Ans Test Preparation

[firewatcher]

Hi everyone,

In preparation for my Vandy trip I am coming off my meds (klonopin and inderal.)

I also intend to come off two other meds as well: melatonin (slows my HR and BP) and estratest (have gained 5 pounds of water weight.)

I'd like for them to see ME in all my unmedicated screwiness.

I suppose I have two questions:

---anybody have any experience coming off these meds?

---does it really make a difference for the ANS testing?

Thanks!

[Ernie]

Hi,

It depends what tests they will be doing. It is wiser to stops all meds that you can manage as they will improve your ANS and false the test. They can also interfere with the meds they will be giving you.

[Rachel]

Being on or off meds can make a difference in testing depending on the med. Vandy should be able to let you know which meds you need to be off of.

I didn't go off of melatonin when I recently had some autonomic testing. I can't sleep at all without melatonin, so coming off of it wasn't really an option for me anyway. My only experience coming off melatonin is when I forget to take my meds at night....and then I can't sleep! If I don't take melatonin I have to take something else to replace it. If melatonin slows your hr and lowers your bp too much, is there another sleeping pill you could take that wouldn't interfere in that way? Does melatonin lower your hr and bp the day after taking it as well? It may be that there isn't enough of the med left in your system to cause a lower hr and bp come morning or afternoon when you have your testing.

I hope that your tests go well.

All the best,

Rachel

[juliegee]

Hi Jennifer,

Best of luck with your Vandy trip! I can't wait to hear all about it. When do you go?

Julie

[firewatcher]

Thanks Julie,

Not till November, but my doc wants me to come off the Klonopin really slowly. It's only been a week and two days and already I am remembering why I went on it. My head HURTS!!!!!!!

I would only do this if I thought Vandy had the answer...I pray they do.

This is nuts.

[juliegee]

You have to suffer till November??? Yikes! Hang in there!

Julie

[EarthMother]

Congratulations on your upcoming tests. I went off benzos (Klonopin) this summer after only being on them for 3 months and your Doctor is excellent for stressing a VERY SLOW withdrawal. For some of us coming off is even worse than why we went on.

I see you have Hashimoto (me too) are you also taking synthetic thyroid meds?

Also on your signature you crossed out DDAVP. I also had to stop taking it (about the same time I went off benzos) and found I'm having a much harder time without it. What was your experience on or off the anti-diuretic?

Sorry I think I asked more questions than I answered!

Good luck with your tests in November.

~EM

[firewatcher]

EM, My doc warned me quite thoroughly about withdrawing from Klonopin and I've been on it for 6 months with progressively fewer positive results. He told me how to taper off slowly (.1mg less a week, for a week, and then another .1mg, at the fastest) and what to expect, but it still hurts!

One of my three endos told me to expect Hashimoto's and that I was pre-Hashi's, due to a firming of the thyroid, high anti-thyroglobulin titer and previous hypo-thyroidism. But I am not on synthroid till my TSH goes wonky. I have other endocrine issues that nobody can figure out.

The second of my three endos took me off the dDAVP when I had a questionable osmolality test, endo #1 says it IS partial DI, #2 and #3 say no, and testing that I got back today again says yes. I feel like the docs are plucking daisy petals: it is DI, it is not DI, it is DI, it is not... I'd like to see a match between these three, slugging it out! I was almost asymptomatic in the BP department when I was on dDAVP, and I pee all the time and my BP gets very narrow off of it.

Still nursing that pounding headache.......