kmpower

That is the point. Rather than block receptors, nature (Milner says) stimulates antagonists. For people with high beta-adrenergic activity, that would mean stimulating parasympathetic activity. An interesting sidebar is something I was told a few years ago by a holistic neuropsych friend of mine. He said rather than a beta-blocker, I should have been given an alpha-agonist; that is, rather than slow the heart, I should increase return from the lower extremities. He said that the first hormones to decrease with age are the alpha-adrenergic hormones/receptors. Midodrine would have been a better choice. One more thing, I learned at a class that the best nutrient to support the alpha-adrenergic system is inositol. In nature, choline and inositol are associated (think: lecithin). So, perhaps some of us (non-egg eating vegetarians like myself, for instance) would become deficient in both choline and inositol. So beta activity increases unopposed while alpha activity decreases. It is almost a set up for tachycardia!

Hi everyone. It has been a very long time since I posted last. I have been pretty stable with a low dose beta blocker along with careful management of my triggers (eating, bending, being too still too long, etc.) But I have never stopped looking for therapies which make sense. The new Townsend Letter for Patients and Doctors has an award-winning article about using choline bitartrate and pantethine to antagonize sympathetic cardiac stimulation which is either excessive or not optimally opposed by vagal tone. Vagal tone requires acetylcholine, made in the body from nutrients supplied in the diet. It (the article as well as the therapy) is called the "Milner Acetylcholine Protocol" and is described by the naturopathic cardiologist who developed it and a resident naturopathic cardiologist. They explain the probable mechanisms and offer case histories. Many of us, especially older people, or vegetarians who don't eat eggs, or people who have unhealthy diets, are choline deficient, and therefore acetylcholine deficient. "There are no naturally occurring beta blockers", the article begins. If you are interested you will need to actually get the magazine to read the entire article. It is not available online, but here is a link about it: http://www.ncnm.edu/images/News/Best_of_Naturopathic_Medicine_2013.pdf Here is another study I found on acetylcholinesterase inhibition being helpful in POTS: Acetylcholinesterase inhibition improves tachycardia in postural tachycardia syndrome Forgive me if I have missed a discussion of this in my recent absence from this forum, but I didn't find anything in searching for it. Also, forgive me for posting this before I have tried it. Townsend is a highly respected journal of alternative therapies. I would like anyone else who might be interested to have an opportunity to also try this. It is promising for a variety of tachyarrhythmias, including patients with cardiac damage or ectopic foci. There is no specific mention of POTS, but it would seem to exactly fit with many of us here. Anyway, there it is. Old Lady Lighthead

Hi all, Long time no post (years, probably). I get this only after eating. I know it has to do with air bubbles moving around, either in my stomach or across the intestine. It happens more if I am walking or talking much after eating, like I am adding to the air by swallowing it. I feel the skip, then the beat, and if I pay attention, a gurgle will happen somewhere very soon, like a second or two. It is unrelated to episodes. Kathy

Hi. I am sorry this happened to you. It is scary. The only time I have a tachy episode is after eating. I have learned to eat less at a time, not bend over after eating, loosen all waist clothing during and after a meal, and not lie down too soon. I also try to eat slower and not swallow air with food (bad habits, hard for me to break). If I obey my rules, I rarely have episodes. Maybe your meal triggered the episode somehow. When I had xrays after an auto accident, there was food and air in my stomach -- very, very, very close to my heart. I got an extra copy of the most demonstrative film and show doctors the effect of the meal size on the heart. If there isn't direct cardiac pressure, the pressure may be on the inferior vena cava as it carries blood to the heart. If flow is reduced, the heart rate must speed up (that is one of the pooling mechanisms). You might be pooling in your digestive tract, too. The doctors used to call it anxiety, even though it happened only in certain positions after eating. Now they see the structural connection. Anyway, I hope it doesn't happen again to you. OLL

You might also look into neurofeedback. Brainwave training helps with a number of aberrant states resulting from brain trauma, developmental problems, residual physiologic states after illness, and more. Part of a sleep study is the EEG, but running the data through certain programs on a qEEG (such as Loreta) can help isolate anomalies and suggest training plans. Bursts of alpha are also problematic when trying to concentrate. Alpha should normally make its appearance in the posterior brain with your eyes closed, but there are other times when it is harnessed for healing. Maybe your body is trying to do something. There are lots of NF sites, some more scientific, others more clinical. Best wishes. OLL

