pheochromocytoma?

[conserned313]

I had an resting ecg and stress ecg done yesterday. The dr has confirmed that although my heart gives an extra beat, the problem is not with my heart itself. I have developed new symptoms as well. my heart rate is not permanently high anymore, but at times still is very high (above 110) my blood pressure rises and falls (ex saturday morning it was 150/50 with a pulse of 130) i sweat a lot especially on my left side, my upper abdomen is sensitive, i am getting headaches and get nauseous at times. I also think i am having "personality changes"- talking a lot, very irritable and i am developing fears i have never had before. i am also having trouble sleeping. my heart rate also rises when i eat, especially when i ingest sugar. what are the possibilities of it being a pheochromocytoma? and if not, what else could be wrong?

[curmudgen]

Just to add to the pheochromocytoma saga - I was tested for it within the last year and the best way is both the blood and 24 hour urine test.  The urine test MUST be started when the surge in blood pressure or pulse rate begins and then continue collection for 24 hrs.  You can't just do a 24 hour collection.  mine came back negative as expected, but the doctor wanted to rule out that as a cause for my episodic rises in BP.

[is_something_wrong]

I don't think that's correct.

The tests I mentioned are fairly new, and very accurate.

If you calculate sensitivity of the tests (likelyness that a negative test is true negative) is for 24 hour urine 87% and for the tests I mentioned 99%. There are some other blood tests as well, VMA and chromogranin A, which both have a sensitivity of 70-80%. I think the doctors often do all the tests, together giving a sensitivity of nearly 100%.

Pheo is an extremely uncommon disease, in my country I think there are 10-15 cases pr year, out of a population of 5 million. Your symptoms are common, I can't diagnose you because I'm just a patient too, but your symptoms seems to me like possible unstable blood sugar levels, especially if you get the problems after eating sugar or high carb meals. Reactive hypoglycemia (blood sugar falls after eating) triggers tachycardia, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, sweating, etc.

This condition is also caused by excess adrenaline in response to low sugar. So is anxiety (elevated adrenaline), so they are hard to differ. My doctor wanted to test me for pheo, based on my symptoms, so I really think you should ask your doctor.

[conserned313]

according to the research i have done, the blood tests are not very accurate and the best way to detect this is by doing an 24hour urine test.
i want to know what are the possibilities of this being pheochromocytoma, and what else could it be?

[is_something_wrong]

Why wonder? Why don't you just confirm it or rule it out?

There are two blood tests, metanephrine and normetanephrine, if they are within normal limits, pheo is ruled out by more than 99% certainty.