That Was Scary -Please Advise

[lieze]

I was ready to go to Er although I know how much that frustrates all of us but I really thought I needed medical help.

I did a lot yesterday and felt pretty good.

Today mid morning again this has happened before but not this bad about mid morning when doing dishes trying to clean up a bit and just as I start thinking about oh my goodness I need to find daughter's soccer shirt wash it quick and get her things together for soccer I started in. Twice this has happened during this same exact situation.

I felt weak in the chest and almost pain in the left arm went and laid down and the surges started. I could feel it hitting the vagus nerve and would feel like my bowels were going to cut loose I got very very hot especially in the kidney area.

I could just smell ammonia like sweat coming off of me stinky and didn't feel like I could get up at all.

My vitals would go up with every surge but the highest my bp ever got was about 111/70. I know it was always under 120. But I had this feeling it was just going to continue until it killed me like an adrenaline storm or something. Having all those thoughts most likely only made it worse and continue. It was going through me in a cycle like I said maybe every 10 to 15 minutes and I finally started to call for help. Didn't get an answer either place but finally got my husband who said he would come home.

I told him I thought I needed medical help I felt so incredibly bad, sick to my stomach, just horrible.

He told me he thought I would be okay to see if I couldn't sleep and drink and eat something that he thought it would only wear me out more to go to ER.

I told him that I didn't think anything I was experiencing was normal. I did not try to take Xanax or anything I was fearful at that time but I did go to sleep and they stopped.

I was going between being very hot to chilling with muscles trembling and teeth chattering and this went on for probably an hour or so.

I don't know what caused this. I guess it is similar to my other episodes but usually I have maybe one or two surges and it stops this one wasn't. It basically just made me feel really bad heart rate highest was about 100 and like I said bp was higher than normal for me but within normal range.

Can anyone help me with this?

[juliegee]

So sorry, Lieze. I know I am unusual, but that is sort of like what my anaphylaxis feels like, but I also have periods of uncontrolled tachy where I almost lose consciousness. Did you experience that? Any buzzing in your ears?

The heat and cold, having to use the bathroom immediately- that's all part of it for me. The cold & shaking is at the end of an attack for me. My feet and hands are purple at that point- all blood is shunted to vital organs.

I also experience chronic hives/flushing and other severe allergy type symptoms NOT necessarily at the same time as an attack- that's the confusing part. I once used an epi-pen as I was about to lose consciousness from the tachy (I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS) and all of my symptoms stopped.

When my symptoms were uncontrolled, ometimes a benadryl helped....

Feel Better. Sending lots of hugs and prayers-

Julie

[lieze]

No buzzing in the ears-no real tachy the most I got were palpitations. No shortness of breath just the overall sick feeling hot and cold flashes. I usually get the chilling at the end too but I would chill and then go right back into another hot flash and adrenaline surge.

I started to wonder if it was a panic attack??? I know once they start it can be hard to stop them they can last for hours.

I wonder about how much of this is hormonal or being complicated by that. I just turned 44 last month and this last period was very weird. Spotted for a week prior and started in with POTS symptoms that I hadn't noticed for a couple weeks. Some irregular heart patterns and then shortness of breath episodes started every day for almost 3 to 4 days where all of a sudden it would feel like the wind was knocked out of me. Then after the period started it was like I got a little relief but I continued to spot afterwards for several days. I noticed a horrible ammonia smell at the end of the period too and I usually don't get anything like that.

I am feeling incredible stress these days and pressure to be active to do. My boss has asked me to work every other weekend starting mid October and it has me scared pretty bad. I am having major anxiety about it.

I just question how much of this I am doing to myself. I do have major anxiety. The fact that I'm okay until I realize I have to both find her uniform and get her ready and that there is a deadline has seemed to be a factor in setting me off twice now. I felt powerless over what happened after though I really felt that I was down for the count, but it just always leaves me somewhat confused.

How can I feel so incredibly bad for a period of time but now thank the Lord above I could actually get up and do something.

I just don't understand it.

[jonathanireland]

Aww really hope you feel better soon.

It certainly sounds like a panic attack to me hun, your pulse and BP certainly were not high enought for a pots flare up well only in my opinion that is, just because when mine flares up my pulse could shoot up to about 160 beats per minute, and u said yourself that you started to think too much during it maybe you should mention it to your doctor

Get well soon

[Ashelton80]

Hey Leize,

This sounds like one of my episodes that I refer to as an adrenaline surge. The only difference is my heartrate and bp usually skyrocket! I get them in intervals as well. It's almost like I will calm for a second and then like a wave or like I'm being plugged in a light socket and it hits me. I always have to rush to the bathroom as well. I tremble and shake and sweat, cold and hot as well. It is a horrible feeling! I don't care how many times I have dealt with it I still just crumble like a baby when it happens. My husband isn't super sympathetic either so it's hard. I think my best advice would probably be to take a xanax right away to stop it. I have been very stubborn about this, but am starting to learn how badly this is on my body. I have noticed that when I have overdone things or not been careful with my salt/water intake, haven't gotten good sleep several nights in a row , etc. this seems to trigger these sort of events for me. When they happen it can take me weeks to get things calmed down and back my "normal" POTS self. Sorry you are having a rough time.

[kayjay]

Hope you are feeling better. To me it sounds like a panic attack. I have had these. When it is a POTS thing for me my hr is about 170... my bp is sky high and I have to rush to the bathroom.

