i know exactly how you feel...and its sucks!..im actuallly having a few of those symptoms right now, sometimes i yawn to catch a breath and it still doesnt work and that just makes the panic attack worse. i also have acid reflux that makes it worse cuz those symptoms make my chest and back hurt worse....it is very difficult for me to function from day to day and im only 23 and feel like im missing out on life because of anxiety they say excersizing helps but when i go to the gym i have a panic attack too...all i now is that this has taken a major toll on my life and i want to get it badly under control too.....sorry wasnt much help there i was just venting as well...

so have you went to see a doctor?

try to just breathe through ur nose and out through ur mouth, or also try watching something funny to make u laugh...i know its easier said then done...

hope yah feel better

yea i'm 23 too i feel like my life was completly turned around about 3 years ago..i got my 1st attack at college i had no idea what was going on and then when i came home it just got worse and things just haven't been the same... i meani was a great athlete had a lot of things going for me and now i feel like a completly different person and it really hurts i just want to be back to what i used to be. i mean i saw multiple docs about this like nose and throat docs reg docs and they all say anxiety and panic attack i was on zoloft for about 2 years and recently been off of it and things were going great but htis month things have gone down hill and i just wish i'd progress instead of takeing steps back.. and i guess the big picture of this whole thing is that i dont know what caused these anxity panic/ataccks and i'm going to be bitter about it for the rest of my life.

My panic attacks started at 28 (although I had a brief encounter with them when I was around 12 years old...)and I don't have them now, so you don't have to anticipate having them the rest of your life. Just wanted to reassure you there. Would you consider going back on the Zoloft?

You mention seeing specialists, but have you had a general, thorough physical exam? This may uncover things like thyroid problems, low blood sugar, etc, which can lead to panic attacks, and once treated, will really help with relief from them.

Don't give up hope - you're so young! And there really is no reason to think you will have these attacks for the rest of your life...

Janet

yeah it has completely ruied my life 2 I dread gettting up and going to work and school everyday, it has pretty much consumed my life i have been to specialist also i have had multiple ekg's, went to the gastrentinal doc for my heartburn and had an upper GI ....my next stop is to go to a psychologist to see what they can do for me...i just want my life back to normal and be carefree and confortable!....is that so much to ask!..ughhhh

i have it happen to me all the time with not feeling like your getting enough air but i would try hot decaf camomile tea i wouldnt do the cocoa because it has caffeine in it and that triggers panic attacks.

Try Chamomile Tea; it has a calming effect and soothing effect that has always helped me. And distraction is helpful; as we tend to fixate on our symptoms and that will make them worst. And if you don't feel better its okay to call the doctor. Good luck!

that is the EXACT symptoms I am having and have often and I even take deep breathes to breathe with food in my mouth and sometimes choke by sucking it down my throat! Sometimes I also feel like I am barley breathing and can't make my lungs move up and down..I deal with all of your symptoms almost everyday!

yes i have had other evalutatons done as well such as multiple blood work and even a lung capacity test went to a nose and throat specialist that scoped down but everything comes back to nothing.. i hate feeling this way

When I read "Polarbaby's" post and then re-read yours, I remembered that when I was having really bad panic attacks, the main symptom for me was feeling like I couldn't get enough air. This would happen during the panic attacks, but would also occur when I would drink any kind of liquid. Eating made me very nervous, like I was on the brink of an attack, but I especially felt that I couldn't get enough air when I was trying to drink water during the meal. As I'm writing this, I can't believe what we go through with this wretched disorder...

The books say that a sense of not getting enough air or that you are suffocating is one of the main symptoms of a panic attack.

But the good news is that I no longer experience this - and it can be overcome. So please don't give up hope - none of us should feel that it is futile, although it is so easy to feel that way -

Janet

how were you able to beat it.. did u do anything specific?

I resisted medication for a long time because I was afraid of taking it, and relied on diet and supplementation, along with meditation and prayer, but I was always still vulnerable to panic attacks. Finally, a close friend of mine persuaded me to start taking meds. The first anti-panic medication I took was Luvox, but I started having panic feelings again after 2 years of complete relief from panic attacks - the MD said that this was because Luvox was effective for only one year, and then a person would build up a tolerance to it, and it would no longer be effective. (I was fortunate to get 2 years relief from it.)

I then switched to Klonopin, and have been on this medication for several years. It has been extremely effective in treating my panic disorder. The SSRI antidepressants just did not work for me.

Klonopin has its drawbacks, but I will never go back to battling panic attacks constantly, so I expect to be on it the rest of my life, or as long as I have this disorder.

Janet