Never thought this would happen to me. I'm usually fit, well and happy. For the last 10 days though I've had a heavy cold and cough. Most colds I get just fly by but this has lingered. I feel fine really, just a very stuffy nose and a pretty nasty cough. Today I was shopping with my husband in the supermarket. I felt ok but was coughing more than normal. At the check out i was quite ok but then started to feel a little bit faint. I told my husband that i felt something was wrong and then I suddenly had such a feeling of fear, I truely believed I was dying. He was holding me up as I felt my legs giving away and I remember crying to him that I was scared. The staff were great, brought me a chair etc and advised that I went to a&e to get checked out. In the car I just kept feeling I was losing control again, it was just awful. The hospital was great and so kind but although I obviously have just a cold (they think all the coughing caused a lack of oxygen which is why i felt faint) I'm now so worried about the panic - I can feel myself having those feelings even typing this. Any thoughts or help please.

That must have been awful, I've had panic attacks not quite as bad as yours but I do understand.  Take your time and just believe that whatever you are feeling will go away, it's impossible to keep in that state indefinitely.  I hate flying with a vengeance, have for along time so when my son moved to Australia I thought I would never go to see him but I HAD to I missed him so much and I couldn't hold my husband back so off to the drs I went, got whatever he could give me, read all the self help books even had NLP.  I don't know how I got on the plane apart from my OH having his hand in my back gently pushing.  I cried, panicked and god knows what else and took the tablets and eventually had some sleep.  On that journey I had something to eat, I've NEVER eaten on a plane I've been to Spain with my family because I was determined my children wouldn't be frightened like me but I cannot eat and only drink water (even days coming up to flights I can't eat). The only thing I haven't managed s to read a book on a plane and turbulence still makes me tense up but that feeling when I got there and I knew I'd done it was something I can never repeat so do not let it beat you go back to that shop with someone even if only for a few minutes and keep building it up.  That plane journey was proof to me that you can't keep it going forever it will ease, make sure someone is with you that you trust and work on it. It still comes back sometimes but you will know it can't hurt you. I know this is a long post but I hope it helps a little. By the way I would break into a sweat when a plane went over when I'm due to go on one.

Val poor you it must have been very frightening:-(

It you have had a bad cold your ears may have been affected to make your balance go a bit funny.

I would pop and see your Doctor on Monday for a good check over just to make sure you are ok x

If you're suffering with panic attacks they're terrible things that are self perpetuating but there is a wonderful technique that can stop them in their tracks, along with a lot of physical responses to an emotional cause. 

Its called EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique, basically its tapping on acupuncture points to speak directly to your subconcious brain thats trying to protect you.  I like Brad Yates sessions as he rematrix's it too, so you replace a bad feeling with something better, give it a go you've got nothing to lose.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2E1i6gV8pU

We use it with Soldiers who have sever PTSD, people  who suffer similar due to their life threatening illness', it can stop an anphylactic reaction in my daughter, she soon stopped laughing at me using it believe me. 

Good luck and hope you feel better very soon, btw it can make you cry for no reason or very tired whilst tapping, thats a good sign its working.

Thank you.
They checked me for an ear infection, although they keep popping etc they are ok. I've been neglecting myself recently I know and ignoring my cold was silly, but it's what lots of us do.
I must admit that in the past when I've heard stories of panic attacks I've looked on them as being people who need to give themselves a shake and buck their ideas up. Now though, it's happened to me - I'm usually a confident and quite strong person - tonight I'm sitting here, afraid to go to bed and close my eyes as I can feel the fear rising and then I feel my breathing alter. I need to make sure I don't feel like I did earlier ever again, I'm shocked at how easily it happened, it came from nowhere.

Good Lord that must of been totaly scary the out of your control thing would be enough for me.....I hate that. I have no advice I imagine it is something that would scare me. I would make an appointment at your doctor. The information above I hope is useful to you.

Try some breathing techniques for stress:

Relaxation tips

I've often felt really stressed out and then realised that my breathing was very shallow - changing my breathing helped a lot :)

It's horrible isn't it. Feeling under the weather obviously doesn't help nor does being in a supermarket at this time of year!  I was having panic attacks when I was working stupid hours in the run up to my wedding and finding everything and everyone very stressful. Although it was many years ago I still remember standing up from my desk, not being able to breathe and having palpitations. It was so scary. I thought i was going to pass out. I went to the GP and was given Valium which didn't help (made me groggy) but now there are other things mentioned above so it's worth giving them a try.

I hope it passes for you soon.

Truly I think this was a physical thing brought on by physical symptoms, if you feel you can't breathe your body goes into an auto response thing.  I get them due to mental triggers when I feel a bit claustraphobic.  I have also had the same feelings as a result of a very bad flu I had and I went out sooner than I should and could not breathe.  The important thing now is not to put too much emphasis on this and not to worry about it happening again as a result of going out or whatever.  The panic and fear is because you are not breathing.  Your body thinks it is going to die so it naturally goes into shock.  Keep relaxed and try not to worry too much by all means use the techniques mentioned as above.  And just use this as a reminder to look after yourself

Thank you all so much.
I've had time now to reflect on what happened and I feel much calmer. Yes, I now realise it was brought on by physical symptoms rather than other issues which I'm sure would be harder to control. I certainly have seen it as a sign to look after myself. I also now have so much sympathy with people who cope with this often, I'd never have believed what awful tricks our minds can play on us. The last couple of nights I've drifted off to sleep by listening to music on my iPod as it helps clear my head from the thoughts I was having on Saturday, I'm sure I won't need to do that for long.
Thank you again for taking the time to offer me advice and help.

Glad you are feeling abit better x

Not nice at all. My daughter is getting these atm. She had two yesterday leaving her with a bitten tongue and slurred speech and wanting to sleep. The after effects area as if she has been drinking. During the attack she got cramping in her hands arms and jaw as well as breathing problems and head noises. Pretty horrible. Hope you get sorted soon

I would think that maybe your "cold" was a bit more serious than you thought and that it was part of the illness and being up walking around a store etc, caused maybe your blood sugars to go low and for maybe your temperature to go up for a while, causing the feeling of fainting etc.  I hope you are feeling better soon.

Furriefriends your daughters episodes sound more like a sezure and then being post ictal, who diagnosed them as panic attacks.

I have seen and dealt with many panic attacks over the years and never had any one of them manifest as you described.