That feeling of a lurking initiation to a panic attack

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Does anyone have any suggestions on what you can do when it keeps feeling as if you may be getting a panic attack for a period of days, but you don't ever really get close to getting it? I haven't had one since the beginning of February, it must have been, but at times I get this strange sort of mild anxiety that isn't actually anxiety; just reminds me of it; and it feels like an initiation to the initiation of a panic attack. It's very difficult to describe. It's like it's in my whole body; especially in my joints and inside my bones. The feeling really is as if it's "lurking" on me, and I have to keep thinking positively to get it to go away, at least mostly, and avoid anything I perceive as negative. Usually, however, it doesn't fully go away until maybe next day, after I've slept, but the past two days, and maybe also part of the evening of the day before today and yesterday, I have been feeling it despite that I have been doing better, finally having gotten over some recent events, yet despite that I have been able to think very optimistically, it just doesn't go away. It just keeps being there. When I wake up, I am fine, but an hour or two or so afterwards, it starts coming back, again. Doing things I like may temporarily help, but then it comes back, again. I really do not want to start getting panic attacks, again, as the ones I've had have been horrendous beyond description, most of the times - if not that then just at least horrendous. I don't understand where they are coming from - last time I got a bad one, in February (none since), I was in a really good mood, but still I got it and it lasted for about two hours of me having to struggle to convince myself of that nothing of what I thought was real actually was real. Usually, however, a moderately good, calm mood helps, but not this time. I have noticed that caffeine has a definite negative impact on me, so I've been drinking a bit less tea, these past days, or replaced it with rooibos or decaffeinated tea (meh). Hmm, it might be of importance to mention that I have been doing quite poorly in regards to depression since Saturday, with it only getting better the day before yesterday, Wednesday evening. Because of this, I've had fairly light amounts of alcohol last Friday (probably), Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Most of the times it was almost nothing, but one time it was enough for me to feel quite unsober. I usually drink very little, however. Could I have some intolerance to alcohol, as well, when I do have a bit of an intolerance to caffeine? When I do feel like this and have alcohol, I think it use to get better. This lurking feeling is starting to get worse, now, with me feeling cold but not cold, as well, and I could try right now if alcohol helps getting it to go away, but it probably isn't a very good idea if my recent moderate, but still unusually high intake of alcohol in fact is the very reason behind why I'm now feeling this way... however, I used to get this more frequently in my early twenties and late teens (now 29), and I never used alcohol at all, then. I'm male, by the way, if it's of any significance.

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about? A lurking feeling that is in your whole body, but especially in your bones and joints? It feeling like mild anxiety but doesn't feel like actual anxiety? It making you feel cold but not cold? And it feeling like an initiation to an initiation of a severe panic attack? I don't know about using any meds against it - I've heard that many meds that help against these things may be really bad for people with Asperger's, which I by now am certain that I have. I also used to use a sleeping pill with the active substance zopiclone, in the beginning of the year and end of last... it had a very calming, anxiety-ridding effect on me that really helped me have an easier time falling asleep, but just after a few days of taking it and stopping, it made me feel this way except much worse, and I think they eventually led to me getting my last panic attack.

Any advice is very appreciated. I'm a bit concerned that I still will keep starting to feel this way, every day, a week from now. :/

I'm not sure if this will help or not, but have you been tested for food intolerances or allergies?

The reason I ask is because I had food intolerances that went undiagnosed for around 15 years (I am 25), and up until I knew about them, I was becoming increasingly anxious and depressed. I even had a full-blown panic attack, for no real reason. It felt like my body was taking over me! I was also severely depressed. Once I removed the problem foods from my diet, however, my anxiety and depression disappeared. What is really interesting is that now, if I accidentally ingest one of my problem foods, the anxiety and depression return for a few days, then go away again.

Maybe you have a similar problem?

I've had it today, as well. :/ Not as bad as yesterday, or the day before, but still. As for food intolerances or allergies of some sort... all I had eaten when I started getting it, today, was a little chocolate with hazelnuts in it. Chocolate tends to make me feel better, usually, so it can't be that. Unless it was the nuts... I did eat almost half of that same chocolate bar, yesterday, but I don't think I had any nuts the day before. I don't know... but it's worth keeping in mind, at least for the time being. I don't think I have been tested for all that much, though... I know I've been tested for lactose intolerance, at least, though, which I didn't have.

I cannot handle stress at all, and I definitely have anxiety issues ... and yes, I think I do know what you are talking about.
I get the feeling more in my gut than in my bones, but I get it.

Sometimes I can get rid of it or at least reduce it for a while by intellectually ignoring feelings and just looking at things logically and rationally, but that does not always work, and it seldom works completely.

When it comes to food intolerances, it can be really hard to tell, especially because the effects are sometimes delayed. For instance, my symptoms are most severe about 48 hours after I've eaten a problem food. Maybe try keeping a food journal that also notes your symptoms. . . . That way you can see if there is a pattern. I did this, and it really helped me.

