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What Helps During A Hyperadrenergic Surge?


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I wish I knew what brought on the changes or how we can avoid a crash ... but even when you seem to be doing "everything right" ... things can still turn on a dime.

My dime turned early last week -- and I've been thrown into that cycle of surges ever since. Grrrrr. I can't pin point a trigger (ruled out food, stress etc.) But when it hits the coat hanger pain seizes up, there can be intense heat or chills (flip a coin) pressure in the eustacian tubes (ears?) and my heart rate is jumpy(though not necessarily high, just erratic). The surges last anywhere from 2 minutes to two hours. Followed by an almost woozy feeling and fatigue. Then it can be anywhere from a half hour to 6 hours or more then another one hits.

Ick.

I still had the collection jug for the four hour concentrated urine methyhistimine test .. so I decided to collect that this morning. And I suppose it could be my thyroid is off again, or its just more fun with menapause. Who knows?

I'm just wondering for other folks who deal with these flaires ... what helps while you wait out the storm?

:mellow:

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EM, I'm sorry - I wish I had some magic cure for you but I don't. I guess when I'm going through that I just try to remember a time when I had it before and realize that eventually it will go away....corny, but I often find myself repeating "this too shall pass..."

Be well...

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Hi,

Sorry, I wish I knew as well. My best advice is to just make sure to take care of yourself. I know when I get like that I tend to feel less like eating or getting up to get a drink of water. Make sure to get plenty of rest. I also tend to get of my med schedule, which doesn't help things. Also, maybe try biofeedback/meditation techniques to try to calm the ANS. Not sure there is a great answer out there... Who knows...

Hope you feel better soon!!! :mellow:

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I just wanted to wish you well in recovering this.

Your eustachian tube comment flipped me out. I had a bad day Easter Sunday and could not even ride with sister to 88 year old mom's house. Felt too OFF dizzy and ears plugged! (they just watched Master's Golf tournament and I did the same thing too, but I digress)

I have also had at about 2pm "surges" like I just took a sudafed or got a jolt of caffeine? My morning two mugs of coffee never do that.

HOWEVER, mine seem to be hormonal...hyst so no period to give major clues...but ovaries, case of the weepies last week, food cravings (Good for me, never hungry) sore breasts...now past couple of days, not much appetite but falling asleep in the evenings for 2-3 hours (VERY unusual for me!!)

Sometimes you read about other folks and you'd think we were all in the same area and something was 'in the water'.

Good luck with the collection.

:mellow:

speaking of hydration I have gone thru chapstick like crazy lately!!

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Thanks so much for all the well wishes.

This morning's surge lasted from 7:00 a.m. until just after Noon. I am completely wiped out. I also noticed I've lost four pounds since this started, so I'm kicking up the butter'd toast and whole milk!

This too shall pass.

Yes ... thank you for the reminder.

Salubrious.

~EM

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Hi Earth Mother,

I don't have much to offer, but when I get bad surges it makes me feel slightly better to put ice packs on my wrists or the back of my neck. I understand exactly what you are talking about, and when I experience this besides keeping ice by me, I lay on the couch, pray, and say to myself "it's ok. you're going to be ok. your body just has to get this worked out." I know that doesn't help much, but I will keep you in my thoughts! A couple of other thoughts.... do you have a prescription like Klonopin, Ativan, or Valium to help reduce your symptoms during these surges? My neurologist suggested this, but I haven't tried it yet. It seems like it should help do something though. Maybe BenGay, Icy Hot, or heated wash cloths would help with the shoulder spasms? I also made posts before about kinesiotape. It is good to help muscle tightness, including the shoulders, and putting in on the soles of the feet or over the thoracic vertebrae (starting from the bottom and going up) is supposed to help reduce autonomic symptoms by providing counter-stimulation to the body. Sorry I can't offer more, but PM me if I can help further :mellow: Hang in there!

~ Broken_Shell :)

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Last summer I was all about the ice packs. This go around I seem to be inclined to use a heating pad. Which is strange. But even in a hot flush it feels better. I do have to remind myself, as you said "it's ok. you're going to be ok. your body just has to get this worked out." Because my mind tends to go to scary movie stories. Strange how my Zen goes right out the window when I need it most.

Last summer when I began the crash I finally gave in and tried several of the Benzos. I gave them a good trial for probably two months ... but they just seemed to make me feel less able to cope with the same intensity flair. Then after a while the rebound anxiety from the Xanax was simply doing me in. So I decided to taper off. I am tempted to consider an anti-histimine, but me and meds have such a bumpy history.

Thanks for the suggestion of the kinesiotape ... I recognized the pictures of it as the tape the olympian volley ball women's team wore. I'll have to look into this. Its not usual for me to have tight muscle or body pains, whatever is going on seems to cause such a wide range of symptoms.

But when it passes, other than being exhausted, it does pass. My body doesn't hurt. I don't feel jumpy, my heart's has excellent coherency ... until the next surge. Strange.

~EM

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yeah sadly I just ride those out when they come on. Sometimes there is an obvious trigger, othertimes there isnt. the strange thing is when mine are bad sometimes i actually drink caffeine! Youd think it would be the very worst thing to do but it must pick up the blood pressure or something. But ofcourse, later on they probably come back BECAUSE of the caffeine! :)

I usually just sit down, clear my mind and breath and it goes away. No matter how bad they feel they do tend to go away. I hate it when it happens in public because i tend to shake a bit and go pale.

In my recent crash i had those every morning for months on end. Thank god that is over!

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Guest tearose

Oh dear EM, I am sorry to get here late. I am so sorry you had a relapse.

