what's wrong with me

[eztom]

I am 33, male,   I keep having these episodes of severe lightheadedness,  weakness, disorientation, a hollow and sinking, or cold feeling in the chest, but not necessarily chest pain,  and a feeling that my life is about to end.    I don't sweat, but sometimes (not always) my pulse may begin to race eratically and I'll feel palpatations.   All the time, my chest just doesn't feel quite right...it feels heavy or something, almost all the time even when I dont have the other symptoms.
   Nothing brings these episodes on,  I can be doing normal activity, or just sitting down at it starts.   No I'm not stressed.  Only time makes these episodes pass,   sometimes eating  helps somewhat,  but sometimes its so bad  I can hardly coordinate myself much less make food.        I had an echo which was normal and a normal chest xray and labs.?
I really feel like, after they are over I get sleepy and feel beat up,    I think I am going to die if somebody doesn't figure this out, no joke

[lejcej03]

I also developed pvc's after taking metformin for a short period of time for insuling resistance. I thought it was indigestion but after stopping metformin the flutters stayed. Now i also have numb hands and feet and light headedness. Had an echo was ok. now taking metoprolol 25 once a day but still having pvc's. can feel them in my chest.  holter read 955 pvc's and pac's in 24 hours. I too in the past have had problems with panic and anxiety, but never like this. My pulse rate goes very high 100 or more after i eat. the pvc's and pulse are always worse after i eat. This is extremely depressing and has changed my life forever.

[Retro101]

I'm 38, I had the same feelings you stated 5 years ago. I recently found out I have Atrial Fibrillation.

[bigkev414]

Hi fellas
I have been having EXACTLY the same symptoms for a couple of years. Have always been anxious and have had panic attacks now and then but this is a bit different. it varies, comes and goes when it likes and the strange feeling in the chest that eztom described beautifully. I have a home BP monitor and my pressure ( usually) shoots up during the attacks. I get SVT's and take tenormin which seems to help control them and reduces the frequency, but doesn't stop it. Some days I'm fine, other days I feel like I've been run over by a truck and puff like an old train. Has been waking me lately in the middle of the night, and I shake 'inside' also and feel so hot I think i'm goint to burst into flame. Had all the tests, seen several doctors without result. They think people like us are crazy, and maybe we are but these attacks are REAL!! Sorry I can't help, but if you guys ever get anywhere please let me know. Best wishes

[Cleveland Clinic]

This sounds like panic disorder, and not primarily cardiac at all. The palpitations and heaviness you feel are most likely related to the adrenergic surge you get related to the feeling of impending doom. This also explains why your heart related tests all are normal, because the heart is simply responding to your nervous system in a normal way.

[tickertock]

No longlasting headaches, just 2-3 seconds of severe pain known as icepicks headaches, sometime nothing for months then I'll have a week with 1-20 episodes in day, if it were to last a minute it would drive you crazy. Furthest testing I've had with the heart is basic echo, holter(over 20 years ago), ecg, and exercise stress test.My symptoms were captured on EKG. PVCs & tachycardia. I was thinking along the lines of gettin TTT myself. Good luck.

[eztom]

incredible.   I was just thinking before i even read your response how sometimes a meal will help me in a vague sort of way.  

Ever get frequent headaches?  

  I have only had an echocargiogram, resting...and the usual labs and chest xray.   Right now, I'm looking into a tilt table test, and maybe (hopefully) someone to order a cardiac CT angiogram (safer than a heart cath).   How far into testing have you got?

[tickertock]

Sometime during day I feel well , then within a few minutes I can feel terrible, it can last from half hour to 2-3 hours each time( a small snack can provide almost instant relief sometimes). Nighttime is seldom a problem, unless I eat after 6 in the evening which I rarely do anymore.

[tickertock]

I've had my heart checked more times than I care to mention :) just about everything besides an angiogram, I've suffered from bouts of tachycardia to PVCs for months on end, I take atenolol 100mg daily , cozaar 25mg once daily & HCTZ 12.5mg daily, blood pressure , tachycardia and PVCs well controlled. I've taken my sugar during my episodes and it ranged from normal to around 170 so its hard to say. My heart test are essentially normal with only Mild LVH on echo, so I'm at a lost. I'm hoping I don't have some form dyautonomia .

[eztom]

and is your glucose normal during the episodes?  how do you feel thru the day when you're not having an acute episode?

[eztom]

ticker,  have you had any tests to check your heart?

[tickertock]

I have been suffering very recently with very similar symptoms as you describe though I tend to sweat profusely and flush or even turn pale during the episodes, I have rarely had an attack after 6 in the evening though they same to be an everyday occurence, sveral times throughout the day, they have concerned me and I visited with my doctor this past Saturday, I knew I had a glucose intolerance since 2001 , I've been diagnosed as a mild diabetic and I've started taking 250mg metformin daily in the morning after breakfast, the Glucose levels in the past 2 days have quite normal , much more than before even on that low dose of metformin anyhow I still had an episode today, my BP , and sugar levels were normal. I'm at alost though I think anxiety is a strong contributing factor, I'm starting to think I have some kind of orthostatic intolerance because within a few of lying down with a fan on me I recover only to be left feeling weak and worried about the next episode. I had anxiety all my life but these episodes are much more debilating, on top of that I have ankylosing spondylitis to contend with which is also taking its toll on me physically and mentally. Good luck, I'm starting to get sick of feeling sick. I would venture to say this is most down and depressed I've been in my life.

[eztom]

PS - I told you sometimes eating may help a little...I don't want to mislead you, my blood sugar levels are always normal , I have measured it at 90 during one of these episodes and i am not diabetic