What Does An Adrenaline Surge Feel Like?

[abnel]

My goodness Serbo! A house blowing up nearby and shaking the earth would be enough to scare even the toughest soul, and would send anyone with Dysautonomia into a massive adrenaline surge. Hope you have recovered okay since this incident?

[POTSMama]

From the beginning of my POTS (about 20 years ago now) I have had mostly episodes at night when supine, so it's actually almost comforting to me to know that others have nighttime episodes too... this was never mentioned in POTS lit I would read, but they'd only talk about drops in BP with standing (which I've also sometimes gotten) or tachycardia when standing (ditto). But sometimes (fortunately not often; maybe once ever month or two) I can just be drifting off to sleep when suddenly my heart starts pounding hard and fast, I get shaky/sweaty/anxious and get my blood pressure monitor and find that I am very high (like 220/170 at my worst) and tachycardic and I feel like my head is blowing up and I have trouble breathing due to chest tightness.

But unlike others mentioned here, after a few minutes of high BP/pulse, I'll drop really low (like 90/50 and bradycardic sometimes) and then pop high, and then low, etc. The range of the excursions starts to become less over time if I take a small amount of clonazepam when this happens (and used to take atenolol until I found out I may also have MCAD and BBs are bad for that), until finally it normalizes and I can go back to sleep. Oh, and sometimes I get intense cramping in the front of both thighs. Anyone else?

Carol

[Lovebug]

I can just be drifting off to sleep when suddenly my heart starts pounding hard and fast, I get shaky/sweaty/anxious and get my blood pressure monitor and find that I am very high (like 220/170 at my worst) and tachycardic and I feel like my head is blowing up and I have trouble breathing due to chest tightness.

But unlike others mentioned here, after a few minutes of high BP/pulse, I'll drop really low (like 90/50 and bradycardic sometimes) and then pop high, and then low, etc.

That is EXACTLY how my episodes go....BP spikes, HR spikes, get anxious, get nauseous, severe pain in LUQ abd (sometimes accompanied by diarrhea), CP (I'm assuming from indigestion). Then, I'll start bouncing all around with my BP & HR. All other symptoms are the same but vitals are crazy & unstable. This is some scary business but I just suffer through it. I had one last night...Probably could have benefitted from taking a dose of B-blocker but never did. My body wanted to sleep so bad but it wouldn't let itself. I was just along for the ride, no control whatsoever. I HATE these! Oh, and mine usually start with a flush feeling in my chest that radiates to both arms. It feels like I'm being injected with an extremely cold medicine right in the heart and I can feel it going through my body. I suppose I actually feel the adrenaline...?

[E246]

Hi,

Does anyone get these during the day that go on for hours?

I have been really desperate with this happening daily and no doctor seems to understand.

Have just started fludrocortisone and it seems to have controlled it -hugely relieved.

Anyone else?

[POTSMama]

I sometimes get daytime episodes now, but for years it was mainly only at night that they got that severe. Unfortunately the doctors think I may now have developed mast cell activation disease (or rather than I had that to begin with and that it was the source of my POTS, not sure - - being evaluated right now). Lovebug, yes I forgot to mention that I get hot flushing/then ice cold extremities during these often too. Now the flushing across the shoulders you mention might indicate that you have a mast cell activation component going too - - I wonder if anyone else here (Mack's mom? Issie? Maiysa? Anaphylaxing?) with MCAD could comment if their POTS came first or second, and if the POTS was first it nighttime episodes of temperature and BP/HR volatility were a factor. In retrospect, I'm realizing that on nights I took Benadryl to sleep better (I can be an insomniac) I did not have these episodes usually, suggesting again that the nighttme episodes were MCAD and the antihistamine helped. And as time went on, I'd wake up mornings with the flushing/hotness, which until recently I thought was menopausal hot flashes, but I now realize is MCAD symptoms getting worse over time.

