Help- really weird feeling

[Sunny Days]

Hi everyone...usually I can offer advice but today I need it.

Lately I have been getting this odd symptom but today it's worse then usual and it's causing me major anxiety. The only way I can describe it is this: it starts as almost like a heat feeling in my chest/face. No burning, no pain but it's like a nervous/jittery heat. I have no idea how else to describe it. I then begin to sweat, my palms especially. This is followed by a really strong wave of nervousness. What could this be? Has anyone else ever had this??

[Sunny Days]

I wanted to add that I rode my horse last night in the indoor arena...lots of dust etc. I feel somewhat congested but not majorly. I seem to notice being more anxious the next day after riding. I have been working alot harder lately on my horse so I'm not sure if this is energy built up inside that needs to escape since I am building my stamina at the barn at night then sit at a desk for work? Could it be hormonal? I just want to know if anyone else felt this before because it's making me nervous...

[jessed03]

Hey Sunny!

Is it like a flushing sensation? Does it sort of sweep through you, is that what you meant by a wave of nervousness? Does it have any tingling with it?

Probably unrelated, but whenever I would visit my mother, who had a cat, I'd get quite a similar thing. There's a strong link between histamine release (like allergies), and adrenaline release (anxety). If you have some kind of minor allergy to horse, or straw or dustmite or something, it wouldn't be unusual for it to come out this way. Maybe theres a link?

That's the frustrating thing about anxiety, so many times over the years I've had to go over everything with a fine tooth comb, spotting things, or foods that seemed to make it a little worse. :confused: Then you begin to wonder if there even is any link, or if you just want there to be one, so you can control it better. Gah!

Lets hope it doesn't stick around, or you get to the bottom of it. :)

[Sunny Days]

Thanks jessed I was hoping you'd respond! I guess it's like a flushing sensation but then the heat seems to stay "trapped" in my chest area. Yes the nervous wave sweeps over me. No tingling at all though. My face feels warm to the touch also.

I read there is a link between histamine/adrenaline. In fact my doctor has recommended I take an antihistamine for a while now when I go ride but I always worry about it giving me a weird side effect. I took Loratadine here and there last year. I now have Zyrtek that I bought but I am a little worried taking something new. Plus I don't want to get dependent on allergy meds. Maybe there is a link to the barn/anxiety. She (my horse) is starting to shed like crazy too.

I agree it really can be frustrating just not knowing all the triggers. I know what some are for sure but then when I get these odd symptoms like today I keep trying to figure out what the heck it is (making myself more nervous) lol!

[Sunny Days]

Just had another thought....

I had red meat last night. A nice med.-rare steak. I read that stress hormones can be released from red meat. I normally only eat chicken with the occasional burger. I'm wondering if that triggered my nervous feelings today.

[jessed03]

Perhaps you're similar; I know when I was going through my anxiety recovery, I found my symptoms always remained pretty similar. I'd have the heart rate increase, the dizziness, the breathlessness, the jaw clenching. Although it would switch around a little from time to time or they would alter a little bit, I became very familiar with the symptoms I was having. Occassionally though, I'd have something new, like shooting head pains, or shivers, or night terrors, and I knew something was different. It just felt like a different type of anxiety. I could sense that something was sort of adding to that anxiety, interfering with it. That it was coming from a different place, if that makes sense? A physiological place.

I would always then look back over the last couple of days, and pinpoint anything that could have caused it. Then, just kept an eye on those things. Anxiety can causes heightened sensitivty, so some really strange things can come up. I found I couldn't eat sunflower seeds or soya milk. No idea why, no other reaction happened, and they never showed up on an allergy test. It can be helpful keeping a diary. It can make it a little easier to see patterns.

Perhaps taking an anti-histamine will get to the bottom of whether it's allergy related. Anti-histamines are soo easy to take! And I react to multi-vits haha! You can monitor how you feel after your next riding session. That will give you a clue. Or, if you've had a few days of calm, you could try some red meat. And again monitor it. Maybe keep busy with something trivial, watch a movie, or clean the house, just so you aren't sort of waiting for things to happen, and picking up on them.

It could be like you said, your shaking up a few things by exercising harder, it could be a little unbalancing happening?

It's a slow process, and a confusing one, but unless you have the option for a million minor tests, it's usually the best way (The temptation is not to simulate having anxiety, just to make you feel a little more in control. I succumbed to this one a few times. )

As we know, anxiety can cause some strange stuff! It becomes a process of spotting patterns: In the body, and the mind.

P.s. I could really go a NY steak right now :)