About a month or so ago I suffered from a very severe panic attack and my fiancee rushed me to the ER where I had my vitals checked twice and sent home with a $2000 bill.
Since then I've had a few minor attacks but they've taken a turn for the worse over the last few days. It started with a toothache that kept be from sleeping a Friday night. I managed to get to sleep around 7AM through to about 5-6PM. No surprise there as I have sleeping issue and can't sleep and sometimes have a hard time waking up.
The following day my toothache was worse and I was trying everything to get it to stop until Monday so I could make an appointment at a dentist after my plan kicked in. I took a neproxen and was using a home remedy of garlic and salt. I was doing okay up until I tried to go to sleep in which a panic attack kept me up. Every time I went to sleep a panic attack would keep me from sleep. I managed to get less than an hour of sleep before the string of panic attacks kept coming at me. Finally, I managed to keep them under control but then I just couldn't sleep. Eventually I ended up back at the ER.
This time the doctors were better with me, instead of just taking my damn vitals they asked me questions and gave me advice. They took a look at my impacted wisdom tooth and sent me on my way with a prescription for Ativan and Vicodin for my panic and my pain. The Ativan has helped wonders and since I started taking it I haven't had a single attack. As for the Vicoden, my toothache mysteriously disappeared so I haven't taken it. (I assume my garlic and salt remedy killed any infection that was causing the pain, but I'll know for certain when I see my dentist.)
The Ativan has been great though. I feel calm, if not a bit melancholy, and the only side effect is passing vertigo/dizziness. It only last a few seconds before it passes for a few hours and mostly bothers me when I get up and down. But, despite how helpful the Ativan is, I don't want to have to take medication to deal with my panic. I really, really want to stop having panic attacks all together.
I know why my panic attacks seem to hit me when I try to go to sleep, as the first bad one happened when I was lying down to sleep. I can't just avoid sleeping, so I wanted to know if there is anything I can do to make this mandatory thing a hell of a lot less scary. I'm not even sure what is scary about it. I'm not even thinking about something remotely frightening when it happens, but of course as soon as the panic attack begins, I begin to think horrible things. I can't seem to get to the root of it, but even if I did, would it help?
I really need all this panic crap to stop. Is it possible that something has happened in my life that is causing this? Does anyone else know where they're panic comes from?
Lastly, the ER is damn expensive. What do I do, or where can I go when I have a panic attack that just won't settle down? All I can do right now is breath and try to convince myself that I'm not dying. Please help.
Since then I've had a few minor attacks but they've taken a turn for the worse over the last few days. It started with a toothache that kept be from sleeping a Friday night. I managed to get to sleep around 7AM through to about 5-6PM. No surprise there as I have sleeping issue and can't sleep and sometimes have a hard time waking up.
The following day my toothache was worse and I was trying everything to get it to stop until Monday so I could make an appointment at a dentist after my plan kicked in. I took a neproxen and was using a home remedy of garlic and salt. I was doing okay up until I tried to go to sleep in which a panic attack kept me up. Every time I went to sleep a panic attack would keep me from sleep. I managed to get less than an hour of sleep before the string of panic attacks kept coming at me. Finally, I managed to keep them under control but then I just couldn't sleep. Eventually I ended up back at the ER.
This time the doctors were better with me, instead of just taking my damn vitals they asked me questions and gave me advice. They took a look at my impacted wisdom tooth and sent me on my way with a prescription for Ativan and Vicodin for my panic and my pain. The Ativan has helped wonders and since I started taking it I haven't had a single attack. As for the Vicoden, my toothache mysteriously disappeared so I haven't taken it. (I assume my garlic and salt remedy killed any infection that was causing the pain, but I'll know for certain when I see my dentist.)
The Ativan has been great though. I feel calm, if not a bit melancholy, and the only side effect is passing vertigo/dizziness. It only last a few seconds before it passes for a few hours and mostly bothers me when I get up and down. But, despite how helpful the Ativan is, I don't want to have to take medication to deal with my panic. I really, really want to stop having panic attacks all together.
I know why my panic attacks seem to hit me when I try to go to sleep, as the first bad one happened when I was lying down to sleep. I can't just avoid sleeping, so I wanted to know if there is anything I can do to make this mandatory thing a hell of a lot less scary. I'm not even sure what is scary about it. I'm not even thinking about something remotely frightening when it happens, but of course as soon as the panic attack begins, I begin to think horrible things. I can't seem to get to the root of it, but even if I did, would it help?
I really need all this panic crap to stop. Is it possible that something has happened in my life that is causing this? Does anyone else know where they're panic comes from?
Lastly, the ER is damn expensive. What do I do, or where can I go when I have a panic attack that just won't settle down? All I can do right now is breath and try to convince myself that I'm not dying. Please help.