Heat Intolerance

[Canna87]

Anyone else have panic attacks triggered by heat?

Just walked the dog, it wasn't even that hot out. Towards the end of the walk my body starts overheating, heart pumping, slight adrenaline, weakness, hunger. Get home and I cannot adjust to the house which has AC on but I can't feel it.

Bend over to undo dog's leash, head rush that makes my heart pump faster and feel weak. An intense sense of agitation sets in - I'm pissed. Maybe I'm revved up because this has been happening so often, ruining my summer.

Have lots of outdoor activities planned for next week, great. It'll be even hotter. People are coming over soon and I feel like just leaving, not having to interact with anyone. Or take Clonazapam, but I space out my doses by days and this is an off day.

20 min after attack, heart rate diminished slightly. Still agitated. Had to use an ice cube to cool my head down.

PS, this has been going on long before I started taking meds


EDIT: an hour later panic has not let off. No longer overheating but still racing heart and an intense feeling of anger and agitation. Noises really set me off, dog barks and I want to freak out! Took a Clonazapam to save the night hopefully.

I think it's due time to take the Zoloft my doctor offered..

[manda]

Hi, I'm new to this site. What you have just described is what I have been getting. Do you feel like you have a hot head rush aswell? Kind of hard to explain. I have anxiety but have also just found out I'm anaemic so have just started b12 injections and iron tablets. I'm interested to see if this is the cause and if it settles soon.

[Canna87]

Yes! A hot head rush would explain it perfectly. Symptoms began as that accompanied by my right temple vein bulging out. Overtime, panic, adrenaline and agitation set in with my attacks as well.

Thanks for your response, I'm going to read into what you told me. I know panic doesn't need a trigger but I feel as though my body isn't in balance either. Doctors thought it was thyroid but tests showed it wasn't.

I'm also underweight

[manda]

I know exactly how you are feeling. A walk down the beach on a hot day can set me off really bad that I need to lie in bed with something cold on my head. This is what I get.. A sudden peculiar feeling like I'm not quite there with my surroundings or a falling sensation followed by a hot head rush, sweating, heart racing, light headed and impending sense of doom. If I can lie down quickly enough in a cool place it soon eases off.

[Canna87]

Do your temples ever pulsate? I'm skinny so mine show on the right side, maybe yours don't show / but can you feel it?
I don't get the sense of "doom" - just need to get out of the heat and apply something cold

[Joe.]

My temples pulsate when I have panic attacks. I've heard from my hypochondria fueled adventures that it's because of a high BP. Could be wrong

[Canna87]

My blood pressure has been checked numerous times and the doc always says "normal"

I'm reading about the Iron deficiency, a lot sounds like what I'm going through

[manda]

I feel a pulsating in my neck. It could very well be a deficiency causing these strange sensations and kicking off the anxiety

[Canna87]

True! I will bring it up with my doc, thanks a lot

[manda]

Hope you feel better soon. I was doing some research last night and magnesium is also very good for anxiety and removing toxins from your system so speak ton your Dr about taking a supplement of that aswell. It's worth a shot.

[Canna87]

Hey, got a question for ya - how do you react to alcohol?
I was never a big drinker but half a drink will put me in panic mode

[manda]

I stopped drinking a year ago as I would feel really panicky the following day and it would take up to a week to ease off

[cindy_xox]

I know what you're going through. I've been through that alot the past years. Luckily this summer it wasn't that bad. Even though i'm not fan of the heat, I can deal with it.
Having anxiety and being in the heat makes you feel like you can't breath, because there's almost no wind. It's suffocating.
I've took clonazepam in the past, but I stopped a few months ago and honestly, I don't think I really needed them. Summer can be rough on anxious persons.
I really don't know what to say that will make you feel better, I hope that my message at least makes you feel less alone.
So try not too worry too much. I know it's hard, but try not to.

Cindy

[Canna87]

Thanks Cindy! I feel as though my problem is more panic oriented than anxiety.
For instance, while I was outside it wasn't even that hot out. Walking to the park was fine, the panic attack started on the way back. I wasn't haven't any anxious thoughts prior to the attack. It felt like my body slowly started overheating then panic set in. Hey, maybe that is anxiety in itself. All I'm trying to say is, I wasn't worrying about the heat before it happened. My thoughts were calm.

Ps, this all started last November during winter. The attacks would only happen indoors. The summer before that none of this happened - I spent days outside, boating, drinking beer all day having fun. Now I can't handle a walk or even half a beer

PPS - this doesn't happen every time I'm out in the sun either... but more often than not.

[Exactice]

Sensations sensations sensations....... What you described is exactly what a panic attack feels like....... Problem is the body has no Idea, the mind knows but the body thinks "OMG, Its a panic Attack!!!!!"


Happens to me all the time, I just have to talk it through and remind the body I am in a safe place.

My issue was I had PTSD and its was triggered by the heat. In Iraq it is hot as !@#$% so body freaks any time heat builds up anywhere.

Now I just take a deep breath and remind myself, I am not in Iraq and talk my self down. Slowly but surely it subsides.

Drinking is another story. Im Asian, so I do turn red and get hot.... similar sensations so it used to bother me..... But now I drink just fine since I have gotten my panic attacks in control!

Talk it down my friend and hang in there!