I just had a mini one as I decreased estrogen replacement. I was a basket case!!! I get no sleep and after a few days I can't think straight at all. I am too horrified to share everything but trust me, I was in no condition to even go out. I should have just stayed inside and healed but by going out it made the relapse longer and worse. Please let go of any pressures and just heal now.

My suggestion having just started a remission...rest a lot. Make all foods the ones you digest easily. Eat room temp or warm foods. Supplement with electrolytes. Try to keep track of activity and don't get deconditioned. Call or write friends if you are able. Just take everything slowly and try to hunker down and replenish. It is hard to figure out why these relapses happen. Let it go if you can for now. Focus on finding your balance. Sometimes we don't know the trigger. Eventually, the important thing is to try to figure out is how to "catch" the downward turn sooner and respond sooner. I think recently, virus I was fighting and the change in temperature/weather messed up my ability to absorb estrogen properly. I have MAJOR issues with cold temperatures. I then went cold turkey off it and now have been able to reintroduce a lesser amount and feel human again.

I hope you find some peace,

streaming healing light your way,

with love,

tearose

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EM,

Have you tried GABA supplements? If you can't tolerate the drugs, maybe the supplement would be easier on your system. I haven't tried it. Before I went on the Klonopin, Chamomile tea worked a bit, took the edge off. Rest when you need it, sleep if you can.

As many positive thoughts as I can send your way!

Jennifer

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Hi, just to comment on the herbal supplements. I have tried chamomile tea and it was a drunken relaxing feeling, I also tried Kava Kava for my 1st anxiety feeling years back and it made my heart start making clicking and really weird palps and I was DX with MVP and I stopped taking them shortly after and 7 years later the few echo's I've had say I don't really have MVP so I really don't know how safe the herbal supplements are . So just a heads up based on my experience.

And during my so called surges I get cool, if its really bad I'll put a very cold rag on my face and neck and thats suppose to decrease heart rate , and lay down it usually passes in a 1/2 hour or so sometimes abit longer depending on the cause, hormonal I have constant surges for days sometimes weeks.

Mae

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EM, it is funny you should mention the ear thing because yesterday at noon, I had my first storm since being on medication (4 months) and I am sitting here whiped out, with a migraine, and pluggy feeling ears. I had no idea the ear thing could be from the surge. When I have them the best treatment for me is resting a lot. I have to lay down in a dark quiet room and try to sleep. I drink as much as the nausea allows, and try to force myself to eat a bit to keep my blood sugar up. It also helps when I have someone around that just checks on me every few hours, so that if I need something I don't have to get up too much or move around too much, as this makes it last longer, I have found. It really helps as other have said, to just remember 'this too shall pass".

I don't know my trigger either, so that is more frustrating, but if you keep remembering it won't last forever, and the confusion and anxiety are part of the surge, it isn't so bad. Don't let the actual surge feed on itself.

Does anyone else get the slurred speech and bad confusion? My doc told me it was part of it, but that is the one thing that is hardest to accept. Thank God it has only happened in public once and wasn't too bad, but I am afraid that if it does, people will think I'm a big drunk. :)

Earth Mother, I feel for you and hope things are slowing down a bit. Rest rest rest is the only big thing that helps me get through, and not trying to do too much too soon after it happens, because I tend to relapse when I do. Good Luck chica.

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I'm so sorry you feel this way as I can relate. :) The ears drove me nuts for years, infections after infection, till I was put on thyroid med,

now when they are hurting I'm reminded it's allergy season. They also recheck the thyroid levels. I need to buy a battery operated fan for the hot sweats as the doc said I'm getting a double whammy due to menopause. I'm flaring so bad right now. I feel best a few days after having iv hydration at the hospital each week. I meant to ask for another day when I saw the doctor last week, but now my back has bulging disc and tears from falling at night from low BP. I need to drink Gatorade by the gallons and due to the cost I can't always. Sometimes I buy SunnyD and add water in in half and half. That way I get salt water and some other stuff too. With this economy I try to cut and save here and there.

Making others understand your limits is helpful, as today I found on youtube some video that I plan to send to family about Pots as mine is difficult. I hope those will help them understand. Keeping a journal so you can see if there are any triggers to your flares might be helful, along with just releasing your thoughts out and onto paper can be a stress reliever in it's self.

Learning to say no when others push you beyond your limits.

Always be prepared with cold packs and heat for all those aches and pains especially coat hanger pain.

The one thing that drives me crazy is the hissing sound my ears now.

Hope this helps, got to run.

wishing you the best. :)

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I can simply not express (as tiny tears roll down my cheeks) how moved I am by everyone's answers. It reminds me in a very visceral way that I do not walk this path alone. Deep bow of thanks for the support and love they are felt deeply and gratefully received.

I will take to heart the suggestions, encouragement and advise.

Yes ... This Too Shall Pass.

~EM

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EM,

These surges are such a struggle. Sometimes a benzo helps me and sometimes it makes it worse!

Otherwise I tend to just have to wait it out and stay in quiet as much as possible. Pet the dog, listen to quiet music, and just wait.

I do the mantras that you do!!!! I say stuff over and over and over again. "Are you okay?" "Yes." Etc. etc.

I have had a lot of nights when I am up all night long waiting for it to pass and it is so frustrating. All I can send is hugs b/c if there was an easy answer...you would have figured it out by now! :) Because you are a good problem solver! :unsure:

em

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Yeha Im right back in surge city again today - its been up all day long and the only thing that has helped is lying down for a while. I know what triggered mine but it doesnt make it any easier having yet another day off work...

I do find that betablockers can help to some degree. They can take the edge off a bit.

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