I started suffering panic attacks about 10 years ago and I don't know why. In fact, I didn't even know what they were and this was when I was 'well' and could walk fine. My first attack came when I was sitting at my desk at work late one night but nothing was bothering me and my face started tingling, much like when TM started long ago. I just got up from my desk, went home, got in bed and figured if I was going to die I would do it there. I guess my heart was racing. I don't remember. My next one also came at work not long after the first. I think maybe only 1/2 of my face was tingling but as I was working in a medical clinic they took my bp and it was way up. They thought it was a stroke so they sent me to my dr who said it was a panic attack. I was probably already on anti-depressants, so he just added Xanax. I went for a long time after that without another tingling attack but!
have had lots of anxiety attacks. I am now on Clonazepam for anxiety and Lexapro for depression. I know what you mean, then are no fun! My last was when I was in the hospsital last spring and did the tingling thing again and got real agitated so the dr gave me an extra 2 mg dose of Clonazepam.
I was supposed to go see a new psych tomorrow a.m. but my ins co has pretty much stopped paying for me to go anywhere except ER by ambulance and all of the wheelchair transport places I called were either too expensive or I had to fill out an application that will take 3 weeks. I am still not sure my wheelchair is going to work as it is really wide and I had been told once before that the wheels wouldn't go on the tracks but I guess we will find out.
Hildred in NC
TM since '76
-----Original Message-----
From: Grace <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: TMIC <tmic-list@eskimo.com>
Sent: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 09:25:16 -0500
Subject: [TMIC] Spinal cord/Depression/Panic attacks.
Yesterday I had to go see a psychiatrist. Since March 6th, I've been having horrific panic attacks. I spoke to my neuros office and was told that it is common for people suffering cord insult to have problems like these---not just because of the depression that comes along with the physical disability, but also from the drugs used to treat it. With my Devic's, I'm on huge doses of not only prednisone but other immunosuppressants, and of course the myriad of other drugs used to keep me functioning. Have any of you dealt with this issue, and if so what helped? For now, they've prescribed Zoloft and Xanax.
I swear to you, the first panic attack I had was so horrific that I fled my house at 4:30 A.M., making the drive to my ex's house so I wouldn't be alone. I could not catch my breath, my face and fingers were going numb, and I quite literally wanted to *run* up and down the street. Since then, I've had several more, the last one necessitating a trip to the hospital at 11:00 o'clock at night. My oldest daughter has come back to stay with me as I am terrified of being alone.
My question is this---why does cord insult itslf cause depression regardless of degree of disability?
Grace
