Cured Of Pots And Dysautonomia

[jcqueen]

My daughter, 15 years old, was diagnosed with dysautonomia in May of 2008. She played sports and was in great physical condition before starting to have fainting episodes. We visited family doctors, neurologists, and cardiologists. We tried many tests including MRI, Tilt Table, Epilepsy Monitoring, EEG, EKG, Blood Work, etc. We were placed on many medicines including fludrocortisone, zolof, and mididrone. Nothing was working and the symtpoms continued to get worse through November. She was having 3 to 5 episodes per day, some that were very severe.

In late November we visited a chriopractor on a recommendation from a friend. An x-ray of her spine found C1 & C2 vertebrae out of alignment. Dr Ray Reaves of Newton NC, used a Proadjuster to realign her vertebrae. He explained that if C1 or C2 has subluxation it could cause her dysautonomia-like symptoms. She immediately started to improve and with additional readjustments has seen immense improvement. She continues to need alignment due to her physical activities that cause mis-alignment to re-occur. She has went from practically bed ridden to playing varsity basketball and being involved in many other activities.

A 14 year old girl in our community was having similar problems. She also had been to neurologist and cardiologists. When I told her mother to try a chiropractor, she was very skeptical. However, she finally visited Dr Reaves. Her x-ray found that C1 was out of alignment. After adjustments she has been episode free ever since (over three weeks).

I am sure that there are many people that have been diagnosed with dysautonomia or POTs that may only need alignment of the C1 or C2 vertebrae to cure them. A simple x-ray of the spine would determine if the C1 or C2 were in alignment and adjustment may be the only thing needed.

[firewatcher]

I am glad that the adjustment worked for your daughter. My C1 and C2 were/are out of alignment and I had chiropractic therapy for it for 6 months (specific C1/C2 adjustments with pre/post x-rays.) It never did anything for me. I truly hope she is cured and never has to deal with any ANS issues again.

Good luck and thanks for the encouragement!

[delphicdragon]

Adding my two cents in here. I had very severe depression for years and it was gone within 3 hours of my first chiro adjustment. It was my Atlas and Axis that were out of alignment, almost an inch off. Whenever I feel the irritability/ depression coming back, I go to the chiro and it goes away, usually immediately or within the hour. Takes me about 2 days to get back to my norm.

As for POTS, chiro did nothing for it, but I can better deal with it now. I think Chiro didn't work because it's an Ehlers Danlos issue that causes my POTS and no amount of adjustments can make up for faulty collagen.

Sara

[Sophia3]

I am glad your daughter is doing better. But for most of us there is not a 'simple cure' from a chiropractor.

AND for some with spinal problems they can be problematic. Glad for your daughter but would hate for some new person to think it's a simple as seeing a chiro.

Have to be careful about the word "cure". I've had this 19 years.

Hope your young daughter stays well.

Peace

Sophia

[Lenna]

Was fainting the only symptom your daughter had, or were there others? Was she experiencing any nausea, headaches, fatigue, brain fog? Did her heart rate race when she stood up? These are often the symptoms of POTS, along with dizziness or fainting. Can these be symptoms of vertebrae misalignment as well?

[Maxine]

Just a word of caution------chiropractic care on the neck, and cervical/cranial area which is where C1-C2 is can actually be dangerous depending on what caused it to be out of alignment in the first place. I have heard of people actually getting sick or sicker after chiropractic care-----------I DID. I had an adjustment back in 1979/1980 and started having my first bouts of tachycardia spells, and panic attacks.

I just don't feel comfortable telling someone to see a chiropractor for spine problems, and I would never go to one myself for any adjustments on my spine----especially in the cervical/cranial area. I did go to one for my hips, and his adjustments helped out a lot, and for quite a long time. Some people have had very good results from chiropractic care, but personally, I steer clear of them.

I hope your daughter continues to improve, but be very careful with this area of her spine------------maybe get a second opinion from a neurologist/neurosurgeon with experience in upper spine instability. Sometimes certain forms of physical therapy can be helpful in symptoms relief IF they are caused by upper spine compression.

Good luck to you both.

Maxine :0)

[mkoven]

I am personally far more comfortable seeing someone who coaxes joints into place through soft-tissue (muscle/fascia) work, then chiropractic. Usually if a joint is out on me, it is a spasming muscle pulling it out. and until the muscle is released, it will keep pulling me out. Plus I do think chiropractic to the neck can be very dangerous for anyone with instability, chiari, vessel fragility, etc.

[jcqueen]

Was fainting the only symptom your daughter had, or were there others? Was she experiencing any nausea, headaches, fatigue, brain fog? Did her heart rate race when she stood up? These are often the symptoms of POTS, along with dizziness or fainting. Can these be symptoms of vertebrae misalignment as well?

Fainting was only one of her symptoms. Prior to fainting she typically experienced severe dizziness, complained that her head was very hot (it was not hot to the touch). and her heart would pound out of her chest (over 180 bpm). After her fainting, she would have headaches that would last up to an hour. This typocally occurred while she was standing and almost every time that she attempted to do any physical activity, especially in a hot/stuffy environment.

These symptoms were also similar in the other girl that lived in our community.

[jcqueen]

Just a word of caution------chiropractic care on the neck, and cervical/cranial area which is where C1-C2 is can actually be dangerous depending on what caused it to be out of alignment in the first place. I have heard of people actually getting sick or sicker after chiropractic care-----------I DID. I had an adjustment back in 1979/1980 and started having my first bouts of tachycardia spells, and panic attacks.

I just don't feel comfortable telling someone to see a chiropractor for spine problems, and I would never go to one myself for any adjustments on my spine----especially in the cervical/cranial area. I did go to one for my hips, and his adjustments helped out a lot, and for quite a long time. Some people have had very good results from chiropractic care, but personally, I steer clear of them.

