Medical Problem

[Nehkara]

Hello CP!

To be clear to start off, I understand fully that I should not take opinions gathered on an internet forum as medical advice and I am planning on seeing my doctor about this issue.

I am just looking for thoughts and similar experiences.

For probably the last... 15 years or so, occasionally (not always) when I engage in strenuous physical activity I will have a less than favourable reaction.

I get:

-Light-headedness.

-Some bad episodes include "seeing stars" and "tunnel vision" and other visual symptoms.

-Rapid pulse and breathing (but I am unsure if this is just from exercise or the reaction or both).

-Heaviness in my lungs.

-Extremely profuse sweating (more than is normal for me during exercise).

-My hearing dulls and my ears ring.

-I get very weak, especially in my legs, and lose some of my sense of balance.

-Nausea and immediate need to move my bowels.

-Immediate need to drink water/splash water on my face/take off clothes to cool down.

My thought is that it almost seems like a heat exhaustion type of reaction to intense exercise.

When this happens I usually drink a ton, splash water on my face/head, and go to the bathroom. About 20-30 minutes later it has usually resolved, but for the rest of the day I will feel very fatigued and weak. Always better the next day.


Has anyone else experienced something like this? Thanks!

[burn_this_city]

I get basically the same symptoms if I'm dehydrated. I suggest drinking more water a couple hours before exercise and see if that helps.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Do you have high blood pressure? Have you checked your sys/diastolic pressure? I'm not a doctor btw, just wondering because I have heard the higher blood pressure cases causes almost all the you described.

[Flabbibulin]

Yes, see a doctor if it is bothering you- especially considering you have been dealing with it for years. They will refer you to a cardiologist and stress test if necessary.

Heart arrhythmias can bring on some of these symptoms, but it could be a dozen other things as well I would think. Don't hesitate on going immediately to a doctor if your pulse is ever irregular.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

Do you have high blood pressure? Have you checked your sys/diastolic pressure? I'm not a doctor btw, just wondering because I have heard the higher blood pressure cases causes almost all the you described.

I have never been diagnosed with high blood pressure. My normal is about 125/75.

I have also never checked my blood pressure during exercise, though. Perhaps this is something I should try.

Thanks!

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I get basically the same symptoms if I'm dehydrated. I suggest drinking more water a couple hours before exercise and see if that helps.

I drink lots of water so I don't think this is the problem but I usually do have to drink lots to recover (probably because of the insane sweating).

[burn_this_city]

I thought I did as well, but a cardiologist told me if there's any color to your pee than you are potentially running dry.

[GrrlGoalie33]

Could it be asthma? Lots of those sound like my symptoms when I get an exercise induced asthma attack.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

I thought I did as well, but a cardiologist told me if there's any color to your pee than you are potentially running dry.

Really? Wow. Note to self: Drink even more water.

However, usually with dehydration you don't get get loose bowel movements and profuse sweating (due to the body trying to conserve H2O).

[pseudoreality]

Ever been tested for diabetes?

I had a bought of light headness a couple years ago. Had full blood work done, including fasting test for diabetes, and they did this stress test where they checked BP laying down, then made me sit up fast and then checked again. They didn't find anything and the problem went away on its own. Could have been a virus.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Frankster

Could it be asthma? Lots of those sound like my symptoms when I get an exercise induced asthma attack.

This is a distinct possibility. This is what I thought it was for years. Sometimes, however, there seems to only be mild involvement of my lungs.

I have tried using salbutamol (Ventolin) before exercise and it has helped but the response does still happen sometimes... although IIRC, not as severe.

[Northendzone]

how intense is your excercise? what type of excercise are you doing?

Have you ever spoken with your/a docotor about this?

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by pseudoreality

Ever been tested for diabetes?

