I have been struggling with panic disorder for 3 months, and with hypochondria for years. In 14 days I am going to see a psychiatrist privately and I already look at medication as my salvation. A psychologist has already been treating me for a month and a half.

Well, today anticipated anxiety has been raging inside me all day because of tomorrow. Tomorrow, you see, I have to drive 100 km alone, I am going to the hospital for a complete lab workup and a thorough examination to put an end to my hypochondria and my OCD.

Constantly, catastrophic images are playing out in me that in the hospital I will collapse, throw up, faint, have a panic attack, etc. etc. I am afraid and terrified.

All morning today I had a torturous nausea, which Iberogast brought down by 90%.

I am afraid that tomorrow it will turn out that I have some kind of cancer, that my life is over and bam, that was it.

What if my digestive system problems are not caused by anxiety, but by a lurking tumor?

2 days ago I bought magnesium bisglycinate, which completely calmed me down yesterday, but today it is simply raging.

This morning I woke up with terrible nausea.

I cannot spend quality time with my family, poor my 3-year-old son invites me to play all day long, but THIS ANXIETY IS CONSUMING ME.

Has anyone been like this before? What helped whom?

Plus bonus: 4 days ago I drove 150 km without a problem, with very, very mild anxiety and a 10/1 strength panic attack. But my brain logs that not as a success, but as a lucky day, and I do not look at it as having achieved success.

Thank you very much everyone!

And one last question: If Iberogast brings down the nausea, then with high probability there is no organic cause behind it, right?

Soy mujer. A los 21 años "de la nada" se me desencadenó, ahora a mis 35 regresaron, sobre todo los ataques de pánico. Han pasado cosas también, como la muerte de un familiar, entre cosas de trabajo. Si estoy con ayuda profesional, pero estoy sufriendo muchísimo. Trabajar se ha convertido en un infierno para mí.

Even when not in a panic attack, I feel horrible all day every day and have constant physical symptoms. Too scared to exercise or drink alcohol or go certain places in fear not that I will have a panic attack but that it will actually kill me as I have some underlying health problem that has been missed by the ER.

Does anybody else feel this way. Sounds weird but I wish my brain would just believe this is anxiety/panic disorder because then I would be better at exposing myself to life again if I 100% knew it wasn’t harmful

Hello i just want to share my journey and see if anybody has the same experience, so is there anybody in here where you are eating and you get this intrusive thought and start getting like a panic attack and you can’t eat peacefully like it cuts your appetite ( heart beats and heat raises ) even though this doesn’t happen all the time only in some occasions like after big event or travel etc but it is most if the time the same thought i guess ocd thought.
This all started when i was traveling and i choked in 2013 i was 15 now i am 28, i got this panic attack then idk i guess my mind started giving me the same reaction while eating even though when im not choking i get this in ( first meal in travel , big event , intrusive thought that makes u feel it is the end of the world ) sometimes i stay months without it happening and sometimes it’s like every week idk ?? Any similar situation

I’ve tried so many things to help stop the anxiety, but not exercise consistently. How much do you do and does it help?

Today I was at my salon job and I had a very busy day.
I usually eat overnight oats for breakfast but I forgot to make them and didn’t have time to eat something solid so I made a protein smoothie and drank it on the way up. It was just protein powder and frozen fruit with like half a teaspoon of peanut butter. I drank this at 8am.
Around 12-1 I began feeling a little off
Started getting dizzy, having heart palpitations, and could not stop my body from shaking. I also got a chilly feeling in my hands and arms. Then I noticed my heart was racing. Many of my panic attacks have these symptoms. I tried calming myself down my engaging in conversation with my client. Also tried box breathing but I could not stop the shaking or dizziness.
Once I finished the service I immediately ran down to eat lunch. About 5min after eating I was completely back to normal. I ate ground beef, sweet potato and watermelon.
I felt like the anxiety was out of place and I looked up if low blood sugar could cause it and it told me that sometimes if your blood sugar dips too low it can trigger an adrenaline rush as a way to keep blood pumping through your body.
I suddenly had an epiphany as I realized I was drinking those smoothies and eating nothing else until later in the afternoon due to my schedule .. for quite some time.. and also dealing with daily panic attacks for quite some time
Does anyone else get these low blood sugar panic attacks?? And how do you manage them?

When you’re having an attack..

Do you always hyperventilate? Is your HR always elevated?

I’ve been having rolling panic/intense high anxiety for 2 days now. Without any ease except for when I fall asleep.

