Suggest Treatment For Anxiety, Dizziness And Panic Attacks

Posted on Sat, 28 Feb 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 28 Feb 2015 Answered on

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : 31 year old female, regular bmi. I have been diagnosed with anxiety in the past and am currently on 20 MG of Prozac with .25 xanax for emergencies. Yesterday, while driving I started to feel dizzy/panicky, etc. I took my blood pressure ten minutes later and it was 154/107 heart rate 69. I'm normally 110/72. So, of course this scared me and I started getting more dizzy and switching from cold shakes to hot. My husband had me take .5 xanax and about 30 minutes later my heart rate and blood pressure were notmal, as was I. Was this just a panic attack? If it was, wouldnt my heart rate have been higher? I have never had one that bad. I go to a cardiologist once a year to ease my mind and everything is always normal. I have not been there this year yet, though.

Answered by Dr. Benard Shehu (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Don't note anything wrong with your cardiovascular system...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

I have gone through your medical history carefully and understood your concerns.

Your symptoms are suggestive for anxiety/panic attack. I do not see anything wrong with your heart. The fact that your bp and heart rate reduced after taking Xanax reenforces the idea that you are not having anything wrong going on with your heart.

However, to rest assure there is nothing worrisome with your cardiovascular system, I'd advise to run cardiac tests:
- ECG
- echocardiogram
- stress test

Other causes might include:
- stress
- work overload
- hormonal changes due to monthly period

Hope it was of help!
Dr.Benard

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Benard Shehu (23 hours later)

Thank you. So I can have a severe panic attack with a big blood pressure increase but a normal heart rate?

Answered by Dr. Benard Shehu (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Yes,can have panic attack with high bp but normal heart rate...

Detailed Answer:
Hi back,

Yes, you can have sever panic attack with increased blood pressure but a normal heart rate and vice versa: increased heart beats (palpitations) but a normal blood pressure.

Hope it was of help!
Dr.Benard

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar