Hi all,
I don't know where to put this -- I have many different symptoms, etc., here, but I suspect the chest pressure is the most frequent and pronounced.
I'm 22, exercise regularly (cardio and strength) to a comfortable stop, am a vegetarian (but eat eggs, milk, cheese regularly), eat whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, etc., and take a standard multivitamin and magnesium most days of the week. I am pretty much never sick, fatigued, or have any kinds of issues.
Let me start from the beginning. I went to Athens this winter (Jan. 3 - Jan. 25), and sometime in the last week of Athens, I'd wake up with weird chest pressure that would last for a short time. I felt a bit scared, almost as if I was going to die, although it was very mild but noticeable. Still, I didn't know what it was. This was going on and off for about a week. I was eating lots of cheese and grapefruit juice there, something I don't normally do.
I had the chest pressure on and off for a couple of weeks after that. I made a decision to see my doctor again to tell him about this, as I saw him right when I got back, gave blood, got a physical, etc., and all was fine, except he said my blood pressure was around 140/100, which was high. Maybe it was the fact that I had a salty breakfast, maybe not.
On the evening of Feb 11, I had the chest pressure again. This time it lasted for many hours and got worse and worse. Suddenly, as I was asking about blood pressure on forums, I felt extremely dizzy, had hot flashes, had to urinate frequently, and my blood pressure went close to 160. I called the ambulance, got more blood done, urine, x-rays, etc., and all came back fine. They recommended I stop taking my vitamins. It was a strange request, but I didn't know what it was in my vitamins that did this, so I stopped.
The next day, I started researching the ingredients in my men's multivitamin. As I was reading the label, there was a warning about blood pressure and palpitations caused by yohimbe, an herb they add to the multi to treat erectile dysfunction (I don't have ED and didn't know it was in there, but I guess this is what they meant by "men's health" multi). I had that.
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As I was looking up symptoms of yohimbe-related sickness, I found: insomnia, blood pressure, chest pain/pressure, palpitations, hallucinations, frequent urination, feelings of panic, nausea. I had ALL of this on Feb 11. I also started eating lots of prunes around that time -- and prunes are very high in tyramine, which worsens the symptoms of yohimbe. Before I knew this, I took lots of prunes on Feb 12, and by night time, I started feeling all of this again. I went to the hospital, again, noticed even more urination, gave more blood tests, more urine, etc., and all came back fine. I came home in the morning and still had trouble sleeping regularly for the next few days. I felt very fatigued and weak and sometimes dizzy, but the chest pressure was slowly going away as I drank lots of fluids, didn't take those vits, avoided tyramine foods, etc. The yohimbe explains pretty much everything: the blood pressure, the chest pain (my brother's girlfriend took the men's prime multi for a few days and started feeling the very same kind of pressure and stopped), and every other symptom, even in Athens as I was taking those pills there.
I visited my doctor a few days later and got a sonogram of my chest, kidneys, lungs, abdomen, etc. All was fine. But, I was having side pains and lower back pain, and after I gave urine and more blood, he said I had small kidney stones (probably b/c at the time I wasn't taking magnesium and had a substantial intake of calcium from pills and dairy). He also said my white blood cell count was slightly high, which didn't show up in the other 3 tests.
I went to the urologist, was already feeling pretty much normal, and he said I had no kidney stones at that point. I had already started drinking lots more fluids and almost completely eliminated calcium supplementation and began magnesium intake.
All was fine until this Monday. Around 3 PM in class, I started feeling chest pressure. I felt, eh, maybe it's still yohimbe in my system. I felt it again on Tuesday. Last night, I began feeling panicky again as I had the hot flashes, dizziness, frequent urination, etc., except my heart wasn't really palpitating too much and I noticed that these flashes came on precisely as I started thinking about them consciously (especially if looking symptoms up online), and I was able to eliminate an upcoming "flash" and bout of dizziness by shaking my head and forcing it "off" of me. The panic was associated with it.
Now, I hadn't taken those yohimbe multi vits (but started taking regular vitamins) in about a month now, but it's possible I had accidentally popped one Sunday night in my sleep, or maybe had a reaction to an herb in a sleep pill that I took since I needed to fall asleep early -- my only explanation now. But, it was hard to fall asleep, I had to talk myself into stopping the panic, etc., and when I woke up this morning, I still had some chest pressure and felt a tiny bit weak, but no where near what I felt for a week after the hospital stay. That was chronic fatigue and dizziness, this was merely one episode.
Note, the chest pain is usually in my left side, but is sometimes on my right, too. It feels like it's "warm" and I feel an extreme warmth (though it's not really uncomfortable) in the left side of my chest when I have the pressure, if I drink something very warm.
I'm staying away from prunes now completely, staying away from the sleep pills for any reason (I sleep very well usually, only take them when I need to fall asleep early or have some kind of sleep issue), and will stop the vitamin supplements to see how I feel. I'm seeing my doctor again tomorrow, but don't know what to do, really -- what specialist could I see, if all the tests for everything pretty much turn up negative? I'm thinking of going for an MRI and something else, but right now, I have no idea. Perhaps these are panic attacks, but have no idea why -- I am NEVER stressed, don't have any social or psychological issues, am very stable emotionally, etc.
Has anyone ever experienced this or know what it could be about?
Thank you.
