hot flash/perspiration/sweating

This happened to me yesterday mid afternoon. Have had a pacemaker since 2001, am a 64 year old man in generally robust health. So I was doing light office work in an airconditioned building when I was overcome with what I can only describe as the male equivalent of a hot flash. I didn't feel feverish; it came on very quickly - during maybe 5 seconds, I experienced the rush of heat followed by a soaking sweat from mt head to my torso. The whole sweat lasted about 15 minutes and I was drenched

I drank some water. The condition passed and that was that....much like I would imagine a woman's hot flash. Anybody ever experience this???

8 Comments

or

by Tracey_E - 2009-04-29 08:04:09

I react that way when I drink beer, it's a mild allergy. I love beer but know if I have one, two or three hours later I'll get hot flashes. Did you eat anything that could be a food allergy?

hot flashes

by Tracey_E - 2009-04-29 08:04:56

Well, pretty sure it's not menopause, lol, but it sure sounds like it. I doubt if it's cardiac, and if it just happened once I wouldn't worry about it too much. Could you be fighting off a cold/fllu? Sometimes our body temperatures change when our immune system is in overdrive trying to fight something.

Be Sure What The Symptoms Are Telling You

by SMITTY - 2009-04-29 09:04:02

Hey Ross,

Been there and done that (27 years ago), except my profuse sweating was accompanied by very slight pain. Turns out it was a "silent" heart attack. Now read the following and see if you think you moight benefit from a visit to a doctor,

"The typical symptoms of a heart attack are similar to those of angina, but more severe and longer lasting. The victim feels a pain that is usually squeezing or burning or feels a terrible pressure in the middle of chest. This pain may also travel up to the neck, jaw, or shoulder or down the arm and into the back.

Sweating, dizziness, weakness, and shortness of breath often accompany the pain of a heart attack. If you have chest pain that lasts longer than 15 minutes and is not relieved by rest (or by a dose of nitroglycerin), get immediate medical attention.

In some cases, a heart attack may cause a sensation that feels like indigestion: you get a sick, aching feeling high in the middle of your abdomen. It can cause a feeling of great weakness, or a sense that you are about to faint. (Many of the people who had heart attacks thought that they had intestinal problem instead of associating it with a heart attack.)

Silent Heart Attack: Heart attacks can occur without any warning symptoms. These are called silent heart attacks. Some heart attacks may be associated with "atypical' symptoms, symptoms such as heartburn, nausea, or sudden light-headedness or sweating. These are more common in women, diabetics, and people older than 65."

Good luck,

Smitty

Male menopause?

by pacergirl - 2009-04-29 09:04:36

I certainly do believe in the "male menopause" experience.

You are changing physically just like anyone else as your body matures. Hormones are dropping and moving into a new stage perhaps. At least this is what I think.

However, I would call your dr. about this because it could be something else. A virus? An hormone in-balance?anemia? any number of things can bring this on. Had you eaten? A reaction to a new medication? Do you see what I am saying? Please get checked out.

Take care,
Pacergirl

Hmm

by ElectricFrank - 2009-04-29 11:04:44

Why do women have MENopause and men don't. G:

frank

Vagal episode?

by Yorker - 2009-04-29 12:04:16

I had a couple of simlar episodes, the first on on the morning after my pacemaker was inserted in Oct 2007. They checked me out and couldn't find a cause.

It was like a hot flash (I haven't had one in a number of years) though I did also feel a little light headed at the time. My cardio thought it might have been a vagal episode, since I didn't faint I guess they can't call it vagal syncope.

In view of Smitty's post, it might not be a bad idea to get it check out.

Donna

HEART STOPPING! & Why I have pacemaker!

by Jade - 2009-04-30 01:04:55

Heart stopping!! You described what I feel like, and a tilt table test showed my heart was stopping.

I have been drenched in sweat after an episode like you describe. After two tilt table test and my heart stopping or pausing for 18 seconds; the Dr. diagnosed Neurocardiogenic syncope.

This may be a new condition or your symptoms as your battery needs replacing. That would be an extreme way to learn your battery needs replacing!

Donna, I think it is a vagal episode. That is the sickest feeling I have ever experienced.

Your pacemaker should show something, I would go to Dr. Let us know how you are doing.

Frank- men are the cause of women's problems: men-opause; Perimenopause; premenstrual syndrome! lol :)

Been there

by ShadowWeaver - 2009-04-30 04:04:51

I have felt the same thing before. For me, it would happen when I would enter into A-Fib and my Heart Rate would get above about 220 or 230 (that seems for me to be the threshold of where I really start feeling it). However, nearly every time I have gone into a high A-fib, I have gotten light-headed, felt like my internal temperature jumped about 30 degrees and would sweat profusely to the point of it literally dripping off of my body. For me I would normally feel like that very suddenly and then in many but not all cases, I would pass out (would depend on if my heart rate continued to jump up to around 300 or so). Like you said, it would come on in just a matter of seconds. Like a few have said, your PM should have picked it up and it would be a good idea to see your doc and have it interrogated to see if it did and what happened. Let us know how things go and what you find out.

Michael

You know you're wired when...

You name your daughter “Synchronicity”.

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My eight year old son had a pacemaker since he was 6 months old. He does very well, plays soccer, baseball, and rides his bike. I am so glad he is not ashamed of his pacemaker. He will proudly show his "battery" to anyone.