GarnetFox

I've got a medical condition at the moment which means that I have to put up with niggling pain almost constantly. I'm learning to handle it as the hospital don't know how to treat it yet.

When it hurts more than usual I find myself hyperventilating through panic. These attacks can last up to a week and make my fingers tingle through lack of oxygen (I think that is it). I hate not being able to breath properly, so does anyone know good ways to stop the hyperventilating?

Cheers.

Foxy xx

mega_stream

Breathe into a paper bag (I'm no medic, but thats the way I've heard regulates your breathing)

GarnetFox

I will search for one, ta MS!

astraboy

I'd go for the bag deal too mate. Your fingers tingling wont be through lack of oxygen cos you'll be getting too much of the stuff cos you're over breathing.
Hope you're okay soon mate.
astraboy.

ChrisB

http://www.nhsdirect.co.uk/ is a good place to start searching. It pointed me to this as an example:

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/nhsdohes...=Panicdisorder

Hoppy

Foxy, you will get good general advice from the often amazing Scoobynet community, but panic attacks are majorly distressing and you need to seek professional advice relating to your personal circumstances.

All I would say is that true panic attacks (but it maybe something else) are in your own mind, and therefore under your control. There are various ways of regaining that control (therapy, drugs etc) but they need talking through with an expert who understands your particular condition.

Good luck, mate,

Richard.

Jolly Green Monster 2

My wife struggles with breathing sometimes due to astyma(sp?)
and the best way we find it to regulate her breathing to something.. she panics and it gets worse of course.

If I slowly rub her back she gets her breathing in line with it..

Or if she is on her own she breathes in and counts to two and breaths out and counts to two etc.. although this doesn't always work as she is so worked up she counts too quick but I think you get the idea.

As said above though go and see your doctor for proper advice.

JGM

MrDBM

paper bag is good - lowers your o2 count as you're breathing in mostly waste gases... - works very well

Harry Potter

Right this is what I use to treat when I was in training!

Brown paper bag is great treatment, it raises the Carbon Dioxide levels in you blood stream back to normal.

When you hyperventilate you blow off Carbon dioxide, this changes the Ph (acid level) in your blood all be it marginally, called a respiratory alkalosis.

This in turn effects the nerves and give you weired feelings of tingling/numbness in hands/feet and arround mouth.

Associated head weiredness leads to feeling of going mad/about to die/ run amok etc.

Your GP councillor with "anxiety management" +/- modern antidepressants can be 100% effective.

If your pain is "nerve pain" get the Drs to perscribe Venlafaxine as this is excellent analgesic and antidepressants that we have shown in clincal trials to be far better toleareted and more effective than Amitriptyline (which is the usual cheap old treatment).

Harry Potter

If your pain is an extension of your RSI then the Venlafaxine will definetly help

CataIunya

I used to suffer from panic attacks, they were brought on by stress. It started with Palpitations and all my extremities would start to tingle due to the adrenalin. Then my chest would start to tighten until I thought I would die. Nobody ever dies from a panic attack though.
Its funny though as Driving used to set it off I would have to get out and walk around until the adrenalin had been burnt off. Exercise is very good way to get rid or anxiety attacks as you use up all the excess adrenalin that is produced. If your hyper-ventilating though that might not be a good idea but the breathing into a bag will work as mentioned before.

See a profesional though, I had a course of Beta Blockers and anti-depressents and now I don't suffer from them at all. You will be going through a very low ebb at the moment but you will not have them for ever and you will learn to over come then.

Carlos The Jackel

I used to find my panic attacks were a mental thing, if I tried to do something like go for a walk or even the driving range to hit some ***** would help. It would keep me awake the whole night if not. Just to blank the problem from my mind by doing something