Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group i feel like i'm going crazy.......but i'm not!

Try thinking of it as a big loop, with the original trigger event as the beginning, sent to the brain, the brain reacts by getting concerned and nervous, and sends messages BACK to the body, increasing muscle tension, inflammation, higher heart rate, etc, which means MORE messages are going to the brain...

OK, I know excactly what you mean.
It is one hell of a feeling. For me, I could say that it reaches the sence of extinction. My heart beats so loud in my head that i think that it has been relocated in my mouth.
I've had this kind of crisis 3 times from last summer and i don't know what is causing it but it happens when I am exhausted or in great pain in the thorasic part of the spine.
The doctors describe it as panic attack and it seems that it is combined with great doses of vertigo.
It feels that the central nervous system is involved.
The crisis lasts for a couple of horrible hours in my case. The only thing i can do to overcome it, is take one or two tranquilizer pills, lay down, cross my hands over my chest and take deep breaths until it wears off.

Pure horror...
I wish not Sue not anyone experience this feeling again.

SUE,

I JUST REALISED WHEN I HAVE FELT THIS. It was when my blood pressure spiked dangerously high from prednisone. It is the only time my bp has ever been high. It felt like I was being crushed all the way around my chest/back and my heartbeat was like a bass drum in my head.

Have you checked your bp lately?

-hugs. Donette

Sue, have you had your doctors look at your c-spine on MRI? My c-spine is all messed up from multiple previous traumas, and it fused down toward the bottom. My whole left shoulder area hurts pretty often as a result. Muscularly it tends to refer through the neck musles, causing me severe headaches.

I know I'm in danger of getting a rep as an herbal nutjob, but have you tried large doses of valerian? That's what usually relaxes those muscle groups and breaks the nasty cycle for me, because it's a superb, non-addictive muscle relaxant with few side effects for most folks aside from mild sedation, and that might aid in shutting down your anxiety, which may be a significant part of your cycle. (Anger can set mine off and exacerbate it.)

Not prescribing, of cours, just suggesting. If you try it ley me know how it works for you...

John

Sue;

I'm a little late to the discussion and see my thoughts (yoga, deep breathing, mediation, acupuncture and so on) have already been suggested.
It sounds horrible, indeed.
The cause and effect suggestions offered here sound legit too..I'm no scientist, but many logical explanations are offered.
I sure hope there is relief in your near future.

Tracey

hi Sue

right now whilst you are not feeling great this might be abit too much, but when you are feeling better youmight want to look at this. There are quite a few other blogs relating to this one and I remember that it rally helped me get to grips with the Alpha Beta GABA Wave thing. And has helped me o end to quieten my nervous system. I now sleep through most nights and even when is severe pain much less likely to have an attack of the nervous system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKwD7oYnYmM&feature=related

Love Joanne

Interesting. I am and have been going through sort of the same thing. Actually am going tommorow for an endoscopy due to gastric woes occurring and have lost a precious 8 pounds from my already too gaunt frame.

Initially not so much from the pain but I am so fused and tight in the neck and shoulders its just a constant throb. It got me to go to heart doc because of the pounding heart felt throughout my body so loudly and the feeling you describe of being out of your body. I would say that I feel hollow within myself.

SO far only things that has helped was pool exercise and floating weightless on my back. I take styrofoam barbells to make myself buoyant and float 15-30 monutes on my back twice a week at least. That and using the same barbells to stretch my arms has offered some relief so far in the short term.

Again cause and effect are speculative and I have made some dietary change at same time but the pool things seems to work. Warm pool works much better for me and lucky for me the local gym has heated therapeutic and cooler lap pool

Sorry to hear that, Steve. However, can I offer you some of my very generous prednisone pounds? I've got a few to spare right now (I am not at all gaunt) that I'm trying to give away. I could send them by Canada Post if you're interested... No charge...

don't know? it sure doesn't feel that way, but i'm open to trying various techniques. deep breathing, meditation, and other forms of relaxation, which i'm very good at, do quiet my mind, but really to this point have done nothing for the pain. only physical methods seem to touch the pain. plus, a lot of it is while i'm asleep at night, still i'm open to the possibility, even if i'm not sold yet. i guess we have to experience something ourselves before we are convinced.

with that said, the flector patch over the rhomboid area seems to be helping quite a bit. that plus laying on ice while i sleep.

but i did wake after 3 hours and my neck was killing me, since i have to lay differently for my back which isn't so good for my neck. so i rubbed KIP gel on it, took another muscle relaxant, changed the flector patches, and slept another 3-4 hours, and when i did, my neck was much better, so am also a firm believer in the KIP gel as well.

i just might beat this thing.......if only i didn't have to start classes in 2 weeks, but it seems like i'm getting control over the situation. fingers crossed, toes too.

i do think its the same thing!

for me its that horrible pain in the thoracic area of the back. mine lasts a little past when i can get that pain down a notch or two, mostly its been by standing up since sitting uses that torn tendon or muscle and using ice on it. or getting out of bed and doing focussed deep breathing, since laying on it also causes it. but of course that means i can't sit or lay.

and yes, when i read the physical symptoms of a panic attack, those are the physical sensations i am getting. there must be some nerve thing in that area as louise and others described.

i'm hoping i don't need drugs for this, but if i do, may i ask what tranquilizer you take, i could ask the doctor about those.

thanks,