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Heart rate during panic attacks.


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Hi, everyone. I'm a medical student currently suffering from panic disorder. Not surprisingly, there is very poor data regarding the average heart rate experienced by a patient during their panic attacks. For those of you who have measured your heart rate during such attacks, can you please share with me your info?

 

In my own case, my heart usually gets somewhere between 140-160 for moderate panic attacks, and for full-blown panic attacks it's more like 160-180. This seems higher than what I've heard from other patients and has given me some concern, so I'd appreciate more data to try and get an idea about what is normal so I can help my patients (and myself!) in the future. Thanks!

 

***Just to clarify, this request is for both my own reassurance and so that I can reassure patients in the future.***

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I developed panic attacks in 2005 when I was twenty-three. They resolved with treatment (paroxetine 37.5 mg, clonazepam 1 mg). Came off paroxetine in 2008, remained on clonazepam until 2013 (see signature below). Panic attacks re-emerged during this recent clonazepam use/discontinuation. I've never experienced panic attacks while taking clonazepam because it really really works wonders for me, but I can't stay on it and be functional in medical school, and I don't have an active prescription, just leftovers from the previous prescription.
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Thank you!

 

I found some posts regarding heart rate: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?action=search2

 

I haven't read them, so I don't know if they'll help you. People have all kinds of of benzo symptoms with heart rate rising and being quite scary, then falling, frightening heart palpitations, too. Similarly are the problems with bp. Basically anything that is affected by the nerves (which is everything in the body) can be a target of benzo symptoms. 

 

Severe withdrawals after stopping the 0.5 mg. Psychiatrist denied that it could be withdrawal/discontinuation syndrome. Only willing to provide 10 1/8 mg tablets. This is all I have to work with. That's very unfortunate. I'm very sorry.

 

This is what we constantly get: denial by doctors, and doctors who want to cut off patients from the benzo. This can be very dangerous, can lead to seizures, and is certainly not "doing no harm."

 

One of the reasons benzo symptoms have not been recognized by the general public is because doctors choose to deny any benzo symptoms and turn their backs on people who need help desperately. Instead we are told that it is preexisting symptoms returning or "it's all in your head."

 

I'm sorry, I'm not keeping this to heart rate. But I think you, as a medical student, ought to be very cognizant of benzo symptoms in order to treat a patient fairly. This CANNOT keep going on forever. Too many lives have been gone due to suicide.

 

I hope some other people chime in with their experiences regarding very high heart rate.  :hug:

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Thank you both so much for replying! Another question I have is how long the attacks typically last. We were taught in our neurology/psychiatry course that the attacks should last no longer than 15 minutes, but I’ve personally had them last longer than a half hour, and I’ve also had two back-to-back, putting the entire episode around forty-five minutes to an hour.

 

Has anyone had a similar experience or know anyone who has?

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I think you'd get more answers if you posed this question in either the Cold Turkey, Detox & Rapid Withdrawal or Post-Withdrawal Recovery Support or both, kedeia.
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Will do, though to be clear I wasn't really trying to limit these questions to just withdrawal symptoms or onset, and anyone who experienced panic attacks is welcome and appreciated in responding.
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