Adrenalin Surge?

Off and on for the last year, I have experienced what feels like an adrenalin surge that wakes me up from sleep and usually occurs around 4:00-5:00 in the a.m.  I can literally feel it coming on and then my heart rate goes up.  My heart rate goes up around 110-120 bpm and feel anxious, arms feel a tingling sensation.  
I am 55 years old and have recently had an echo sonogram and stress test.  The cardiologist could not find anything and stated that my valves looked good.  
I am about to go off the deep end with these things!  Anyone else have these?

[4bopp]

I also have these so called adrenalin surges at night.  My cardiologist did a stress and that appreared to be normal.  The cardiologist said that he thought that I was having adrenalin surges, so I guess that it is possible.  He changed my beta blocker to a longer lasting one to see if that would help.

[quillswriting]

I too get similar.  I have had sinus tachy since April.  It is constant.  My GP says it's anxiety.  I have other symptoms though which are Chronic Fatigue/MS related.  However, I wake up with butterflies in my stomach and get the tachy as soon as it happens.

It literally feel that feeling you get in your belly like you get when you are scared, of if you see a spider (and you're scared of them).  That strange tickly knot in the belly, it is the adrenalin being kicked out I think.  I am on beta blockers too.  Mine don't seem to be AS affective these days, but my stress levels are way up and I shake and feel cold most evenings.  I have a lot of tension at the moment.  

My husband said my neck is very tense, I have a swollen muscle at the back of my neck with the tension.  It is tight as a tight rope.  I think that is causing a lot of trouble with my other symptoms.

Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone with this.  

Do you have any other medical problems?
Are you under a lot of stress?

[SillyHeart]

I've had these for 15 years.

[Love2garden]

thanks to all of you who have commented.  

"Are you under a lot of stress?"
Yes, but is currently being managed by Lexapro.

"Other medical problems?"  Not really.

Again, thanks for taking your time and sharing this journey with me!

[anacyde]

Yes, this has happened to me.  I used to get them in the middle of the night but they could occur at any time.  Had something of one tonight.  I've had all the testing and my cardiologist blames adrenaline.

[vaughny]

Have you ever been evaluated for sleep apnea?  Apnea causes the body to need to wake up in order to breathe.  This results in an adrenaline surge.

[Sheerterror77]

OMG. I have the same butterflies thing except I get it before I completely fall asleep just as im starting to drift off and then after that it seems to go away...

but what I find very interesting is that I too have had the worst neckpain I have ever had in my life recently... I believe i developed this neckpain due to the studying position I used for this past semester... I was laying down while reading and taking notes for hours at a time... which put a LOT of stress on my neck....

I really hope this is not apnea, but I wonder if it is if our neck pain is what is causing the apnea...

[Madge270]

I began having "adrenalin rushes" like this in my mid fifties, along with the hot flashes and fatigue of late menopause. It was worse at night, but also hit for an hour or two mid-mid morning. I remember being at work and feeling like I was shaking inside.
I also had the tight, swollen muscles in the back of my neck.

I'm now in my mid-sixties (post menopausal)  and I no longer have the hot flashes. But I do still get heavy fatigue, an off-balance feeling, adrenalin rushes mid-morning only, and the same tight, sore neck.  There is one very tender muscle that really causes a lot of trouble. Of course, I've also developed arthritis in my neck, which doesn't help. I take a small dose of clonazepam (generic for Klonipin (klonopin)) at bedtime, and I think that's why I no longer have any night time adrenalin rushes. I can usually get through the morning ones by just relaxing and/or keeping busy on a hobby. (Retirement is nice in that sense.)

I just wanted you to know that I also have had these problems. Since having a viral infection ten years ago, I've been left with ringing ears, the off-balance thing which is a mild type of vertigo (feels like my head is "swimmy), and some days when I'm so tired that I really have to rest. Now the latest is reflux and about 8000 PVCs a day. I find that I don't have the energy I used to have. Am not sure if it's the PVCs or just getting older.  My heart is fine (had it checked out with an echocardiogram and stress test),  but I can't take walks as long as I used to.  If I do, I come home and sleep for an hour or more. Very strange.  I don't take a beta blocker, so the fatigue isn't coming from that.

Hang in there. I know what you're going through.

