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Adrenaline spikes: Med detective needed, award given
I'm desperate for help. If I was rich, I'd pay a million $ to get answers. It's hard to summarize: I am a 59 yr old woman. 8 yrs ago I started having what feels like strong adrenaline rushes during the night and especially in the early morning. They disrupt my sleep making me severely sleep deprived. It used to happen a few times a month but in the last year, has been happening daily. This is not as simple as anxiety. My life is not particularly stressful compared to years ago and I've always handled stress well. Physical symptoms come first, then anxiety from adrenaline comes after. On rare days, If I sleep through the night, I wake with excess adrenaline and will be hyper the whole day and evening. Sometimes, I will have a severe "crash" in the afternoon with all kinds of symptoms that have me couch-bound. I take a tiny dose of Amitriptyline (10 mg) before bed to help with sleep, but it's obviously not working well enough. I am on Synthroid for non-Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism since 1996. Despite being 59 yrs old, I am not yet officially in menopause (last period was May 2017). TSH, fT4, fT3 are normal. Urine catecholamines (epinephrine & norepinephrine) are normal (although that does not necessarily reflect what is in the brain). Plasma ACTH is normal. I've tested negative for autoimmune disorders. Cortisol was high a few years ago (34.3 mcg/dL) but it's currently high-normal. DHEAS normal. Accompanying the start of this was phantosmia and occasional RLS. My diet is excellent, including a few good supplements. Until last yr when it started happening daily, I was exercising 6 days/wk. I cannot tolerate it any more - any exercise beyond mild cardio/aerobic causes an increase in symptoms. I meditate and have tried all kinds of herbal teas. I've experimented with different possible solutions, to no avail. I'm a voracious researcher (only legit sites) and still cannot figure this out. I'm normally a positive, active, happy person who loves to help others but this is ruining my life. I cannot make any plans, cannot get my work done, cannot even visit friends. I had to stop my volunteer work with children. š I'm starting to become depressed and hopeless. I've been to a total of about 9 doctors about this problem and they just shrug their shoulders and send me hope with more disappointment. The only help offered was an addictive prescription for benzos but I refuse to be treated for something without knowing the cause. Ideas: an atypical tumor on my pituitary or adrenal glands? Maybe, but I can't get a doctor to order the necessary MRIs. Perhaps not endocrine but a sleep disorder? High A.M. adrenaline is typical for sleep apnea but it should not cause these severe symptoms, and I really do not think I have sleep apnea (I don't have other symptoms). A neurological disorder? Maybe, but I can't get a doctor to order an MRI of my brain to make sure my pituitary gland is okay. If you've gotten through this far and you have any thoughts, please chime in. If your idea leads to a proper diagnosis and I get well (or treated properly) I will be your slave for life š Okay, seriously. I'm not in a good place right now.
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IĀ“m going through exactly this right now. Even with the same medication. It started happening 3 months ago after I got covid. Where you able to fix the problem? did you discontinue the benzos?
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1 ReactionIt's been a while since you posted this and I hope you found an answer , but if you haven't. I just might be able to help. I've had the same kind of issues. Many doctors and hospitals later, I did my own research online. I found that adrenal fatigue is my root problem. It brought on eye problems, stomach, muscle, neurology issues. I bought a good blend of herbs for adrenal fatigue and I am now pulling out of the tailspin. I won't advise you on any herbs so look up adrenal fatigue and give it a try. Drugs from the doctor ignores the real problem and just causes more problems. Good luck.
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1 ReactionPlease read about adrenal fatigue. It helped me tremendously.
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1 ReactionGoing to new endocrinologist tomorrow because I feel like Iām on a rollercoaster with my Hoshimotos thyroiditis. There is a web site named Dr. Lam regarding adrenal fatigue. My cortisol is high in the morning then I might crash sometime in the afternoon. I hope she believes in adrenal fatigue unlike most doctors. Will ask about my pituitary gland and adrenal function. Old endo doesnāt understand this. Hopefull.
I am experiencing the same symptoms.
Mornings are very difficult to say the least.
I am trying everything. Is there anyone that can help?
Thanks , Kevin
Same type of symptoms for me. Started after a bicep surgery and general anesthesia/ventilator. That was 7 weeks ago and Iāve been in terrible shape since. Canāt work, canāt provide for my family, canāt socialize or function. Just trying to survive every minute of the day and make it through to the next cycle starting at 3AM. My symptoms are exactly the same except oddly my heart rate stays low or actually drops during the adrenaline attacks. In fact, my heart resting rate has plummeted since the surgery from mid 70s before to mid 50s (even into the 40s) now. Iāve also dropped more than 35lbs since the surgery 7 weeks ago despite eating. Somewhere someone has been diagnosed with whatever is afflicting us. It is 100% physical and not at all anxiety. The docs have not been able to figure it out. I guess we are in limbo until someone somewhere stumbles upon this forum and shares a diagnosis. Im sure like many of you, I just donāt feel like this is much of a life and it sure isnāt worth going on like this indefinitely. It is a pretty hopeless feeling.
I understand because I find myself in a similar situation I am 80 and I am going from doctor to doctor ...all tests are normal but I am still having problems! I have controlled diabetes 2 but like you my issues started during sleep.
Hello and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, @gmerrill80. It sounds like you might have been responding to @stevetaylor721 so thought I would tag them so the pair of you can discuss your common symptoms and experiences a bit more.
Do you experience middle of the night symptoms as well?
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1 ReactionBased on my own personal experience with a low dose of Amitriptyline (10 mg) prescribed for lower back pain & sleep Iād compile a complete medication list of prescriptions, herbal teas, supplements & run them by a knowledgeable Pharmacist if you havenāt already (to double or triple check for any interactions which tricyclics are known for).
Amitriptyline worked as intended for me for a good run but later my heart went haywire. It took me a good month or so to get in to see my fatherās Cardiologist, but by then a minute of ātracingā was used to detect my irregularity.
The Cardiologist felt my PVCs had nothing to do with Amitriptyline by the way. I tapered off it nonetheless. This medicine helped me through the rough spell, but in my humble opinion in my own case not as a long term maintenance solution. I turned instead to a highly recommended Physical Therapist.
I am curious when you started Amitriptyline in relation to the issues that you suffer?
Thats how it all started. After about 3 hours of sleep I would wake up and feel the heat from elbow to elbow across my chest for about 20 minutes. Now sometimes in the day. Will see a cardio doctor next Monday. With the current world situation it takes forever to see a doctor...urgent cares have signs saying not an emergency room...leaving only emergency rooms which are so over worked. Poor time to have a problem for everyone!
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