I hope your daughter continues to improve, but be very careful with this area of her spine------------maybe get a second opinion from a neurologist/neurosurgeon with experience in upper spine instability. Sometimes certain forms of physical therapy can be helpful in symptoms relief IF they are caused by upper spine compression.

Good luck to you both.

Maxine :0)

Thank you for your reply. I was extremely skeptical of seeing a chiropractor and had similar concerns. We had been to Children Levine Hospital, Sanger Clinic in Charlotte NC, and Duke Medical Center. We had been told that there was little hope of a cure and that various medicines to control the symptoms was the only course of action. After seeing my daughter's life dramatically changing for the worse, it seemed that a visit to a chiropractor was a small risk. It was evident from the x-ray that the C1 and C2 were out of alignment. The technology used in the 80's and the technology today are very different. The chiropractor used a machine called a Proadjuster to make the adjustments. The equipment is relatively new technology and is very high tech. I encourage people to read about it on line prior to any treatments. I was hesitant to make a posting, in fear that others may not be successful. I also realize that this may only apply to a small number of people. However, during all of the many doctor visits and studies about dysautonomia, none of the specialists ever suggested that we even look to see if this could be a solution. This is an additional option for someone that may seem to have eliminated all other possibilities. My prayer is that it could help someone.

[jcqueen]

Here is a link to information on the Pro-Adjuster that is being used on my daughter. It also explains the education requirements for chiropractors and helps to address some of the misconceptions of today's chiropractor.

http://www.proadjusterlifestyle.com

[Sophia3]

ok...as one who has been around message boards wayyyyyyyyyyyy to long on and off with dysautonomia, I DO find it curious you never came to post at DINET except about this 'cure' for your daughter and the use of Proadjuster.

Excuse my cynicism but this board has seen many come here under different circumstances to sell a service or product.

Also there is a local chiro on a radio show that NEVER cracks people's necks as he think that is a dangerous practice...for those that do see a chiropractor....I also find them much to harsh.

We are all different but again, I cringe when I see the word "CURE".

peace out

[jcqueen]

ok...as one who has been around message boards wayyyyyyyyyyyy to long on and off with dysautonomia, I DO find it curious you never came to post at DINET except about this 'cure' for your daughter and the use of Proadjuster.

Excuse my cynicism but this board has seen many come here under different circumstances to sell a service or product.

Also there is a local chiro on a radio show that NEVER cracks people's necks as he think that is a dangerous practice...for those that do see a chiropractor....I also find them much to harsh.

We are all different but again, I cringe when I see the word "CURE".

peace out

I have been reading about dysautonomia since my daughter was first diagnosed in May. This is a wonderful site and the information was very helpful as we performed many tests and experimented with different medicines. I did not post here to sell a product or service. I am an engineer working with a fiber optic cable company. I have no ties to any chiropractor or any related equipment or services. I posted the information on the equipment because I think that it is important to know exactly what was used. It was not a jerking, snapping, cracking, or massaging used in the treatment. There is medical technology that people should be aware of to make the best informed decisions. I agree that everyone should be skeptical of anything that they read in an open forum. My wife and I did a lot of research each step of the way, and I encourage others to do the same. All I can do is share my story and pray that it may help someone.

[hollie]

I hate to get in the middle of this, but... My guess is that your daughter, gfish, MAY have been misdiagnosed last May. There are a TON of disorders out there that present themselves as dysautonomia. I could name at least a dozen off hand, and I have no medical training. Sometimes docs just put a name on it just to have an answer, to have something to go with. I'm know there are many on this site throughout the years that have been misdiagnosed and I've only been here not even a year. I know some are diagnosed for years with POTS or ANS that eventually discover it was something much simpler than that. I've learned SO much through this site, med shows, the internet, and lots of other places. For me, there are SO many more symptoms than what you had listed. (maybe you didn't list them all...not sure) I'm not trying to question chiro work. I've had work done on myself also and it did help with some symptoms, but was not a cure. Maybe she had some kind of pinched nerve or something because of the misallignment causing dizzyness, headaches, racing heart. It would be something to look into, but probably is not a "cure" for all ANS patients.

[dsdmom]

You know, I really hate to discourage anybody from posting success stories on here. It may not work for everybody, but gfish has every right to post what worked for them. We all know our own situations and our own stories and know what may or may not be applicable.

I'm glad your daughter is doing better and I hope she continues to do so.

[ramakentesh]

yeah I think people who have a success story should be encouraged to post it - its not like medical science has all the answers regarding POTS/Dysautonomia so in the meantime Im glad to hear that someone had some success with something!

[corina]

i am very glad for your daughter and you gfish! glad that this forum has been of help to you but most of all because this chiro has helped your daughter pick up her life again. and thanks a lot for sharing your information. even if just one person would benefit from it it would be amazing, we need all the help we can get!!!

i do understand people getting cynical here, as we have tried so many things and we have/had to deal with ignorant doctors, but let's just be glad here. if you would like to give it a try, please do so and if you don't just don't!!!

again, gfish, thanks for sharing your story!

corina

[Jimbo]

 

We are all frustrated by the lack of results in our own journeys.  And what works for one, may not be applicable to another as we all know. Dysautonomia is like saying nausea. It is a descriptor of a physical ailment with 100’s of causes.

 

if you find a solution for yours, however obscure... you should absolutely (and please) share the success! If only applicable to 2% of the audience, that doesnt make it any less meaningful to those people if they find a solution for them. 

 

And, yes, also to everyone, Always validate. Never assume somebody is giving you anything relevant to you (or even honorable intentions since sales people and gimmicks do stalk chat rooms).

 

thank you for sharing. And God Bless you and your daughter. I pray that her suffering with this disease is permanently resolved.