I had a bought of light headness a couple years ago. Had full blood work done, including fasting test for diabetes, and they did this stress test where they checked BP laying down, then made me sit up fast and then checked again. They didn't find anything and the problem went away on its own. Could have been a virus.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

I am significantly overweight. I have been since I was young, despite a lot of activity when I was young (genetics were not kind in this regard). I am currently working on this, thus the intense exercise.

Every doctor I have ever seen has thought I had diabetes because of my size, for every medical problem I present with. I have tested negative every time.

That said, I am not ruling anything out (perhaps it is just very mild?). I will ask my doctor to test me again.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

how intense is your excercise? what type of excercise are you doing?

Have you ever spoken with your/a docotor about this?

This happens during all types of intense exercise... once it was running flat-out for the bus during the winter, once it was pulling a moose out of the bush with a harness, once it was a 2-hour-long slog through a half-frozen swamp, once it was during a 3-hour-long street hockey game, once I was trying to help someone change a tire that was seized on, once I was helping my dad repair our deck using a sledgehammer...

I have spoken with my doctor about this problem. He has no idea, although he wanted to rule out a cardiac-related problem. He referred me to a cardiologist but then I never heard back from my doctor's office or the cardiologist regarding an appointment. I am going to ask him for another referral when I see him this week.

[Devils'Advocate]

This would be my completely uneducated guess:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_insufficiency

Your symptoms sound exactly like dehydration. But you say you are drinking plenty of water. Adrenal insufficiency is one means by which you are dehydrated despite drinking water.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Devils'Advocate

This would be my completely uneducated guess:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_insufficiency

Your symptoms sound exactly like dehydration. But you say you are drinking plenty of water. Adrenal insufficiency is one means by which you are dehydrated despite drinking water.

I don't think dehydration explains the profuse sweating/loose bowel movement, usually during dehydration you have dry skin and in extreme dehydration you can't sweat at all.

That said, adrenal insufficiency does fit a bunch of my symptoms! Thanks for the suggestion.

[Nehkara]

I asked this question in another place and I had an Aha! moment.

My symptoms perfectly fit a vasovagal response.

I will talk to my doctor about this and start the search of the cause. Several of the things mentioned in this thread can cause a vasovagal response... so it should be interesting to see what the final answer is down the road.

Thanks everyone who responded to this thread!

[Flabbibulin]

Ya, vagus nerve stimulation in many people can lead to temporary heart rhythm issues, which in turn can cause a variety of secondary symptoms. The stimulation doesn't have to be from exercise- drinking milkshakes or something ice cold can do it as well.

[REDVAN]

I have asthma (exercise induced) and it could be that, like another poster has already mentioned.

No biggie, I find it's worse for me in winter but in summer I am ok most days.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Nehkara

Hello CP!

To be clear to start off, I understand fully that I should not take opinions gathered on an internet forum as medical advice and I am planning on seeing my doctor about this issue.

I am just looking for thoughts and similar experiences.

For probably the last... 15 years or so, occasionally (not always) when I engage in strenuous physical activity I will have a less than favourable reaction.

I get:

-Light-headedness.

-Some bad episodes include "seeing stars" and "tunnel vision" and other visual symptoms.

-Rapid pulse and breathing (but I am unsure if this is just from exercise or the reaction or both).

-Heaviness in my lungs.

-Extremely profuse sweating (more than is normal for me during exercise).

-My hearing dulls and my ears ring.

-I get very weak, especially in my legs, and lose some of my sense of balance.

-Nausea and immediate need to move my bowels.

-Immediate need to drink water/splash water on my face/take off clothes to cool down.

My thought is that it almost seems like a heat exhaustion type of reaction to intense exercise.

When this happens I usually drink a ton, splash water on my face/head, and go to the bathroom. About 20-30 minutes later it has usually resolved, but for the rest of the day I will feel very fatigued and weak. Always better the next day.


Has anyone else experienced something like this? Thanks!

My husband had most of those symptoms, usually when he played squash, and he has atrial fibrillation.

None the less, you should see a doctor immediately. I can not believe you have left this go on for 15 years.