Panic/Anxiety Attacks

Hi! Did any of you sisters out there experience panic/anxiety attacks before or after your hyst? I experienced what I believed to be a panic/anxiety (my first ever) attack a couple days before my hyst. It's been almost six weeks and I experienced another one last night. I think last nights was brought on by thinking about post op appt. on Friday and going back to work on Monday the 15th. Would love to hear from any of you that have experienced the same.

Yes I have had a couple of panic attacks since and some insomnia too. I did keep one ovary and I am also hypothyroid and am now on too much synthroid so hopefully now with it being cut back I will be feeling better. I would call the Dr and mention it to them because they might want to check hormone levels and maybe run a Thyroid panel. Hope you are feeling better.

I suffer from aniexty and panic attacks and the dr says it is a way of the body coping. It is your body asking the age old question fleet or fight? Talk to your dr as there are medications out there that work and I was even able to take mine the morning of surgery which allowed me to have an easier experience as I am afraid of needles and going to sleep in OR etc.

Thanks for the quick replies! I have been having my attacks at night and it's just like it creeps over your body with a tingling sensation and my chest feels funny and I get kind of dizzy or "out of it". What kind of symptoms did you all have?

I might have had one the other night....I couldn't sleep and when I did fall asleep I woke up gasping for air. It wasn't typical of previous attacks, but once I talked to some other sisters I felt better, and last night I slept fine.
I think we all have anxiety over the physical and emotional trauma we go through from a hysterectomy, and the best thing to do is talk about it, here with our sisters, but if it becomes too overwhelming you should definitely contact your doctor, or therapist, if you have one.
Blessings and s!!

Hi Cheryl,

I used to get panic attacks all the time about 2 - 1/2 years ago. Hubby lost his job and all of the sudden my body freaked on me. I went to doc's, emergency care centers, and a therapist for a while. Doc's gave me xanax and paxil. Then I got off the paxil cuz it was making me really lazy and tired. Went back to doc and he put me on Lexapro 10 ml and I hardly ever use the xanax anymore. I think when we have panic attacks there is something on our mind that we are a afraid of dealing with. For you it might be that your afraid to go back to work, which I can totally understand. I still have 3 weeks to go. Maybe try and see your primary for help. I would have the same symtoms as you. And let me tell you that is a scary feeling.

Good Luck

Maureen

LoveLabs-
I have had that version too, like if I lay to rest and kind of drift off to sleep I wake up gasping for air and my head feels a little dizzy. I'm so glad that I a can come here and talk to my sisters about this and know that I'm not off my rocker! Last night when I had my attack I tried to remain calm and breathe deeply through my mouth and that seemed to work....but then you worry that when you try to go back to sleep it will happen again! I will have a talk to my gny about this on Friday when I go back for my post-op. Thanks!

Maureen-
It is a VERY scary feeling! I think you're right - the thought of the follow up on Friday and then heading back to work on Monday has got me worrying for whatever reason. I know that I have enjoyed being home for/with my kids and hubby...I think that's one of the biggest reasons I worry about going back. I have an appt. with my primary in March and will mention it to her as well as my gyn.

I have the same symptoms and my hands go numb too. I had panic attacks years go and have my thyroid adjusted got rid of them. I know it is a combination of the surgery and the thyroid being outta whack. I do have an emergency supply of Xanax and I did take one and that seemed to help and at least relax me enough to get to sleep. Let us know what your Dr says.

Pre-op I've been dealing with chronic anxiety since adolescence. I started taking zoloft a few years ago and it worked great for me. I had all kinds of anxiety attacks but never full-on panic attacks. Mostly I get short of breath, I can't sleep or concentrate, and basically don't function well until it passes. It's hard to clear my mind of unpleasantness when it's happening. The problems have been cyclical, coinciding with my period, so in a few months when I'm more fully recovered from my surgery I'm going off the zoloft to see what happens (under dr. supervision of course).