I thought I was having panic attacks now same thing happening to 8 yr old daughter

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

I am a 31 yr old mother of four. Out of the blue on 1/31/07 I was watching American Idol and all of a sudden my heart started pounding out of my chest, my arms felt warm and tingly. My whole body was trembling. I thought I was having a heart attack. Went to the ER and have had every test run on me ( EKG, CT Scan, Chest Xray, Blood work, halter monitor etc.) and they all have come back normal.  I really thought I was dying Now I walk around feeling my chest constantly checking to see if my heart is racing. Am I having panic attacks? Now all of a sudden my daughter is having a pounding heart for no reason. Nothing stressful. Off and on.   Both of our hearts pound sevearl times a day. Any activity  (walking etc) seems to increase the heart rate.  Her pediatrician is now sending her for an EKG, Holter monitor,  chest xrays the works.  All of my tests came back normal and I have a feeling hers will too.  Our pulse is always high still even when not having panic attacks or whatever is going on. If these are panic attacks would are pulses be in the 90's and 100's all the time since 1/30/07 = now 2/23/07  Too weird that the same thing is now happening to my daughter.  Now she is scared to go to sleep or school and I am little afraid for her too.  Waking in the middle of the night checking how fast or hard her heart is beating.  They give me Zoloft Klonopin and Xanax to help with mine but what can I do to slow my daughters?  Mother freaking out for herself and now even more for her daughter. What is going on?

[Beewoman]

Have you both been tested for hyperthyroidism?  TSH, T4 and T3 levels should all be tested as my son started with these symptoms and after many months, heart rate at +140 !!!!!  we insisted on a thyroid test and he was off the charts!

It may not be this but it is worth exploring.

Good luck

[ronamom]

Help!  My 16 year old daughter began having severe nausea, vomiting, dizziness and passing out about a year ago. Sometimes her hands and feet went numb.   She also had tachycardia. She had eps of her heart done in March of '08.  The surgeon found  an extra pathway in her heart which they removed.  She went symptom free for a few months and then the symptoms resurfaced. But the holter monitor this time revealed no svt characteristics.  She's passing out at a heart rate of 170.  She had a tilt test done which came back borderline but not conclusive.  She has been taking Florinef for 6 weeks and is still having episodes.  Yesterday I checked her sugar while she felt bad and it was 92.   What are the possible illnesses that this could be?  She tested positive for IGG markers for Epstein Barr in January.   What diagnostic testing could give me some direction?

[eagleboy]

I'm blogging in an optimistic way, come and join: www.nopanicattack.blogspot.com

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

I went today for the stress test and echo and everything looks normal. I haven't received the results from the pictures they took of my heart with the radioactive dye.  That should tell alot.  My daughter is wearing the holter monitor untill 9:44am tomorrow.  She had and EKG and chest Xrays but have no results yet. In the process of getting her an appointment with a pediatric cardioligist.  The person who did the echo on me thinks maybe a mitral valve prolapse but is having the cardiologist look over it because she wasn't sure.  She said a flap would be tucked under and really couldn't tell if mine was that way fr sure or not. She said it is hereditary can be passed from mother to daughter with sudden onset of symptoms. They do not think it is anxiety/panic attacks since daughter has same symptoms.  They said it is highly unlikely for an 8 yr old to have anxiety /panic attacks.  I asked if I could be freaking her out.  They said not likely.  If it were panic attacks the pounding heart would stop once attack would end.  She wouldn't have pounding heart for weeks and I had it for about a month. Plus nothing strenuos or stressful happening at time of attacks.  Watching TV, going over homework etc.  It justs starts pounding suddenly.  I think maybe when mine first happened maybe it caused me to have a panic attack due to me not knowing why my heart was pounding because the first time I had shortness of breath. Both arms went warm and tingly.   Mine has seem to go away just as quickly as they came on. Just a few chest pains on left side sometimes. Today when my daughter went for the tests her heart seemd to calming down also. It figures it wouldn't be pounding when they did the test so they can see what I am talking about. We both also had Bronchitus before all of this started so not sure if that has anything to do with it. They also think it could possibly be some kind of environmental exposure like mold spores or contaminated water.  We live near an old landfill and there was a huge settlement right before we moved in about a year ago to all in the area due to the water causing cancer and other health problems so we are in the works of getting this checked out. But we are on city water so not sure if others were on city water when this was causing problems before.  Right now it is still a mystery.  I just wish we could find out so I could fix whatever the problem is or move if it is something we are being exposed to.  Thanks for all of your comments and suggestions.  This has been a nice resource to go to for questions and concerns.  I will let you know if we come up with a definite diagnosis.

[suzi-q]

I have been reading the post and am curious as to what the doctors have said.  If it isn't anything medical and if it is not carbon monoxide, then it is anxiety.  I feel, however, that yours is contributing to hers.  I agree that it sounds like she is mimicking you and because she sees you scared, she becomes scared also.  Please do not talk about the symptoms to her or bring them up.  Something like this can create an abnormal fear for your daughter.  Please keep us posted and God Bless.

