Hyperventilation? WTF

Patrick Bateman · #1 02-26-2006, 02:14 PM

What better place to ask about medical issues than OOT?

So I was at work last week, talking to a client on the phone, normal conversation, minding my own bussiness when all of a sudden I thought I would die right there on the scene. Out of nowhere I got extremely dizzy and my eyes seemed to lose focus. I blinked a couple of times but it didn't change. I put the client on hold and stood up. One or more colleagues now saw this didn't look good. Boths arms started tingling and I told them that indeed I wasn't feeling to well. They set me down and brought me a banana and a glass of water. The tingling sensation faded away but I still felt very light in the head and was scared like [censored]. I tried to eat the banana but my whole mouth and a big part of my face seemed to be completely numb. OMG WTF.

I have a medical history (I have a deficiency in my immune system) but this never happened to me. Still shaking on my feet I called my regular doctor at the hospital and told him the story. He urged me to come over. A colleague brought me. I was examined by the doc and he told me I was hyperventilating like a mad man. He didn't trust it and I was hostpitalized and observed for 3 days in which they exluded with several bloodsamples and tests that it didn't have a physical cause. So it most probably has to do with stress. Calm down for a few days and call when it's getting worse was their advise.

But here I am: 27 years old, a gf and two little children and a few days later I still get these "seizures" where I feel light in my head, dizzy, and think I will hit the felt in any moment. I try to concentrate on my breathing but it's hard. I was googling and saw that about 10% of the population has some sort of hyperventilation syndrome. So that's why I'm posting, there seem to be a lot more people with this problem. Who has similar problems and knows how to handle them or any tips or comments of any kind?

dizong · #2 02-26-2006, 02:57 PM

[ QUOTE ]
What better place to ask about medical issues than OOT?

So I was at work last week, talking to a client on the phone, normal conversation, minding my own bussiness when all of a sudden I thought I would die right there on the scene. Out of nowhere I got extremely dizzy and my eyes seemed to lose focus. I blinked a couple of times but it didn't change. I put the client on hold and stood up. One or more colleagues now saw this didn't look good. Boths arms started tingling and I told them that indeed I wasn't feeling to well. They set me down and brought me a banana and a glass of water. The tingling sensation faded away but I still felt very light in the head and was scared like [censored]. I tried to eat the banana but my whole mouth and a big part of my face seemed to be completely numb. OMG WTF.

I have a medical history (I have a deficiency in my immune system) but this never happened to me. Still shaking on my feet I called my regular doctor at the hospital and told him the story. He urged me to come over. A colleague brought me. I was examined by the doc and he told me I was hyperventilating like a mad man. He didn't trust it and I was hostpitalized and observed for 3 days in which they exluded with several bloodsamples and tests that it didn't have a physical cause. So it most probably has to do with stress. Calm down for a few days and call when it's getting worse was their advise.

But here I am: 27 years old, a gf and two little children and a few days later I still get these "seizures" where I feel light in my head, dizzy, and think I will hit the felt in any moment. I try to concentrate on my breathing but it's hard. I was googling and saw that about 10% of the population has some sort of hyperventilation syndrome. So that's why I'm posting, there seem to be a lot more people with this problem. Who has similar problems and knows how to handle them or any tips or comments of any kind?

[/ QUOTE ]

One possibility may be a supraventricular tachycardia (a sudden onset of a fast heart rate for various reasons). To diagnosis this would require your heart rhythm to be assessed while you are experiencing these symptoms, achievable with an outpatient heart rate monitor (e.g., Holter, loop recorder). Ask your doctor if this has been sufficiently ruled out. Ultimately, it just may be panic attacks but that's a diagnosis of exclusion.

dizong

Patrick Bateman · #3 02-26-2006, 04:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
One possibility may be a supraventricular tachycardia (a sudden onset of a fast heart rate for various reasons).