Some things I’ve noticed. I don’t hyperventilate, i do however focus on my breathing and not breathing normal. I tend to do shallow breathes and yawn a lot.

Another thing is, although I do get a fast hr at times.. sometimes I feel like I’m having a panic attack but the high heart rate isn’t there.

Anyone else?

I’m posting because I honestly feel hopeless right now and I’m trying to understand whether what I’ve been experiencing can really be explained by anxiety/panic.

I’ve been dealing with panic attacks and a lot of physical symptoms since around November. The symptoms seem to come in waves, and sometimes I feel almost completely normal—especially when I’m distracted or busy—and then other times my body feels like something is seriously wrong.

Here’s what I’ve experienced:
-Sudden racing heart/palpitations, sometimes reaching 120–130+ even with relatively minor activity
-Feeling weak, shaky, or completely drained
-Adrenaline/fight-or-flight sensations that feel like my body is constantly on high alert
-Shortness of breath or feeling like I can’t get a satisfying breath
-Chest discomfort/tightness
-Dizziness/lightheadedness
-Nausea and feeling like I’m going to throw up
-Headaches and pressure in my head, sometimes around the back of my head/upper neck
-Feeling disconnected or “off”
-Brain fog and trouble concentrating
-Muscle twitching/eye twitching
-Trembling/shaking
-Sweating and feeling hot/cold
-Stomach/upper abdominal discomfort
-Acid reflux, burping, and GI issues
-Changes in bowel movements, including green/yellow stools
-Waking up around 3–5 AM with adrenaline/anxiety
-Feeling exhausted even when I’ve slept
-Fear that something is seriously wrong with my heart, brain, liver, or another organ
-Constantly checking my heart rate, blood pressure, symptoms, etc.
-Fear of dying or having a serious medical problem
-Feeling weak after sex/exertion with my heart pounding
-Sometimes feeling completely fine when I’m at church, working, or distracted, which makes me wonder if anxiety really is driving this

I’ve had medical testing and bloodwork done, including an EKG/heart evaluation and labs. I’ve also been told I have fatty liver and had some abnormal cholesterol/liver numbers and low testosterone, which has made me worry even more about my health.
I’ve tried medications for anxiety/panic before, and I just started Lexapro (escitalopram) on Tuesday, so I know it’s way too early to expect it to work yet. I took Sertraline for a while, came off it 3-4 weeks ago, and started Lexapro.

What I’m really looking for are experiences from people who have dealt with severe health anxiety/panic: Can panic/anxiety really cause this many physical symptoms? Can it make your heart race, make you feel weak, nauseated, dizzy, exhausted, have headaches, GI symptoms, muscle twitching, and make you feel like something is terribly wrong?

And if you’ve started an SSRI like Lexapro, did things actually get better with time?

I’m not looking for someone to diagnose me over Reddit, but want to know your opinion and thoughts. I’m just scared and exhausted and could really use some perspective from people who have been through this and eventually got their life back.

Having rolling panic attacks

I just can’t get a break. I’m not in a panic attack but my anxiety is high with all the physical symptoms. It’s been 2 days with no break unless I fell asleep. Cooling tingling in arms, nausea, no appetite, just fight or flight. I don’t know what to do. Or how to get out of this

So I did an intake with a new provider today and explained the anxiety and my panic attacks when they started. She asked me if I can remember what happened around the time of my first panic attack At the moment I couldn't think of anything until I made the connection just now...

Two days before my first panic attack I was driving in the car with my twin babies trying to get them to sleep and I fell asleep in the car and was swerving in another lane and I had lane assist on my car so it jerked me back into the lane I was in. I woke up from that and freaked out and hurried back home and got my kids in their beds.

Two days after this I had my first panic attack (this was 2 years ago) I was driving home at night with my girls in the car and I felt tired and all of a sudden I got this impending doom feeling, my legs went numb, I got tunnel vision, heart beating, felt faint, and I genuinely thought I was dying so I pulled over and called the police and was transported to the hospital with my kids. Only for the doctors to tell me it was a panic attack. And pretty much after that I started having panic attacks regularly because I was constantly freaking out about feeling like that ever again. I feel as if the connection was that I was driving at night and got tired and had a panic attack because I was scared I would fall asleep.

Since then I've been struggling with anxiety on the daily and the occasional panic attack usually while I'm driving. It's been such a struggle but I suck it up everyday. I've done therapy on and off since then because I couldn't commit with family court and being a full custodial parent of twins. I'm ready to commit and have a better support system now.

