Tilt Table Test Again

[ByteMe58]

I was diagnosed on a tilt table with a heart rate of 180bpm. I had many issues while elevated, from blurry eyes, sweating, tremours, lower leg pooling and pain, and eventually extreme head pain and stuttering before they stopped the test at 6 minutes.

Now 3 months later this cardi wants to repeat the test to check on meds. I told him I am able to sit/stand for 10 minutes now instead of 5 and am able to ride the isokinetic bike for 40 minutes. Doing as much exercise as possible. I've been out on disability since hospital stay in Sept.

I lay down with a heart rate of 68 to 72, when i stand, i immediately hit 108 and it steadliy climbs. I have a few minutes where I can get to the bathroom, or to the recliner in the living room before losing sight. My wife bathes me and does everything else for me.

My problem is the tilt test isn't much fun. Do they really have to strap me to a board and put me through **** again until i black out after just 3 months of meds. isn't this supposed to be long term help, no cure.

Frank

[Tachy Phlegming]

What did you do and where are you exactly?

I've heard of treatment like that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Ghraib_to..._prisoner_abuse

I thought that the tilt table was just to confirm symptoms and that some doctors don't use it at all.

(And that the test itself can get you sick which means that much more damage to your body and recovery time).

What did he say the purpose was?

[dakota]

I don't know why he wouldn't just do a poor man's tilt table test, which is just taking your blood pressure and heart rate while you're lying down, then sitting/standing you up and doing it again and see what happens. Depending on how long you can remain standing, they might keep you standing and take your stats every 2 minutes or so and could get a pattern. If you can only stand up briefly, then they would be able to see that, and you could lie/sit back down right away. That certainly would be easier than a full tilt table test, and it is what they do for my daughter when they see her now following an initial TTT. I can't imagine your having to go through that every 3 months.

[summer]

Hi Frank,

This sounds WAY too early for another TTT to me.

I remember after my TTT, where I was diagnosed with POTS, it took me about a month just to get over the test! My autonomic doctor told me first to go on my meds, and when I began to get some improvement with the meds, to begin a very slow graduated exercise program. He warned me that this would make me feel worse before I would feel better, and not to get discouraged. He basically told me that I could expect it to take a full year or even two before I would know how much improvement I could expect. I'm sure if I had been retested 3 months later, I would have been into the "worse" part of that.

A TTT this soon sounds unneccesary, expensive, and cruel. You need some time to let your body recover. Unfortunately, this "recovering" seems to be a very slow process. I hope you do not have to go through this.

Summer