ptsd Anxiety

[martin]

hello everyone,i was wondering if i'm the only one or what? i was diagnosed with ptsd, and anxiety, panic disorder at the V.A. after returning from Iraq in Aug 2005. i started having shortness of breath.( i belive its just a sensation..it sucks) i went to my civilian doc, who couldnt find out why, i was referred to a pulmonologist..same thing..nothing. he did ask if i had been under stress latley? at the time i said yes, i just got back from the sandbox, and was wouded twice. i was then referred to a cardiologist to do a stress test. all was normal. i dont want to go back to see the V.A. psychologist.doesnt do much good. the meds i'm on dont really do anything for my anxiety, and panic disorder.i am going to see a shrink on the civilian side to see what kind of help is available. either counseling, or better medication. i am not as bad off as i was a year ago,(i know i'm not going to drop dead) but still feel bad. has anyone had the same symptoms with these diagnosis, or am i just nutts? i do tend to think something is wrong with me when i have a so called 'panic attack' out of the blue.i am currently service connected 70% for ptsd, and 10% for headches from a minor T.B.I. any suggestions on medication to help these symptoms?...martin

[martin]

wow! lots of great advice. thanks everyone.i will look into getting a civilian doctor this week, and see if i can do something about this. EMDR? hmmmm i'll ask about it.i know its all in my head. i wasnt too, too bad on shortness of breath, then guess what? memorial day. i got to thinking too much about things,and started to feel starved for air.yesterday i decided to smoke some meat in the backyard, and the wife was stressing me out that smoke was getting in the house.that was 2 strikes against me in a single weekend.i felt i was under the thumb.from that point, is where my anxiety was getting out of whack.i'm not as bad today.a little dab of stress will do it to me for some reason.i know its so petty, but i cant help it. i know i'm not going to pass out, i aint turning blue or anything like that. i just hate it. i've been seen at the V.A. for over 1 year now, and hate to say it,their not really helping.its like a revolving door, in and out in 10 minutes.thanks for the encouragement, and the well wishes. now i dont feel like i'm by myself with this. its really "debillitating"( i think that how you spell it.) now i have a basic idea of what to ask the psychiatrist when i see him/her.i also have a problem with driving onto ANY road where there isnt a shoulder incase i have to pull over. i have to have a way out if i start to have an attack of anxiety or panic.if i feel trapped, or that i have no way out of a traffic situatioin, i start to sweat, and my heart rate goes from 84 BPM to something like (guessing) 170 BPM in a matter of seconds.i'm terrified of the highway.i cant do it anymore.it freaks me out.the guys at work think its weird, but as i tell them "youv'e never had a car bomb blow up next to you while driving down the road have you?"?.......martin

[Jay Johnson]

That's classic PTSD stuff there:-( The wife got to a point where she would "see death" all around her every time she got into the car. She would visualize running off of the road and crashing into a tree and, of course, she doesn't drive anymore as a result.

Her issues, though, were just generalized fears and hallucinations from MST. I would imagine your issue, being far more specific to driving, is going to be even more difficult to deal with. I hate to say it, but you may want to stop driving all together until you can get a better grasp on your symptoms....you could end up being a danger to yourself, or others.

[Sarah]

EMDR - I forgot to add this link for you. This is just general and EMDR treatment is different for every situation, fortunately my daughter and I were able to go through the same treatment simultaneously. My case of anxiety is mild compared to PTSD anxiety.

EMDR - http://www.emdr.com/

[Josephine]

Martin,

I have written my story before of my visit to the ear doctor in West Virginia, which at that time was only about 45 miles away from my home.

I can remember my husband fussing at me for I was making him stop the car every few miles, just so that I could sit on the side of the road and get some air.

To get to West Virginia, we had to drive through this long, long tunnel and I thought that I would die.

When I came out of the doctors office, I was sitting on a roadroad tie crying, for I did not know how I was going to get home. There I set with a cell phone in my hand talking to my daughter on the telephone.

Well we finally made it back to the tunnel, and guess what," I could not talk to myself enough to make it through.

Afrer coaxing from the West Virginia and Virginia State Police, we finally made it through.

Our 45 miles only took 5 hours to get back home.

No, Martin, I don't drive. I once went to a Pscyologist and she said to me, " If you don't drive yourself to my office, don't come back". I never saw her again.

My doctor told me if driving makes me this nervous to stay off the roads and never drive before I kill myself of someone else. I was so nervous that my hands were wringing wet with water from fear.

I hope that this helps you.

Josephine

Edited May 29, 2007 by Josephine

[Hoppy]

Martin,

I forgot about the pulse rate jump. Same thing happened to me. I asked my brother if when he had his heart attack if his pulse rate changed. He said no. That made me feel a little better. I also had the high pulse rate during the night time attacks. I drove to the ER several times in middle of the night but by the time I got there I was feeling better and did not go in. I figured they would just tell me I was crazy. I sat outside the ER for an hour or so in case something got weird I could make a dash into the ER.

Pete,

I got to the point where I would not run ten feet for over five years. When I got my 100% I bought a truck. I have only been on a bus once since then. It was a crowded bus and I did have to talk my self into relaxing. It was quite odd because the bus was going to a pro golf tournament I wanted to see.

[Stretch]

Martin,

I had shortness of breath SOB many times. Allen posted an article about allergies to certain drugs. I read it. I found out that I was allergic to Propoxipene (Darvon). Somehow this was causing a hyper-inflation of my lungs. Seems like I could breath out but I could barely breath in. Stopped the Darvon. Jerrel, told me about hyper-inflation of the lungs, and he probably saved my life. Even the VA thought it was a heart attack.

I am also conservative with using my albuterol for COPD.