Severe Adrenaline Spikes every morning - please help

Posted by jennabc @jennabc, Mar 22, 2023

Hello! I am absolutely desperate, so I decided to write on here, hoping anyone else has had a similar experience or has answers. For years, I have been struggling with what feels like intense spikes in adrenaline every morning. I have more severe and less severe months, but the more severe ones become so debilitating that I can’t function in life, and have become passively suicidal just to escape my physical experience. I’ve been diagnosed with anxiety and depression, but the weird part is that it feels so physical, it wakes me up from sleep, and no matter what I try to counter it (breathing, meditations, leaning into it, movement, medications, etc.), it persists until my body caps out on enduring the discomfort, and I fall into anxiety attacks and depression.

For some context, I have tried so many things. I have a history of EBV, HHV-6, SIBO, trauma, and PTSD. I’ve done tons of blood ozone and SOT for the first 3, and I’ve done/am still doing EMDR trauma therapy, regular therapy, ketamine infusions and lozenges, Neurofeedback, medications, I even exercise consistently, meditate, eat well, etc. I’ve been to an endocrinologist, who said tests looked good. I’ve gotten so much blood work over the years, and even my trauma therapist has said she hasn’t seen anything quite like this. She says it seems like my trauma is being processed and coming down, but that this physical experience will still spike and seem out of my control, making her concerned it’s a medical problem. I am desperate for help and answers. I don’t know how to fix this without knowing what’s wrong. Has anyone experienced or seen anything like this?
It wakes me up like clockwork at 7:30am, and even if I just lay there, I can feel it spike through my body, until it feels like my skin is burning sometimes, my stomach is dropping out, and I’m eventually squirming around in pain just hoping it goes away. I don’t know what else to do, please let me know if you’ve had or heard of anything like this, I will owe you my life.

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rocket1 | @rocket1 | May 31 4:15pm

Good to hear you have started to moved on and begun to mend however I fully understand the ordeal that you have been through in the past is not the sort of situation that you get through over night, once again I wish you and your family a bright and healthy future.
As for my problem I’m sitting here replying but at the same time suffering with a massive amount of adrenaline going through my body, I have been awake since 02.15 yesterday Saturday morning, it is currently 04.57 here in Western Australia I’m exhausted and extremely tired however the medications I take do no good, I lay down and straight away I’m become very restless, so up I get from bed as I don’t wish to disturb my wife.
Tuesday comes and I have another Zoom session with my sleep phycologist, hopefully I get some satisfaction . All the best Rocket1

rocket1 | @rocket1 | May 31 4:28pm

In reply to @esikora "@rocket1 What dosage of propranolol is helping?,And when do you take it? Thanks." + (show)

@esikora Hi There thank you for the reply.
The current dosage of Propranolol 40mg in the morning 0630 am and 20 mg at 6pm.

athenasfury | @athenasfury | Jun 1 1:21pm

In reply to @athenasfury "Make an account to say the SAME thing. This has to be connected to post Covid..." + (show)

@athenasfury

Fellow Greek here with a bronze statue of Athena at home.

Everyone is describing the same disabling phenomenon that I also had - and ironically I’m also on IVIG and hydroxyzine 10mg stopped it. Turns out I do in fact have a major immune system issue with likely autoantibodies from COVID but also mast cell activation syndrome.

My 6th (I know, I’m a NP and I worked with immunosuppressed patients) infection u locked this horrifying am adrenal cortisol surge.

It has gone away since I switched to the antihistamine stack fexofenadine, levoceterizine, and famotidine. Just added montelukast (I had very elevated serum IL-13) and all of my long covid symptoms are quiet for the first time in 4 years. I am still out on disability.

I am so sorry to everyone suffering from this hell.

I picked up saliva cortisol tests from Eli.com and recently it shows I have barely any cortisol around 7am, so it sounds like a messed up hypothalamus - pituitary - adrenal axis with premature overfiring of the cortisol and or adrenaline 5am. Gave me horrific dry heaving and vomiting episodes. My LC doctor thought it was anxiety. This is way way way different.

Best of luck to add, consider getting the Eli.com home cortisol testing 8 pack for $100 and do the 1-minute saliva test right when I happens and see if this picks up a high cortisol level. Check it again 3 hours later.

Best of luck and keep praying for a miracle!!! Or for modern medicine to speed up the treatment of this horrific autoimmune post covid hell we find ourselves in.

athenasfury | @athenasfury | Jun 1 1:23pm

In reply to @ready4vacation "@hopscotch Hi. It's now 2026 - three years after you posted. I hope you're feeling better...." + (show)

@ready4vacation

@hopscotch
Hi. It's now 2026 - three years after you posted. I hope you're feeling better. I'm writing because I'm having similar issues, though not as many spikes. Have you gotten to the bottom of this? If so, please share. In the meantime, here's my story, below. Please comment if you have any questions or you can provide any suggestions. Thank you so much!!

I have adrenaline or cortisol attacks every three hours during each and every day, and a couple times during the middle of the night before I wake. I've been dealing with this for 2 1/2 years, and not a single doctor (including several endocrinologists) can tell me what's going on. Does anyone else have this, or know what causes it?

