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Thread: Clammy sweats and arm tingles

  1. #1
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    Clammy sweats and arm tingles

    Hi. Have searched the forum but can’t find anything relating to symptoms I have. I usually put everything down to anxiety because it’s usually brought on by it but for a while now, especially since my breakdown in February this year, my hot sweats (I’m well post menopause) have ramped up considerably. Now though whenever I exert myself, especially anything which involves rubbing something or using arms causes me to break out into a hot sweat but very clammy cold and then I’m getting prickly tingling all down both arms. It can happen when lifting my shopping if heavy out of the car. I try and repeat the same activity again shortly after but it tends not to repeat it strangely. It’s not very pleasant and sometimes it makes me rush to the loo. I’m thinking blocked arteries or micro vascular angina. Not breathless or chest pain at all. I walked the dogs very slowly up our small lane the other day and it came on then as I was making sure I could see how far back it was to the car. I’m terrified of heart tests as heart anxiety has been an issue since I was a child. I’m not asking for a diagnosis but it worried me that I can’t find anything else on the forum relating to similar. My last ecg was about 18 months ago which was fine but then it says it doesn’t pick up these sort of issues.
    Last edited by Justanutter; 04-10-21 at 14:14.

  2. #2
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    Re: Clammy sweats and arm tingles

    I understand heart worries, and anxiety surrounding tests of your heart. That was the main trigger for my HA for years, and honestly I do still have periods where it still affects me.

    That said - being a female, and presumably a little older based on your post menopause comment - for these symptoms, and when they’re occurring, I would probably contact my GP for direction. You’ve had a somewhat recent ecg which is great, but if this were me, and even with my test anxieties, I would be asking for GP opinion. I’m not one for paid reassurance at all, but I do think there are times it’s warranted. I don’t mean to panic you worse and I know if it was me reading this it would make me nervous for sure. But it’s best to rule out any bigger problems, and then move on from there. There’s a really good possibility that even being post menopausal, it’s hormone related. Or something as simple as a pinched nerve somewhere. Make the call to your GP and see what they would recommend.

  3. #3
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    Re: Clammy sweats and arm tingles

    Quote Originally Posted by Justanutter View Post
    Hi. Have searched the forum but can’t find anything relating to symptoms I have. I usually put everything down to anxiety because it’s usually brought on by it but for a while now, especially since my breakdown in February this year, my hot sweats (I’m well post menopause) have ramped up considerably. Now though whenever I exert myself, especially anything which involves rubbing something or using arms causes me to break out into a hot sweat but very clammy cold and then I’m getting prickly tingling all down both arms. It can happen when lifting my shopping if heavy out of the car. I try and repeat the same activity again shortly after but it tends not to repeat it strangely. It’s not very pleasant and sometimes it makes me rush to the loo. I’m thinking blocked arteries or micro vascular angina. Not breathless or chest pain at all. I walked the dogs very slowly up our small lane the other day and it came on then as I was making sure I could see how far back it was to the car. I’m terrified of heart tests as heart anxiety has been an issue since I was a child. I’m not asking for a diagnosis but it worried me that I can’t find anything else on the forum relating to similar. My last ecg was about 18 months ago which was fine but then it says it doesn’t pick up these sort of issues.
    First of all, your thread title made me giggle. I think it would make a great name for a country band.. 'Clammy Sweats & the Arm Tingles'. (welcome to my mind)

    Secondly, your issue..

    I noticed that you started back on Citalopram earlier this year? Are you still taking them? Only increased perspiration is a side effect. And it doesn't matter if you've previously taken them without this issue (or any other) because the menopause can change all that. I took this drug for years with no problem but I can't tolerate it now due to the side effects so my first thought with you is that this sweating issue may be due to the medication?

    My brother has angina and what you're saying doesn't sound anything like him. A clear ECG is also good but I do think it's advisable to run new symptoms (especially those which appear to heart related) by our GP's when we hit the menopause - even if we have an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Heart issues are your main HA fear which means that your mind will always try to connect the two and there's no point trying to diagnose yourself (blocked arteries/micro vascular angina etc) because most people with HA do this and most people with HA get it wrong. And another problem is that anxiety heart symptoms will play directly into this fear so then it becomes harder to sort out what anxiety (fight or flight) is responsible for and what it isn't, you know?
    __________________
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  4. #4
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    Re: Clammy sweats and arm tingles

    Thanks ladies. I am scared now as it seems you both think that this isn’t an anxiety issue. I just don’t know how I’m going to cope with tests and possible bypass surgery. My first thoughts are my Mum who is in a Nursing Home and would go to pieces ��

  5. #5
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    Re: Clammy sweats and arm tingles

    That’s why I hesitated to say what I did, because I understand how the HA mind works, and we always go to worst case scenario. It’s difficult, but try not to jump straight to bypass surgery here. As mentioned it could very well be hormone related as from my understanding, menopause can cause all sorts of crazy new symptoms to appear. And it’s very possible your anxiety is taking a minor issue and blowing it up in your mind to something massive. The only way to get that sorted is to give your GP a call and run your symptoms by then, see what they suggest.

  6. #6
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    Re: Clammy sweats and arm tingles

    Quote Originally Posted by Justanutter View Post
    Thanks ladies. I am scared now as it seems you both think that this isn’t an anxiety issue. I just don’t know how I’m going to cope with tests and possible bypass surgery. My first thoughts are my Mum who is in a Nursing Home and would go to pieces ��
    Excess sweating can absolutely be an anxiety issue but there's also the fact that the medication you are taking has this listed as a known side-effect.

    You are totally overthinking and catastrophising what's been said but that's because you have health anxiety.

    It's my personal policy to get all new symptoms checked out if they persist longer than a few weeks and it's common sense to run any 'heart related' symptom THAT'S NEW- by our GP's. That's not 'scary', Justanutter, that's common sense!

    Not quite the same as you, but I've gone to my GP with various chest pains and been diagnosed with reflux and Costochondritis. Most recently was the reflux and I didn't go down that hole because I am in control of my HA (and have been for several years now) but I was where you are now with the Costochondritis and I went straight to 'heart disease do not pass go!'. Mind you, you're doing slightly better than I did because at least you are imagining surgery for yourself whereas I just went for the toe-tag in the morgue scenario..

    Controlling HA is about being health aware but not being obsessed with our health. The older we get, the more health issues we will have to cope with. That's the way it is, and sometimes we are going to have to see our GP's and make them earn those posh cars in the car park, right? This week (for me) it's a trip to the dentist for a wisdom tooth that's disappearing under the gum and causing me face-ache. That's life!

    Your symptom is sweating and that 'prickly' sensation is one I've experienced thousands of times at school when I sweated like a pig due to severe anxiety. Normally, anxiety would have been my initial response to you but I read through your old posts and saw that you started talking meds again earlier this year and there would be a DIRECT cause for this particular symptom - even if it's one you didn't have before - because our hormones change drastically during and after the menopause. Instead of going to pieces (which won't help you at all) go and see your GP about this symptom because he/she might have to adjust the medication? This isn't a pleasant symptom to have so why keep suffering physically (and torturing yourself mentally) when a trip to your GP could sort it out?
    __________________
    A thought is harmless unless we believe it.

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