Long ago my PCP prescribed atenolol (BB) and clonazepam (Klonopin) for these episodes - - now that I know that BBs are bad for MCAD, I have quit the atenolol. I only took these as needed anyway, during one of these nighttime attacks (otherwise I couldn't sleep) and they really helped. He gave me 0.5 clonazepam pills, but I'd split them and only take 1/2 or even 1/4.and that would stop the nervous system from overreacting so much and calm it down. Made a world of difference, even more than the BB. You can get hooked on clonazepam though, and if you take it all the time, he says it becomes ineffective. But since I only took those when I was having a nighttime episode, and I don't have those but once in awhile (although awful when they occur), I didn't take that much. You might consider that. Sometimes when I felt like my body was 'wired' and I was afraid I'd have a nighttime episode, I would take 1/4 in anticipation before I went to bed, but I did/do try not to take too much clonazepam for above-stated reasons.

Carol

[Lovebug]

Carol,

Wow...I do have lots of symptoms associated with MCAD. But I'm on a B-blocker and found that it helps me. Even once when I had one of these attacks, I took an extra dose of my Inderal and I did start feeling better. Which is one reason I never thought I had MCAD. What tests need to be checked to diagnose it? I am going to my doctor in 2 weeks and would like to mention it to him. Thanks for bringing it up!

[Zayja]

Hi all! My daughter has Dysautonomia. She has been getting feelings of her hands and feet tingeling. She also said her vision feel like she is about to go cross eyed. These episodes last a long time. Is this common?

[Serbo]

My goodness Serbo! A house blowing up nearby and shaking the earth would be enough to scare even the toughest soul, and would send anyone with Dysautonomia into a massive adrenaline surge. Hope you have recovered okay since this incident?

yes fine thanks. It was weird because even though it was a big explosion it was over quickly. The house was just out of view when it blew and strangely there was no smoke. i had thought a plane had crashed or something, then when police, ER helicopter showed up 5 mins later i realised what had happened.

On the subject of adrenaline rushes, i got a 1.5 hour train in to london tonight to go meet some freinds at a bar, managed to last about 20 minutes until the noise, etc became to much. Annoying!

I didnt really have tachy just very aware if the noise and over stimulated, would it be a BB or an SNRI that i would need to be able to function in that environment? no tachy really so not sure a BB would be right

Thanks

[POTSMama]

Lovebug, I didn't mean that the BB didn't help - - it did. It's just that recently I read an artice from the Vanderbilt researchers saying that BBs were contraindicated in MCAD because they can trigger mast cell activation. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a real easy diagnostic test for MCAD and most doctors have never heard of it because it's rare. You can tell them it has the same symptoms as mastocytosis, but that the blood tryptase leve may not be high except right after an attack, and that n-Methyl-histamine in a 24 hour urine sample can be high after an attack. But my understanding is that it is hard to catch these things as high, so often it's diagnosed by excluding other things causing flushing ike carcinoid syndrome or mastocytosis, and then it's just assumed based on having the clinical symptoms. But the Vanderbilt researchers did an article saying it can be tied to hyperadrenergic POTS, which it also sounds like you may have, so maybe take that article to your doctor.

Serbo, same thing happened to us one night about 4 years ago! My husband and I were almost asleep and there was a huge blast sound that caused adrenaline surges in both of us - - I too thought it was a plane crash, but found out the next day that a house had exploded about 10 blocks away due to a gas leak from some construction the owner was doing and didn't know what he was doing. It was really tragic as the owner died, but yes, that is the idea of a really bad adrenaline surge - - something sudden that scares you and causes your heart to race and your blood pressure to rise.

Carol

[Lovebug]

Thanks Carol! I take such a low dose BB but I did see where it is contraindicated with MCAD. I'm wondering if the very very strong DECAF coffee that I drank earlier that night caused it. I only had half a cup. I also had a jello shot (just one) and a sip of vodka (just one) on Christmas Eve in addition to said cup of coffee on Christmas day. Combining those two incidences may have set me off but it sounds as though it could still be MCAD. I mean, I actually feel as though someone is shooting medicine directly into my heart and I can feel it spread. Also, I've been having repercussions the last few days. I don't get red or have itching but I have all the GI symptoms and vital sign volatility. Oh well, thanks for sharing!

