Burning hot red face - so worried.

[Stagestruck]

Since March I've had three telephone appointments with my doctor and am currently awaiting a referral appointment with GI at the end of September about Acid Reflux. I'm quite reassured about that, it seems the meds are helping and the doctor obviously doesn't think there's anything serious going on, or he would have made a more urgent referral.

But for about 3 or 4 weeks, I've been having episodes of my face flushing hot and red. It stings, burns, and feels sore and dry. Usually it calms down after a while, but yesterday it began in the afternoon and is still stinging and has red patches almost 24 hours later. Overnight my face has got red and hot as well. Obviously my anxiety is going into overdrive and has decided that it's carcinoid syndrome, which causes flushes of the face. I really don't feel I can ask for another telephone appointment - my doctors' website is covered in red font trying to keep people away during covid. I feel I've already had three appointments and they're likely fed up of my hypochondria. I didn't mention it at my previous appointments, as you're only supposed to consult about one problem in one appointment. I don't have a temperature, in fact I was shivering with cold during the night, while my face was hot.

When the flushes comes, my head feels funny, sort of under pressure and a bit headachey. Can anxiety be causing this? The only medication I'm taking is famotodine for reflux and I started that after the flushes began. I'm 56 and it's been 3 or 4 years since the menopause, during which I had very mild symptoms which didn't cause any problems.

[NoraB]

When the flushes comes, my head feels funny, sort of under pressure and a bit headachey. Can anxiety be causing this? The only medication I'm taking is famotodine for reflux and I started that after the flushes began. I'm 56 and it's been 3 or 4 years since the menopause, during which I had very mild symptoms which didn't cause any problems.

I get this, but I have fibromyalgia and my body struggles to regulate itself. I'm cold when it's hot and hot when it's cold. What you describe is a common symptom with anxiety, and, wait for it, you can experience menopausal symptoms for up to ten years, and beyond that for some women - especially if they are stressed. However, it's my policy to get new symptoms checked out if they don't bugger off after a couple of weeks. It keeps my GP on his toes.

[Stagestruck]

The last flush, two days ago has stayed and I’m left with red hot cheeks and tight, dry feeling skin. I’ve taken a anti histamine in case it’s an allergy, but it’s hasn’t made any difference. Carcinoid syndrome still scares me, but I have to admit that rosacea is looking more likely given that only about 10% of the 2,900 in the U.K. per year with a carcinoid tumour develop the syndrome.

[WiseMonkey]

I get this, but I have fibromyalgia and my body struggles to regulate itself. I'm cold when it's hot and hot when it's cold. What you describe is a common symptom with anxiety, and, wait for it, you can experience menopausal symptoms for up to ten years, and beyond that for some women - especially if they are stressed. However, it's my policy to get new symptoms checked out if they don't bugger off after a couple of weeks. It keeps my GP on his toes.

I can get this too but I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and some Mast Cell issues as well. My body also struggles to regulate temperature.

[rc906]

I get something very similar quite a bit, especially when my anxiety is up. I notice that it happens when I have lots of caffeine as well.

[Stagestruck]

I couldn’t take the worry and yesterday (Saturday) went to my local walk in centre. I saw a nurse, not a doctor. She said my blood pressure and heart rate were slightly up - she said probably because she could see I was so anxious. Temperature was normal. She said she was going to “try” some cream for rosacea and I should go to my doctor if it wasn’t any better in one to two weeks. I’m not reassured at all; I felt she was just typing symptoms into a data base to see what it came up with and covering herself by telling me to go to the doctor.

She said I should go home and try to relax, do some yoga or meditation.

The redness and burning of my face is there quite a good portion of the time now, except it calms down a bit when I’m outside where it’s cool. I can’t sleep because it comes on worst when I go to bed and I’ve started to dread going up to bed, as I know I’m in for a horrendous night. My arms feel quite prickly as well.

Since April I’ve been having reflux, but famotidine, which I started two weeks ago (after the flushing started) has really helped. The worry about the reflux has now paled into insignificance compared with the burning red face.

Unfortunately, I’ve convinced myself it’s carcinoid syndrome, my chief hope is that I don’t have any of the other symptoms.. But I’ve read that flushing is the main symptom and may be the only presenting one.

[WiseMonkey]

See your Dr and tell him/her of your concerns. After doing some research there are a couple of tests you can have to test for this
1." Laboratory testing for carcinoid syndrome involves obtaining a 24-hour measurement of urinary excretion of the serotonin metabolite 5-HIAA and plasma/serum chromogranin A (CgA), and in some cases, platelet serotonin, when urinary 5-HIAA results are equivocal. A sensitivity and specificity of 70%-100% has been reported for chromogranin A for detecting NET. Urinary 5-HIAA concentration has a reported sensitivity and specificity of 90%.

2." The chromogranin A (CgA) blood test is a good marker to help detect and monitor the activity of carcinoid syndrome. Elevated levels of CgA are found in 80% of patients with carcinoid NET."

Now, I don't understand this as I'm not a Dr (or endocrinologist) but it's info you could print out and show your Dr. Yes there are other symptoms too but you should see your Dr for some peace of mind/ tests or to be referred on to a specialist.

I'm sure there are other conditions that cause your symptoms eg rosacea, mast cell issues and some autoimmune conditions (there are links between these two). The fact that your arms feel prickly could be just stress or peripheral neuropathy, again often liked to autoimmune issues.