Adrenaline Rush

[bebe127]

I have been reading about some people that experience "adrenaline rushes" on here lately. I was wondering if you could describe what you are feeling when you have them?

For the last week I have been awakened out of a deep sleep feeling really weird. I just feel shakey all over with this impending sense of doom. The first time it happened last week, I freaked out. The subsequent times, I didn't freak out so much, but they continue to happen. This morning, I took my vitals and all seeemed normal, BP 117/76 HR 55. When this is happening, I'm not sweating, my heart is not racing, I don't feel flushed or anything, just this weird feeling and being frightened.

I have been a lot more busy lately, maybe I'm over doing it and I just need to wait for my body to adjust to my new schedule? Maybe I'm just anxious with all the new activity?? Hoping for any insight.

Thanks,

Bebe

[Allotmenteer]

I have that feeling too, not sure if it's adrenaline or cortisol or something else yet, but my attacks culminate in severe shaking too, and my temperature goes down to 35.5C. Doctors always say 'panic attack' but it's not as I feel VERY calm when it happens and am NEVER hyperventilating. It makes me so cross when they don't listen. Any explanations welcome.

[bebe127]

Allomenteer,

My shaking is more on the inside, if that makes any sense, although this am when I was reaching for my BP monitor, my hand was shaking. Don't know about my temp. I do know that I don't like this feeling, it's just a weird feeling that I can't really explain. I've thought that it kind of feels like a panic attack, but my HR is not up and I'm not hyperventalating either. It's just weird and I don't really remember feeling like this in the past.

[jenniferlynne76]

Bebe,

That's exactly what mine feel like, too. Pretty much always at night, always internal, and through it all my vitals stay normal. Weird and awful feeling all at the same time.

-Jen

[abbyw]

I'm not sure if that's what I meant in my post about feeling "jittery". I know that internal shakiness, although I do not feel any sense of doom, or fear or anything. Just really yucky.

Pulse is fine, so I also don't know what it is. But I don't like it !

[SeattleRain]

Hi Bebe,

Sorry to hear you're experiencing these attacks. When I had them regularly (almost every day) - they would always occur at night and the "impending doom" feeling was the most notable symptom.

My sister who's suffered from these for years texted me last night for someone to talk to because she was having one. She said she fell asleep and woke up a few hours later having a panic attack. She also describes it as a sense of "impending doom".

My GP explained this to me in detail a few months ago. For a lot of people, it's called "Panic Disorder.

"Panic disorder is a type of anxiety disorder in which you have repeated attacks of intense fear that something bad will happen."

People with panic disorder have at least four of the following symptoms during an attack:

• Chest pain or discomfort
  
• Dizziness or faintness
  
• Fear of dying
  
• Fear of losing control or impending doom
  
• Feeling of choking
  
• Feelings of detachment
  
• Feelings of unreality
  
• Nausea or upset stomach
  
• Numbness or tingling in the hands, feet, or face
  
• Palpitations, fast heart rate, or pounding heart
  
• Sensation of shortness of breath or smothering
  
• Sweating, chills, or hot flashes
  
• Trembling or shaking
  

If I remember right (don't count on it) my GP explained that it was due to Norepinephrine being released when it's not supposed to. He says nearly all of his patients with panic disorder experience it at night. He said "They wake up in the middle of the night shaking, sometimes sweating, like they're in the middle of a panic attack". He says he usually treats his patients with an SSRI - not to treat depression, but because an SSRI directly effects some fancy schmancy nerve or node in the brain I can't remember the name of - that effects how your brain releases the NE. I also read that an SNRI can have the same effect.

Thankfully, I haven't had any really bad attacks since August. If I feel one coming on, I'll immediately drink a TON of water (Spring water - probably a 4th of a gallon at least). It could be placebo but staying hydrated is important regardless. I think most people are dehydrated (whether they want to admit it or not). Otherwise, I think the increase in blood volume due to the water intake would cause the NE to have less of an effect/flush out of your body faster than it would if you didn't or were dehydrated. I had my TTT yesterday and had a bad reaction to a higher dose of Isuprel. The first thing the cardiologist did was put me on a saline drip (salt water solution).

Keep us in the loop with how you're doing!

[bebe127]

Abby, it seems as though a lot of us experience this. I don't like it either! These just started for me, I hope they stop soon.

SeattleRain,

Thanks for your response. When I went to a therapist a while back, she had me get a book called "The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook" by Bourne. Now that I've had these for a week and a half , sadly I'm getting kinda used to them. Every morning around 6am I wake with an internal shakey (thanks Abby) feeling. I don't really have the impending doom feeling any more. I think I only had that the few mornings as I had no idea what was happening and I was kind of freaking out. It's so hard to explain how I am feeling other than to say it is weird. I don't have (while this is going on) chest pain, or any of the other symptoms for panic other than the shakey feeling. My vitals all seem fine. I've had POTS for 3+ years and I don't ever remember feeling like this.

