Black out

Lazzzycat · Post by **Lazzzycat** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:00 am

I am just wondering if anyone, in the midst of a panic attack gets so bad that they start to black out. I have never fainted, but part of my vision goes black. I also, have chest pains, and difficulty breathing, and heart palpitations...of which I know are typical symptoms. Any one experince similar attacks?

Post by » Wed Oct 01, 2008 5:39 am

yes i do

CarolynEd.Dir. · Post by **CarolynEd.Dir.** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:05 am

This is a symptom of over or under breathing...before it gets to this point correct your breathing with the 2/4 breathing taught in the program. Remember your six steps.

Wishing you both well, Carolyn

Lazzzycat · Post by **Lazzzycat** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:13 am

I am not sure what it is...it is instantaneous. I think that if it were breathing it would take a minute or so. This was within about a second of the event that upset me. Could it be too much adrenalin being released suddenly? I haven't researched that so I don't really know. Maybe a rush of blood to my brain from sudden increase in blood pressure???

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 8:32 am

I've never completly blacked out, but I'll get a wave of nausea that comes over me. It's bad if I'm driving. Then I can't can't get that feeling out of my head and it comes back. It's a vicious circle. After that, I'm very tired.

Lazzzycat · Post by **Lazzzycat** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:00 am

Manofmusic...

I get the nausea and the fatigue too. The blackouts have only happened a few times, thank goodness! But,I just wish it would all go away! I am so tired of feeling this way...but even more tired of being misunderstood!!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:37 pm

Lazzzycat

Judging by the other post you left (thank you, by the way), you've been thru quite a bit.
Don't give up. I'm tired of feeling this way too. I want to be able to go outside for a long time without hyperventilating. Just take it one day at a time.

FrancesL · Post by **FrancesL** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:07 pm

Lazzzycat,

That happens to me and it is the symptom I hate the most! I have blacked out a good amount of times over the years. It feels horrible! I know!
There is a situation where people DO faint in the midst of the attack...do you have medical/blood/injury phobias? If so, this is a situation where this can happen because the body's fight/flight response actually works differently than other panic situations.
Usually the dizziness creeps up on me if it's regular panic. There have been a handful of times where I wasn't nervous, wasn't thinking any negative thoughts and a wave of black started to come over me.
Sometimes I would pass out completely, other times I would be on the verge of conciousness and not. That's a weird place to be. I hear like a sea sound...a "SSSHHH", and there's a weird smell, and I'm really hot. It sounds like people are talking to me down a long tunnel and I can't make out what they are saying sometimes.

If you do have that specific phobia that actually can cause you to black out, PM me and I will tell you where you can learn more about it. It really isn't always under or overbreathing, although that is what causes the dizziness MOST of the time.

Lazzzycat · Post by **Lazzzycat** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:22 pm

Hi Frances,

Thank you for your reply. No, I don't have any medical or injury phobias. It is always situational...and an immediate physiological reponse. I do believe that the dizziness, for me, is because my pulse gets up to 120 beats per minute and I am sure that I am breathing fast as well. So, I understand that part of it. If you can send me information on the blacking out I would appreciate it, thank you. I will PM you as soon as I post this.

I am sorry that you pass out a lot...I would be worried about falling and getting hurt. I hope you protect yourself from doing so!

Lazzzycat

sml · Post by **sml** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:24 pm

Hi - Just wondering if you have had a checkup lately...may be a good idea just to rule out that it is only anxiety. I have MVP (mitral valve prolapse) and have blacked out because of it.