[PetuniasMom]

As far as what does an adrenaline surge feel like, my daughter has described this - she randomly gets the sensation or feeling like she is on a roller coaster at the top, and that feeling you get when you juuuust start to go down it.....or like when you are standing on the edge of something and you almost fall - do you know what I mean? They come randomly for her, sitting in class, or just at random times, sometimes when she is trying to sleep....no anxiety involved, no worries. So, I have wondered if this is an adrenaline surge for her - does anyone else feel that too?

[kmichaelson]

As far as what does an adrenaline surge feel like, my daughter has described this - she randomly gets the sensation or feeling like she is on a roller coaster at the top, and that feeling you get when you juuuust start to go down it.....or like when you are standing on the edge of something and you almost fall - do you know what I mean? They come randomly for her, sitting in class, or just at random times, sometimes when she is trying to sleep....no anxiety involved, no worries. So, I have wondered if this is an adrenaline surge for her - does anyone else feel that too?

I get a very similar feeling as well. Someone earlier in this thread described it as the feeling you get when you have a near car accident or something like that. For me, it's pretty brief, but a very strong feeling. I don't feel anxious, but it's just an unpleasant disorienting feeling.

I also get the feeling at night that many people have described where sometimes my heart will just pound really hard and I'll get warm. again, I don't feel anxious, but I do feel like I have excess adrenaline at that time.

I don't know if both of these sensations are from adrenaline, but I get them and they both make sense to me as feeling like a surge of adrenaline!

[E246]

Bumping this up to see if anything new has come up regarding surges.

seemed to be free of them for a while and they have started again and are seriously interfering with the quality of my improving pots life.

Mostly they are triggered after having hr jumps that are followed by surges and an experience of too much adrenaline. It writes off my day. I feel ill, spaced out, chest pain,

shakey, cold, breathless.

Thought i had found a new doctor who might help but then he suggested it was it was anxiety and it just puts me into defensive mode and i know i need to find yet another doctor.

Any clarity from anyone.

Thanks

[lynnie22]

My adrenaline surges often have a high raise in HR, but not always. I know it's like the 'fight or flight' reaction like our body is reacting to something dangerous. Mine are coming more and more often. It usually comes in the evening like many of you, but also in the afternoon. I begin to feel a tremulousness inside, a shaking and anxiety although I'm not consciously anxious about anything. My hands shake, my heart often races, my blood pressure often goes up, I feel sometimes like I'm going to jump out of my skin.

[AshleyPooh]

I like to think of my adrenaline rush as if someone had just dropped a set of metallic pots and pans onto the floor right behind me, and even I can't hear them but my body reacts as if i had. It's a startling over nothing, a surge of nervousness and alertness. After my heart rate goes back down i feel tired but so strung out and jittery that if it happens at night when i'm trying to sleep, you can kiss the night goodbye because one good surge will ruin my entire sleep cycle. The only way I have found to prevent those surges is anxiety medication, but I'm not on any now b/c i didn't want to 'depress' my system any more than it already is with the blood pressure.

Oh yeah, after these adrenaline rushes, if my body is tired enough to fall asleep, the leftover anxiety I don't feel in my system actually cuts off my breathing every time I'm about to fall asleep. That's always a fun (not) experience.

[okiedokie123]

I also share my concerns with not wanting to "depress" my body with meds. Maybe there's a sort of alternative medicine/herb to reduce adrenaline surges?

[AshleyPooh]

I was told by a health food lady that Tart cherry juice can help sometimes during bed. not sure how that works but that's what she said

[Cala]

Surges? Oh boy...are those fun! I think Godsgal summed the major ones up very well.

But mine are more like, you've just missed that 18 Wheeler by the width of a gnats eyebrow and your so shook up you have to pull over and you swear you can SEE your heart beating in your shirt. Kerthump! Kerthump!

I had my fiance wake me from a blood pressure crash one day, I still do not know how low it was but I was barely coherent and wasn't even able to sit upright without help.

He gets the bright idea to try to "help" bring me out of it by clapping his hands hard and loud right in front of my nose!

