you describe. I've had one or two of those in my whole life......they are absolutely horrible!! .....and try explaining one to someone who has no idea what they are.......frustrating!!
I would suggest using the 'search' feature at the top of the page and type in 'panic attack' and you'll get alot of previous posts pop up.....
There is a mental health forum here, but that doesn't sound like what you are trying to target.....but wouldn't hurt to check it out as well!

Regarding your friend w/PTSD, I'm glad he has you to talk to. Here's a direct link to the PTSD forum here to click on....

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...aysprune=&f=98

Maybe some of the info there can benefit you with the panic attacks.

So glad you're here
Truly Caring
Rae

Yeah It's weird. I never realized the physical symptoms that go with panic attack. I just have always had so much control over my mind and now to suddenly not is frustrating and really scary.

Have you had your neck checked out, especially your upper neck?

What other symptoms have you had?

When you have a panic attack, what do you do to get settled down?

Are your panic attacks in noisy places?
Auditory overload is not uncommon with PCS.

Can you describe your physical symptoms? I'm curious

When i experienced the attacks, (it's wierd to describe) it's like every single muscle in my body was on overload and rigid/tight.......
I walked around frantically pacing around the house, heart pounding......it was like I was on the 'outside' of my body.......freaky.

Even to have on hand some sort of mild muscle relaxer may be something to ask your doctor about. You probably don't want to rush and ask for the stronger stuff, like benzodiazapines (Xanax), in case your condition goes away sometime soon (i hope)......because once you get on those types of meds, it can be hard for some people to get off them.......
But it would be good to have SOMEthing on hand to be able to take.....

What are your thoughts?

No headaches. Never had um. pressure in my head and ringing in my ears definetly. They seem to be triggered pretty randomly. Sometimes I just kinda get these "do i feel ok right know" feelings and then my brain starts going and pretty soon I'm in full freak out mode.

Our panic attacks are pretty close. no rigid muscles but Out of body, pacing, Numbness in extremities, clamy palms and just thinking the absolute worse ("I'm dying I know it" type stuff) If i didn't find people here who felt the same way here I probably would a lost it by now.

This wonderful place has really helped in so many ways.....
I live in a small community, so my pain issues and other battles really made me isolate myself.......

Once i found this place and felt comfortable with posting, it's truly been a lifesaver..... I was so amazed at how many people have so many issues that are so hard to face. We want to be the best we can be....for our families and friends.....but sometimes it just seems impossible to get anyone to really understand. Either that, or we just don't want our loved ones seeing us in such a weak, vulnerable state of mind.

I'm hoping you'll get more people to jump on your thread here and have some good input to offer.......
We need to have a 'battle plan' ready and on hand for when the attacks come. That way, we won't feel caught off-guard and perhaps we can face them with less anxiety.

Soooo....the question is..... what would be some good 'battle plan' strategies?

......we CAN figure this thing out! yes?

Sully,

I have some propanolol and atenolol for those rare situations where I have a sustained panic attack. They are both blood pressure meds. I have had panic attacks last for hours with dangerously high blood pressure.

PCS can cause adrenal-cortical hyperfunction. Your adrenaline goes haywire. The BP meds help to settle things down.

I can now tell when I am pushing the limits and remove myself to a safer environment. I get triggered by sounds and visual over-stimulation. Sounds are the worst. Too many voices at the same time can be brutal. I no longer attend church services because it takes me all afternoon to recover from the over-stimulation.

You would do good to keep track of the environment where you have these panic attacks. With time, you ought to be able to notice the early precursors to a panic attack. I start to get very precise hearing that tries to identify every different voice at the same time. As soon at I notice this cascade of voices, I run for the door. All I have to do is catch my wife's eyes and she can tell I am in crisis.

Sometimes, she will see it coming before I do. Sometimes, I will get very quiet and withdrawn. She knows to excuse me to the others.

These are all very valuable skills to have. First, they require that you recognize this problem as beyond your control. This can be a humbling personal observation. The only control you have is to leave the environment.

You need to have your safe person (my wife is mine) if you can. A co-worker can help if you can trust one with this personal information. In the US, the Americans' with Disabilities Act protects you from negative actions from your employer. In fact, they are required to make any reasonable accommodations for this. This is also not required to be disclosed to a prospective employer during a job application unless it creates an unsafe situation.

Let me know if I can help you any more with this struggle. As others have said, stay away from benzos. They are brutal and only make matters worse with the tiredness. Also, stay away from any caffeine. It can make panic attacks worse.

Sully: I post on here about my daughter's PCS, but I can't resist sharing my own panic attack issue with you.

I never had one and honestly thought people who did were weak or something UNTIL I HAD ONE. Holy moly they are scary and yes, they are physical. I didn't have a head injury associated with mine, just some stressful life situations.

I also had the "I'm dying here" feeling. I would think I wasn't breathing, then a different part of me would say, "you are breathing normally, stop freaking out". I remember sitting in the gym watching my daughter play basketball and wondering who in the crowd would try to perform CPR on me. The sensation in my chest was so strong I went to the doctor convinced I was having a heart attack. I couldn't believe I couldn't control it. If you knew me you would know that I am NOT prone to emotional outbreaks or hysteria or anything of that nature. I'm typically very analytical and logical.

My doc put me on Zoloft for about six months and they went away fast. I tapered off the Zoloft slowly. It's now been well over a year and I haven't had another one. When I start to feel it come on I concentrate on my breathing, I do some yoga-like stretches and really focus on movement and posture and I talk myself down.

It's nothing short of miraculous that I haven't had them during the 8 months of my daughter's PCS. It's like the Zoloft gave me a little break so that I could work on re-building my coping skills. It's not for everyone, but it worked for me.

All the best to you...you're not alone.