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Panic Attacks, Blurry Vision. Will The Blurriness Go Away? Does Brain MRI Show Hippocampus?
Question: hi, i had several panic attacks yesterday and cried literally all day and now the next day my vision is still blurry from it. Will the blurriness go away or can it be permanent? Also, does a reg brain mri show the hippocampus or can you only see that with a special mri? Also, how long do you have to be b12 deficient to get permanent symptoms from it? Thanks so much.
Hi XXXXXXX,
Thanks for writing in.
I am a medical specialist with an additional degree in sub specialty of cardiology. I read your mail with diligence.
Panic attacks are symptoms of an anxiety disorder. These attacks are a serious health problem in the U.S, At least 20% of adult Americans, or about 60 million people, will suffer from panic attacks at some point in their lives. About 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people, will have full-blown panic disorder at some time in their lives, twice as often for women than men. This is to put your illness in perspective. Another fact about panic is that this symptom is strikingly different from other types of anxiety; panic attacks are so very sudden and often unexpected, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling. That is your story.
And the last thing which may interest you is that usually there are precipitating factors like stress but these can be absent. Removal of stress producing situation and or drugs like alparazolam ( a prescription) are almost universally successful in reducing the intensity of an attack or eliminating these altogether. I hope you have been seen by a doctor and treatment has been started.
To answer your other two questions, yes Hippocampus can be visualized in normlal MRI. It takes only few weeks for water soluble vitamin and there are no body stores. Symptoms are usually not permanent and are reversible once the supplementation of this vitamin is done.
If there are other queries, I will be most happy to answer.
Best Wishes
Dr Anil Grover
MBBS, MD (Medicine) DM (Cardiologist)
Thanks for writing in.
I am a medical specialist with an additional degree in sub specialty of cardiology. I read your mail with diligence.
Panic attacks are symptoms of an anxiety disorder. These attacks are a serious health problem in the U.S, At least 20% of adult Americans, or about 60 million people, will suffer from panic attacks at some point in their lives. About 1.7% of adult Americans, or about 3 million people, will have full-blown panic disorder at some time in their lives, twice as often for women than men. This is to put your illness in perspective. Another fact about panic is that this symptom is strikingly different from other types of anxiety; panic attacks are so very sudden and often unexpected, appear to be unprovoked, and are often disabling. That is your story.
And the last thing which may interest you is that usually there are precipitating factors like stress but these can be absent. Removal of stress producing situation and or drugs like alparazolam ( a prescription) are almost universally successful in reducing the intensity of an attack or eliminating these altogether. I hope you have been seen by a doctor and treatment has been started.
To answer your other two questions, yes Hippocampus can be visualized in normlal MRI. It takes only few weeks for water soluble vitamin and there are no body stores. Symptoms are usually not permanent and are reversible once the supplementation of this vitamin is done.
If there are other queries, I will be most happy to answer.
Best Wishes
Dr Anil Grover
MBBS, MD (Medicine) DM (Cardiologist)
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr. XXXXXXX
Thank you so much for the reply. I actually yes did get help and still am but just had a few more questions if you don't mind. I just feel so different since yesterday, like my vision is still blurry and my chest is so sore from the panic and my eyes are still blurry from crying all day. I just got an mri done for headaches about a month ago now would that show the hippocampus as well even i just went for headaches as i know there are certain frequencies for an mri that is why i was asking and can one day of all that stress and panicking and crying cause a sudden change in anything in the brain?
Also, regarding the b12 I am not sure of how long i have been deficient i know maybe at least over six months could be more and i know after a certain time it can cause permanent damage. How long do you have to be deficient for it to be permanent?
Thanks so much again.
Thank you so much for the reply. I actually yes did get help and still am but just had a few more questions if you don't mind. I just feel so different since yesterday, like my vision is still blurry and my chest is so sore from the panic and my eyes are still blurry from crying all day. I just got an mri done for headaches about a month ago now would that show the hippocampus as well even i just went for headaches as i know there are certain frequencies for an mri that is why i was asking and can one day of all that stress and panicking and crying cause a sudden change in anything in the brain?
