Hi Sherry,
I am so sorry your experiencing panic and, Your right, most of us do experience panic attacks.

Here is a site with a lot of information that you might find helpful.

http://mindpub.com/PanicAttacksinCOPD_chapter11.htm

I am sure many people here will respond to your question.

Sending you calm and relaxing thoughts,

Holly

Ps, it dawned on me after I posted that site for you that it might not be what your looking for.

I don't know if your feeling panic about your breathing or the fact you have COPD or something else.

For me all the worries of the world come at night and I work hard to push negative thoughts out of head and think of nice things, happy times, good friends, family and places. Peaceful thoughts, happy thoughts.

If its breathing your having problems with late in the day,you might be overly tired or low oxygen or maybe your medication is not holding you long enough.

I would talk to your doctor about what your feeling, he / she might be able to help.

I am sure others here will respond and offer help.

Think happy thoughts, and relax,

Hugs,

Holly

You might want to ask your doctor about taking the Xanax later in the day. I take regular Xanax (not the extended release) and I've always taken it 3x a day. When one dose wears off I can really feel it!

good luck to you, sherry, and God bless!
vicki

for years it worked for me to make plans to do something crazy when i'd get an attack.

i'd start planning a trip to disney world. i'd start to plan my transportation, my clothes.....what i'd do when i was there...the whole bit.

that worked for a looong time. it took time...but the more id get into the planning...the farther away the panic got.

good luck with yours!

MamaMarge--what a really great idea! I think I'll try this myself! vicki

Marge...works for sleeping as well. While looking after my partner I always had trouble after leaving her to get to sleep so I would plan winning a lottery and think about all the details of what I would do with the money.

Hi Sherry

Sorry you are experiencing this.

On the pulmonary rehabilitation course I attended many years ago, this aspect of COPD was discussed and the psychologist talking to the group explained this can be something that may affect us.

What the psychologist advised was making time in your day just to relax and be calm, listening to your favorite music, have some quiet time lying down on the bed and practising, diaphragm breathing.

I attended the hospital course and the hospital had especially made a relaxation dvd for patients, its very much like any other relaxation practise, you lie down, go through the parts of the body, tighten and relax the muscles, when you've completed the outside of the body focus then go inside, relaxing you heart, mind, lungs etc. all this whilst listening to relaxing music.

It is very therapeutic, very similar to yoga relaxation.

The psychologist also mentioned that if anyone ever did feel the need to see a psychologist professional he advised if possible to seek out a therapist who understood the emotional aspect of COPD.

You might want to check out the thread on Emotional Management of COPD too:

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/COPD_Emphysema/forum/13627699-copd-emotional-management-anxiety-and


I hope this is of some help Sherry.

Welcome to the COPD emphysema support group.

Peta

I dont really know what helps but I have those too yesterday I had a big one when I couldnt breath I have been sick and tried to do too much and I paid for it I have xanix and think I am going to have to start taking it all the time I 1/2 mine and take 1/2 morning 1/2 evening . Hope u gets some helpful responses.

Sorry you've been sick birdy and Sherry
Those dang panic attacks are hard.. we all know what we're "suppose" to do but its hard to remember during the worst of that sensation.
I know if I'm having a hard time breathing, remembering to PLB etc. is almost impossible at first cause that scary mode kicks in. I use a lot of imagery.. since I love the ocean I think of the waves and then try to use PLB to mimic the flow of the ocean.
I like your technique Marg.. thats a great way to put a panic attack to a back burner by distraction.

Everyone has given me some good advise.. The feeling of not being able to breath is scary. While in the hospital I had a bad one and the nurses kept say breath right, through your nose out your mouth, well guess what, concentrating on how to breath just made it worse for me...

Marge I am going to try what you said. I am going to try taking xanax later in the day or split the xanax up morning and evening.

Thank you all for your help

you go ahead and try that sherry.

that packing up to vacation has worked for me for a long time.

it was actually digi that told me to do that. i thought he was nuts at the time....but it realy did work. adn i got to the point htat i really got into my trip planning.

i'd plan on getting an rv to drive there! and id' need sunscreen and cell phones. all kinds of crazy stuff. but it worked.

so, whatever you need to mkae it happen....use it! and good luck!

Hi Sherry and all

You may enjoy this video and it may help you or others:

Relaxation for people with respiratory illness:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRqp258LTRc&feature=related

Included it here and on the Breathing and Relaxation thread.

Enjoy