I too think maybe a food issue when i read your post.

I had the same kind of issues... my anxiety issue (along with severe mood swings).. turns out was due to HyperInsulinemia. My body cant handle carbohydrates as they then shoot my insulin levels way up and too much insulin is toxic to the brain.

Im now on a special diet for this to help stop my insulin shooting right up, where im not allowed to eat carbohyrdrates... no bread, no cereals, no sweet potato, carrots, potatoe, rice, sugar...im even on fruit restriction as that contains sugars too eg fructose...son only allowed to eat a tiny piece of fruit per day (even a tomato has carbohydrates

. (im allowed 10 nuts per day and and have to eat meat at every meal with just the vegatiables i are allowed still to have like onion, capsicum, beans).

It's taken them YEARS to work out my anxiety was caused by just all the normal foods we all eat. It had gotten so bad that i was nearly psychotic at times due to it.

Damn, I sure hope it isn't the candy, then. :( I'm doing a lot better now, which maybe has to do with that I've been eating quite a bit less candy, the past few days, simply because I'm starting to run out of it and haven't bought more, yet. I was eating more candy than I usually do, those days, if I remember right. I can't stop eating candy, though... I love candy. :/ And honestly, when I'm doing bad, it seems to help eating it - at least temporarily.

I'm only 29 and a half. It seems a bit incredible that I'd get insulin problems at this age, doesn't it? Especially since the last thing I am is overweight - people generally would say I'm underweight. My physical health seems pretty good, also... for instance, I definitely am aging far slower than pretty much everyone else.

I think I would die from malnourishment if I had to eat what you eat. :/ I don't even eat meat, to add...

I did start writing a food journal, as suggested, by the way, along with when I got the "anxiety", but then I started feeling better, so I ended up not writing more down. Maybe I should write what I've eaten, today, though... had a slight bit of these feelings, the few hours I've been awake, today. Incidentally, I started the day by eating chocolate. :l

It is interesting to me that you are "underweight." I had anxiety just like you, and I discovered the cause of it was Celiac (Coeliac) Disease. A very common symptom of Celiac Disease is being underweight! (Other common symptoms: digestion problems, body/muscle aches, joint pain, hair loss, tooth enamel erosion, anxiety, depression, and/or skin rash. -- I was diagnosed through the skin rash.) Celiac Disease is similar to a food allergy, but it is actually an auto-immune disease. When you have it, your body attacks itself when you ingest gluten, the group of proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and because of cross-contamination, oats. That is why being underweight is a symptom: your intestine loses the ability to absorb nutrients.

After I eliminated the gluten from my diet, I felt better, but only partially so. Then, I discovered I also can't have dairy (casein protein). Once I removed both gluten and casein from my diet, the anxiety, "body panic," and depression disappeared.

I don't want to be too pushy, but because of my own hellish experience, I would suggest keeping up with your food journal, even when you feel better. If you only write when you're feeling badly, it is difficult to pinpoint what actually is causing the problem because sometimes symptoms don't occur for a few days. If you don't have all the information, it can be practically impossible to establish a pattern.

I hope you figure out what is causing all of your anxiety. I know how excruciating it is!! !!

i also have big anxiety problems. i get that feeling of dread and not-quite-panic fairly often. there is often a sense of guilt accompanying it, like i feel like i have done something very bad and i don't know what it is yet. not sure if i can explain it. also i feel restless and "off".

i have some food issues - allergies, lactose intolerance, etc. also alcohol makes it worse - even a single beer gives me this feeling for a day or two. i am getting further alleergy testing done in a couple of months (long wait list). also, i have a digestive issue that exacerbates the feeling. i'm getting tests done for that too.

i don't know if the bad feelings are caused by food or some kind of mental issue. maybe a combination?

I think I've probably been tested for gluten intolerance, at the same time I was tested for lactose intolerance, and in that case I didn't have it (as I didn't have lactose intolerance). Also, while I don't get fat, I have an easy time gaining weight, in muscle, when I have been training. The reason I end up more or less underweight is because I eat too little. Despite this, some years back, when I was terribly underweight, because I was eating far too little, I had blood tests done on request of a psychiatrist. The results were almost perfect, which was extraordinary since I truly ate far too little food (about one meal a day, and I had no vitamin and mineral pills). When I explained this to the psychiatrist, she said that that is very strange, and had a look in her face as if I was lying. It's still a mystery to me how I had such good results. Maybe they mixed up the blood samples, but I have had other tests done, so probably not. I eat about the same things, today, except a bit better, so digestion problems seem very unlikely to me.

I've been trying to keep up with the food journal but I've been having problems updating it. Today I have only eaten breakfast, mostly containing oat and strawberries. This feeling is a bit worse, now, than it was yesterday... it feels as if it has to do with that I've eaten too little. It also feels as if thinking about getting it makes it a bit more likely that I get it, but I can't say... it just seems so random.




That is how I often feel, to the word.