Strong "adrenalin" Feelings In Chest?

[Patricia]

I have been told I have hyperadrenergic POTS though I do not have episodes of high blood pressure when upright. I have FREQUENT symptoms in my chest all day long from pressure to pain to this adrenalin-like feeling. I can get the adrenalin feeling just from reading, calling my dog, laughing, etc. Also from stimulating drugs. When I get it I feel like a could have a heart attack. Sometimes my heart pounds at a more rapid pace and I feel a wave of anxiety come over me if it was brought on by doing something physical.

Does anyone experience this and has anything helped? Does anyone know about Phenobarbital helping Hyperadrenaergic POTS? I am already on a beta blocker and Ativan to calm the sympathetic nervous system.

Thank you!

[Lenna]

Patricia,

My niece has had similar symptoms - chest pain, anxiety and a POUNDING heart beat. She was told by numerous doctors that these episodes were panic attacks but it turns out that she has tumors on her adrenal glands - hence the feeling of surging adrenaline. The tumors are called pheochromocytomas. Ninety percent of the time these tumors are benign and can be removed lapriscopically. Because my niece's situation went undiagnosed (or shall we say MISdiagnosed) for years, her situation is much more complicated now. I think that your symptoms could be indicative of many different things, but I felt that I had to let you know about this possibility as well. It may be worthwhile to see an endocrinologist.

-Lenna

[mom4cem]

I've had the also, a lot in the past. I was checked by an endo for pheo and other endocrine disorders and came up negative. I used to panic a lot about them but over time I've learned to force myself to relax when I feel like that even though it can last off and on all day. (though I still get nervous)

Do you take anything for it? I find a little klonopin can help the feeling also.

[Patricia]

Thanks Lenna and Mom4cem,

I posted that I take Ativan throughout the day. I had a terrifying spell a couple of weeks ago that started with strong chest symptoms after I had been upright too long. I became very warm, felt I had trouble breathing, broke out in a sweat, and my heart raced. I reclined with no reversing symptoms. It lasted 1 1/2 hours!! I have never been so scared. I ended up putting 2mg. Ativan under my tongue (normally take 0.5 mg.) to get it to finally stop. I should have slept like a horse afterwards with all that Ativan, but did not. My family was going to call for an ambulance, but got my doctor on the phone who said they would do more harm than good in the ER! I will see an Endo in a couple of months.....couldn't come too soon!

I have "put up" with the chest symptoms for many years, like you Lenna, but this spell was something I never experienced and truly do not know what I will do if it happens again. I wondered if anyone knew if Phenobarbital helped this particular type of POTS????

Thank you for answering!

[pat57]

Patricia,

You say you reclined, I suggest you lay flat with or without your feet up. When I am in an episode ,reclining will not do ,it I have to lay flat.

If I don't, I could have a major seizure and probably would.

[mom4cem]

I put my feet up, it seems to help. I also sometimes take a little more beta. These episodes have lasted for me 45 to an hour or so. Then with all the left over adrenaline, I'm wired and tired but can not possibly sleep for a long while. Even the next day will leave residual "episodes".

[Patricia]

Thank you all so much. I actually was lying flat during the episode, though I said I was reclined......sorry. I researched about this and asked my doctor if I could try some Phenobarbital to see if it helps. I am a bit nervous though with my BP only in the 80's systolic now.......YIKES! I have to wonder if my BP going from the 90's to the 80's is part of the reason for all this extra adrenalin? I wish I had a doctor that could help me figure it out.

I know no one offered me a definite answer, but it really helped me "talk" about it with you and get some advice.

Thanks so much again!

Patricia

[pat57]

I see. Did you take your pulse or BP during that hour and a half? I'm assuming it goes up. Since I don't have POTS let alone

Hyperadrenaergic POTS. What I'm wondering is if the pain is from fast heart rate. They say if its too fast the heart hasn't time to fill and causes pain.

[runningshoe]

I have a lot of chest symptoms as well. I am learning to live with them and try to lie down and distract myself. Just an aside - be careful with ativan. It is useful for intermintent occasions and for night time sleep but my dr said to not use during the day unless in a terrible situation. Hang in there!

[pat57]

the following looked worth posting......

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid...st-pain/FA00036

Chest pain: First aid

Causes of chest pain can vary from minor problems, such as indigestion or stress, to serious medical emergencies, such as a heart attack or pulmonary embolism. The specific cause of chest pain is often difficult to interpret.

