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Panic attack versus seizure

Sat, 02/28/2009 - 06:08

What is the difference between a panic attack and a seizure? The seizure I had this evening started with a sheer panic attack and progressed into a complex partial seizure. I felt sheer terror at first working up my spine and then it generalized into a true seizure, where I lost consciousness.

Has anybody else had this happen to them? Any information or response would be grateful.

Comments

Re: Panic attack versus seizure

Submitted by kmf on Tue, 2009-06-30 - 13:21

Hi,

I was having what I thought to be panic attacks for about 4 years, went through various anti deppressants, at one point a doctor put me on 4 different ones at a time, and still having attacks!  The funny thing to me was they typically came at the same time each day as well as other times but mainly the same time.  They would come after I put my son down for a nap or when the 3 kids were either sleeping or not home, the most relaxing times of the day for me!  (the kids are 4, 5 & 6-so stress is usually a common thing around here!)  It never seemed right that I was always told they were panic/anxiety attacks but foolishly accepted the various doctor's diagnosis and agreed to try the different meds.  I had 1 TC in my early 20's while competing in Trampoline, I was about 20 feet up in the air-doing a trick I had done without fail since 14 and the from what I remember I blacked out in the air and woke up a few minutes later on the ground with 7 people holding me down, they all said I was shaking and trying to get up, followed be excrutiaing migraine (from the fall, and extremee tiredness).  After going to the hospital and having a CT the doctor's thought it was just a typical trampoline accident and repeatedly told me it was the most dangerous sport to ever come along-which I could not disagree more with!  But that explanation never sat well with me-I had never had anything like that in the 10 years (at that point-a total of competing for 16 years) and had never had one since, but it still did not make sense to me!   Then a few months ago I had another TC in a restaurant on Valentine's Day!  (put on Keppra immediately-with horrifying side effects of SEVERE ANGER not too mention still having cp's-finally after 4 crying, desperate phone calls to my doctor I was switched to lamotrigine (generic Lamictal) with no side effects and total control of cp's!)   I then went to an Epilesy doctor at the Cleveland Clinic , described my panic/anxiety attacks and how they would wake me up and I would sleep for hours and wake up feeling crappy and she tol me they were CP's and was diagnoed with non-focal epilepsy with cps.  

Needless to say I was actuall happy to get a diagnosis of epilepsy!  After reading about the different types of seizures there are many things in my life even since a child that all seem to make sense now, things I had always thought were just quirks and told were nothing but typical childhood behaviors.  I feel like everything truly does make sense now  and things are finally going great!

I hope this helps even if just a little!  Best wishes!

Hi,

I was having what I thought to be panic attacks for about 4 years, went through various anti deppressants, at one point a doctor put me on 4 different ones at a time, and still having attacks!  The funny thing to me was they typically came at the same time each day as well as other times but mainly the same time.  They would come after I put my son down for a nap or when the 3 kids were either sleeping or not home, the most relaxing times of the day for me!  (the kids are 4, 5 & 6-so stress is usually a common thing around here!)  It never seemed right that I was always told they were panic/anxiety attacks but foolishly accepted the various doctor's diagnosis and agreed to try the different meds.  I had 1 TC in my early 20's while competing in Trampoline, I was about 20 feet up in the air-doing a trick I had done without fail since 14 and the from what I remember I blacked out in the air and woke up a few minutes later on the ground with 7 people holding me down, they all said I was shaking and trying to get up, followed be excrutiaing migraine (from the fall, and extremee tiredness).  After going to the hospital and having a CT the doctor's thought it was just a typical trampoline accident and repeatedly told me it was the most dangerous sport to ever come along-which I could not disagree more with!  But that explanation never sat well with me-I had never had anything like that in the 10 years (at that point-a total of competing for 16 years) and had never had one since, but it still did not make sense to me!   Then a few months ago I had another TC in a restaurant on Valentine's Day!  (put on Keppra immediately-with horrifying side effects of SEVERE ANGER not too mention still having cp's-finally after 4 crying, desperate phone calls to my doctor I was switched to lamotrigine (generic Lamictal) with no side effects and total control of cp's!)   I then went to an Epilesy doctor at the Cleveland Clinic , described my panic/anxiety attacks and how they would wake me up and I would sleep for hours and wake up feeling crappy and she tol me they were CP's and was diagnoed with non-focal epilepsy with cps.  

