I was in the hospital for a panic attack the other day.

[Kire]

I know that's what it was, but my diagnosis was "unexplained weakness" because that was my first complaint. I couldn't lift my arms, and I was walking around like a drunk. I had just woken up with only three or four hours of sleep and I had to get a tooth pulled at 10:45 am, so it was a lot of stress that I just couldn't take.

This is anxiety, I know, but I wonder if Medicare will cover an "unexplained" diagnosis.

I didn't know what it could have been at the time, so I went to have it checked out.

[Tab]

1. No, but....

1) It's good that you had it checked out.

2) As much as you may not like to hear it, if you had one panic/anxiety attack, you will have another, most likely. When that happens, let them know what you think is going on. And if they will put it down as an anxiety attack (and if Medicare accepts), then you're set.

People react differently in these attacks, but they do have similar symptoms - feeling of fear or frozenness, tremors perhaps, increased hearrate, weakness of limbs, and so forth. It's very debilitating, and it can increase over time.

Maybe you won't get the diagnosis the first time out, but if you had one, and it truly was a panic attack, you'll likely have another, and then you can start putting two and two together for them.

- t

[BigMama50]

2. Has it ever happened to you like that before?

I know that panic attacks have about a million different forms, but that's the first time I have heard of not being able to lift your arms and walking around like a drunk. On the other hand, maybe sleep deprivation?

Medicare will cover it, I think.