misstraci

Thank you both. I think it's a little of both. I'm still not well. I have good days and bad days and some good days turn into bad days and as you know ,you just never know, moment to moment how you're going to feel. A lot of it may be the insecurity with not having driven in a while and the anxiety of it. Thank you, I will keep you posted, hopefully with good news and improvement!

Hello everyone! I haven't been on for quite a long time and to make a long and painful story short, my boyfriend of 11 years and father of my children broke up with me and left. I had to get a car as there were no other options. This is very recent and I have only driven a few times. He is still helping out with the kids and trying to make my transition back to driving as easy as possible. I have been sick with POTS (and/or whatever, they don't know) since my son was born five years ago. I havent' driven in over three years now. It has been very scary and difficult to say the least. I want to know what makes driving less stressful for you? Do you get dizzy and lightheaded in the car? What makes it more manageable? Any advice is welcome. thanks

I'm so sorry for your loss and for your medical issues you're going through. Thinking of you and wishing you well.

good news, yay! but, what do they say the cyst means? Is it normal? causing symptoms for you?

Andy, I don't have any suggestions of what next but I wanted to say great job on exercising and getting stronger with some improvements, that's awesome!!! Glad you have been able to do a few things with friends/girlfriend.

Congratulations!!! All the symptoms you described sound like normal for anyone early on or even throughout a pregnancy. Good luck, hopefully as hormones level out, your symptoms will also subside. I personally don't think that your school schedule and load would harm the baby. I was so scared through my pregnancies to bend certain ways, lift my hands above my head, silly stuff. I was so scared of hurting the baby or miscarrying. My mom and doctor both reminded me how resilient our bodies are and how they were designed that way. Way back in the day when women worked all day on the farm doing physical and stressful jobs everything was ok. Best of luck to you!

I'm a little late. Hope your appointment went well!!

oh man, I think this all the time. I am so scared of having something terrible happen; heart attack, stroke, you name it, and not getting help soon enough or at all because I write it off as just my 'normal symptoms'. I wish there were a way to get definative answers and fix the root of our individual problems. This PoTs thing is so hard, both mentally and physically.

Hi Courtney, I'm sorry to read about the troubles you're having, don't be scared though. I know that's easier said than done. I have pregnancy induced pots. I had my son four years ago and from issues following the birth (long story-hemmoraging-surgery-etc) it came on after that. In the beginning I was obviously terrified (not that I'm not scared anymore because I am) but I would hop from doctor to doctor and was in the ER many, many times with similar scary symptoms as yours. I'm not sure if I got mentally stronger to deal with them or if the symptoms got vaguely better but I feel slight improvement. When my period comes around, actually about 10 days prior, i feel like death and I say that only half joking, my heart feels like it could explode, palpitations, lightheadedness, seizury-head feeling, all these things that I normally have are so much worse during hormonal times. I doubt things will decline over time, if anything, they will improve!!!! there will be little things you learn you can do that may help you feel better. There may be some things you can change in your lifestyle (gluten free, exercise or whatever) that may give improvements too. It's hard to say, try not to focus on pots/health, when that is your life, day in and day out, feeling cruddy, it's kind of all you can think of, I know that personally, but for a while, I quit coming on the forum, i feel like it actually made me feel worse to come on here. (yet it also makes me feel better too, to hear others going through the same thing) but what I'm getting at is that, when i quit focusing all my energy onto my sickness, i felt better. a little but that was better than nothing for me. I hope you feel better soon and find some good answers and help for your symptoms!!!!

haha no worries Stephsurf, post as much as you like, I like the responses! I'm sorry you're also feeling so bad. What exactly is LPR and how does it differ from typical acid reflux? Maybe you should give the medicine another try, assuming it's ok with your dr, and see if it helps this time around. As far as the stomach issue being a separate issue or falling under pots. hmmm, that is hard because so many people with pots also have gi issues. the gi issues fall under the autonomic dysfunction, etc. I had stomach issues before I was diagnosed with pots but then you ask yourself, well, did i just have pots all along and not know and it all got worse and then i realized or were those stomach issues something different altogether. I had a lot of nausea for years and it turned out to be my gallbladder was broke and they removed it. I think i'm going to try to cut out dairy and/or gluten and see if that helps me any. Good luck to you too, I hope you feel better!

ALSO....... do you notice an even more slowing of your digestion prior to your menstrual cycle (females)? The past several months it's almost as if I have a full on stomach virus, I feel so terrible.

I was never officially diagnosed with gastroparesis but I'm almost certain I have it. I had an upper gi which showed hiatal hernia, peptic ulcer, reflux, and sitting "liquid" in my stomach that the doctor ordered a delayed emptying test for. I couldn't take the test because you had to eat either beef or eggs w/ the radioactive and I don't eat either. My current symptoms seem to be getting worse. Nausea and bloating are my most uncomfortable symptoms that I am experiencing. I burp, A LOT. It's really gross. But the bloating is awful. I can eat barely anything and feel full for hours. Even a glass of water feels terrible. Everything 'sits so heavy' as I call it. Any suggestions, tips, diet changes that seem to help you with bloating and nausea?? thank you

Alison...... are you still on your healthy eating plan? still feeling good and all going well? Any suggestions from you or anyone else, for me, someone who wants and knows that a different diet could potentially help but just can't seem to get on it??? I am and have been a vegetarian for about 10+ years. I know that excluding dairy and gluten could potentially help me a lot and I have a major problem with chocolate. If addiction is such a thing, I have it times ten I'm sure teh sugar load and caffeine are also not helping feel any better. In my mind I want to do better but when it comes down to it, I'll do it for a day or two and be so depressed that i go back to eating whatever I want again. It's a cycle. Any advice???

My vitamin b12 and d are both low. the D is very low. I was prescribed the once a week pill at 50,000iu but never took it. instead I decided to try to be out in the sun more and took an over the counter 1,000 or 2,000 vitamin instead. I always read up on medicines/vitamins prior to taking them and i read nothing but negative things about such a high dose of D. I can't tell a difference in how I feel since starting the lower doses of vitamin D and have not been back for a level check either. I was also on b12 shots that I gave myself at home. I honestly could never tell a difference with those as far as how I felt. I am currently not on the shots anymore. Hope you feel better!

Hope you feel better!