If any of you are like me, you already know the result. A rush of untold horror. Nightmare of epic proportion LOL To his benefit, my blood pressure shot up violently, at least momentarily. I shot up also, pushing him backwards. I flapped around like a wounded goose screaming, burst into tears and passed out in the floor.

It takes me hours to get over those, sometimes a whole day I'm "not right" from it.

It feels like I'm in 3rd grade again and that bully Ada the Potato is in the bathroom waiting and I have to pee so bad but I know if I go in there, she's going to beat me up and if I don't, I'm going to pee on myself and if I tell, I'll be a tattletale. It's that level of hopeless panic to me. That's the only way I can describe it.

[Confusedguy]

I get these types of attacks about every other day. They are bad and extremely uncomfortable. As to adrenaline surge or anxiety ? My guess is anxiety but I have found a way to stop it immediately so as long as I'm at home I'm ok. Luckly a life saver for me is I work from my house......

[Lenn]

I really wonder what I’m dealing somewhat for what this forum is calling adrenal rushes. Oddly they happen at the wee hours of the morning . Between 4 and 6 am. I have to go to the bathroom then go to get up and feel dizzy, panic, then have to self regulate. Sometimes I’ll take an Ativan to help but man it’s awful to feel this way. I get so afraid. You see I’ve lost my daughter 2 years ago to a horrible crash. I’m menopausal and my marriage isn’t too good. That probably above are all factors. I’m overweight as well and need to get at least 60lbs off my body. I’m so so tired of this. The adrenal rush only happens every month maybe every 2 months. It is something I don’t believe in regular Drs to help me figure out. I’m going to try n see a Naturpath. I’m sitting here at 5 am or so in the morning and can’t stop weeping.I feel off balance too during , while and after one of these episodes. I find one hour is my adrenal party 😆! I think of my daughter, my marriage etc after these rushes. Ugh I pray something will help. 

My anxiety is through the roof at this time when this happens

[Lenn]

On 9/12/2013 at 11:06 AM, Confusedguy said:

I get these types of attacks about every other day. They are bad and extremely uncomfortable. As to adrenaline surge or anxiety ? My guess is anxiety but I have found a way to stop it immediately so as long as I'm at home I'm ok. Luckly a life saver for me is I work from my house......

How do you stop it if you don’t mind sharing? 

Generally, what have all your experiences helped to alleviate these symptoms? I keep trying ashwaghanda and magnesium Bisglycinate at bedtime. And i find if I eat by 4 pm it seems to help ward the adrenal rushes off but other times I’ve read to eat protein before sleep (small amount like a couple bites of beef or chicken🤷🏻‍♀️) has anyone had success with helping ones self with this debilitating rush? I’m so tired 😪 

[Pistol]

@Lenn what you describe sounds like a typical rush. I have hyperadrenergic POTS, meaning my adrenaline goes through the roof when triggered. In your case you mention you have to go to the bathroom and then the surge symptoms start - so, if you need to empty your bowels that could mean your rush started in your sleep, since emptying of bowels can happen with fight-and-flight responses. If you need to empty your bladder it could also mean that you just have to pee and getting up from sleeping can - even in normal people - make our BP drop and in turn that can trigger an episode. 

It is common to develop anxiety with an adrenaline surge, that is part of it. It is called a "feeling of impending doom" - again, a part of the flight-and-flight response. In your case you have a lot of reasons to be anxious - and I am so sorry about the loss of your daughter and all you have to go through! 

What has helped for me is developing a bed time routine - going to bed at the same time each night, getting up at the same time and spending time reading or knitting ( anything relaxing ) before bed rather than using electronics. Eating protein ( like you already do ) and avoiding carbs is very helpful also. I have to get up at night to empty my bladder, so I make sure I am fully awake and get up SLOWLY - that alone can help to avoid a rush. And when I had a particular exciting day and feel wound up at night I take an ativan BEFORE bed - I dont wait until I am already in a rush. That has all helped me with night-time symptoms. 

I hope this can help you. Have you considered joining a grief support group? Grief in itself can be debilitating, and talking to people that also go through it can make a world of difference! Be well - and when the overwhelming anxiety kicks in try to take deep breaths and think of some beautiful memories instead of giving in to the bad feelings!