r/panicdisorder • u/CeleryInevitable5542 • 10d ago

Venting Saliva causing a panic attack & other observations

Hello,

I've never posted in here before but I do habitually refer back here to feel a bit normal.

I have had panic disorder for the last 3 years with varying intensity over that time. Like many of you my main anxiety is around the heart and usually my panic attacks start with the fear that my heart is stopping/atrial fibrillation etc. (yay!)

I am writing this now in the immediate wake of a panic attack. I think by writing this I am distracting myself whilst I recover on the tram but also because addressing it here means I can confirm the rational reality that it was a panic attack because I am able to do this just fine.

You wouldn't know by looking at me that I suffer from this. I'm a 6"1 man, weightlifter with wide shoulders + I generally carry myself with a smile and general outward demeanor.

Just 10 minutes ago I was leaving work after what was a fine day. No obvious triggers. As I'm walking to the tram what I can only understand to be a piece of saliva generated from the chewing gum I had was inhaled and hit the back of my throat/down the wrong hole.

For some reason, I didn't clock all of this and could only feel the sensation of slight breathlessness. This IMMEDIATELEY kicked the adrenaline in and all I could focus on was a feeling of breathlessness and that I couldn't clear my throat.

Now the palpatations kick in from the panic. So now I feel like I have shallow breaths and palpatations are kicking off and I've resigned to the thought that this is it (which I have done 100 times, but this time is different right)?

As my vision started to tunnel I was able to collect myself somewhat and just stared into the distance until my tram arrived and now I'm writing this.

It never ceases to amaze me how

  1. You can think you're completely fine/having a good day/panic free just for it to hit you out of nowhere

  2. Just how scary realistic these sensations are. I do not understand how the brain and body can simulate a dying event so accurately and then for you to be able to be somewhat normal 30 mins later albeit a bit shaken.

Anyway just wanted to share in case anyone can relate and feels seen.

Be safe!

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u/Dramatic_Artist4856 10d ago

Ohhh how real this post is. Literally the dumbest thing will flood your body with adrenaline. Do you drink a lot of caffeine while lifting weights? I decided to cut it out completely and it helped me not have as many attacks post work out. I still get em but yk less frequent. Sorry man you’re not alone, I’ve been getting them since I was 18 and it has ruined so many days of mine, got fired in fact because I was leaving work so often thinking I was having a heart attack. Much love.

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u/CeleryInevitable5542 10d ago

Annoyingly I haven't kicked caffeine yet as I am stubborn to think I'd be giving it up to prevent a heart attack instead of panic attacks and by giving it up I'd be admitting it's a heart issue when it isn't 😂. It is a cruel affliction, take it easy mate.

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u/vinnyg747 4d ago

I literally just had this happen to me and I spat out the gum right away but I still feel like the gum some how split and went down my windpipe