Also, regarding the b12 I am not sure of how long i have been deficient i know maybe at least over six months could be more and i know after a certain time it can cause permanent damage. How long do you have to be deficient for it to be permanent?
Thanks so much again.
Hi,
No problem in answering in all the questions you have.
Regarding MRI what did the report say for you to say it is abnormal? Did the radiologist tell you or the conclusion of the report raised some doubts. Panic attacks do not produce abnormal MRI. If you can upload the scan and/or just type in the report I will be wiser and explain the things to you.
Yes 6 months B12 deficiency can cause damage which is almost 100% reversible. But what damage are we talking about? Could you please elaborate.
No one day mental stress can not cause damage visible in MRI.
Looking forward to input from you.
It is a pleasure inter acting with you.
Dr Anil Grover
No problem in answering in all the questions you have.
Regarding MRI what did the report say for you to say it is abnormal? Did the radiologist tell you or the conclusion of the report raised some doubts. Panic attacks do not produce abnormal MRI. If you can upload the scan and/or just type in the report I will be wiser and explain the things to you.
Yes 6 months B12 deficiency can cause damage which is almost 100% reversible. But what damage are we talking about? Could you please elaborate.
No one day mental stress can not cause damage visible in MRI.
Looking forward to input from you.
It is a pleasure inter acting with you.
Dr Anil Grover
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Hi Dr. XXXXXXX
Thank you again for the answers. I actually dont have the results of the mri to send to you sorry and the results were normal though. I just had a general question of if the mri that i got would show the hippocampus or not. I know that panic attacks do not cause damage to the brain but i know long term stress can and i have had that for a while so just wondering with the mri that i just got if it would show the hippocampus? Hope that makes sense.
The damage from the B12 I am talking about is memory loss, numbness those kind of symptoms. Like how long do you have to be B12 deficient in order for it to not be reversable?
Thanks so much again.
Thank you again for the answers. I actually dont have the results of the mri to send to you sorry and the results were normal though. I just had a general question of if the mri that i got would show the hippocampus or not. I know that panic attacks do not cause damage to the brain but i know long term stress can and i have had that for a while so just wondering with the mri that i just got if it would show the hippocampus? Hope that makes sense.
The damage from the B12 I am talking about is memory loss, numbness those kind of symptoms. Like how long do you have to be B12 deficient in order for it to not be reversable?
Thanks so much again.
Hi,
Thanks for writing in.
So long as MRI is reported normal by a competent doctor. it is a non-issue whether I see it or not.
Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin and therefore, can be taken daily as excess is excreted in urine. Chances of hyper vitaminosis are next to nil. Please take a preparation which contains folic acid also. Both these drugs and their combination is easily available OTC. You will start seeing/perceiving changes of reversal in a few weeks time. Please continue till you are cured which might take 6 months. A balanced diet, as food contents are labelled accurately you can make your own chart will take care of maintenance thereafter.
Good Luck. If you have no further queries please close the question with comments. If you have any I will be happy to answer. Thanks
Dr Anil Grover
http:/ WWW.WWWW.WW
Thanks for writing in.
So long as MRI is reported normal by a competent doctor. it is a non-issue whether I see it or not.
Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin and therefore, can be taken daily as excess is excreted in urine. Chances of hyper vitaminosis are next to nil. Please take a preparation which contains folic acid also. Both these drugs and their combination is easily available OTC. You will start seeing/perceiving changes of reversal in a few weeks time. Please continue till you are cured which might take 6 months. A balanced diet, as food contents are labelled accurately you can make your own chart will take care of maintenance thereafter.
Good Luck. If you have no further queries please close the question with comments. If you have any I will be happy to answer. Thanks
Dr Anil Grover
http:/ WWW.WWWW.WW
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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