Guest guest Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Ah -- a challenge for this ol' writer to describe THE panic attack.... Overiding sense of doom. Huge feelings of sadness. Galloping heart. Sweaty. Unable to concentrate. Unable to do anything but get very, very still and sort of hide like a rabbit who knows she's being hunted. But -- totally unable to be still. The body is on Red Alert. Cortisol rushing around, compelling the body to move. In a feeling of total panic, I crutched my 7 day post-op self up and down my hall in some twisted version of The Kentucky Derby. And then I would collapse on the sofa. Thinking I was done with that. And then I'd feel it coming on again. And the sobbing would start. As if all the loss and grief I've ever had in my life was bundled up and stuffed into my heart and the sadness was crushing. And all the while, some lucid part of me was watching this and was astonished. This went on all night. I got home on a Monday night -- one week after surgery -- at about 7 p.m. I didn't stop this madness until I really collapsed in total exhaustion at about 8 a.m. on Tuesday. My sister came by to see me that Tues morning and said, " You're going to the doctor. " She called for an appointment and I went. I was still have these " after shocks " from the monster quake and could only nod and nod while at the docs (and I've known this doc since I was 16 yrs old). My sister spoke for me because in the struggle with panic/anxiety attacks, speaking requires somehow focusing outward as opposed to inward where one is still trying to stay very, very still. He prescribed alprozolam and, believe me, I took it. And calmed down. The " shadow " of that experience hung around for several weeks and I was very careful not to do anything that would even remotely jangle my nerves. Having gone through this -- I simply canNOT imagine why anyone would ever indulge in any kind of morphine drug or any drug which would cause that sort of withdrawal. It was like being in the inner ring of hell. As with most everything in my life, I have found the cosmic humor in it: my poor sister who drove me to S.C. and back had to listen to , , & sing " Row the Boat A'Shore " through 3 states -- it soothed me. We stopped at every Cracker Barrel between Columbia and Northern Kentucky and I would crutch my way in and watch her eat a wonderful meal while I nibbled on crackers. At one stop, once we got back into the car, we pulled out of the parking place and I heard this " crash " sound. I'd left Flip & Flop (my crutches) leaning up against the car and we damn near drove off without them. It felt like I'd left the kids outside and was driving off from them! I had my raised toilet seat in a plastic bag in the back of the car (a Subaru). Once when nature was demanding some action, my sister suggested that we pull over to the side and sit that sucker right down in the grass and have at it! Even as nuts as I felt, I got a belly laugh out of that one. What a hoot.... Thing is that I didn't even get a " buzz " off the damned morphine -- just the horrible withdrawal. I feel so great now, it's kind of amazing when I think back on that experience.... Joyce (Dr Gross, LHR, 2/2/04) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 ine, I was so glad to read your post. Don't know exactly why that's comforting -- but somehow having someone else talk about their reaction to the drugs validates my own story. Thanks, Joyce (Dr Gross, LHR, 2/2/04) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 ine, I was so glad to read your post. Don't know exactly why that's comforting -- but somehow having someone else talk about their reaction to the drugs validates my own story. Thanks, Joyce (Dr Gross, LHR, 2/2/04) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 27, 2004 Report Share Posted April 27, 2004 Sherry Schulz one4sherry@...> wrote : , but does anyone know if > Morphine is used in the Epidural? I got the impression that it was because the > anesthesiologist opted to give me a general anesthetic instead for my previous > surgery. Sherry, The drug used in my spinal anesthesia is called Duramorph, and is a long-acting morphine. I would assume that the same thing is used in epidurals.... Cindy resurfaced 5/25/01 and 6/28/01 ___________________________________ NOCC, http://nocc.sourceforge.net Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 28, 2004 Report Share Posted April 28, 2004 Hi, Interesting to hear of people talking about these things......... I didn't have anything much right at the start - I think my joy of finally getting out of this fused hip situation only made me cry for joy....... I would find myself crying and assumed it was to do with that......... However earlier this year I went into an anxiety state which seemed to happen right about when I decided that most of the work of getting this hip/leg strong enough to leave off constantly irritating the muscles etc........... i.e. have a bit of a rest............ My doctor wanted me to take some pills for it but as I was going for a trip to see my surgeon I didn't start them............ Then when I got on my travels not only did the anxiety state stop but I found some of my peers whom I was going to visit had similiar things happening............without a hip joint to fret about....... They seemed to be doing the same after retirement and other life changing exercises. Thus I figured it probably had something to do with how we humans react to things that involved big changes and thankfully I returned home to have my own anxiety gone............ I would say I am a person prone to this sort of thing as I have had times before but always resisted chemical help and managed to climb through to the other end............ I have seen too many friends end up in a bigger mess with the chemical help so try to take steps like lessen areas of anxiety etc rather than take anything. Edith LBHR Dr. L Walter Syd Aust 8/02 > ine, I just read about being afraid to get in trains, planes, boats, tunnels, etc. Yeah, that's the fear of " What if I'm in a small, crowded place or a place I cannot escape and I have a panic attack??! " Our bodies carry memory of trauma -- and a panic attack is a trauma. To one of its extremes, this is what's behind agoraphobia -- " fear of the market place. " Have you gotten an RX for panic/anxiety? If not, think about asking for some temporary help by way of alprozolam or something like it. It can be used situationally and can help overcome the fear of doing those things (better living through pharmacology, right? I know, that's what got us into this mess in the first place). Anyway, my guess is that if you had meds to steady you for a couple of trips -- you'd soon be over the fear. I'm really glad folks are talking about this. Joyce (Dr Gross, LHR, 2/2/04) > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Hi Sherry, At least in the midwest US Fentanyl (a shorter acting synthetic narcotic) is more commonly used as an epidural for pain relief. Usually is is combined with Bupivacaine ( a local anesthetic) for optimum effect. Morphine is also used as an epidural, with or without Bupivacaine, but less commonly. Most surgeons in the hospital I work at prefer the shorter-acting Fentanyl to Morphine. (RPh) Re: Re: Panic attacks > Sherry Schulz one4sherry@...> wrote : > > , but does anyone know if > > Morphine is used in the Epidural? I got the impression that it was because the > > anesthesiologist opted to give me a general anesthetic instead for my previous > > surgery. > > Sherry, > > The drug used in my spinal anesthesia is called Duramorph, and is a long-acting morphine. I would assume that the same thing is used in epidurals.... > > Cindy > resurfaced 5/25/01 and 6/28/01 > > ___________________________________ > NOCC, http://nocc.sourceforge.net > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Hi Sherry, At least in the midwest US Fentanyl (a shorter acting synthetic narcotic) is more commonly used as an epidural for pain relief. Usually is is combined with Bupivacaine ( a local anesthetic) for optimum effect. Morphine is also used as an epidural, with or without Bupivacaine, but less commonly. Most surgeons in the hospital I work at prefer the shorter-acting Fentanyl to Morphine. (RPh) Re: Re: Panic attacks > Sherry Schulz one4sherry@...> wrote : > > , but does anyone know if > > Morphine is used in the Epidural? I got the impression that it was because the > > anesthesiologist opted to give me a general anesthetic instead for my previous > > surgery. > > Sherry, > > The drug used in my spinal anesthesia is called Duramorph, and is a long-acting morphine. I would assume that the same thing is used in epidurals.... > > Cindy > resurfaced 5/25/01 and 6/28/01 > > ___________________________________ > NOCC, http://nocc.sourceforge.net > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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