Maybe its just that my schedule has changed recently and I went from hardly driving and going anywhere to having to drive on a daily basis. Maybe I'm a bit panicky and nervous because of that and my mind and body just have to get used to the new changes. That's what I'm hoping anyway.

I've been on Celexa (SSRI) before and didn't tolerate it at all. It was a horrible experience, one that I wouldn't wish on anyone. BTW, do you (or anyone else) know if a dr. can find out what our adrenaline, cortisol, NE and the like hormone levels are through blood tests or something else?

I do try to stay hydrated, but must admit that I haven't been drinking as much water as I should. I will try to drink a lot more and see if that helps at all.

Was that your first TTT? When I had mine and they were repeating it for the third time (UGH), the dr. shot me with something (I can't remember what), it was supposed to stop an arrythmia, if I indeed had one. It made me feel so much worse and it didn't stop what was going on, so I guess I don't have an arrythmia. On top of elevated BP and a HR that went from low 70's to 150+ within three minutes of standing, I felt as though I couldn't breathe, it was horrible. Can't remember how they got it to stop other than putting me back down.

Hope you find some answers and relief for yourself soon!

Thanks again!!

[boymommy3]

I have this feeling a lot as well, and more so at night than any other time, apparently like most others. But I also have the times when I wake up and my heart is coming out of my chest, and if I wasn't havinga panic attack before, I sure will be when that happens! I HATE that feeling! I have had this problem for years! I have also had hyperthyroidism for years as well (on and off) so up until a couple of years ago we attributed EVERYTHING that was going on with me to that. Finding all of this out now, though, we are increasingly convinced I have had POTS for quite some time.

Yes....it's a simple blood test that can tell them what your cortisol is (I just had that test a few weeks ago). The NE and adrenaline I am not positive about, but I believe you can have that checked through labs also.

I am sorry you are feeling this way, it really does stink!

[Alan-pots-IST]

this started with me the the night my pots started, only i get this shock feels like my heart stops along with my breathing.

just as im about to fall asleep it happens and sometimes dont hav to be sleeping for it to happen.

Now i found out what was doing it, it was my gut once i gave up gluten 100% now you cant just stop some you realy have to make sure you eat zero gluten for it to stop , and other things and set it of sometimes like chocolate and crapy junk foods.

I know were not the same and it my not be the gut with you doin this, but im geting over my pots each day i get inproveing. this feb it will be one full year that i have had pots.

[joyagh]

unless you are actually scared and panicked, it's probably just an adrenaline rush due to the overactive adrenals. I'm about to get an endocrinology work up due to this issue. there can be underlying pathologies of the adrenals or pituitary that causes the adrenaline rushes. It's so common with hyper-pots though. Apparently, dextromethorphan can help, as can Klonopin and other benzo's. I also take Hyland's Calms Forte which is homeopathic and helps a lot with my tachy and adrenaline surges.

[joyagh]

oh, I also take DHEA to inhibit cortisol production. I doesn't prevent adrenaline rushes completely, but I think it helps a bit.

[abbyw]

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I saw it, but there was this great quote from a guy who was explaining the difference between POTs and anxiety. With anxiety and panic, you think about death or something scary and THEN you start to feel awful. With POTS, you feel like you're going to die, and THEN you get scared.

For me, that was the best explanation!

[Allotmenteer]

I get really cross when doctors tell me I'm having panic attacks when this happens. It makes it sound like I'm causing it by being stressed or anxious. I'm not any of these things. When the adrenaline rush thing happens, whether from histamine overload or something else, I am always calm, never hyperventilating, not anxious, often even just asleep! Ordinary doctors can't seem to get it into their heads that this is a physiological thing happening to us, not a psychological thing caused by us.

[bebe127]

Thanks everyone for your responses. It's so hard to explain how I feel. The episodes haven't been happening as much over the last couple of days. When it does happen, it wakes me up out of the blue at around 6am. I feel tremulous (I guess) then I feel scared. I'm not sweating though, my hr seems fine and there really isn't anything else to it. I checked my bp one morning and it was normal.

I've always been an anxious person, not spastic mind you, just nervous. Since my dx with POTS, my anxiety is through the roof. I just had to take my dd to volunteering (she drives there, I drive home and my son rides along as I no longer drive alone) and I was totally freaking out (on the inside) and my eyes were acting all funky and I was feeling really crappy. I just kept praying that we'd get there and back safely. When I got home I took my vitals: BP 118/84 hr 106. BP is normal for me, hr was a bit elavated. Now I'm lying here typing this and trying to relax.

abbyw, love your explanation! That is exactly how I feel.

