Awaking to Anaphylaxis
It doesn't happen often but, every now and then I awake in the middle of an episode of anaphylaxis. Sometimes the episode can be rather violent. Sometimes it is relatively mild. Regardless, it always leaves me exhausted, weak, shakey and in a bit of pain. This is no way to awake in the morning!
These episodes can happen anytime but usually occur while I'm awake. While awake, I usually have some warning signs that anaphylaxis is approaching so I often have a fighting chance at minimizing its effects with emergency medications. My warning signs often include feeling lightheaded, difficulty breathing and my legs become exceptionally weak. These symptoms are the result of my blood pressure crashing.
Typically, if I feel these symptoms coming on, I will pull out my epinephrine and some other medications reserved for emergencies. When this happens, I know I must quickly find a place to get off my feet before I end up being a heap on the floor gasping for air. Lying down and elevating my feet gets blood back up into my brain. Adding epinephrine and emergency medications also counters this life threatening episode. When this happens while I am asleep, I am at the mercy of dumb luck and have to hope that my body will respond as it should without the help of emergency medications. When anaphylaxis occurs in my sleep without the chance to counter it with emergency medications, it is extremely dangerous.
If my body does what it should do, my heart should respond to the dropping blood pressure. If so, I experience palpitations and tachycardia pushing my heart rate up into the range of 120-180 beats per minute to counter the dangerous drop in blood pressure. This sort of response by my body is good news but, I have to tell you, it is thoroughly and completely exhausting... physically, mentally and emotionally. Today is one of those days awaking feeling weak and shakey with palpitations and tachycardia.
It will be a long and rather miserable day... but, at least I awoke.
These episodes can happen anytime but usually occur while I'm awake. While awake, I usually have some warning signs that anaphylaxis is approaching so I often have a fighting chance at minimizing its effects with emergency medications. My warning signs often include feeling lightheaded, difficulty breathing and my legs become exceptionally weak. These symptoms are the result of my blood pressure crashing.
Typically, if I feel these symptoms coming on, I will pull out my epinephrine and some other medications reserved for emergencies. When this happens, I know I must quickly find a place to get off my feet before I end up being a heap on the floor gasping for air. Lying down and elevating my feet gets blood back up into my brain. Adding epinephrine and emergency medications also counters this life threatening episode. When this happens while I am asleep, I am at the mercy of dumb luck and have to hope that my body will respond as it should without the help of emergency medications. When anaphylaxis occurs in my sleep without the chance to counter it with emergency medications, it is extremely dangerous.
If my body does what it should do, my heart should respond to the dropping blood pressure. If so, I experience palpitations and tachycardia pushing my heart rate up into the range of 120-180 beats per minute to counter the dangerous drop in blood pressure. This sort of response by my body is good news but, I have to tell you, it is thoroughly and completely exhausting... physically, mentally and emotionally. Today is one of those days awaking feeling weak and shakey with palpitations and tachycardia.
It will be a long and rather miserable day... but, at least I awoke.
Comments
Post a Comment