When the attacks first started happening, I'd get frantic, almost like a panic attack - breathing fast, adrenaline surging, anxious, impatient, desperate, etc. Now, knowing the signs when they're coming on, I simply eat a plate full of protein, vegetables and complex carbs and that stops the symptoms fin their tracks, until precisely three hours later, when they come again. Occasionally, get brain fog if the symptoms arrive before I eat, and I can't think straight which is scary. I put my feet higher than my head and rest until I'm better. It's affected my quality of life, needless to say, and I need to have food with me at all times when the symptoms come.

Unfortunately, one endocrinologist insists these are panic attacks and wants me to see a shrink for some CBT. I've got a pituitary adenoma (and have had a few high cortisol tests, which the Dr. says is normal with stress, HRT, etc.). I don't have diabetes, though my a1c is creeping up as all this eating is causing me to gain weight. I've gained 30 lbs over this time.

I'm aware the "food" is the only way ""I"" know of to stop these attacks from causing who-know-what from happening. I don't know what else to do. Feels like I'm gonna die if I don't stop the feelings / attack.

Does anyone have issues like this, or know what this might be?

Thanks so much for your thoughts!

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@ready4vacation

Fellow Greek here with a bronze statue of Athena at home.

My 6th (I know, I’m a NP and I worked with immunosuppressed patients) infection u locked this horrifying am adrenal cortisol surge.

I am so sorry to everyone suffering from this hell.

Best of luck and keep praying for a miracle!!! Or for modern medicine to speed up the treatment of this horrific autoimmune post covid hell we find ourselves in.

And seriously grab the cortisol tests and take it right when it happens. Then 3 hours later or 2 hours later. You want to trend the rhythm over time. No one says this shit happens at night, it’s all with the usual morning holy shit spike. That’s also the prime time for heart attacks and stroke so be aware of your blood pressure, any aspirin you may be on, and if anyone gets a migraine with aura, that’s a risk factor for stroke so see your pcp asap.

esikora | @esikora | Jun 2 8:46am

In reply to @athenasfury "@athenasfury Fellow Greek here with a bronze statue of Athena at home. Everyone is describing the..." + (show)

@athenasfury Ordered the Eli test and then found out it only works with iPhone. My phone is Android..At least they were nice enough to refund my $. Any other tests out there?

karencolmore | @karencolmore | Jun 5 1:55pm

In reply to @rocket1 "@karencolmore Hi Karen I’m so sorry to hear what you are experiencing as I myself have..." + (show)

@rocket1
Hello my friend
Through the stresses of life our nervous system becomes dysregulated. . I’ve come to a conclusion . Our bodies are so scientifically designed that with proper care they can heal and restore their function. I have deleted all anti depressants and medications . They are band aids . I’m feeling much more rested taking a magnesium glycinate tab at night which helps with relaxation. . Occasional zopiclone helps if overtired.
I’m a Christian’s and prayer has certainly reduced the spike . I feeling better as I gently give myself time to be peaceful . Also I have the Calm ap on my phone which has been beneficial at night to train my nerves into calmness. Sleep stories so beautiful . So hope this is helpful my dear friend . My spike has is quietly diminishing and in time will go .. I pray your spike will also reduce and disappear and you will be blessed with good health .. xxx

rocket1 | @rocket1 | Jun 5 2:46pm

In reply to @karencolmore "@rocket1 Hello my friend Through the stresses of life our nervous system becomes dysregulated. . I’ve..." + (show)

@karencolmore Thank you Karen for those very caring and calming words, I will definitely take your advice on Magnesium Glyphosate at night as for the antidepressants they seem work for a short time but they are very much like a revolving door, there seems to be no end to them, however I will continue on with taking them as per my GPs recommendation as well as this I will give the Magnesium Glyphosate a go. Once again thank you for your support God Bless

rocket1 | @rocket1 | Jun 5 2:54pm

In reply to @karencolmore "@rocket1 Hello my friend Through the stresses of life our nervous system becomes dysregulated. . I’ve..." + (show)

@karencolmore Back again Karen just wanted to correct what I have written in my last Message that being Magnesium Glycinate
and not Magnesium Glyphosate 🫣

karencolmore | @karencolmore | Jun 5 3:34pm

Oh my goodness ..sorry about that ….
Error or bad spelling
Curious !
Where do you live ?
I live in Auckland New Zealand…
K

rocket1 | @rocket1 | Jun 7 8:30am

In reply to @karencolmore "Oh my goodness ..sorry about that …. Error or bad spelling Curious ! Where do you..." + (show)

@karencolmore Hi Karen
I live in Western Australia.
I do I think at this stage even though it’s maybe a little early, have some good new regarding my condition and that being because I suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome the medication ( Pramipexole) that I have been on for a number of years is augmenting which explains the anxiety feeling in my upper body, apparently this medication is noted for augmentation, it is apparently no longer a recommended first up medication, so hopefully 🤞🏼 I’m on track to correcting my sleep issues.

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