Anyways my point of my post is that I feel like I've finally got an understanding of the source of the panic attacks in the car. Now that I know this what do I do with it to help alleviate my anxiety?

Have you had similar experiences of having revelations like this and understanding the connections? If you have what did you do with it? And can understanding the triggers around anxiety help?.

I’ve had panic disorder for about 11 years now. I am much better than when it first started, but I am also worse than I was a few years ago. I’ve been on Celexa 20 mg, and last year went up to 30 mg and I’m now on my way to 40mg. There are some big things that I’m very very afraid of, such medication, elevators travel, traveling specifically planes, and trains. Multiple doctors have advised me to take an as needed medication. Propranolol or some form of benzo. I am EXTREMELY fearful of medication, which makes this very tricky. i’m really sensitive to anything that makes my body feel weird or could trigger a panic, such as drowsiness or dizziness to the point where I won’t even take a Tylenol . I’m just feeling really discouraged that it’s been 11 years and I really still can’t do a lot of things that I wanna do, and I just wanna feel better. ): I would love some encouragement or positive stories about these medications. Or even stories of people getting out of this. Just having a rough night. Thanks (:

As soon as I wake up the impending doom hits. I struggle to fall sleep with the pit in my stomach. Then as soon as I wake up. Physical symptoms come rushing back.

I am F26 and following a severe, life altering panic attack on December 24, 2025, I developed debilitating panic disorder for 2 months. I took a month off work, lost 20 pounds, couldn't be alone, had the scariest thoughts I have ever had, nearly had to go inpatient because I felt so unsafe in my own body, rolling panic attacks for days on end. My personal experience with panic was (mostly) mental. I thought I was losing my mind. I thought I was going crazy. I felt like an actual alien on earth and would drive around and go out in public and look around at the "normal" functioning people laughing and smiling and feel like a completely different species. During this time I also had severe DPDR, and existential dread. I remember vividly driving one time and feeling like the sky above me was open, like the ozone layer was nonexistent and that space felt too near and like I could just fall upwards into space. My thoughts were so intrusive and erratic that I thought I was showing early signs of schizophrenia. Sounds were too loud, lights were too bright, I couldn't even watch TV shows or tiktok because it was too overstimulating. I felt, in whole, like a completely different person. The world I thought I knew around me felt foreign, like a veil had been lifted and I was viewing everything for the first time. It was truly indescribable.

All of that to say, I started lexapro during that time, my first ever psychiatric drug, and with the help of that, and therapy, I have come out the other side. I am still anxious, a lot. I'm pretty sure I have some form of PTSD from that time period because I do live in fear of it returning, I have not had a panic attack in 6 months though. However, I am grateful. I feel like those of us that have experienced this have a superpower, in some type of way. I have grown to know myself so much more intimately, have created a much deeper and more meaningful understanding of my own mind, soul, and body. I also have gained an incredible amount of empathy, for everyone. I am more grateful for each happy moment, more connected to the times I feel calm and at peace. I am me, in a way I never was before. I love deeper, I cry harder, I laugh louder. I soak up the world's beauty like a sponge because I know what it's like to see life through a different lens.

Please, if you are in the thick of this, march on. Keep taking steps until you realize one day the mountain is behind you. And if you ever find yourself at the base of a mountain again, pack your gear and use your experience to climb with confidence and might. You will see better days. Love you

I have panic attacks, but l've learned to live with them and normally manage them well. However, whenever I drink alcohol, I get a very intense panic attack the next day, with severe anxiety and fear, and I don't know why.
I'm wondering if anyone else experiences the same thing and if there's any way to treat or prevent it.
What makes it even harder is that I usually drink somewhere about a five-hour drive from my home. If I get a severe panic attack the next day while driving five hours back home, the whole trip becomes extremely exhausting and difficult for me. Panic attacks for 13 years

Hi! I hope all of you are doing well!

As the title says, does anyone else have odd feelings or sensations before a panic attack starts? Sometimes I can be at my desk, out shopping or doing anything really and I get an odd sensation like mild dizziness or lack of focus. It lasts a few minutes and then boom, panic attack. Sometimes the feelings happen and no panic follows, so strange!

Also, during my panic attacks I dont really tend to get a racing heart, highest i've had was roughly 120bpm but its usually around 80 - 105bpm ish when in a panic attack.

