I don't suffer from them personally but I have seen people who have and yes they are that bad. I wouldn't definitely recommend that she get some kind of treatment for these attacks.

Oh, that must be terrible.  I have a friend that has them.  She doesn't pass out, but she does feel like she is having a heart attack.  Even if you know what it is, it is still scary to live through.  Your body reacts just as if there is a real emergency.  Sometimes a therapist can help a person learn how to deal with the symptoms, so they won't get so bad.  It doesn't mean a person has emotional problems, their body just over reacts to situations.  You can use relaxation to help, and a therapist is good at teaching the techniques.

My wife has been diagnosed with panic attacks so severe that she will pass out sometimes.  We thought she was having a heart attack the first time she had one.  We took her to the hospital and they admitted her overnight and did a stress test and then diagnosed her with panic attacks.  Can these things really get this bad?