Could this be a panic attack?

Hi. I am fairly new to this board. I have been reading for some time and now I have a few questions. I had my total vaginal hysterectomy in April of this year. I am 41 years old. About 15 years ago I started having panic attacks which led to deppession. After many tests I was finally put on prozac. The panic went away and the deppression was better. I switched from prozac to paxil about 7 years ago and added klonopin for stress. After my hysterectomy I felt so much better I talked with my doctor about getting off the paxil and klonopin. I was having such bad withdrawls and the deppression was so bad that he suggested I go back on the paxil. I asked to try something different in hopes that I would be able to sleep better. I started Celexa, but never went back to the klonopin. I was feeling better until a few months ago when I started having headaches. I upped my dose of Celexa by 10 mgs and felt a little better but now I am having headaches again. Ok, here is the biggest problem. I woke up the other day with a headache and when I stood up I felt off balance. I went to the bathroom and when I stood up again I felt dizzy. I got this overwhelming feeling that I was going to pass out and it felt as if my blood was running cold then hot all in a matter of seconds. I was feeling as if I were dying. I have had hot flashes before and this was not a hot flash. I am taking 1.25 premarin and it seems to control the hot flashes pretty well. This feeling I got came back a few more times and again this morning. When I suffered from panic attacks years ago I think they felt somewhat the same but it has been so long ago that I am not for sure. After reading some of the other posts I am wondering if it is related to my hormones. I was also thinking maybe the celexa is not working for me and causing me to have panic attacks, if that is what it is. I do have an appointment with my family doctor in the morning to discuss this with him. I know this is a long post but I am so scared of having panic attacks again and thought maybe someone else has gone though something like this that could give me some advice. Thanks in advance, Jeanna

oh jeanna, here's some 's
i hope i catch you before you go to the dr. this could all very well be related to your hormones. i had similar problems that were remedied with progesterone. i had the dizzies and they left when i got off the premarin. i am now on bio identical hrt and it works great for me. i hope this helps.

I talked with him about the hormones and he didn't seem to think that is the problem. I am still thinking it is. He wants me to stop the celexa and go back on the paxil. He said if I am still feeling bad after taking paxil he will check into changing the premarin. I am duing the progest cream twice a day, 21 days a month. I seem to have less hot flashes since I started the cream. I woke up in the middle of the night with a feeling of unrealism, I couldn't talk myself into thinking straight. Finally I fell back to sleep. I got up to an uneasy feeling and had what I think was another panic attack. I hope my life doesn't take a turn for the worst because after my hysterectomy I was feeling so much better. Thanks for listening. Jeanna

I'm sorry you're so uncomfortable.

I started reading your post and remembered my struggle with panic attacks and depression. I was plagued for years by heart palpitations, sudden episodes of dread and foreboding. (Your dizzy, lightheaded feeling sounds all too familiar.)

Then came the depression and the attendant prescriptions for Prozac and then something else to control any Prozac-induced, manic moments. It all stopped after my total hysterectomy in April 2002. I was so pleased about my depression lifting, that I asked my psychopharmacologist to taper me off of Prozac. He agreed and recommended I take Sam-e to maintain the excellent, unexpected outcome of my surgery.

I take Sam-e every day. 800mg does the trick. In addition to keeping your emotional well being in check, Sam-e is also good for joint health as well as liver health. Between the Sam-e and my 2mg of Estradiol a day, I've never felt better emotionally.

My doctor isn't sure why my surgery had such an impact on correcting my emotional health. I tend to believe that the body goes through all kinds of changes when trying to support sick organs -- and my uterus and ovaries were very sick indeed. I believe that in the body's attempt to support sick organs, all kinds of imbalances occur. Perhaps this is why my emotional health suffered in the first place.

I say talk to your doctor. Ask about Sam-e. Another thing, if your doctor is not a psychopharmacologist, get one. Psychopharmacologists are the experts when it comes to anti-depressants as well as other drugs used for treating emotional imbalances.

And please stay in touch.

many women are reporting here that their dr's don't want to work with them of their hrt....esp. since the big study. i am just relating what happened to me.....premarin did not agree with me at all and i am now successfully on bio identical hrt. please keep us updated on how your are feeling.