Have had Covid for three days and last night a panic attack that led to a heart rate of 178bpm. This isn’t the first time that’s happened. I called 911 but my vitals were good and heart rate slowed as it always does. Anyone else get attacks this bad? I have meds, breathing exercises, I ice myself, started with a new therapist, etc… just wonder if anyone else has them this bad. Also looking for Covid recovery stories as this is my first time and I HATE it!!!
PS. 9 days sober today! 
I had bad panic attacks when I first got sober. A few times I thought I was having a heart attack. Some of that was also the detoxing I was going through. It got way better a few months in.
I also had the OG covid in 2020. I was sick for 12 hours, lost my smell for three days… that was it. I do have lingering head aches. I never got them before and now I do. My wife has had covid twice. Both times were very mild and she is immune compromised. A few days really tired, but that was it. And we are all vaxed and boosted. I actually got more sick after both shots, than when I had the actual virus.
Keep hydrated and sleep. That’s about all you can do. Hope it passes soon.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Besides the meds, grounding techniques work very well for me when I feel a panic attack coming on.
I feel that tightness in my chest that signals incoming panic attack, and I stop what I'm doing, stop whatever I'm thinking about. I start to take notice of my surroundings.
The texture of my pants under my fingers. The feeling on my thighs as I rub my fingers on my pants. The quality of the light in the room. The play of the shadows. Whether it's tactile, visual, smell, auditory, taste, or just consciousness of your thoughts, it's about interrupting the attack before it takes hold. Distracting yourself with mindfulness of your surroundings stops the feedback loop that creates the panic attack.
It's like when a scratched record keeps playing two words over and over and over, stuck in that loop. You pick the needle up off of the record, and move it to the next track.
My panic attacks pre-sobriety often came on without accompanying thoughts. I believe they were withdrawal symptoms. My panic attacks nowadays tend to be when I'm thinking about something stressful, so their timing makes a little more sense.
Do a little research about grounding techniques, you may find a version that works best for you.
Good luck!
Edit: Your breathing exercises are a form of grounding techniques, but there are many variations. Tactile stuff works best for me.