Anyone Having Cognitive Dysfunction With Their Pots ?

[Guest GaryRN]

Within the last week, I've had a terrible headache that is in the same spot about 3 inches in from the forehead and 3 inches down from the top of my head. That is the spot if you can imagine this on an axis.

It's a pain and seems to be the cause of some vertigo, lightheadedness, and inability to concentrate. An ice pack on the head give just slight relief and laying down flat helps even more. At times, this pain feel like I'm going to have a seizure. It's very intense.

I really feel spaced out or zoned out, but not the detachment one gets with other meds.

I did stop the Metoprolol abruptly the other day from 50mg 2 x day to nothing and I'm hoping this is what is causing this and will go away. But I'm on day 3 without the Beta Blockers and it isn't getting better. I'd say it has peaked in intensity.

I sure hope this goes away soon, as I can't do much of anything and I've cut off my Lyme treatment while this is going on, hoping and waiting for it to resolve. I'm also very shaky, more so than lately as well and have been having terrible heart burn/nausea due to acid reflux despite taking Prilosec. The heartburn and nausea has settled down today. POTS seems worse too in that my HR is 150 on standing and my Carotid Arteries feel like they are going to burst.

Gary

[mjan]

OMG Gary.. this is terrible!! Have you called ANY kind of MD? (not that they will always know)..but still

My guts saying its the beta blocker. I once was given a BIG dose of one by a cardologist and WOW.. POW..I thought my head would blow off !! IT was so bad that I could not even sit up.. with the most amazing headache. The cardiologist called back and yelled at me..for not taking HIS help!! He thought he WAS helping my HR/BP problem. HE did not even care...nor make any suggestions

Take care and let us know HOW you are doing..why are you going off this med??

JAN

[valliali]

Hi Gary,

Stopping a beta blocker so suddenly can be VERY dangerous, especially for those of us with arrythmias and prone to large blood pressure swings. You should taper off of them.

I have severe cognitive dsyfunction/brain fog. It was actually the last of my symptoms to develop, coming on about two years after I got sick. Which is pretty odd, but I had always felt, no matter how unwell, that I still had my mind all there. Now, I'm pretty much in a constant state of detachment.

I also have the feeling that my carotid arteries will burst, along with all the arteries in my head. That kind of pressure has not been severe in several months, but at its worst, I am sure I will die. I feel the most unbelievable pressure in my neck and head, and it feels like blood clogged up in my arteries. I have no idea what it is, neither do any of my doctors. It's like the worst of my symptoms.

I don't know that the metropolol would have been causing the brain fog - it should only target the beta receptors in your heart. But, nonetheless, beta blockers do tend to slow things down. Me, personally, I couldn't function without my beta blocker, which probably contributes somewhat to my brain fog (I am on inderal, a non-selective, meaning it blocks adrenaline from my brain too).

[icesktr189]

i have had the brain fog since the day i got POTS.. it was one of the first symptoms i noticed. It truly never lets up.. I think its one of the worse side effects that i have because i constantly feel detached. Not a day goes by that i dont feel it. Those headaches that you talk about are the worst! I get migraines that make me feel so sick and so out of it that i cannot think. Gatorade helps out a lot but still that feeling is always there. Hang in there and good luck

[pat57]

I get dazed when ever my BP drops. I have NCS.

[all4family]

Yes, I get very confused, and mess my words up a lot. My talking becomes very garbled and I feel like I can't control my tounge with this. I once had a friend of my daughters ask me if I wore a tounge ring! (I don't)! These symptoms have actually improved for me after I got off of xanax. But they are still there, especially when I am tired. I do know that beta blockers do have a lot of side effects, but even so I have to agree about stopping them suddenly. Even when I stopped taking xanax (and I was really sick on this) I had to taper. They had tried to stop me really fast, and I nearly had a seizure. Going from one thing to another can also cause you to feel this way. I'm sure that seems how you are a nurse you can appreciate this....Didn't you just start or stop a different medicine? I hope you get feeling better real soon....

Suzy

[Guest GaryRN]

Thanks Suzzy and everyone,

I've been off the Beta Blocker now x 5 days. I'm still having the terrible headaches I had while on them. I have all my Lyme treatment on hold right now because of this.

Here is my POTS description:

HR goes from 90 to 150 from sitting to standing. I don't really get out of breath that much, but my carotids feel like they are going to burst.

I'm shaky at times all over even when I have no anxiety, and this headache feels like I'm gonna have a seizure.

I can't think straight at times, but not detached as others talk about. It's more like everything is going in my CNS and I just can't concentrate. Laying down help a little, but just last night, the headache went completely away and I felt kind of good for a while, but of course I awoke only to start the whole process over again.

All I can say is that this is ridiculous and I won't bow to this disorder and will do everything I can to overcome it. This is not fair to my wife and two kids, just 6 and 8 years old.

They are on spring break from school and I can't do a thing with them.

Next year, I will free of this crap and be on a beach somewhere with a Martini in one hand and holding my wifes hand with the other while we watch the kids play in the sand.

Gary