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Timbo

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I have been doing pretty good. I am working full time now, I work in a pretty stress free job so that helps a lot. I have felt pretty good except for the occasional fatigue, lightheadedness and shortness of breath. I have managed to control my anxiety without medication. I have figured out how to calm myself anytime I get a nasty symptom or two.

I had some moderate kidney pain that I had checked out. Has anyone else had this? It went away for the most part, if I lay on my side it comes back sometimes.

I am seeing a cardiologist on the 7th in a follow up of my recent ER visit which I mentioned here. I wore a holter monitor for 24 hours last week for the appointment. I also had some X-rays done on my spine and back, two doctors mentioned that they thought I had scoliosis, but my mother, a nurse says they are crazy and so do I. I do not have any noticeable curvature. They also said the size of my heart was normal and my lungs were clear (i'm a former smoker).

I went to see the surgical guys again for the lump in my back, first they said it was a lipoma, then they said it wasn't, now the chief surgeon says it is so I am going back in six months and will ask them to do a tissue sample, just to be on the safe side. If it is a lipoma, I will opt to have it removed.

Anyway, I am sure you are all bored to hear about my health but I figured I would talk about it in case anyone else had similar problems.

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Hi Timbo,

Glad to hear you're doing relatively okay! I have to ask, what are some of your tips/advice for calming your anxiety? I go through phases where yoga, gardening, meditation, autosuggestion or visualization work great for me... but then there are times when it seems nothing works and that's when I resort to a 1/2 of a .25 mg xanax! Tell me your secrets, please! :lol:

In regards to kidney pain, a couple of months ago when I went to Mayo, tests showed the amount of protein in my urine was slightly elevated. I've had some pains in my left kidney on and off for the last couple of months. I started taking "Kidney Activator" by Nature's Sunshine products and I don't have the pain anymore. I still plan to see a urologist to get some further tests done and have my protein levels retested, just to make sure it's nothing serious.

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

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When I get a bad symptom and feel the anxiety coming on I take a few deep breaths and remind myself that I have POTS and the symptom is not that of a fatal illness. I close my eyes and concentrate on breathing and mentally refuse to be afraid. It took me a while to do this. I find exercise (even a little) also helps, it gives you a feeling of well being and that helps you feel more healthy and helps to fight anxiety.

I realize that Michelle and I probably have the the mildest cases of POTS on this forum so I have little cause to complain. I feel normal (like I used to before POTS) 90% of the time. But I still deal with anxiety and symptoms.

When I read the stories of people suffering from such dramatic symptoms I must admit I feel rather guilty. I don't understand why someone gets a mild case of POTS and why another person is disabled by it.

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Gena, can I ask about xanax? I was just talking to someone today about getting a few pills to try--to reserve for those super crazy anxiety flare ups ... How does it work? What do you feel like when you find you need it--and then what do you feel like after you take it? (I know it works really quickly, which is why it's a good med for this...)

Timbo, I know how you feel and have that question ... I also am not disabled by pots; I work and do too much running around AND I have a boatload of sometimes uncomfortable symptoms--daily. I guess I've just got some highly developed coping skills because I've had this sooo long. But I'm beginning to toy with the idea of trying some meds... much more symptomatic now than ever before. Sheesh.

Take care,

m

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Hi Merrill,

The Xanax makes me feel calmer but not overly spaced out or anything. Like I said I usually only take a 1/2 pill of the smallest dosage (.25 mg) and it usually works within about 30 minutes. When I first tried it the first few times it did make me feel a little spacy and sleepy. But now, I normally just feel more relaxed and less anxious. I hardly ever take it during the day, but it does help me sleep at night. However, I did still have a an episode of pretty bad tachycardia just a few nights ago, even after taking a 1/2 of a Xanax pill. So it's not always a sure fire remedy, but most of the time it does help. I have to caution you that it can be an addictive pill for some people. My doctor says it's "like Jack Daniels in a pill"... I prefer think of it as a nice glass of Cabernet...as you get kind of the same effect! :)

With that in mind, I only use it sparingly. I've never had an addictive personality, but I force myslef to use other relaxation methods first and using the Xanax only when I really need it (it's the only med I take and I've managed to make 20 pills last for 3 months!)

One of my docs who specializes in MVP and dysautonomia also gave me samples of Klonopin in a wafer form that melts in your mouth. She said they are very fast acting and help calm you down if you're having an episode. I have not tried these though. Always hesitant to take new meds. But I believe I've read on this forum that the Klonopin works pretty well too.

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I work for a custom homes firm and I run the computer network. I will be leaving that job to work for my brother doing the same thing. He is starting up a similar business with winter. There is very little stress in the job other than the occasional network problem. I have managed to work through days when I had fatigue.

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