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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 ROCKNROLL on Tue, 2009-03-10 - 01:45

HI MICHAEL, I HAVE HAD PANIC ATTACKS AND I HAVE HAD SEIZURES. THE PANIC ATTACKS WERE A LONG TIME AGO, AND RELATED TO MY THEN HUSBAND. I LEARNED THAT WHEN I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO HAVE  A PANIC ATTACK, ALL I HAD TO DO IS GET ON THE PHONE AND TALK TO SOMEONE. WITH THAT, THE PANIC SUBSIDED, AND I WAS FINE. NO SEIZURE WAS RELATED TO THESE. I WAS TERRIFIED OF MY NOW EX-HUSBAND.

NOW, AND I DON'T REMEMBER HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH ME, I FEEL THIS OVERWHELMING PANIC OR FEAR BEFORE I HAVE A SEIZURE. IT IS A PANIC/FEAR THAT COMES FROM NOWHERE/IS SOMETHING THAT BAFFLES ME BECAUSE I AM FINE/LAUGHING/CONTENT AND PEACEFUL,  THEN SUDDENLY THE PANIC/FEAR FACTOR COMES IN AND BOOM, A SEIZURE. I HAVE COME TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS SEIZURE ACTIVITY, YET IT ALWAYS SURPRISES ME.  

FROM READING YOUR BLOGS AND COMMUNICATING WITH YOU, I KNOW YOU ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT ALL THE SEIZURES YOU ARE HAVING. WHO WOULDN'T BE? HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THE PANIC YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SEIZURES. I AM WONDERING IF YOUR DOC OVERLOOKS THIS BECAUSE HE IS MORE FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE SEIZURES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SOME DOCS ARE LIKE THAT UNFORTUNATELY. THEY LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND IGNORE WHAT IS ON OUR MINDS. SINCE YOUR SEIZURES ARE NOT CONTROLLED, AND YOU ARE HAVING SO MANY, I AM WONDERING, STILL,  WHY YOU DO NOT GO TO ANOTHER DOCTOR? YOUR CONCERNS ARE VALID AND YOUR DOCTOR ISN'T GETTING THOSE SEIZURES UNDER CONTROL. YOU ARE GETTING INJURED FAR TOO OFTEN, AND YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER TOO OFTEN TO NOT CONSIDER WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU.      

I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, BLESSINGS, JOY.........JAN

I USE ALL CAPS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

HI MICHAEL, I HAVE HAD PANIC ATTACKS AND I HAVE HAD SEIZURES. THE PANIC ATTACKS WERE A LONG TIME AGO, AND RELATED TO MY THEN HUSBAND. I LEARNED THAT WHEN I FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO HAVE  A PANIC ATTACK, ALL I HAD TO DO IS GET ON THE PHONE AND TALK TO SOMEONE. WITH THAT, THE PANIC SUBSIDED, AND I WAS FINE. NO SEIZURE WAS RELATED TO THESE. I WAS TERRIFIED OF MY NOW EX-HUSBAND.

NOW, AND I DON'T REMEMBER HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH ME, I FEEL THIS OVERWHELMING PANIC OR FEAR BEFORE I HAVE A SEIZURE. IT IS A PANIC/FEAR THAT COMES FROM NOWHERE/IS SOMETHING THAT BAFFLES ME BECAUSE I AM FINE/LAUGHING/CONTENT AND PEACEFUL,  THEN SUDDENLY THE PANIC/FEAR FACTOR COMES IN AND BOOM, A SEIZURE. I HAVE COME TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS SEIZURE ACTIVITY, YET IT ALWAYS SURPRISES ME.  