Hopefully, in the spring, I am going to see a new EP that supposedly knows about Dysautonomia. Hopefully, I can get some answers and/or better protocol for medications. I hate feeling like this and I hate being sick!

I want off this ride now!!

[bebe127]

I couldn't agree more Allomenteer!

These morning episodes are happening while I'm sleeping. I'm not anxious or worried, I'm too busy trying to sleep. They just come out of nowhere and I can't recall experiencing this previously.

What I just experienced when taking my daughter has more (I think) to do with my worrying thoughts of "oh, my, I have to take daughter and I don't feel good, hope I don't pass out, or hurl or both". Plus it is a different feeling than my morning wake ups. I wish it wasn't so hard to explain.

[bebe127]

joyagh,

I will ask my GP or new EP (whichever appt. comes first) about an endocrinologist. I also don't know what type of POTS I have. No dr. has ever suggested there is more than one type, nor have they suggested finding out what type I have, how I may have gotten it, if it will go away or any other tests to rule anything else out. The only way I know about some of the different types is from this forum. I only know about Dinet.org because my dx. dr. gave me printouts from the site the day of my TTT and dx.

Sometimes, I just want to go see a new dr. and not show them anything, just explain what's going on and have them take it from there. I always go to the dr., especially a new one with all my records and test results. They usually glance over them and concur with the dx dr. and that's it. My GP has suggested some type of heart mapping (not sure what it is called) and referred me to a cardio. I emailed the cardio asking if he treated patients with POTS. His response: "My experience with this is limited. [Your dx dr.] likely has seen more cases than myself. This is a rare condition and as such we see little of it. I think with [dx dr.] you are in good hands." What this cardio didn't know apparently was that the dx. dr. only diagnoses, he does not treat, nor does he know of any dr.s that do treat this illness.

[boymommy3]

This is interesting. I think I experience something like this. I will sometimes, out of the blue, have these feelings like you would get if something scared you really suddenly. Like my heart drops to my stomach, but nothing has happened to make me feel that way. I also don't feel anxious before it happens or have high hr, it just happens and don't usually last long.

[k&ajsmom]

ugh I know this feeling bebe. I cant explain it but its awful. I know fo rme its def. not panic because I can be perfectly calm although distressed over the yucky feeling.

I just gave up gluten 3 days ago if hopes it will help....I hope it does =( This feeling for me is accompannied by increase cardiac output but not always increase bpm. I hope u feel beter soon and Ill be praying for u...take care -sarah

[Altruism]

Do you guys get adrenaline surges while sleeping/ resting/ being supine?

My doctor thinks if I'm supine it's not a POTS symptom and I never get them while upright (maybe because I spend only a couple of minutes daily upright)?

I'm trying to tell the difference between an anxiety attack and an adrenaline surge.

[k&ajsmom]

Hey ALtruism,

Im with ya on being upright for only a few minutes lately =P ugh anyways the ans is relieved of some of the stressors of gravity when supine but that doesn't mean its "fixed" I get these feelings laying down even worse than standing. Of course when Im standing Im a bit all consumed with chest pressure and cardiac symptoms and the all-luming "am I gonna stay upright or pass out" feelings so maybe Im just not aware of it as much. My doctor, though he lost on hwta to do with me, says the ans is "freaking out" ur gonna feel it no matter what ur doing until it finds homeostasis (and he says it will, we just have to be patient<sigh>) Tc

I also get this feeling intensified, like butterflies in my stomach trying to escape, right before I have to use the restroom....I know thats wierd but does anyone else feel it get worse then??

[Altruism]

I get them too! Butterflies, hot and cold waves, BM, tremulousness..

Ugh, I'm so done with this POTS.

[bebe127]

Sarah, Altruism and boymommy3,

Just got another one this morning. It wakes me out of a sound sleep. I guess the best I can describe it is tremulousness. I feel like my insides are shakey, going a mile a minute, but my hr is fine. It's like some thing is vibrating on the inside, all over, like I can feel the blood rushing all throughout my body. It's just weird and I don't like waking up like this. It passes within a few seconds. I just don't get it, and I too, Altruism am so done with this!!

[Altruism]

Bebe, what confuses me is that your HR is fine during the surges. Mine wakes me up and is my worst symptom. It goes way above 180 and stays there for a couple of minutes. Wakes me up every night, it's so scary and horrible. I wonder if we have the same thing..

[Rox]

I’ve recently been in hospital for high heart rate and blood pressure. I got sent home with suspected POTS and been referred to a cardiologist. I was just literally fast asleep and then I woke up and felt worried that something bad was about to happen. My heart rate is fine and no sweating or anything. I do suffer with anxiety. So I’m just wondering if it’s a mixture of my suspected POTS and anxiety it’s very scary sometimes.