I think now my body has learned to panic and sometimes I have "panic" without the drastic vitals.

I tell my self that it is not "Real"... i know that panic attacks are "real" what i mean is I tell myself that I am not in danger and i try to relax. I also will take a bath in epson salts or drink a small glass of red wine... yes I have even done this before noon. . best wishes... I know this is a horrible, scary thing!

Also when I have i have "real" adrenal problems, I flush and hear buzzing like Macks mom.. or I turn Ghost white... even my lips. When I have a panic attack this does not happen.

[lieze]

I hope that you all are right and it was panic.

I'm trying to just take it easy here but my lower back muscles are hurting. It could be from laying around so much today or maybe I was tensing up my muscles and they are just sore.

I appreciate the feedback.

[jonathanireland]

you take it easy girly and kick up those legs it will do ya the best in the world. dont be worrying what caused it if it was a panic attack worrying even more now as to what caused it cant be good for you. we all get to a stage of sheer panic now and then and obviously yours was with your childrens things and having them ready n washed so just remember that its normal to panic and sometimes the body has a funny way with dealing with stress and also understand that theres nothing to worry about in future just take a deep breath sit down and just tell your self ******* THIS IS SO NOT WORTH A POTS/PANIC ATTACK******

Rest up, get well!

[StacyRN]

Just a thought... are you sure you didn't have a virus or something that hit you suddenly? That sounds absolutely horrible!!!!!!!

[lieze]

The only thing that I can relate it too is stress.

I have 4 kids and I can tell today I have no patience with them whatsoever.

I am supposed to work this coming Friday. I've been off for the last couple weeks and it's been heaven-but with the kids going back to school the physical demand on me has really increased.

Yesterday when I got up I baked cupcakes for daughter's class and in between pulling those out of the oven I packaged up packages for ebay.

Then ran the cupcakes to daughter's school and they didn't really have time in the day left for them so on to the post office. The post office was too busy so we left and went home.

Waited for kids to get off school and then drove to a little country post office with no one in line and then onto Toys R' Us with 3 of my 4 kids. At the end of that Toys R' Us trip I was needing to get out of there-either panic or POTS something was getting me.

So we got out drove home let daughter open her gifts, made supper and had cake.

I am not used to doing that much.

With my ebay I have been making trips to the post offices daily and stressing over whether this business is working or not. It's financial stress and that is part of the reason I was up until 2am . Answering questions even packaged up 2 more things at probably midnight so I'd have them ready to go.

Needless to say I did not make it to the post office and was having guilt all morning about not making it to son's 9 am soccer game. All of this stuff runs through my head constantly and I don't know what to do.

From a psychological standpoint my load makes me cower.

My mom also wanted to bring a mattress over here this weekend and I told her no that I had too much already but that was working on me too. I kept thinking about how I let other people put even more pressure on me than what I would normally have. My husband helps with some of the kid's running and some groceries but I still have too much to do and I am overwhelmed.

I think I might slow the ebay down. Sell what I have and not replace everything get that debt paid off so that is not bothering me either. I am making money-at least a few bucks on every sale but I am not really comfortable with the amount of money I have invested especially since I'm not working right now.

It was a wonderful distraction. When I worked on those things online I didn't think about anything I felt great and pumped but it's like today I came crashing down to reality and it wasn't good at all. Maybe it was just the pressure of everything I needed to get done and how would I do it all? I can't really prove it but I think I should make an effort to manage what I can a little better.

I thought about getting a repeat of my catecholamines done. My serum was elevated but the urine was fine when I did mine. The endocrinologist wanted to scan me for a pheo but I consulted with two physicians that said my tests didn't make them think pheo. My norepinephrine was only 800 and I've heard that's not that high. I have not had it tested lately and really feel like it had probably come back down to more normal levels since I have been feeling so good lately.

I wish I didn't have the work hanging over me. That would relieve some stress right there.

I'm glad to have a place to come and talk about it-thanks for that.

[lieze]

Okay guess what?

I have just read post after post of women experiencing this same exact feeling who are going through perimenopause.

I think it may be connected or related.

It makes me feel a little better.

Oh and another interesting thing. They notice the odor too.

Right before their episodes or during.

[Sarah4444]

Can I ask where you read the posts re perimenopause? I have had episodes like the one you described, including the odd-smelling sweat. They started when I was in my late 30s and my endocrinologist does not believe they are related to menopausal symptoms. I usually had tachycardia issues as well.

[lieze]

Sure Sarah I will try to find it in my history and post a link.

I think my plan for next time is a cold cloth. They say the heat is from blood vessels dilating and it causes the nerves to sense heat. A cold cloth and maybe even my water bottle to spritz myself down and instead of withdrawing I may try to use distraction. If I can stay actively engaged in something anything maybe I won't slip so far into panic. It's worth a try and I'll try to remember that it could just be hormonal I could just be getting hit with a very intense case of menopause not a fatal adrenal problem which is what goes through my mind while it's happening.

Oh and stress I have to get a handle on that and not let myself get so worked up all the time. Jeepers.

[lieze]

http://www.thathomesite.com/forums/load/menopause/msg1120414111083.html

Here is the link to the menopause group I was reading from.

They talk some about the surges happening at night which I think is what I experienced at first. Others also experience them during the day.