FROM READING YOUR BLOGS AND COMMUNICATING WITH YOU, I KNOW YOU ARE ANXIOUS ABOUT ALL THE SEIZURES YOU ARE HAVING. WHO WOULDN'T BE? HOWEVER, I THINK THAT THE PANIC YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SEIZURES. I AM WONDERING IF YOUR DOC OVERLOOKS THIS BECAUSE HE IS MORE FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE SEIZURES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. SOME DOCS ARE LIKE THAT UNFORTUNATELY. THEY LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE AND IGNORE WHAT IS ON OUR MINDS. SINCE YOUR SEIZURES ARE NOT CONTROLLED, AND YOU ARE HAVING SO MANY, I AM WONDERING, STILL,  WHY YOU DO NOT GO TO ANOTHER DOCTOR? YOUR CONCERNS ARE VALID AND YOUR DOCTOR ISN'T GETTING THOSE SEIZURES UNDER CONTROL. YOU ARE GETTING INJURED FAR TOO OFTEN, AND YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER TOO OFTEN TO NOT CONSIDER WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU.      

I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, BLESSINGS, JOY.........JAN

I USE ALL CAPS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

Re: Panic attack versus seizure

Submitted by ROCKNROLL on Tue, 2009-03-10 - 02:04

MICHAEL, SORRY, I TRIED TO EDIT MY COMMENT, BUT CAN'T DO IT. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR ME TO EDIT IT.

YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHAT A PANIC ATTACK IS. A PANIC ATTACK STARTS WITH A FEELING OF EXTREME PANIC CAUSED FROM EXTREME FEAR.AS I SAID, MINE WERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TERROR I FELT WHENEVER MY THEN HUSBAND WAS COMING HOME OR WAS AT HOME.  THE PANIC BECOMES SO EXTREME THAT ONE IS UNABLE TO MOVE, BREATHE, THINK, STAND-UP, OR EVEN CHANGE POSITIONS. THEY CAN LAST A VERY LONG TIME, BUT THERE IS WHERE I DON'T REMEMBER HOW LONG. I THINK MORE THAN 15 MINUTES, LESS THAN 30. OF COURSE, THEY ARE VERY DRAINING IN ALL ASPECTS. AS I JUST TOLD YOU, I FOUND JUST GETTING ON THE PHONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE STOPPED THEM DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS. NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO WITH A SEIZURE. IT IS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.........SOUNDS REDUNTANT, DOESN'T IT? LOL!  THANK GOD I HAVEN'T HAD ANY IN MANY, MANY YEARS!

I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, BLESSINGS, JOY.........JAN

I USE ALL CAPS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

MICHAEL, SORRY, I TRIED TO EDIT MY COMMENT, BUT CAN'T DO IT. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR ME TO EDIT IT.

YOU WANTED TO KNOW WHAT A PANIC ATTACK IS. A PANIC ATTACK STARTS WITH A FEELING OF EXTREME PANIC CAUSED FROM EXTREME FEAR.AS I SAID, MINE WERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TERROR I FELT WHENEVER MY THEN HUSBAND WAS COMING HOME OR WAS AT HOME.  THE PANIC BECOMES SO EXTREME THAT ONE IS UNABLE TO MOVE, BREATHE, THINK, STAND-UP, OR EVEN CHANGE POSITIONS. THEY CAN LAST A VERY LONG TIME, BUT THERE IS WHERE I DON'T REMEMBER HOW LONG. I THINK MORE THAN 15 MINUTES, LESS THAN 30. OF COURSE, THEY ARE VERY DRAINING IN ALL ASPECTS. AS I JUST TOLD YOU, I FOUND JUST GETTING ON THE PHONE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE STOPPED THEM DEAD IN THEIR TRACKS. NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN DO WITH A SEIZURE. IT IS A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE.........SOUNDS REDUNTANT, DOESN'T IT? LOL!  THANK GOD I HAVEN'T HAD ANY IN MANY, MANY YEARS!

I WISH YOU PEACE, LOVE, BLESSINGS, JOY.........JAN

I USE ALL CAPS FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED.

Re: Panic attack versus seizure

Submitted by MichaelK on Tue, 2013-03-12 - 11:42
Thanks, Jan! I am going to write more but because it is late I have to go. It is GREAT to hear from you , dear!

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