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What Causes Dizziness, Difficulty Breathing And Chills?
Question: Extreme dizziness when driving my pick up, hard to breathe, chills, fast heartbeat, tight chest. First time it happened was a 4 days ago. I had to make a delivery 30min from where I work and I felt fine on the way there. But about 15 min on my way back to work I had to pull over because I couldn't concentrate or even think and extremely dizzy. I sat there with the window down for a while. Started to feel a little better. I called my fiancé to let him know what was going on just in case I started getting worse. I got onto a gravel road so I could take my time driving or if I passed out. It got extremely bad where i couldn't hardly talk and got chills, my head felt tingling like when your foot falls asleep. And my hands started tingling and clenched up where I couldn't move them. I called 911 to have an ambulance come out. As I waited I had my window down. They checked my blood sugar there and oxygen and blood pressure and they all turned out fine. My fiancé took me to the ER just to check everything out. I started feeling better. They did a EKG and that turned out fine. My blood work came back good. All the doctor said was I was probably breathing too heavy releasing too much carbon dioxide which would cause my hands to do that. Now yesterday I was driving my pick up to the bank which is 30 min away also and 20 minutes into the drive it started doing it again. I went to a gas station to get fresh air some water and a candy bar. I drove home with the window down and I was able to drive but still felt that light headed but about 5 min from getting home it started to get bad again. I just relaxed all night and I still felt the light head and then all of a sudden my legs started getting weak. Now today I still feel very light headed sometimes it gets bad for only a minute and then goes away. I have looking up different things online and came across a lot but carbon monoxide was the only one I seen that explained my symptoms and I did just recently have my high pressure fuel pump replaced so the mechanics maybe could have cause an exhaust leak. I also do paint at my job in a welding shop. Using a spray gun. I do wear a mask and it hasn't ever made me dizzy before or cause issue but maybe over time it's progressing. I guess I just don't understand if either of those were the issue that nothing would make my blood tests out of wack.
Brief Answer:
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Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Carbon monoxide poisoning could in theory explain those symptoms. Since the episodes started after the fuel pump replacement and both times happened while driving you should get back at your mechanic and have it checked again. It is not something which would come out in routine ER tests so you shouldn't be much surprised about that, regular oximeters are of no use, it needs a CO-oximeter or some specific blood tests, spectrophotometric methods, to detect that. I doubt your doctor thought about that (if those tests were at his disposal at all) because it seems to me he attributed your symptoms to anxiety leading to hyperventilating (which in turn lowers carbon dioxide).
If the car check comes out alright though and there is no reason to believe carbon monoxide poisoning, then I must say that judging by the description anxiety does seem indeed the most likely cause, those symptoms may well be in the setting of a panic attack.
I remain at your disposal for further question.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Carbon monoxide poisoning could in theory explain those symptoms. Since the episodes started after the fuel pump replacement and both times happened while driving you should get back at your mechanic and have it checked again. It is not something which would come out in routine ER tests so you shouldn't be much surprised about that, regular oximeters are of no use, it needs a CO-oximeter or some specific blood tests, spectrophotometric methods, to detect that. I doubt your doctor thought about that (if those tests were at his disposal at all) because it seems to me he attributed your symptoms to anxiety leading to hyperventilating (which in turn lowers carbon dioxide).
If the car check comes out alright though and there is no reason to believe carbon monoxide poisoning, then I must say that judging by the description anxiety does seem indeed the most likely cause, those symptoms may well be in the setting of a panic attack.
I remain at your disposal for further question.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I wasn't breathing heavy when it happened the second time and was completely calm. And symptoms of a panic attack last more than 24 hours? I forgot to mention that I'm prescribed adderal but I have been taking that for about 6 months and it's never effected me.
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
True panic attacks in themselves last about 20-30 minutes, rarely over an hour. However usually they are not isolated but on a setting of anxiety. Anxiety can justify those waxing and waning manifestations you mention without any limit of maximum time.
Adderall as a psychostimulant can be associated with anxiety. As you have been taking it for some time it doesn't necessarily act alone, genetic and stress factors may be involved, but it may be a contributor.
Anyway anxiety is always the last diagnosis to be considered when more serious stuff has been excluded, it is a diagnosis of exclusion. So you should make sure there is no issue with your vehicle. Other causes which may cause such symptoms like heart issues, pulmonary embolism, metabolic alterations I am assuming have been excluded from the EKG and blood tests at the ER.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
True panic attacks in themselves last about 20-30 minutes, rarely over an hour. However usually they are not isolated but on a setting of anxiety. Anxiety can justify those waxing and waning manifestations you mention without any limit of maximum time.
Adderall as a psychostimulant can be associated with anxiety. As you have been taking it for some time it doesn't necessarily act alone, genetic and stress factors may be involved, but it may be a contributor.
Anyway anxiety is always the last diagnosis to be considered when more serious stuff has been excluded, it is a diagnosis of exclusion. So you should make sure there is no issue with your vehicle. Other causes which may cause such symptoms like heart issues, pulmonary embolism, metabolic alterations I am assuming have been excluded from the EKG and blood tests at the ER.
Let me know if I can further assist you.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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