As with other sudden, unexplained pains, chest pain may be a signal for you to get medical help. Use the following information to help you determine whether your chest pain is a medical emergency.

Heart attack

A heart attack occurs when an artery that supplies oxygen to your heart muscle becomes blocked. A heart attack generally causes chest pain that lasts longer than 15 minutes. But a heart attack can also be silent and produce no signs or symptoms.

Many people who suffer a heart attack have warning symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. The earliest predictor of an attack may be recurrent chest pain that's triggered by exertion and relieved by rest.

Someone having a heart attack may experience any or all of the following:

* Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes

* Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms

* Lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath

If you or someone else may be having a heart attack:

* Dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance. Don't "tough out" the symptoms of a heart attack for more than five minutes. If you don't have access to emergency medical services, have someone such as a neighbor or friend drive you to the nearest hospital. Drive yourself only as a last resort, if there are absolutely no other options. Driving yourself puts you and others at risk if your condition suddenly worsens.

* Chew a regular-strength aspirin. Aspirin can inhibit blood clotting. However, you shouldn't take aspirin if you're allergic to aspirin, have bleeding problems or your doctor previously told you not to do so.

* Take nitroglycerin, if prescribed. If you think you're having a heart attack and your doctor has previously prescribed nitroglycerin for you, take it as directed. Do not take anyone else's nitroglycerin.

* Begin CPR. If the person suspected of having a heart attack is unconscious, a 911 dispatcher or another emergency medical specialist may advise you to begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Even if you're not trained, a dispatcher can instruct you in CPR until help arrives.

Pulmonary embolism

An embolus is an accumulation of foreign material ? usually a blood clot ? that blocks an artery. Tissue death occurs when the tissue supplied by the blocked artery is damaged by the sudden loss of blood. Pulmonary embolism describes the condition that occurs when a clot ? usually from the veins of your leg or pelvis ? lodges in an artery of your lung.

Signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism include:

* Sudden, sharp chest pain that begins or worsens with a deep breath or a cough, often accompanied by shortness of breath

* Sudden, unexplained shortness of breath, even without pain

* Cough that may produce blood-streaked sputum

* Rapid heartbeat

* Anxiety and excessive perspiration

As with a suspected heart attack, dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance immediately.

Pneumonia with pleurisy

Frequent signs and symptoms of pneumonia are chest pain accompanied by chills, fever and a cough that may produce bloody or foul-smelling sputum. When pneumonia occurs with an inflammation of the membranes that surround the lung (pleura), you may have considerable chest discomfort when inhaling or coughing. This condition is called pleurisy.

One sign of pleurisy is that the pain is usually relieved temporarily by holding your breath or putting pressure on the painful area of your chest. This is not true of a heart attack. See your doctor if a cough and a fever or chills accompany your chest pain. Pleurisy alone, however, isn't a medical emergency.

Chest wall pain

One of the most common varieties of harmless chest pain is chest wall pain. One kind of chest wall pain is costochondritis. It consists of pain and tenderness in and around the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone (sternum).

Often, placing pressure over a few points along the margin of the sternum results in considerable tenderness limited to those small areas. If the pressure of a finger duplicates your chest pain, you probably can conclude that a serious cause of chest pain, such as a heart attack, isn't responsible.

Other causes of chest pain include:

* Strained chest muscles from overuse or excessive coughing

* Chest muscle bruising from minor trauma

* Acute anxiety with rapid breathing

* Pain from the gastrointestinal tract, such as esophageal reflux, peptic ulcer pain, or gallbladder pain.

[mkoven]

And it seems that some of us get mystery chest pain for other reasons. My recurrent chest symptoms feel and sound like heart attack or angina, but everything checks out--over and over. chest pain and pressure, radiating to left arm and shoulder, nausea, shortness of breath, yada yada. I never know anymore when to go to ER or call 911-- and neither do my doctors. And I feel like I"m crying wolf. Nitro makes me worse. My pcp (yesterday) advised me not only to ie down the next time I get symptoms, but to put my legs at a 90degree angle to see if that improves it. that should also tell more if there's an autonomic/orthostatic component. Of course, I have the luxury of wondering because I've been tested up the yingyang. But chest pain from ans doesn't seem to fit the typical categories. I wish someone could scan everything that's going on in terms of blood flow during an attack. So I guess the advice is make sure there is nothing sinister going on. But you can then still have wild chest symptoms that no one can explain.