Adrenaline Rushes At Night With Vertigo

[Machair]

Last weekend I made the mistake of doing too much and forgot to keep my fluid levels up. Added to that I also rather stupidly stood in several queues which I try to avoid, and these were lengthy. I also had a lot of stress as well as a dear friend passed away last week.

So I woke up in the night drenched in sweat with the room spinning and feeling like I was having a full blown panic attack with palpitations. BP was ok though I was hyperventilating which I do when I get exhausted. Hubby got me a large glass of water followed by Gatorade and then symptoms slowly abated, though the vertigo continued until the morning.

This left me wiped out for a couple of days but as I have got my fluid up I have much improved, though my mornng BP is still very low at 90/54 and pulse shoots up dramatically on standing.

These events are not new to me but occur when I stop following the POTs rules! Does anyone else have these dreadful adrenaline rushes and does anyone have the room spinning when they happen?

I am so sure that stress, coupled with standing in one spot for too long, and not drinking enough sets off this dreadful chain of events, but I just wondered if I am alone or if anyone else can identify with this.

[Guest tearose]

Hi and welcome Machair,

Yes, if you overdo things you can have symptoms, naturally, it is worse if you are not sleeping well, not eating or drinking well or sick or stressed as you were with the loss of someone you love. I am sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.

I too need to recoup if I've had a relapse or been very symptomatic. If I don't, surely I will feel the "rush" and "spinning" you describe. Try to get back on your management plan and be more careful now that the holiday season is here. You may find that others are bustling all around you and you may need to stop and sit down for awhile.

Sending you strength...

tearose

[Nikki]

Yes, I know exactly how you feel..I'm dizzy normally and I'm dealing with extra symptoms today. Yesterday I had to be in the car for 3 hours to get to a doctor (which car rides never go well for me because of the dizziness) and it's just a lot of stress..I guess my only suggestion would be to rest when this happens. It eventually seems to get a little better anyway. I hope you're doing okay.

[ramakentesh]

Definately - exactly how you described - they were the first symptom for me or one of the first before the day long dizziness. I dont tend to get them from overdoing things though - I get them if I drink alcohol sometimes (but I still do it occasionally because id like to have some kind of enjoyable life LOL) and with migraines strangely enough.

For me pushing actually seems to help rather than make POTS worse.

[erik]

I've not had vertigo but have had significant night disturbances over the years. It sounds strange but for me sleeping with head elevated is somehow a huge factor when I'm in a phase of this stuff. If you haven't already, might try the elevated head sleep trick that is recommended for POTS at least. I did it in a lazee boy, intuitively, years before ever hearing of POTS... I was practically afraid of my bed and only used it a couple times over a few year period, but had no explanation. (Perhaps check this old topic on pre-diagnosis intuitive treatments & adaptations for some fun). Anyway, no guarantee but elevated head sleeping a reasonably easy thing to try.

I get this stuff from alcohol too (not surprisingly I almost never drink any more). It has many effects, from GABA agonism which will wear off through the night, being a diuretic, an adrenal (HPA) adjuster, to being a super-sugar which ought to give one a nice peak and fall of blood glucose (reactive hypoglycemia). I had a daytime episode identical to my night symptoms, timed exactly with a relative hypoglycemia caught by glucose meter (while probably also being slightly blood volume deficient). Dehydration exacerbates hypoglycemia sensitivity. POTS (and maybe others) are said to be more sensitive to blood sugar fluctuation. Just another angle that may or may not apply to your situation.

[gertie]

I have Meniere's & vertigo is sometimes brought on when I have too much salt or too much stress. I always sleep with head elevated & at first sign of the spins take Ativan. Did you have nausea?

[ethansmom]

I have struggled with vertigo on and off for years, and there are certain things that trigger it- usually overexertion/extreme fatigue, but also eating foods I am allergic to (wheat/dairy) seem to be the worst triggers. I have a prescription for Valium but I have NEVER used it- it scares me- so my protocol when I wake up with it or have a sudden attack is this:

Drink electrolytes ASAP! I like Emergen-C powder because it has no sugar

Take Motrin to reduce inflammation (I have a theory that when I get too much inflammation, it affects my fluid balance in inner ear)

Take Zyrtec (doc prescribed this for allergies but it also calms the nervous system)- just 1/2 a pill helps me for a whole day

Suck on a Vertigoheel homeopathic pill while I wait for the meds to kick in! I get these from my acupuncturist and they do help a bit

The combination of these things usually helps me relax and alleviates the horrible spinning feeling after 20-30 minutes.