[/ QUOTE ]
I think this has been ruled out. I was on a heart device for a short time right after I was brought in and the results were good. I want to talk to the doc anyway (since I still feel like [censored]) and will surely bring this up. Thanks.

Roan · #4 02-26-2006, 03:31 PM

i think that the hyperventilation was a consequence, rather than a cause of your episode, there are a few things that need to be ruled out....

1)Cardiac Arrhythmias- I'm sure they did an EKG, but you should were a 24hr Holter monitor to be sure

2)Endocrine Issues- Low blood sugar can cause these types of symptoms

3)Pheochromocytoma/Carcinoid Syndrome- These are rare and I would be surprised if they were the answer.

Has this ever happened before? Did you pass out?

Patrick Bateman · #5 02-26-2006, 04:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
1)Cardiac Arrhythmias- I'm sure they did an EKG, but you should were a 24hr Holter monitor to be sure

[/ QUOTE ]
24hr monitor? Hmm... I'll bring it up with the doc

[ QUOTE ]
2)Endocrine Issues- Low blood sugar can cause these types of symptoms

[/ QUOTE ]
All blood results were good

[ QUOTE ]
3)Pheochromocytoma/Carcinoid Syndrome- These are rare and I would be surprised if they were the answer.

[/ QUOTE ]
I will have to google for those [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[ QUOTE ]
Has this ever happened before? Did you pass out?

[/ QUOTE ]
Never happened before. I didn't pass out but I think it was very close though.

billygrippo · #6 02-26-2006, 03:54 PM

3 days in the hospital? i thought u were suposed to just breathe into a bag.

Patrick Bateman · #7 02-26-2006, 04:20 PM

[ QUOTE ]
3 days in the hospital? i thought u were suposed to just breathe into a bag.

[/ QUOTE ]
lol that's what i thought until this happened to me

mroels · #8 02-26-2006, 04:33 PM

considering your avatar of Patrick Bateman I wouldn't be surprised it was stress related.

anyway i used to get the same type of attacks in college lasted about a year frequently but then just died off. i freaked out about it in the beginning and went to see a doc who said he couldn't find anything. anyway i got used to them and just walked it off everytime it would happen. then they just started happening less frequently and not as strong. i still get them once in a while if i'm out in crowded places.

(please note that i drank heavily during college when this started)

Patrick Bateman · #9 02-27-2006, 07:00 AM

[ QUOTE ]
considering your avatar of Patrick Bateman I wouldn't be surprised it was stress related.

[/ QUOTE ]
lol Patrick Bateman is just a normal, relaxed guy. No? [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Anyway, I've done some reading and the symptons I have must be hyperventilation, if that wasn't obvious enough before, it is now. But it's not something that always just goes away or can be threated by breathing in a bag (apperantly, if you have a different kind of hyperventilation you will even make it worse by breathing in a bag). It can go on for years, pretty bothersome if you ask me.

So I must do something. But what? I guess I'll have to google some more... Thanks to all who took the time to respond.

chesspain · #10 02-27-2006, 07:53 AM

Assuming you don't have an easily correctable medical condition, then you probably do have panic disorder. As you've learned hyperventilating (or simply, shallow, rapid breathing) can cause symptoms such as racing heart, sweating, shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, feelings of "derealization," etc.

However, panic is fairly easy to resolve, at least with a properly training therapist. Essentially, panic is just the physical manifestation of the fear of your own body's fight-or-flight response.

A key towards dissolving panic is to figure out the catastrophic fears you have about you own bodily response. Most people with panic are afraid of one or more of the following during the attack:

-Having a heart attack
-Fainting
-Suffocating
-Going crazy
-Acting foolish or dangerous
-Some general event of "doom."

Once you have identified the fear and learn (either from experience or education) that you will be O.K., then the panic will likely cease to occur. Unfortunately, I can't treat you over this forum, nor give you enough information for you to necessarily cure yourself. But this is a start.

Good luck to you.

Dr. chesspain