Panic Attack or Low Potassium?

Posted , 5 users are following.

Hello, I am a 21 year old female and I have been experiencing some crazy weird things this summer. Side note: I have struggled with generalized anxiety disorder my whole life. Medications either did not work or made me suicidal/ worse anxiety. Anyways, about 2 months ago after a night of drinking with some friends, I was walking in a forest preserve with some friends. After a while, I started to feel some tingling in my finger tips. I thought maybe I touched something I was allergic to so we jumped back in the car to head home to get some Benadryl. While in the car, the tingling spread around my face and all throughout my legs. Not even 2 minutes later I was on the ground yelling "IM HAVING A HEART ATTACK GET ME TO A HOSPITAL" because of the intense squeezing I felt in my chest and abdomen (I would rate it as a 9/10 on the intensity scale). Shortly after dropping to the ground, my arms and hands curled inward and became paralyzed, I could no longer talk because of how tight my facial muscles became, and my eyes were twitching uncontrollably. I got hit with "waves" of this about three times. Once I got to the hospital, I was told I was in SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) with a heart rate in the 170s and was given 3 doses of adenosine (that did not work), 2 doses of metoprolol (which worked!), and one dose of ativan because I was panicking so severely. I was diagnosed with a panic attack and sent on my merry way.

Flash forward two months. After another night of drinking with my friends, the next day around 1 in the afternoon I am driving home with my friend when I start to feel the familiar tingling sensation. I pull over so I can try to calm down and make sure I control my breathing. I did not feel comfortable driving so I had my friend drive the rest of the way home. The entire car ride my hands were tingling and eventually almost felt numb. We pull into my friends driveway, I get out of the car, and BAM I am hit with the chest tightness and uncontrollable contractions yet again. I can't talk, I can't walk, nothing. I was rushed to the hospital again where they did NOTHING and I sat with a heart rate jumping between 125-158 for nearly 3 hours before my heart rate went back down to its normal (which is usually between 65-80 bpm).

On the first occassion, my potassium was 3.3. The second occassion, my potassium was 3.0. I eat pretty healthy and incorporate a lot of nuts, avocados, and things that are high in potassium! Has anyone else experienced something like this? The only two links I have so far are I was drinking the night before and that my potassium and magnesium are low. Side note: I am not drinking excessively to the point of throwing up or anything like that, just a few drinks.

I dont feel as if these are panic attacks, but if they are, how do I stop them!?

0 likes, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi there,

    Wow, those sound like really frightening experiences.

    I can't say wether they are panic attacks or not but what I can say is that when I used to drink some of my worse panic attacks ever (going to the hospital) were the day after drinking, seriously scary panic attacks, in fact that is one of the reasons I never drink now.

    Do you feel ok the rest of the time?

    Maybe you could go to your GP for a chat and to get a thorough blood work done, to check on your sodium/potassium/ magnesium etc

  • Posted

    Hello,

    I know this is an old post - but i was just wondering if you ended up getting any answers about what caused these episodes/how to treat it?

    ive had multiple almost identical episodes happening fairly frequently over the last 12 months and the only thing that has shown up is low potassium. But all the usual causes of low potassium have been ruled out.

    Thank you for sharing - I havent come across many people who have had these types of symptoms.

  • Posted

    I had the same thing happen to me 10+ years ago at my first adult job working night shift. started feeling weird right before time to leave and when i got in my truck my feet went numb so i planned to hurry home to sleep. I got about 2 miles down the road and had to pull over. My whole body went numb and my hands curled up, it was nearly impossible to dial 911. Paramedics assumed panic attack, the only thing the ER told me was lowish calcium so they gave me an iv. after 1-2 hours the symptoms dwindled and i remember being exhausted for a few days after. This was the start of the anxiety i would continue to have. I am going to try to get records from that day because i think there could have been an issue with my potassium. I recently somewhat similar things happen and my potassium is definitely low at 3.2. Making sure I get enough helps so much.

  • Edited

    sorry i replied to an old comment in the wrong place. hope the potassium helps

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