Symptoms have me wondering

I get lightheaded, cold sweats, shaky, feel like I cannot catch my breath or just a weird feeling in my chest, dizzy, a tightness or flushing from my head to my toes, etc.  After wards I have a horrible headache and feel very tired.  It happened once in my doctor's office and he called it a vasovagal episode.  I have since moved and have a new doctor, she said it sounds like hypoglycemia but all of my blood tests have always come back normal, so they just write it off as vasovagal.  I had read lalas post and thought I was reading about myself.  My question is, am I nuts to go into my doctor and tell her that I think it is anxiety? 

Well, in looking up the definition I may have come across our diagnosis! Vaso means vascular, and vagal is a nerve which controls blood flow....here is the definition I found for "vasovagal attack": Note at the end it is now considered anxiety neurosis. I'll have to go look that one up for us, too.

Syndrome consisting of palpitation, chest pain, respiratory difficulties, and disturbances in gastric motility; once attributed to vagal stimulation, now considered psychogenic (anxiety neurosis).

Here's anxiety neurosis: Chronic abnormal distress and worry to the point of panic followed by a tendency to avoid or run from the feared situation.

Sounds like it is another medical way of saying anxiety attack to me.

During one of these episodes, I find myself trying to eat or drink something/anything to try to make the feeling go away. When I said I get cold sweats, I mean to the point that my hair starts dripping from my scalp sweating and my clothes being soaked, that is when I go crawl into bed, deep breathe, and end up falling asleep after it is finally over because I am exhausted.  The feeling you are talking about like "going to pass out and die" is kinda the feeling I have in my gut, which is why I just explained it as a weird feeling. 

Hello Everyone,
I would not rush off to your physician's and tell them you have vasovagal stimulation.  That would be the cause of some of the symptoms but I would guess your anxiety is a huge contributor to the symptoms. Low blood sugar is a possiblity but if your tests are normal, it could be a fluke where your sugar dips when your anxiety rises.

Most people with a vasovagal response only have the response under stress, and or anxiety.  My daughter has this happen when she has to go to the physician's office or have any lab draws.  The cure is to have her laying down so the dip in blood pressure does not bring on all the sx and she does not faint.  It is a fight or flight response to a perceived threat.

I do alway encourage you to talk with your physician about your symptoms, just keep a log of when you have the sx so you can discuss with your physician.
I know this is scary as I have had it happen but as soon as I am away from the situation that set it off, I get over it quickly.
It is good to see you all educating yourself as you are your own best advocate.

You all are the best and seeing you supporting each other is  awesome. Gentle hugs to all
Kitt

I agree with kitt sue. you might just have white coat syndrome because if i even think about going to the doctor my blood pressure goes up.So i am use to it and kind of expect it to happen when i go to the doctor!It use to scare me when i felt that way but now it doesnt. But on the otherhand i understand your concerns because as i siad in the previous thread it can be a very frightning feeling.So do what makes you feel comfortable as far as what you tell the dr because you are the one that have to live with the symtoms.By the way i hope you and kitt both are having a great day! My day has been ok!! Its ugly out where i live and i had a job interview!!! Wish me luck!! I hope if i get it i can hold it down we'll see. I applied for disability today too so i'll just have to see where the chips fall!! BYE BYE LADIES!!!!

Yeah that is what it sound like.Well you know anxiety can be triggered by many things! Sometimes there is no trigger, they just come out of nowhere.You could be driving,that's when alot of mines happens.You could be in a public place around alot of people,that's another trigger for me.Sometimes i even wake up in the middle of the night with it.Or sometimes when im eating in public resteraunt i feel like im going to choke and i get shortness of breathe.I agree with you we need to get on one thread(lol)!!! im going back to the other one i'll wait for you!!!

So true
Luckily for me I DO have a doc that listens and we make a treatment plan together for all that ails me from the crohns to the anxiety.........
Docs are not God and they are sometimes treated as such because of the TITLE on the name ya know BUT they are not infallible and are just like us but with a degree.........In my career nursing i have come across many an arrogant doc and many a very uninformed one at that ..lol

I I too love this site and all the ppl I have met and become very close too in my yrs here.......
yes the support is the greatest so are the ppl
so Happy that you found us as well

Stay with us for sure ...you are great at supporting and helping many I have seen .....Thanks ..........

Luvs
LYN