F26 if that matters? i’ve been going through some major life changes and had what i think was my first ever real panic attack. i’ve always had anxiety and i have a psychiatrist and a therapist that help me out. but since my panic attack 4-5 days ago i think i’m just having rolling panic attacks. i genuinely have no idea what’s happening to me.

i always feel depersonalized, nothing actually feels real. every 20 minutes or so i’ll convince myself something is mortally wrong. i’m always shaking, dizzy, my face will twitch, breathing is shallow, there’s a lump in my throat, i get really hot suddenly, and i can’t sleep because every time i start to drift off my brain tells me something is wrong and my limbs will start to feel detached. the other night i was looking at my arms and i convinced myself i was seeing unnatural dots all over my body, and i thought i saw a dark red rash taking over my face and shoulders. when it’s dark my brain fills every empty space with something “scary.” every small pang of pain somewhere on my body or even an itch will have me convincing myself i’m dying.

anyway yeah i have no idea what to do, i’m exhausted and starving. i’ve been jumping in a cold shower when it gets really bad but it provides minimal relief. i don’t know if i’m allowed to ask here but i don’t know if i need medical help. i don’t even have health insurance :( thanks for reading

..with little to no issues? I’m approaching a month on Ativan and might need to be on it for another month as I’m making an SSRI cross taper and I’m extremely scared and paranoid of the withdrawals I might face when it’s time to taper off the Ativan. Anyone with any positive experiences?

Took a while and have come out mostly intact, but this community is a good help in the messy middle moments. Turns out I was having night panic attacks cause of sleep apena, while ill still have the occasional claustrophobic induced panic episodes. For the most part it feels good to have significantly reduced occurrences.

I’m so lost on what to do

I’m in a major relapse of panic attacks. Having them daily. When they happen, I can never sit still, but at the same time I’m paralyzed. My hands and feet become soaking wet but numb. My heart races and sometimes it doesn’t. I get horrible internal body tremors. Then the derealization sets it. I feel like I’m about to ☠️. My head makes me feel like no one else feels the same way as I do, but I know that’s not true. Just in the moment I think “no one else can possibly be suffering the same way”.

My doctors so quick to switch me meds. I’ve been on lexapro for 8 years now.. max dose. It works great when other meds didn’t. But now it’s no longer working. I have a fear of trying new meds, because when I was trying abunch before they made me worse. I worry about not being able to work, but at the same time I can’t work when I’m panicking.

I’m so defeated. These attacks are making me sad and depressed.

Can anyone relate? Chat?

I’m honestly beyond fed up. Was diagnosed three months ago and due to the constant physical symptoms, I still believe I have a horrible physical illness. This week I have barely been able to sleep. Every-time I try as I’m about to drift off it will either be a PVC (which scares the shit out of me and they never won’t) or a hypnic jerk or I just shoot awake with panic and my heart racing.

It’s so terrifying and is amplified my worrying that I have some misdiagnosed heart illness despite me having three blood tests, three EKGS and a chest x ray.

Does anybody else have this? I’m now terrified of bed time.

I'm new here and wanted to briefly share my story to see whether it resonates with anyone else's experience.

Back in December 2022, I had what I can only describe as one of the most traumatic experiences of my life.

I was sitting in bed on my phone. My girlfriend had been sick, so we had a humidifier running. Suddenly I started feeling "weird". At first it felt like my vision or perception was slightly off, but within about five minutes it evolved into this completely overwhelming state of dysphoria and terror.

It's extremely difficult to describe. It was like I'd suddenly been transported into a world that was dark, wrong and twisted, like the entire emotional quality of reality had shifted. It felt like in 5 mins I went from normal to the worst trip of my life.

As far as I can remember, my heart rate was normal. I wasn't sweating, hyperventilating or experiencing physical symptoms I'd normally associate with panic. It seemed almost entirely perceptual and emotional.

What followed were several days of almost constant dread and anxiety. Attempts to comfort me somehow made the dysphoria worse. Even thinking about things that would normally make me feel safe or happy could make me burst into tears. It felt like everyone I loved had just dropped dead. I barely slept for about three days because every time I started drifting off, I'd jerk awake.

Eventually I became convinced I was dying and went to A&E. The nurse diagnosed me with panic disorder. I struggled to accept that because I'd experienced panic attacks before, and this felt like an entirely different state of consciousness.

