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Can Panic Attack Reduce The Oxygen Level In Blood?

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Posted on Mon, 21 Jan 2013
Question: Is it possible a panic attack reduces your blood oxygen level? I had 82 when i was having a panic attack with an oximeter. I am 26 years old and apparently have an anxiety disorder.

I constantly worry because of this that I have low blood oxygen and that something bad is going to happen and that doctors are misdiagnosing. I do have many symptoms from an anxiety disorder but am wondering if i need to worry and monitor my oximeter blood oxygen or should i not worry?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra (2 hours later)
Hi,
Thanks for posting the query on XXXXXXX After going through the query, I would like to comment the following:

1. You seem to be having desaturation with accompanied panic attacks.

2. Sometimes if there are too much tremors then the reading may be inaccurate.

3. You can have a baseline oxygen saturation is low on ABG also then further evaluation is recommended.

4. If you do not have any chest complaints like cough, breathlessness etc. then a sleep study may be of value as sometimes sleep disorders are likely to cause such changes. Also if you are obese it may sometimes be related to the desaturation.

5. In any case if the desaturation of 82 is correct then you need to get yourself evaluated with a pulmonologist.

I hope I have answered your query. I will be glad to answer follow up queries if any.
Please accept my answer if you have no follow up queries.

Regards

Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra
MBBS MD DNB
Consultant Pulmonologist
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.

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

Pulmonologist

Practicing since :2003

Answered : 600 Questions

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Can Panic Attack Reduce The Oxygen Level In Blood?

Hi,
Thanks for posting the query on XXXXXXX After going through the query, I would like to comment the following:

1. You seem to be having desaturation with accompanied panic attacks.

2. Sometimes if there are too much tremors then the reading may be inaccurate.

3. You can have a baseline oxygen saturation is low on ABG also then further evaluation is recommended.

4. If you do not have any chest complaints like cough, breathlessness etc. then a sleep study may be of value as sometimes sleep disorders are likely to cause such changes. Also if you are obese it may sometimes be related to the desaturation.

5. In any case if the desaturation of 82 is correct then you need to get yourself evaluated with a pulmonologist.

I hope I have answered your query. I will be glad to answer follow up queries if any.
Please accept my answer if you have no follow up queries.

Regards

Dr. Gyanshankar Mishra
MBBS MD DNB
Consultant Pulmonologist