Indescribable Terror

by Martin
(Paisley, Scotland)

I had just started a great new job that I was loving and had a great weekend drinking to celebrate. Everything seemed to be great with not a care in the world, until one tuesday night while I sat on the computer relaxing and looking for a new gym to join near my work something happened that would change my life forever!

As I sat browsing through the pages on my computer I noticed my heart was racing and had a slight pain in my chest. Managed to ignore it at first thinking it was nothing more than indigestion but it started to get worse and worse. I sprang up from my chair immediately thinking something was drastically wrong.

I tried walking around for a couple of seconds and drinking water but nothing helped. As my heart kept racing I tried to slow my breathing but my heart just started to flutter to the point I thought it was going to stop, In hindsight this is where the real panic set in.

I staggered down the stairs on the verge of collapsing thinking I was having a full blown heart attack.

As I near enough fell through the door I just managed to squeeze out the words "ambulance" to my father. As we live in a remote area it was quicker that he just drove me up which he did as quickly as possible.

On the way up to the hospital I felt that I couldn't breathe, my wind pipe felt like it was closing and I just couldn't stop thinking my heart was going to stop and this was the end, in turn making the panic attack worse and worse. Just outside the hospital I got pins and needles in both my arms and started to get them in my feet. I'd heard this was a sure sign of a heart attack but now know it is most definitely sure signs of a panic attack.

Whilst in the hospital I couldn't speak the symptoms where so bad. Still with the chest pain coming and going. I kept thinking "why are they not rushing me straight in, I am in trouble here!"

After sitting in the waiting room for about 30-45 mins the symptoms began to fade and by the time I was seen I felt so much better it was unbelievable although was still in some discomfort. Sure that I had just suffered a heart attack or had at least unearthed some serious coronary condition the triage nurse said she was very confident I had just suffered a "panic attack" due to key symptoms such as pins and needles in both arms and feet, pace of breathing and no vomit etc.

The relief I had felt when the nurse said this was unbelievable but panic attacks were things that happened to other people and I had no idea how awful they could be. The sheer terror and the fact I thought I was going to die have changed my life forever!!

After further investigation I found that it was due to binge drinking and caffeine. I have changed my life style and have not had a repeat attack. Hope this serves as a warning to heavy weekend drinkers of the perils it can cause. The scariest thing that's happened to me in my life by far!!!