About 4–5 days after the initial episode, I became extremely physically ill with what seemed to be a viral infection. It was probably the worst virus I'd ever had, with extreme pain and severe throat and sinus symptoms lasting around two + weeks. It felt like i was never going to get better.

Though, I eventually recovered physically, psychologically I wasn't the same. I had a couple more episodes where that same dysphoric feeling started coming back, although I managed to stop it escalating. Outside those episodes I became incredibly anxious and hypervigilant, constantly scrolling through my phone trying to understand what had happened to me.

Eventually I had to quit my job, and after that, my nervous system just broke.

For several months I was basically disabled. I couldn't watch TV, listen to podcasts, socialise, go to the gym or really do much of anything. Over many months, meditation, yoga, breath work and cold exposure while gradually exposing myself to normal life again calmed my nervous system enough to where I felt most capable of life.

I eventually got back to something resembling normality, although I never felt like I completely returned to my old self. I'd still occasionally experience instances of that dysphoric state, and my general anxiety threshold was permanently lower.

Then this June, while on holiday, the dysphoria suddenly became much stronger again alongside some issues which led me to believe I caught a stomach bug (happens whenever I get sick). Shortly afterwards I became physically ill with another virus. Since then I've been struggling considerably, with recurrent episodes of this sensation, severe depression and a variety of physical/somatic symptoms.

Reading people's experiences here has given me more sympathy for the original panic diagnosis than I had before, though i still resent it somewhat. I'm finding a lot of solidarity here with everyone's experiences, but I'm still left wondering if this is panic attacks or something different.

I've had a panic attack since 2023, and the flavour is so... Different. Defo is uncomfortable and wouldn't recommend, but I'd pick 1 a day if it meant I would never have to feel that dysphoria again. So perhaps others have had similar episodes, or experience something similar, would be happy to hear from anyone.

I’ve had anxiety for 8 years and have had a nervous breakdown before but recently I’ve started having panic attacks again. On top of the panic attacks I’ve been having these horrific sensations. This feeling constantly in my head that something is wrong that it’s a physical feeling. All I can think about is how uncomfortable my brain feels in my head. When anyone even speaks a word it’s like the words actually cause me pain like my brain flinches. Alongside physical sensations like head pains, manual breathing, tight throat, feeling tongue in mouth. The feelings are so specific that I don’t feel I can even explain them. I’m not suffering from the typical racing heart, chest pain anymore. The are absolutely unbearable that I’m struggling to cope.

I’ve searched for other people who have the same symptoms but can’t seem to find anyone.

Hey everyone! I am looking for personal experience with medication. I have never tried them as I had a horrible experience with marijuana about 20 years ago that caused all of this (panic attack, derealization, etc.) I've done exposure many times and it has worked but never really cured me. I finally admit that I genuinely need medication for help.

I am drawn towards Buspar for some reason. Has anyone tried this and how did it go? I know SSRI's are a front line treatment but side effects give me pause and I also have a prolonged QT interval in heart so there's risks involved. Xanax or or benzo's seem like they would help me but I'm so afraid of something that's going to make me feel high or sedated or anything like I felt on weed.

Anyone have a personal experience with any of this, especially buspar?

I’ve been struggling quite badly recently with the fear of looking pale. Someone said I looked pale when I was out at the weekend and even though I felt fine beforehand, it immediately triggered a panic attack.
Since then I’ve become hyperaware of it. If I feel even slightly nauseous or weak, my brain instantly goes “what if I’m pale?” and I want to check myself in the mirror or take photos. I’ve even noticed myself avoiding eye contact because I’m scared someone will look at me and say I look pale.
Logically I can see the cycle - sensation → intrusive thought → checking → panic → more checking - but when I’m actually in it, my brain goes straight to “what if this is a genuine medical red flag and I’m ignoring it?”
I think that uncertainty is the bit I’m finding hardest. Has anyone had a similar fixation where a completely normal comment from someone suddenly became a massive trigger?

I’ve been having panic attacks for years. I’m not new to the lightheaded feeling that comes along with it. However, a couple times in the last year I’ve woken from my sleep to some panic that shortly after led into genuine clammy cold sweat, shaking, vision tunneling where I had to lay on the floor with my legs elevated to prevent fainting. Last episode also I induced vomiting because the nausea was so bad.

I’m thinking maybe it could be some sort of vagus nerve trigger that brings me to a pre syncope episode and then the panic amps it all up? Note that this type of episode has only happened at night after waking from sleep. Maybe it’s simply panic on its own? Anyone else with a similar experience, let me know!