Fibromyalgia Support Group

Hi everyone my name is Cindy and was recently diagnosed after 25+ years of symptoms. I was originally told 18 years ago it was MS but all MRI scans since have been clean so I'am glad to know finally what I have been dealing with. Of course there is more to my story but it would be a novel! No need, or stamina to write it! My question is this, Leslie wrote earlier about dealing with the fight or flight response recently and that is something I've tried to deal with for a long time but really never knew what specifically caused it. Is it a common symptom of Fibro? I never put the two together and it sure would be a relief to know the cause as it is so much easier dealing with symptoms when I know where they originate. I can be doing okay and then boom out of the blue my pulse starts to race and I have alot of anxiety then after awhile I calm down. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Leslie, I hope your feeling better I really feel for you it's awful and for anyone else that deals with that along with everything else.

Are you having panic attacks? Sounds like it; or, are you on meds that could increase your heart rate? Elavil did that to me, and it was awful! Like a full-on panic attack, but not panicking!

Hi Ushie, Yes it sure feels like panic attacks to me but I'm not aware of being unusually stressed at the time it happens it just comes on suddenly. I must not be aware of it thats the only thing I can come up with. I'm not on any Meds. Cymbalta and Nuvigil was suggested but I'm trying diet and am on c-pap so I will see how that goes the side effects of drugs scare me but I do realize it comes down to quality of life and am open to it just want to see if the other can help first. Thanks for your response Ushie. Hope to talk with you more.

Hi

I used to work with panic attack support group. One of the things that is peculiar to panic attacks , which confuses many, is that they will come on suddenly , when you are not even stressed out.

That is because when you finally realx after much stress - you relax and your body says to the mind - OKAY - nwo we can finally go into the fight or flight mode - because before we were too busy to mess around with that.

SO there you sit - finally mellowing out and BANG - fight or flight !

hugs, Raoul

It can also make your heart feel like its going to beat right out of your chest. I finally was diagnosed with tachycardia after thinking I was having panic attacks all the time. After I was put on the med for it then I realized I was having about 3 a week so I went on Paxil and have done pretty good with it but I am also on Seroquel.

Thanks Rauol! I really appreciate your input it helps to have confirmation that it is very likely panic attacks and not some other health issue. With all that goes on with fibro it's hard to know if it's all fibro or not.I need to stop worrying don't I! I'm so grateful for this forum it sure does help to be able to ask questions and have them answered by people who know first hand. It's a hard one to deal with when you feel so awful but look fine. People just don't understand. I'm so glad to be here and hope I can be a help to others as well.

Thanks Shell, I will have to look up Tachycardia and take a look at symptoms just to be sure I would hate to ignore symptoms and it turn out to be something else. Thanks for the info I really appreciate it! I'm glad to hear your doing better and are panic free,thank goodness they figured it out so you don't have to go through that anymore.

Hi, changes4me2, there is therapy for panic attacks and Cymbalta works for me on many levels, and free-floating anxiety is one of them!