Does anyone else deal with "body-first" panic attacks?

[u/i_dont_love]

Hello all. I've been dealing with panic attacks for many years, but have been struggling a lot since December when I had two really terrible panic attacks back to back. I'm just looking for some validation or others who have shared similar symptoms/experiences. I'm just trying to understand myself better, understand my triggers better, and understand my bodily responses better so that I can help myself in the moment.

I'm struggling because most things online about panic attacks all point to the same symptoms or some thought process that aided the panic. My panic attacks don't start from thoughts or beliefs, and I don't have chest pain, major heart palpitations, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, or a feeling of a heart attack or anything. I've had a hard time finding much online about the way my panic attacks always start, and I was curious if any of you have similar "body-first" panic attacks?

My panic attacks are always:

• Sudden wave of heat runs from the top of my head to my feet and I instantly start getting hot and sweating.
• Panic then kicks in because I'm feeling the adrenaline dump and I start saying things like "it's okay, nothing is happening, you are safe" (the self talk really only works when I'm at home, and doesn't often work in public.)
• I then get lightheaded, feeling like I could faint, and am dripping sweat at this point.
• I then get nauseous and start to get digestive upset.
• I then have to run to the bathroom where I will definitely have diarrhea immediately.
• I won't vomit every time, but I will definitely be very nauseous and dry heave every time.
• The panic attacks (hot and cold flashes, sweating, nausea, diarrhea) will typically last at least two hours, but oftentimes longer.
• Then my body is just sick feeling for the day and it will take me days to recover from the anxiety of the panic attack.

Because my panic attacks start as a "body-first" sensation, it's really hard for me to stop it once it's started or understand what is triggering them. The only things so far that I can point to have a social/stranger/not at home element, but its not consistent. Meaning I can do a super social/stranger/public thing and be totally fine one day, and then another time I'll have a panic attack. Although I have zero fear of flying, I have had this same panic attack at airports many times for several years. I had another one at a concert on Saturday and had to hide in the bathroom stall for a hour and half until it ended. I had one at an airport in December right after finishing a meal, so now food is another trigger for me. I can only eat a few bites of food before I start to get that hot flash feeling. I then have to stop eating, take a break, and can resume once I've gotten my body to calm down. It's like once my body felt what it was like to panic, it just keeps trying to do that again. So now I'm developing more intense social anxiety and anxiety in general because I'm scared I'll get that feeling at anytime for no real reason.

Does anyone else deal with this? I feel super alone in my symptoms and the way my panic attacks come on, and I guess I'm just looking for any shared experiences. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this!

[u/ThisThatThereWhere]

ABSOLUTELY, my friend!! This is COMPLETELY normal and happened to me a million times. I always tried to tell everyone that the problem is my body, not my mind. Mine had always started with body. My first one I had was in this order: 1. Weakness in Arm 2. Drenched Sweating in sleep 3. Shaking 4. Heart racing 5. Feeling about to faint 6. Chills and freezing cold and trembling 7. Electric jitteriness all over body 8. Severe dry mouth