I must admit that I never think of andrenalin, stress definitely, but not andrenalin on its' own. I go to watch my football team regularly and I've noticed that I often seem to be on a bad 'MC' day when they're playing. I've put this down to anxiety - they're a team to make you anxious lol!
I have to climb two flights of stairs to get to the concours and then one to get to my seat. Knowing this, and the hazards of the stadium being busy, makes me anxious and this can induce stress, which of course can trigger andrenaline, especially immediately before going up or down those stairs!
Two hours later and I'll be on my way home and I have noticed that my legs are much stiffer than normal. Of course there's also the moments of stress during the game too, so maybe watching live football isn't a great pastime for someone with MC?
Reading your post reminded me of a study done in the UK that found that heart attack rates were higher among men who were avid soccer (football) fans. The theory was it was the cumulative effect of the stress of the game. Who would have thought watching sports could be so stressful!
Personally I think hot dogs and fried foods were more to blame though.
For the myotonia, the adrenaline does it for sure but I think the exact impact of it depends on what other hormones are present, because I don't have problems in an exciting situation like I do in a "MOVE!!!!" situation.
I notice if I'm sitting in an enclosed area where I can't get out easily, like a few seats in at the movies or in class, I start to notice an increases in stiffness in general. I think it's the prospect of performing the very complex task of getting out of those seats quickly if I had to.
Maybe there is a similar thing with you at sports games, combined with the adrenaline of the game and probably the cold and steps and crowds....stadiums are starting to sound a bit trecherous now that I think about it!
I agree on the food at stadiums being a contributory cause of coronory heart disease lol!
I also identify with what you say about finding yourself sat in a seat where you know you won't be able to move very quickly. I'm always considering such things wherever I go, even to friends' houses. Sad but true.
I've found having a season pass for the football realy helps as I know exactly where I'm sitting for every game and what is involved in getting to that particular seat, it was worse when we just bought the tickets a day or two before the game!
I think I live in a state of anxiety anyway, it's a necessary evil. Although I love travelling figuring out how I'm going to get on and off buses, trains and planes can reduce me to a nervous wreck!
As to andrenalin, thinking back to those incidents where I have suffered a trip or a push I can see how it stopped me from recovering and also how it still impacted on the rest of my day.
Jenna - What you are describing IS adrenalin - the stress is the anticipation of having to navigate out of the seat, and the release of the adrenalin may be low, but that's what it is. Just like if you have to go up on the stage to give a presentation, and you are thinking about whether you are going to stiffen up in front of all those people, or waiting for a bus, and trying to climb the steps while the driver waits for you to hurry up - anxiety, stress, low dose adrenalin. It isn't just the high-dose, fight-or-flight stuff, though admittedly, that's a lot worse! Lois
Type of Myotonia: Myotonia Congenita, Becker's type
We have to remember this "good" excitement has just as much impact on us as bad excitement :-)
A couple of years ago my daughter and I went to see a Broadway tour performance of West Side Story. It was in a huge theater and we had great front-row seats on the third level. However we were so close to the edge of the balcony that it felt like we were just floating up there and could topple off any time.
I don't do well with heights and just going to our seats was enough to kick in the adrenaline big time! I had a hard time throughout the whole performance because if I'd take my eyes off the stage and glance down I'd get another shot of adrenaline. Same with my daughter who also has MC. Needless to say we didn't budge during intermission and we could hardly walk down the steps to get out of there when it was over.
I remember the first time I went to an IMAX theater. It was the same thing...in fact even before that we had gone to some kind of movie theater at Disneyland where you stood up and leaned against rails while the program surrounded you (it was taken with 360 degree cameras). There was a scene where you're on the back ladder of a firetruck as it rounds a corner. I fell over and was so stiff my friends had to help me up!
Boy, Jan - You say these things, and waves of forgotten memories and experiences flood my mind... It's still sometimes overwhelming, as if I am re-living my past life, through new/different eyes. Sometimes it chokes me up, and I only wish I could share my "new reality" with some of the people back then!
Type of Myotonia: Myotonia Congenita, Becker's type