[HJane]

I noticed that you also have sleep apnea. If your CPAP pressure is not high enough, you may still be having apneas. What happens is that when you can't breath the body kicks out a surge of adrenalin to wake you up. Like you, I have sleep apnea, and use a CPAP machine, but often I wake at between 2 and 4 PM with the sensation that I am burning up. I think it's adrenalin surges waking me from apneas when I start to hit deep sleep. When I take Lunesta to try to sleep through it, it records apneas at the rate of about 25 per hour. during the period 2 to 4, despite wearing my CPAP. I have been trying to get my sleep doc to retitrate me but she says my sleep recordings (without Lunesta) look fine. What those recordings can't tell her though is that, though wearing the CPAP mask, I am simply not asleep from 2 to 4! So the recordings look good, but I'm not sleeping!

All you other people suffering from these late-night adrenalin surges, probably need sleep studies to check for sleep apnea, too!

[taylorboyd]

Thank you for your message.  I too have adrenalin surges and I am wondering what beta blocker your doctor gave you?  Toprol did the trick for me for years, now it does not work.  Can you help  me?  Pauli in Milwaukee

[Occupant]

I took Toprol XL for years and then Plan D would only pay for generic Metoprolol Succinate ER. That's when I noticed a change in efficacy, not so much in the generic version produced by PAR (actually AstraZeneca still makes it), but the one made by Wagner. So are you still on the original Toprol XL?

[Jerez1]

Doctors always say it's anxiety etc.
Sure, when your adrenaline kicks in to wake you up, you get a SHOT of adrenaline, aka a response that makes you ready to run!

I told my doctors for years, and they said, anxiety and wanted me on anxiety meds. ( which make waking up form sleep more difficult).
The problem is much more complicated than they even understand, as doctors actually only know what they are taught, and few try to solve a problem.
Their  job is to diagnose, because that's how they get paid!

I am seeing a dentist in Tacoma WA who people are coming to from all over the world for many disorders, including adhd, alzheimers, fibro, auto immune disorders, etc. because ability to sleep deeply, so the body can heal itself is not occurring with sleep apnea, and few really get help from CPAP because it has to do with the tongue, mouth, and so forth, that requires repositioning to breathe normally.
It is quite a science.
This doctor is Farrand Robson, of Tacoma, and his work is called OSB, oral systemic balance.
It makes perfect sense, the more I know and do, and believe me, it is a process, not a quickie solution to get orthotics made correctly for breathing.

It all depends upon the severity of your structure of mouth, tongue,and throat, and breathing passage.

For instance, many dentists treat TMJ, but TMJ is clenching, and we clench so that the tongue tenses up so we can breathe. We sleep on our stomachs so we can breathe.

We control so much of our lives, like talking a lot, because we can't breathe if we aren't talking.
Kids who have adhd have breathing disorders. They have trouble being still because movement helps them breathe, they need to talk to breathe, but are put in school and told to sit down and be quiet.
Then they have adrenaline.
People, btw,  gain weight because they can't sleep. not vise versa.
People with Alzheimer have alzheimers because they can't breathe.
Inability to breathe affects our posture, because we shift our bodies to allow ourselves to ...breathe.
Think about it!

And the surgery they are doing, is not the solution either, even though some people may get relief, for a while, long term, the problem still exists in some form.
I highly recommend you call Dr Robson's office. He is training dentists and certifying them. He may have a dentist in your area. or you may get a dentist in your area interested.
My name is Sherry, and I invite you to use my name if you like. If you get in touch with me, I may be able to answer some questions, and also tell the office about your need if you want to get in quick. Some people need to get in right away!
.
You can find me at Mukilteo daily photo.

[TheresArabbitInMyChest]

I get these too, not at night but during the daytime hours. Sometimes my hands shake uncontrollably and I get the whole butterflies in the stomach, racing heart and heightened awareness for no apparent reason. One doc says it's anxiety the other thinks it's my hormones and adrenal glands. BTW, I'm a 32 yr old male. So who knows what they are but they are very annoying and sometimes scary.

[manos1970]

its adrenaline surge.of course the reason of adrenaline rise can be your anxiety.it can also occour after sex.relax.the less you are afraid the less it will last.it nevber killed anyone,this you must know.when you feel it will start walk walk around dont sit so you help the adrenaline getting reduced.usually if you lie down is the worst am i right?

[manos1970]

its adrenaline surge.of course the reason of adrenaline rise can be your anxiety.it can also occour after sex.relax.the less you are afraid the less it will last.it nevber killed anyone,this you must know.when you feel it will start walk walk around dont sit so you help the adrenaline getting reduced.usually if you lie down is the worst am i right?