Dear Rick,
Hello! I am a 40 year old female. I am in my 21st year of living with pd. Being really young to have PD I would experience severe panic attacks. SO SEVERE IT WAS CRIPPLING! These panic attacks came before my totally correct PD diagnosis. I have always been a physical person, sports oriented. I bowled, golfed, swam, played softball, volleyball. Due to my declining health I became afraid that people would notice my symptoms: tremor, bradykinesia. I would be fine one minute and then literally fall all to heck! I was placed on medication to help with anxiety. It helped ...but did not take all of the anxiety away. Then came my full and proper diagnosis of pd. Over a period of time, I'd say about 6 months I was able to come off of the medication for anxiety . My PD medications gave me more control of my body and the panic went away. I have copied from the Young Parkinson's Handbook that is put out by the APDA four paragraphs that they devote to ANXIETY.
Anxiety
Parkinson's patients who experience a general uneasiness or tenseness prior to diagnosis may be experiencing mild anxiety as a result of the Parkinson's even though no motor symptoms have yet appeared. As PD progresses is not unusual for patients to experience feelings ranging from mild anxiety to full blown panic. Generalized anxiety can be described as a global fear, a feeling of uneasiness or tension; an "anxious expectation."
The most disabling form of anxiety attack is referred to as panic attack. Panic attacks occur with increased frequency with PD and may be associated with episodes of severe immobility ("freezing"). Panic attacks may be thought of as instability in the emotional part of the nervous system. The person so affected may feel a paralyzing anxiety, or a "flight or fight" phenomenon. Panic attacks are accompanied by such signs and symptoms as breathlessness, palpitations, nervousness, fatigue, headache, apprehension and trembling. It is believed that a regulator portion of the nervous system involved with anxiety is not properly set.
Sometimes the cause of the anxiety can not be specifically pinned down. Other times it is caused by uneasiness about such things as how one's condition will affect the family, one's relationships, employment and ability to function. Frequently patients describe these feelings of fear when they are "off" or during a freezing episode. Immobility, to the extent that one could not move if caught in a fire, is extremely anxiety provoking. Such fears can escalate to the point of panic. Anxiety and restlessness can be exacerbated by use of dopamine agonists or brought on by some tranquilizers such as Thorazine and Stelazine. This is because these tranquilizers interfere with the processing of dopamine in the brain causing the parkinsonian symptoms to worsen.
Anxiety and panic can be treated by medication and psychological counseling. While counseling has an important and beneficial role in the treatment of anxiety and panic attacks, the principal treatment is through medication. The most effective treatment is from a class of medications called benzodiazepines which includes Ativan, Xanax, Valium, and Librium. The tricyclic antidepressants and other newer medications have a great benefit in controlling panic attacks.
I hope this helps. To receive the Young Parkinson's Handbook you can call 800-223-2732 and they can mail it to you.
Faith and hope,
Sandy
Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe. It is not enough that a thing be possible for it to be believed. VOLTAIRE
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