Panic Attacks, Loss Of Appetite And Nausea. Blood Test And Head Scan Were Normal. Low Potassium Level. Any Suggestions?

Posted on Sat, 2 Nov 2013

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

Sat, 2 Nov 2013 Answered on

Mon, 25 Nov 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : My son is experiencing severe panic attacks along with loss of appetite and dizziness and nausea/vomiting. He was taken to the ER last night and they ran blood test, urine test and a head scan. All came back normal but they said his potassium was low. He's 21 and in college so I'm concerned that the drs are missing something. What should I do? Is there something I should ask them to test him for?

Answered by Dr. Srikanth Reddy (4 hours later)

Brief Answer: Some tests to do Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for choosing health care magic for posting your query. I have gone through your question in detail and I can understand what you are going through. You have mentioned that blood tests and urine tests were done, however you did not mention which tests were done. We do see plenty of panic disorders in our clinic and below mentioned are the tests we generally order depending on the case. 1. Liver function test (bilirubin, ast, alt) 2. Kidney function test (urea, creat, electrolyte) 3. Electro cardiogram 4. Blood hemoglobin 5. BP monitoring 6. Blood sugar levels 7. Urine porphyrin levels You have mentioned that his potassium level was low. Low potassium can lead to panic attacks. Firstly that needs to be corrected. Hope I am able to answer your concerns. If you have any further query, I would be glad to help you. If not, you may close the discussion and if possible you may rate the answer for me, so that I get a good feedback. In future if you wish to contact me directly, you can use the below mentioned link: bit.ly/dr-srikanth-reddy Wish you good health, Kind regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy M.D.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Srikanth Reddy (22 hours later)

I am attaching his test from MUSC. We brought him home from college this week end because he had another attack. We are trying to get an appointment with a dr but we arent sure what kind we need to be seeking. Can you tell me by looking at the results if there are any specific test i need to request specifically. Im just really scared that somethings going to happen that could be avoided if the right questions are asked. I love my son and i want to cover all bases so he gets thevtreatment he needs to get better. I am attaching his test from MUSC. We brought him home from college this week end because he had another attack. We are trying to get an appointment with a dr but we arent sure what kind we need to be seeking. Can you tell me by looking at the results if there are any specific test i need to request specifically. Im just really scared that somethings going to happen that could be avoided if the right questions are asked. I love my son and i want to cover all bases so he gets thevtreatment he needs to get better

Answered by Dr. Srikanth Reddy (4 hours later)

Brief Answer: ECG needs to be done Detailed Answer: Hello I have gone through all your reports. They are all more or less normal. The potassium which is low is infact very marginally low and wont cause any symptoms. The only test which i think missed out is electro cardio gram (ECG). The same needs to be done to look for the heart rhythm. Otherwise mostly your son appears to have panic attacks. You should see a psychiatrist who can go through the issues in a holistic way. Hope that helps Wish you good health, regards Dr. Srikanth Reddy MD

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E