Please Help...

[erikainorlando]

OK...not a terrible morning...but I had to go downtown for a meeting and they made me stand for a while. I started shaking..I thought I would be sick..ten when I went to move I could barely move my legs. I got home but am shuffling to walk..and hands shaking so can barely type.

Hr is fine. This happened last year..no one had any help..stayed in hospital for a week. Gave me beta blockers...I had Guillain Barre before but I think this is POTS...is this familiar to anyone? Is this typical of POTS?

[vemee]

Symptoms like that do happen to me, in fact I'm going through a period now with it. What is your blood pressure doing? If you don't have a blood pressure machine feel the pulse on your wrist. If you feel your pulse then you know the top number of your blood pressure is at least 80. If you don't feel it feel the pulse in your throat that would tell you that you bp is at least over 60. I felt really weak and my bp was 75/30 which is low. Your symptoms can be other things also including adrenalin surges trying to regulate your circulation.

[Rene S.]

Hi Erika,

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I can relate to the shaking. I always think perhaps too much adrenaline? Are you feeling any better now that you are home?

I'm in a bad state myself. I feel like my arms and legs weigh so much and I can barely walk..

Sending hugs your way.

Rene

[erikainorlando]

Thank you. Not much better being home. Too weak to stand but sitting my hr and bp are fine...lol.

Ruekat - do you get to where you can't walk? My mom is coming down...in case I need to go to the hospital. BUT I hate the hospital! I don't want to go unless I collapse completely...even then they don't know how to help me...I always fear Guillain Barre recurrence

[potsgirl]

I also have had the shakes/tremors, especially in the morning. However, I get the feeling that my legs and arms are so heavy I can barely move them more often. It feels like I'm trying to walk through water. The only thing I've found to work is to rest in my recliner with my feet up. Usually my BP is really low, too. Sometimes I feel like I can't move a leg at all....I have a slight hesitation where I have to actually think "ok, leg....move".

Hoping you're feeling better soon!

[erikainorlando]

BUT can POTS make you unable to move? Legs get stiff can't control movement?

Sorry, don't mean to beat a dead horse...but I am lost and the cardiologist on call just called back and had never heard of POTS...

E.

[Guest tearose]

Are your electrolytes okay?

Try having some powerade and see if you feel better. We forget sometimes that our hearts are working so hard that some extra electrolytes instead of just water is a big help!

Also, can you take a seat cane with you so if you need to stand you can sit instead?

[erikainorlando]

Not sure but tht is a good thought. My hr is 62 sitting...nice right? So then I stood up and took it and it was 132 instantly..started shakng and had to sit. Took another toprol.

At least I don't think it is the GBS...I think this is POTS but I am not sure what all the shaking is aobut..nor the weakness.

[yogini]

I don't know about your other conditions. Your symptoms do sound like they could be from POTS. What is your BP number - is more like 90/60 or 120/80? Is it dropping when standing? During the worst periods, the things that help me most are rest, compression, staying off my feet and fluid and salt loading like crazy. It takes a few days for the fluids/salt to kick in. It could even been something as stupid as the weather which is causing a flare up. I hope you feel better soon.

[futurehope]

Yes, Erika, I get the symptom of not being able to walk, or put one foot in front of another, or of barely being able to do anything. I get this primarily when I've pushed past my maximum when exercising. I always tend to push. Sometimes I do okay with pushing, and sometimes I get the symptoms you've described.

I'll try to describe an episode: I feel shaky and weird like my brain cannot get my body to move. I'm feeling like I'm reeling or stumbling like a drunk. I'm basically in a brain freeze and have to use sheer will power to make it to my car.

That's why I try real hard to park as close as possible in case I have one of these attacks.

For me, I recover if I sit, or if I recline. The severity does not return once the stress of too much exercise is gone.

I freaked out the first time and thought I'd never make it to the car. I did make it. Sheer willpower. It's happened many times since, so I do not freak out as much now. One of these days, I'll probably keel over. I tend to keep pushing the envelope.

I imagine you did too much, and your brain/body are rebelling. Maybe you'll feel better once you rest. Is this a new symptom for you? Also, there's a difference between "being weak" and my above symptoms. My above symptoms are as if the brain-body connection is short-circuited and my brain cannot get my body to move. I always guessed that it was the result of a lack of circulation to the brain, which is supposedly a sensitive organ?

[erikainorlando]

Futurehope,

I always identify with your posts. I do have those brain-freeze episodes on occasion. But today was the day I acctually stopped walking...walk 15 ft. shaking and collapse. My daughter had to carry me up the stairs tonite...I made it half way and started shaking and couldn't make one more step. It is as if my muscles got so stiff and I couldn't get them to move and I am gasping for air.

My kids are in my bed and I am on my floor so they can keep an eye on me. I am also so grateful for all of you.

Erika

[erikainorlando]

And yes...this is new. I had this once last year and spent a week in the hospital...after 3 days of complete rest I was able to walk again. So perhaps it is just being overworked?? Not that I do much:)

[Broken_Shell]

Oh Erika!

I am SO sorry this happened. Do you feel weak or like your muscles are tense and won't move? With the shaking symptom, I am wondering if a low dose of benzo would help. Your hr and bp are ok from what you said on your post, but maybe your body got over stressed and just needs to calm itself down. If you feel like the muscles are tense, then it might be worth a try - just a tiny dose... like 1/4 of a pill. Sometimes when I get a bad flare I feel like my whole body braces up and gets tense and trembly. Let us know how you made it through the night when you can, ok?

P.S. Thanks for the PM.

~Broken_Shell

[futurehope]

I hope you are okay today, Erika. It sounds to me like you are due for a "rest" period. Maybe, for you, the stress and strain "add up" over days, weeks, until your body rebels and makes you rest?

IOW, the meeting described in the OP could have been "the last straw", not that it alone caused this problem, but a kind of accumulation of overdoing it?

As to what exactly is happening to you physiologically during this episode, like maybe low blood sugar, low electrolytes, a return of a dormant Guillain-barre, other auto-immune or viral flares, endocrine issues, other issues or a combination of the above, only a doctor and some testing would help you understand.

Please let us know what you decide to do. Feel better!