Needless to say I was actuall happy to get a diagnosis of epilepsy!  After reading about the different types of seizures there are many things in my life even since a child that all seem to make sense now, things I had always thought were just quirks and told were nothing but typical childhood behaviors.  I feel like everything truly does make sense now  and things are finally going great!

I hope this helps even if just a little!  Best wishes!

Re: Panic attack versus seizure

Submitted by callingjen27 on Mon, 2010-08-16 - 11:26

Really relieved to have found everyone on here. I had a panic seizure two weeks ago that has me alone and home bound right now. ive been on lamictal for two years becaus i used to have episodes where my blood pressure used to drop, i would get really hot and then i would be down for the count. I had been symptom free from those although i have to admit i was hiding from everyone how bad my panic has gotten over the last year. My husband didnt even know that i constantly felt like i had someone standing on my chest and that i was constantly looking for exits in buildings. Even i didnt know why. But its gotten worse and i didnt want anyone to know. i thought i could handle it. Two weeks ago while i was driving for the first time i felt a sheer sence of terror and panic and i knew i was gonna have a seizure. i felt another presence and went in and out of consciousness and terror. i deficated and urinated on myself and i frantically tried to get my husband on the phone. i didnt know where i was was.He found me at a gas station barely conscious and on our way to the hospital i shook uncontrollably and vomited everywhere. Im terrified of having another one and havent been myself since.i cant remember things very well, i still feel like i have someone constantly standing on my chest, even right now. Im an avid runner, career women, with three daughters. Im 35 and im scared.I dont know why this is happening. I did face alot of trauma in my early twenties, and have overcome a lot in my life. I consider myself spiritually fit and absolutly resent that iv e been given ativan .i see the neurologist today for the eeg.the whole thing makes me really sad.

Anybody?

Jen

Really relieved to have found everyone on here. I had a panic seizure two weeks ago that has me alone and home bound right now. ive been on lamictal for two years becaus i used to have episodes where my blood pressure used to drop, i would get really hot and then i would be down for the count. I had been symptom free from those although i have to admit i was hiding from everyone how bad my panic has gotten over the last year. My husband didnt even know that i constantly felt like i had someone standing on my chest and that i was constantly looking for exits in buildings. Even i didnt know why. But its gotten worse and i didnt want anyone to know. i thought i could handle it. Two weeks ago while i was driving for the first time i felt a sheer sence of terror and panic and i knew i was gonna have a seizure. i felt another presence and went in and out of consciousness and terror. i deficated and urinated on myself and i frantically tried to get my husband on the phone. i didnt know where i was was.He found me at a gas station barely conscious and on our way to the hospital i shook uncontrollably and vomited everywhere. Im terrified of having another one and havent been myself since.i cant remember things very well, i still feel like i have someone constantly standing on my chest, even right now. Im an avid runner, career women, with three daughters. Im 35 and im scared.I dont know why this is happening. I did face alot of trauma in my early twenties, and have overcome a lot in my life. I consider myself spiritually fit and absolutly resent that iv e been given ativan .i see the neurologist today for the eeg.the whole thing makes me really sad.

Anybody?

Jen

Re: Panic attack versus seizure

Submitted by Jdewberry on Sun, 2013-02-24 - 04:32
I was feeling the same way not too long ago. Having to deal with the horrible anxiety/panic attacks and the doctors and try's. it's just all so overwhelming. I am still coping with my diagnosis, but learning how it doesn't bedding me every day. I'm sorry your going through this. Into was driving when I had my second grand mal. It was terrifying and I pulled over, called my boyfriend, and tried to tell him where I was but it was too late: I couldn't read the street sign and was really confused by then and dropped the phone. There goes another 6 months of driving. It's hard to be isolated and have to rely on someone to take you everywhere! I am a nurse and it's been hard for me to be on the patient side of things. I'm always scared that I may have another one, but as time goes on I think of it less and less. After I was diagnosed, I felt with a significant amount of depression. I have delt with anxiety and panic my whole life so that just got twice as bad. I felt like I had my life taken away: I can't practice as an RN in the ER or ICU like I've always wanted to because they are high stress areas and I can't physically handle that without having a seizure right now. My epilepsy is fully under control with meds now but it's still the chronic illness I have to deal with each day. I have a significant amount of memory loss. It has come back slowly (some of it) and I hope yours has too. I can't think as quick as a could before either. I've struggled a lot in my life as well with depression and anxiety/panic and now epilepsy. We all have to just stick together though this. It's hard, but it gets earlier once they get your meds done and figured out. You will feel so much better :)

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