It makes sense, too, that with all the water drinking we do, and B1 being water soluble, that we might just flush much of it away. Also, eating foods from which the B-vitamins have been removed -- the refined carbs -- will aggravate deficiencies. The B's are required for carbo metabolism (among other things) and need to be part of these foods. I am really happy for this thread and your improvements. OLL

For me, it is the other way around. Gas, especially upper GI stuff, makes me much more likely to be tachy. And sometimes a belch (sorry to be graphic) will drop the heart rate instantly. I am very careful now about how much and what I eat. Whenever my heart seems to "flip", if I wait a second or two, some upper gas will move. Walking may just move it around, but maybe it doesn't cause the gas. No fun. OLL

I am very sorry that this discussion has become adversarial. I had hoped to smooth out the harsh judgment implied by the use of the word "quacks", but have failed. Everyone has an opinion about what is natural and what is truly "scientific" and I will leave it there. Onward. Back to hyperbaric oxygen, there is another technique which was pioneered in Russia, I believe. It is called IHT (intermittent hypoxic therapy), or something like that. It has been used to increase a person's ability to utilize oxygen. It might have a place in case management where hyperbaric is not appropriate. OLL

Do you think blood may pool when you stop moving? It happens to me, especially if I don't mind my posture and slouch... OLL

Chiropractic basic science and physiology training is very similar to medical training, with the obvious exceptions of pharmacology and surgery. Structure (not just the spine) and physiology are functionally bound together as anyone with POTS knows too well. Many DCs have elected to pursue very limited use of professional training or perhaps their state narrows the scope of practice, but others have continued to become board certified in specialties -- from neurology and orthopedics to internal disorders and pediatrics. Chiropractic in 2007 is much more than spinal manipulation. And chiropractors are not quacks. However, lest I venture too far off topic, your point is well taken, Doctorguest, that in conditions where medical care may be required, it is not appropriate for a chiropractor to assume responsibility for the treatment. Don't mountain climbers take portable "hyperbags" on long treks in case they get into trouble at low pressure? OLL

Hi. Do medical doctors get training in the use of oxygen therapies? The only places I (personally) know about where hyperbaric chambers are used are in the offices of Ph.D. physiologists who specialize in neuro-rehab. They took training from the companies from whom they bought the chambers, not from medical doctors, and then began their own research. They have helped people recover from strokes and other serious difficulties. I know I am sensitive to barometric drops because of the effects of any oxygen decrease to my brain, so I have been cautious about getting a chamber. I would love being in it, but hate returning to local atmosphere. OLL

According to Dr. Paul Cheney (I think he is at Duke), they would be connected. He is really a specialist in chronic fatigue, but now is testing his patients with tilt to measure specific cardiac dysfunctions. His key diagnostic criterion is "Isovolumetric Relaxation Time" (IVRT) on tilt, which is a function of the energy of heart muscle cells. It is an energy measurement more than a heart measurement. His treatments are multifaceted depending on what is wrong in the energy systems of the patient. I learned the above in a recent interview with Dr. Cheney at the Functional Medicine Institute. OLL

Hi Tammy, Sorry you are having such trouble. I have been taking metoprolol for a couple of years. When I first started, I had lots of trouble sleeping, but I loved how it helped slow my tachy. The docs couldn't do much about the insomnia except add benzos which I didn't want to do, so I asked the pharmacist. She suggested I divide the dose in two and take half just before going to bed and the other half 12 hours later. That way, I would be asleep when it was strongest. That helped a lot. Eventually I was able to reduce the dose somewhat which has helped the most. I tweak the dose depending on need (and with the doctor's blessing), but still take half just before bedtime. Taking Toprol to even out the dose was a disaster as it wore off too soon and I would rebound with tachy and still have insomnia. Good luck. For me, it was worth trying different things. I am grateful for it. OLL

Hi. For hypocapnea, check out the Buteyko method. It is a breathing technique developed to slightly increase CO2 retention which helps all kinds of problems. I hope the dizziness goes away. I get it when my BB peaks, also when the smog is bad, also when the barometer is low. OLL

Hi, Cardiactec. I am so sorry you are going through so much. There are different issues which can be involved, of course, like not feeling the urge, or slow peristalsis, or hard stool, etc. Have you had a stool test (for dysbiosis, parasites, short-chain fatty acids, etc.)? I have read in a number of places that extra stool in the transverse and descending colon can aggravate tachycardia. This is due to of pooling or extra cardiac workload to move blood in spite of abdominal fullness. I wonder if your GI issues are one reason for your very high heart rates in spite of BBs. I tend to have more episodes if I am constipated or gassy. I expect you have tried all the usual healthy laxative foods and products, but if not, I will suggest what works for me. OLL