Panic Disorder

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Hello.....I am a 45 year old male, physically active(ie long distance runner, workout, etc) who was diagnosed with panic disorder 15 years ago...ie at age 30. Prior to the diagnosis I had fainting spells since I was 18......they usually happened 1x per year and were normally associated with either smoking pot or having a few drinks.....but I was never inebriated, etc......it just seemed like my system couldnt handle even small dosages of alchohol or pot. I quit smoking/drinking in my early 20s but still had occasional fainting spells.......(one happened on a transatlantic flight to paris....and i did have 1 drink and a cigarette on that flight....I was 27).....Full fledged panic attacks started at age 30 and i started 10 mg prozac and .5 mg klonopin, along with a no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol diet........the panic attacks stopped and so did the annual fainting spell. But over the last 15 years I would go thru periods of relapse and remission , I would come off my low dosage of medications and do fine for a few years annd then the panic disorder would rear its ugly head again if you put me in a stressful situation....ie flying, party, etc......i would probably have a panic attack and blackout......this happened at a wedding in feb of this year, on a flight to vegas 3 years ago, in a restaurant during a work lunch 6 years ago, in my office 5 years ago, etc etc etc.and I was on medication to treat panic during these blackouts but probably not therapeutic dosages..and all these occured without any alchohol, smoking...etc havent inbibed/smoked in close to 20 years......if I avoid places that cause me to panic, I usually dont blackout....I just have lots of anxiety/panic all day but manage thru it......anyway, back to present day.....went to see a neuropsychiatrist at nyu epilepsy center in new york.....he thinks i have an unusual form of panic disorder with some sort of vagus response........the disorder seems to stem from the temporal lobe.....although he did mention that 20% OF people who present with panic/anxiety have epilepsy....so I had a closed mri with epilepsy protocol and it was fine....now he wants me to go for a 4 day veeg......i feel like it might be a waste of time.....eventhough I blackout once per year with my panic disorder, I never felt like I was having a seizure ie I dont have auras, no strange smells, etc.....PLUS, if I avoid the stressful places that sometimes cause the panic and then blackouts, they wont happen....SO, should I waste my time with this......I think it might make my panic disorder worse(ie sleep deprivation etc)....and then not get me anywhere....Also, if it were epilepsy, Im not sure I could even handle the drugs prescribed for it....I have a hard time with .25 mg klonopin.....what benefit would I get from knowing?????Thanks and sorry for long response......Also, if anyone can share there experiences with me on the veeg, would appreciate....esp, how do you stay up all night??????

Comments

Re: Panic Disorder

Submitted by mommy2kyra on Sat, 2006-09-30 - 12:57

Your experiences sound as though they could be complex partial seizures. I had seizures for many years before I was properly diagnosed. Things intensified at age 20, and I had a seizure, whle waiting on a table of frequent customers. I was only aware of a strange feeling, but had absolutely no memory of my actions. The customers were so concerned they took me to ER right then and there. Unfortunately, ER didn't do anything other than look at me briefly. I didn't go back for further testing...why the heck should I waste my $$ I thought. Well, I should've gone back. Things only intensified, and I began panic attacks. I'd have a seizure-->panic attack-->seizure, on and on and on. This lasted for a few years, and after gaining some control through therapy, I began mainly having panic attacks in my sleep. At least, that's what hubby and I thought. Right as I fell asleep at night, I was having complex partial seizures. This went on for awhile, until one night I had a secondarily-generalized tonic clonic. I was finally diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy on my 26th birthday. That began treatment, and my "panic attacks" have been totally gone since. Try not to worry about treatment yet. First, make certain that you're getting proper diagnosis. It's one step at a time. If your diagnosis *is* seizure disorder, and you go on meds to control seizures, it may take awhile to find the right med (and dosage). Try to be patient. Regarding the veeg, it isn't that rough. While it isn't exciting, it also isn't horrible. Your doctor may want you to become sleep-deprived in the hospital, where you sleep for less than 4 hours. Many hospitals have laptop computer access (if you have one, bring it!), movies to watch, and music to listen to. I had my mom stay with me on my sleep-deprivation night, and we played cards for a long while to pass time. The sleep-deprivation was the key for me, and I had my sz's for them to see, record, and initiate further testing. (My veeg was to see if I was a decent surgery candidate, which is why the road went on for me. It turns out that I was, and had my seizure focus removed 3/06.) Hope that answers your questions. Best of luck to you, take care! Heather :)

Thanks Heather....IM glad

Submitted by mhillqt on Sat, 2006-09-30 - 14:32

Thanks Heather....IM glad you are better......My doctor told me it would be an entire evening of sleep deprivation...so Im assuming NO SLEEP AT ALL......so what happens if you start falling asleep....do they come around and wake you up? When you were sleep deprived...did you have your seizures after the sleep deprivation and did you feel them coming on OR was it just the brain wave patterns that changed and you felt nothing? Also, if you are taking medications(ie I am on prozac ...low dosage) can that impact the readings?Your story sounds a bit differant than mine......i dont ever recall having a seizure....I just tend to faint during my more intense panic attacks.....so, Im not sure how it could ever be epilepsy......its all so confusing.......thanks

Re: Thanks Heather....IM glad

Submitted by mommy2kyra on Sat, 2006-09-30 - 21:25

Hi Michael, I hope that your doctor lets you sleep a couple hours anyway! I haven't heard of not allowing any sleep at all. To answer your question, I decided when I would fall asleep. I knew that doctors were looking for seizure activity..and I was anxious to give it, so I could get back with my family. So, staying up really wasn't difficult for me. Shortly after I fell asleep, my seizures began (a typical pattern for me). I am totally unaware of the entire episode when asleep. In the morning, my epileptologist came in and told me that I'd had 3 seizures..one of which secondarily-generalized. They got to see the activity for themselves and just waited for another to hit so they could inject some special ink when the sz began, to see where the focus was. I was very tired since I was sleep-deprived. Minutes after I began a nap, another seizure hit. If I am awake when a seizure comes, I feel an intense moment of deja vu (words just don't give it justice) and pure panic. I can't speak or follow conversation because I am so scared. Within seconds, I am completely unaware of events. It only lasts a minute or two, but is followed by several minutes of exhaustion and confusion. If I am alone during the event, I have no idea one hit. I may know that I got my "scary deja vu", but that's it. It took a very long time (unfortunately) for me to discover that my scary deja vu was the beginning of a seizure. Your doctor sounds eager to see some activity on the veeg. So, if the prozac could interfere, I am sure he/she would lower or wean you. I'm not saying that you do have E, just sharing my experience with you. When do you go into the hospital? I hope that it all goes well, and you feel better real soon! Heather :)