Hi @libjen. Thank you so much for the advice. I will look into Cytomel. I have not been diagnosed with any thyroid issue after taking many tests for it over the years, but based on your experience, will look into it further. I wrote my first post on my phone this morning in a hurry....so to recap the key symptoms in case anyone else can relate or offer advice, they are as follows:
Female Age 54. Episodes of what I can only describe as an "adrenaline rush" began periodically in 2006, but have escalated to being a nightly event now for about six months. I experience a racing heart (about 110-120 lying down according to my iwatch) feeling fearful and shaky as if I have stage fright, and having an odd sort of "butterflies" in abdomen or kicked in stomach feeling. Sometimes I also can become quite hot and sweaty when this happens (but I do not experience "hot flashes" at any other times.) I went through a terrible divorce around the time these episodes started, so naturally everyone (myself included) attributed it to anxiety. Fortunately, my life has turned out quite happy and stress-free now with a wonderful new husband, and very happy and successful college-age children. It's now a very unsettling mystery and sleep-depriving existence to have this experience nightly. I know it is taking a toll on my health and often wakes my husband as well (who has a lot on his plate as the CEO of a large company and needs his sleep.) My other medical history is: History of heart palpitations and diagnosed with SVT about 3 years ago and had a loop recorder implanted which documents the SVT. Have used 12.5 mg of Atenolol to keep SVT episodes pretty quiet at this point. In fact I am even stopping the atenolol currently out of concern that it may be lowering my BP too much. I have recently had BP readings of 80/50 at the doctor's office. I failed a cardiac tilt table test earlier this year and have been told that I have POTS, (Postrual Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) but am still learning what exactly this is. I am thin and up until recently have been in very good shape...I just haven't felt well enough or strong enough to work out much lately. I am currently being evaluated for "Non-Diabetic Reactive Hypoglycemia". About a month ago I started wearing a Freestyle Libre glucose monitor. Much to my surprise, my glucose was dropping under 50 right around 3-4 AM nightly...and even earlier if I went to bed earlier. This has been easily corrected by simply eating a protein-rich snack before sleeping. I thought we had solved the mystery, but no...not at all it turns out. Now I can prevent the nighttime glucose dips, but I am still experiencing the "adrenaline rush" attacks at 3-4AM even though my glucose meter is reading 80 or 90. To complicate things, I am currently embarking on menopause, technically peri-menopause...but my estrogen has plummeted this year. I tried bioidentials (divigel, progesterone, and testosterone cream) last year for about 9 months but so many of my doctors and my husband were concerned. Having a (benign) breast biopsy last November was when I stopped taking the bioidenticals. I have been experiencing a great degree of "brain fog" over the past two years, and I am not sure if this is menopausal or an effect of such poor sleep for so long. It's concerning as I am usually very highly functioning and productive. I have had a history of hormonal migraines, but that has resolved with the onset of menopause. An MRI of my Brian about a year ago noted a small nodule which has remained unchanged for several years on the pituitary, and the neurologist said not to worry about it since it was small and unchanged. In addition, I have been having lots of osteoarthritis issues with neck, spine, and hips and X-rays are showing degeneration which is unusual for my age. In addition my eyesight seems to be getting worse and my contact prescription is changing about every 6 months. I also have a generalized sense of fatigue that is not like me at all. My husband (again we just got married about two years ago and are very happy) and I have been looking forward to traveling the world and having fun now that my kids are off, but sadly, I have never felt more exhausted and unwell in my life...even traveling (which I love) sounds difficult. I really need to solve this. Seeing one doctor after another who just shrugs and says it is either anxiety or beyond their scope of practice is chipping away at my usually optimistic self and I am increasingly feeling hopeless. I am open to any advice, information, or experience anyone thinks could be of value, and I hope my experience may be of use to someone else as well.