I don't know where to put this -- I have many different symptoms, etc., here, but I suspect the chest pressure is the most frequent and pronounced.
I'm 22, exercise regularly (cardio and strength) to a comfortable stop, am a vegetarian (but eat eggs, milk, cheese regularly), eat whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, etc., and take a standard multivitamin and magnesium most days of the week. I am pretty much never sick, fatigued, or have any kinds of issues.
Let me start from the beginning. I went to Athens this winter (Jan. 3 - Jan. 25), and sometime in the last week of Athens, I'd wake up with weird chest pressure that would last for a short time. I felt a bit scared, almost as if I was going to die, although it was very mild but noticeable. Still, I didn't know what it was. This was going on and off for about a week. I was eating lots of cheese and grapefruit juice there, something I don't normally do.
I had the chest pressure on and off for a couple of weeks after that. I made a decision to see my doctor again to tell him about this, as I saw him right when I got back, gave blood, got a physical, etc., and all was fine, except he said my blood pressure was around 140/100, which was high. Maybe it was the fact that I had a salty breakfast, maybe not.
On the evening of Feb 11, I had the chest pressure again. This time it lasted for many hours and got worse and worse. Suddenly, as I was asking about blood pressure on forums, I felt extremely dizzy, had hot flashes, had to urinate frequently, and my blood pressure went close to 160. I called the ambulance, got more blood done, urine, x-rays, etc., and all came back fine. They recommended I stop taking my vitamins. It was a strange request, but I didn't know what it was in my vitamins that did this, so I stopped.
The next day, I started researching the ingredients in my men's multivitamin. As I was reading the label, there was a warning about blood pressure and palpitations caused by yohimbe, an herb they add to the multi to treat erectile dysfunction (I don't have ED and didn't know it was in there, but I guess this is what they meant by "men's health" multi). I had that.
< edited >
As I was looking up symptoms of yohimbe-related sickness, I found: insomnia, blood pressure, chest pain/pressure, palpitations, hallucinations, frequent urination, feelings of panic, nausea. I had ALL of this on Feb 11. I also started eating lots of prunes around that time -- and prunes are very high in tyramine, which worsens the symptoms of yohimbe. Before I knew this, I took lots of prunes on Feb 12, and by night time, I started feeling all of this again. I went to the hospital, again, noticed even more urination, gave more blood tests, more urine, etc., and all came back fine. I came home in the morning and still had trouble sleeping regularly for the next few days. I felt very fatigued and weak and sometimes dizzy, but the chest pressure was slowly going away as I drank lots of fluids, didn't take those vits, avoided tyramine foods, etc. The yohimbe explains pretty much everything: the blood pressure, the chest pain (my brother's girlfriend took the men's prime multi for a few days and started feeling the very same kind of pressure and stopped), and every other symptom, even in Athens as I was taking those pills there.
I visited my doctor a few days later and got a sonogram of my chest, kidneys, lungs, abdomen, etc. All was fine. But, I was having side pains and lower back pain, and after I gave urine and more blood, he said I had small kidney stones (probably b/c at the time I wasn't taking magnesium and had a substantial intake of calcium from pills and dairy). He also said my white blood cell count was slightly high, which didn't show up in the other 3 tests.
I went to the urologist, was already feeling pretty much normal, and he said I had no kidney stones at that point. I had already started drinking lots more fluids and almost completely eliminated calcium supplementation and began magnesium intake.
All was fine until this Monday. Around 3 PM in class, I started feeling chest pressure. I felt, eh, maybe it's still yohimbe in my system. I felt it again on Tuesday. Last night, I began feeling panicky again as I had the hot flashes, dizziness, frequent urination, etc., except my heart wasn't really palpitating too much and I noticed that these flashes came on precisely as I started thinking about them consciously (especially if looking symptoms up online), and I was able to eliminate an upcoming "flash" and bout of dizziness by shaking my head and forcing it "off" of me. The panic was associated with it.
Now, I hadn't taken those yohimbe multi vits (but started taking regular vitamins) in about a month now, but it's possible I had accidentally popped one Sunday night in my sleep, or maybe had a reaction to an herb in a sleep pill that I took since I needed to fall asleep early -- my only explanation now. But, it was hard to fall asleep, I had to talk myself into stopping the panic, etc., and when I woke up this morning, I still had some chest pressure and felt a tiny bit weak, but no where near what I felt for a week after the hospital stay. That was chronic fatigue and dizziness, this was merely one episode.
Note, the chest pain is usually in my left side, but is sometimes on my right, too. It feels like it's "warm" and I feel an extreme warmth (though it's not really uncomfortable) in the left side of my chest when I have the pressure, if I drink something very warm.
I'm staying away from prunes now completely, staying away from the sleep pills for any reason (I sleep very well usually, only take them when I need to fall asleep early or have some kind of sleep issue), and will stop the vitamin supplements to see how I feel. I'm seeing my doctor again tomorrow, but don't know what to do, really -- what specialist could I see, if all the tests for everything pretty much turn up negative? I'm thinking of going for an MRI and something else, but right now, I have no idea. Perhaps these are panic attacks, but have no idea why -- I am NEVER stressed, don't have any social or psychological issues, am very stable emotionally, etc.
Has anyone ever experienced this or know what it could be about?
Thank you.