Panic attacks

[Guest guest]

I haven't had a panic attack for years - many years. I used to be

claustrophobic to the point that I would panic if the lanes on the highway

narrowed down to one with a concrete barrier on one side and construction cones

on the other - even if the traffic was moving steadily. If it was stop and go -

I was a mess. I had to get on an airplane 3 years ago to visit my husband in

Germany. I used to love to fly but hadn't flown overseas since this started. I

was terrified I'd panic on the airplane. I was a little anxious but planned

ahead and managed to overcome the feeling before it overwhelmed me and had a

wonderful " second honeymoon " with . Even now, though, I can't sit on the

inner seat of a booth at a restaurant without that closed in feeling but it

hasn't turned into a full-fledged panic attack for a long, long time.

About two weeks ago, my husband was playing around. We have a small (very

small) coat closet we converted to a toilet (really - only a toilet). I was in

there and he pretended to open the door by jiggling the handle loudly. It's a

family joke - people do it often (but only with immediate family). Well, he

jiggled too much and the door opened. I grabbed the handle (yes - it's that

small, I could do that easily), and pulled the door shut, holding it tight. He

went stomping up the steps next to the bathroom and then came down a minute

later. I heard noise in the keyhole and immediately was in panic mode. I

thought he'd gotten the key and was locking the door. In five seconds, I was

screaming and crying and ready to break down the old oak door to the bathroom to

get out. He had no idea his joke would affect me like that and was very

apologetic, but I was shaky and weepy for quite a while afterwards.

Since then, nothing has set me off like that but yesterday I started having

mini-mini panic attacks - lasting only 20-30 seconds at most - but they were

uncomfortable nonetheless. Nothing reasonable prompted them. One time, it

occurred while I was pulling on rather tight snow boots. Another time, I was

wrapping a scarf around my neck. Other times, it wasn't related to anything at

all that I could identify - most of them occurred while I was in bed trying to

get to sleep. I had a terrible time trying to get to sleep. I'd have one of

these episodes and couldn't catch my breath as a result. Finally calm down and

it would start over again. Oh, it happened while taking my supplements both

last night and the night before.

I had migraines for two days that finally ended yesterday. Probably hormonal.

These mini episodes overlapped with my headache.

I don't know what to do about these. They really have me spooked. I'm anxious

about more attacks, especially since they seem so random and in the past I could

usually predict what would precipitate one. Also, I've never had a reaction

when I felt breathing was impaired as a result of the attack until the ones I

had yesterday. Another reason to panic...seems like it could become a vicious

cycle.

Is it possible that iodine or any of the companion supplements or B vitamins

could be contributory to this? I have no idea whether the joke played on me is

related or not, either. I have no idea how to prevent future attacks - I have

no trust in my doctor helping me beyond throwing a prescription my way - a

prescription I absolutely will not take. (Oh, years ago, I also had panic

attacks over taking a bunch of supplements that I had just added to my routine

while doing Loretta's gallbladder/liver cleanse. I haven't had that reaction

for a long, long time until night before last. I'm hesitant to take them today

because I don't want to precipitate another one).

Help?

Pamela