[Kellygirl6]

I am so glad that both of you are seeing the doctor on Wed.  I have been following your thread and I wish the best for you both.  (I must admit, my very first reaction was carbon minoxide as well.)   Please let us know what happens after the doctor visit.  We care!!

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

She is also complaining of chest pains.  I had the same thing mine seems to be much improed still have occasional pounding heart and chest pains, left and right side and left side of back under shoulder blade like her.  What and the world is going on? We have 6 in our family why the two of us

[imcrazy2]

60-100 is a normal adult heart rate.  108 is not abnormal for an 8-year old.  Stop taking her pulse, though.  That is just going to contribute to her anxiety.  Just keep telling her she's fine.

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

Her pulse seems to be within normal range but her heart ic constantly pounding very hard even while resting. You can see her shirt pumping.  She acts likes she feels ok = appetite fine but the slightest activity and it pounds harder and seems to get a little faster.  It beats fast for a dew seconds then slows down for a few. then repeats.  I am driving myself crazy.  I dont want to let her leave my sight but  have to send her to school and I let her play with her friends just tell her no running, jumping anything like that.  If I dont figure out what is wrong I think I am going to go crazy literally.  I am so worried.  I tell her shes fine but really scared inside.  Something has to br causing this sudden change in her heart.  Any advice?

[Poolie]

Are you or your daughter anemic? low iron levels can cause fast heart rate. Also, Mitral Valve prolapse can cause your heart to "race".

If you were having a true PANIC ATTACK, you would get a sudden sense of fear and dread, maybe sweaty hands, and an overall feeling of exceptional fear that you have no idea why. You might also hyperventilate, which is common when you have PANIC ATTACKS.

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

Also when I feel her heart it beats fast for a few seconds then slows down.  Wasnt sure if that would help with any suggestions

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

I hope that is all it is.  My daughter having panic attacks too.  The wierd thing is her heart beats fasts constantly. all day all night.  If she rests her pulse is down to upper 80's low 90's.  She just got up to answer the door and her heart is pounding again.  Took her pulse and it is 108. If it is Panic attacks would your pulse rate be high constantly. Wouldn't your pulse only be high during and maybe a little after.  I get up in the middle of the night and feel her chest and it seems to be always be beating hard. Mine was the same way.  IT seems the last two days like mine has went back to normal.  My pulse has been 90 and the chest pains I kept having went away.  She is still complaining of chest pains.  They are on both side like mine were. I am really starting to think maybe it is some kind of virus or something that is cause the symtoms.  She does have a heart murmur though. A VSD and possible PDA.  That is why I am so worried.  I would be thrilled if all this is is anxiety and panic attacks and not something more serious.  She is scheduled for an EKG, chest xray and holter moniter on Wednesday and I am having a nuclear stress test an echocariogram the same day so I guess we will kust have to wait and see how it turns out. Thanks for everyone's comments.

[swfl_guy]

It def. sounds like anxiety. I have the same issues and now my girlfriend gets them also. Its is weird how the body and mind interact with those around us. I know this is an far fetched idea but you have by any chance eaten any of that tainted peanut butter by peaterpan or great value? The reason I ask is that I had eaten it for the last month and it has made my anxiety 10x worse. Just try to relax if all your tests results came back normal you are fine and the worst part is..... if it is just anxiety it makes you feel worse because you get more stressed thinking about and the anxiety more intense as do the effects of it. You have to just learn how to control it. When you feel the slightest bad felling coming on you have to do something that will require your full attention so you don't think about your heart beating or the bad feelings. good luck!!

[DragonTU84]

The brain can play some amazing tricks on us. Is it possible that your anxiety/panic could have made your daughter anxious, now subconsciously leading her to have panic attacks/anxiety?

I notice I tend to get more problems when I either get a lack of sleep, or especially if I am more preocuppied on the problems, particularly if I start obsessing if it could be something worse and start looking stuff up online about it.

Maybe with your daughter's preocuppation on your own symptoms she too is getting the same symptoms...

It is just a thought.

[imcrazy2]

Not to discredit what could be a serious medical condition in either of you, but is there a chance your daughter is consciously or unconsciously mimicking you?

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

Everything in my house is electric however our heater (Electric) was just fixed and for a while I could smell some kind of fume in the garage. Which I had the company check and they thought it smelled like an alcohol type smell and thought maybe something in the garage was giving off the fumes.  It did go away as soon as the heat was fixed but all they did was change a bolt on the outside unit that wasn't getting a connection and changed the thermostat. I thought about the fumes and even mentioned it to our doctors which they quickly said no thats not it.  They just think I am having panic attacks and have now freaked my daughter out and she is having them too. I have 2 other children and a husband with no symptoms which makes this so strange.  No changes in the way we feel in or out of the house. We feel ok other than we are always aware that are heartrate is elevated.   We both have chest pains sometimes.  It is frustrating because I feel like the doctors are just writing this off as anxiety and overlooking something.  Why would this start all of a sudden.  My daughters started about a week after mine.  We have both had Bronchitus lately and two other family members have it now.  Is there a virus or something that could cause this?