Breast Pain On Midodrine?

[Ravenau1]

Ok, so I started on Midodrine a little while ago and at first was just getting the crawly/tinglies. Annoying, but no big problem really. Then I start to have some nipple 'issues'. Now I'm pretty sure we're all adults here so I can talk about this without freaking anyone out

I have some... 'hardware' in my left nipple, in the form of a silver ring, had it for years and years. So my nipples were a bit uncomfortably sensitive for a few days then wham! My left one really starts to hurt. Hurt ALL day, and at night even the sheet brushing over me would wake me up, if I happened to roll over onto my stomach during the night then tears would ensue. Putting a bra on became almost impossible but having anything rubbing against it was even worse.

Now, there was nothing visibly wrong with it, no trauma, no infection, no swelling or heat or anything that would tell me there was a problem with the piercing itself (I have a few, I know the signs). So yesterday and the day before I didn't take any Midodrine, just to see what would happen and by yesterday morning all the pain had gone. Not even mildly painful.

I started back on the Midodrine today and will see what happens but it has to be that. I've never had anything like this happen before.

Anyone heard of anything similar?

Thanks

[lifesaver]

I had terrible pain in my nipple from the midodrine. Even my neuro's office said they had heard about that side effect before.

It got so bad, all I could wear was a light, soft sweater and leaving the house was impossible.

It has taken weeks for the pain to leave and if I get chilled, I have a lot of pain in the left one---no hardware involved. They are still overly tender, not good from my point of view.

When I was on the midodrine, it looked almost like I had frostbite on that part of the "girls", probably from the vasoconstriction greatly reducing the blood supply. They were blanched completely white and very cold to the touch. I hope there is no permanent damage and eventually the residual tenderness and pain when cold will go away.

I got to the point I held the midodrine pill in my hand and literally could not put it in my mouth, I couldn't stand the pain it caused anymore. Personally, I won't touch the stuff ever again. If my doctor doesn't accept this as possible, I have an alternate scenario to share with him--if guys took midodrine. Maybe that will get the message through.

Hope this helps and you don't feel crazy thinking you are alone with this side effect like I did.

Becky

[Simmy]

Since we're all adults here, I guess I can join too. Right after I started Midodrine I also felt the tingles, chills and hair standing up all over my body. I don't know if it's a 'male' thing but I never experienced painful nipples, although they do get very hard from the Midodrine and definitely uncomfortable.

The good news is it subsided after about a month at the same dosage (10mg 3x a day), and now it's minor and almost unnoticeable, but the chills and tingles still occur, especially between 45 minutes and 2 hours after taking it. I've also heard many others reporting the side effects subsiding after a few weeks or so.

For me, so far the benefits of Midodrine outweigh the negative side effects.

[tinkerbella]

now that is very interesting as I was on midodrine at the same time I was being treated with a hormone for a precancerous condition of my uterus. My Pots was out of control and I was feeling like I was dying. My breasts were so sore and like I was pregnant. When I went to the top gyn after dealing with docs who didn't know what they were dealing with (pots wise) she said that my breast were in a condition that once off the hormone if the didn't retun to the normal state something would have to be done.

hearing this I bet the midodrine had something to do with it all. Once I came off the midodrine they slowly got better. The midodrine was giving me too vivid dreams and nightmares. I had to take midodrine at 5pm and at bed time.

Bellamia~*

[Ravenau1]

Thanks for your replies!

Lifesaver, very interesting that it was your left nipple too! I presumed that it was because of the ring in that one, but perhaps not. Though mine aren't any different than usual visibly. I hadn't been able to find nipple pain/soreness as a listed side effect anywhere but it was just too much to be a coincidence. Nice to know I'm not going crazy lol.

Simmy, I guess the blood flow to the male nipple is different than the female? Ours are a bit more complicated with the milk ducts and such, though I have no doubt that the hardness and discomfort you experienced is the same mechanism that's causing my pain. I'm on 5mg twice per day, and I haven't really noticed any difference in the way I feel (apart from the pain and the chills/creepy crawlies that is), can I ask what benefit you're feeling? I felt dramatically better on Florinef but the midodrine I'm not so sure. Perhaps the Dr will need to up the dose, not that that's a happy thought!

Bellamia, I wonder how many other people might be experiencing this and putting it down to something else! I know that if I spoke to my Dr about it he would say to take out my ring, but I KNOW that's not the thing causing the problem.

[Simmy]

Rav - Yes, your plumbing schematics are a bit more complicated than mine in that area.

The most noticeable benefit I feel from the Midodrine is actually what it is advertised to do - boost blood pressure. Over the last few weeks I've come to recognize effects of what I believe are directly attributed to Midodrine, like those chills we're all familiar with by now, that they seem to get stronger when I stand or perform tasks requiring exertion, but I'm also now able to do those things for a little longer before the headaches and dizziness become too severe to continue.

I'm sure this next benefit is due to the combination of drugs I'm on, mostly the Midodrine and Mestinon, but now when I stand, my heart rate goes only to about 100bpm and then settles into the 80's and stays there for a few minutes before shooting higher. Of course this effect lasts for only an hour or two after taking my meds, at other times my heart rate does close to what it did before the meds, like hit 130+ when standing.

The best way for me to explain the benefits is to show you, so go to Youtube and search for "simbofats" (my brother called me that when I was a fat baby) then click on each of the two watches marked "POTS - 18 months later - 90 minutes after meds" and then "...5 hours after meds" to see what I mean.

[tinkerbella]

Rav - Yes, your plumbing schematics are a bit more complicated than mine in that area.

The most noticeable benefit I feel from the Midodrine is actually what it is advertised to do - boost blood pressure. Over the last few weeks I've come to recognize effects of what I believe are directly attributed to Midodrine, like those chills we're all familiar with by now, that they seem to get stronger when I stand or perform tasks requiring exertion, but I'm also now able to do those things for a little longer before the headaches and dizziness become too severe to continue.

I'm sure this next benefit is due to the combination of drugs I'm on, mostly the Midodrine and Mestinon, but now when I stand, my heart rate goes only to about 100bpm and then settles into the 80's and stays there for a few minutes before shooting higher. Of course this effect lasts for only an hour or two after taking my meds, at other times my heart rate does close to what it did before the meds, like hit 130+ when standing.

The best way for me to explain the benefits is to show you, so go to Youtube and search for "simbofats" (my brother called me that when I was a fat baby) then click on each of the two watches marked "POTS - 18 months later - 90 minutes after meds" and then "...5 hours after meds" to see what I mean.

Very nice video

Does that watch have a band that goes around your chest?

I'm looking for a good HR watch but don't want the band.

Can't stand anything around me, plus I get rashes from even watch bands.

Tell me about yours...

BellaMia

[ethansmom]

I had the same thing happen to me when I first started taking midodrine, and I was breastfeeding at the time so I thought that had something to do with the pain- but hearing your stories makes me realize it must've been the meds in general.

However, it was only temporary and passed quickly. I am sure it was due to the vasoconstriction.

[Simmy]

BellaMia - Thanks.

Yes, it comes with a chest strap transmitter, but it's really not that uncomfortable for me. I imagine it wouldn't feel that much different than the bottom strap of a bra. I've even slept with it many times to record my sleeping heart rates (using a different device called a SmartSync Heart Rate Data Logger that receives the signal and records up to 30 hours of heart rates... Amazon - ten bucks!)

Mine is a Polar heart rate monitor watch, which came with the chest strap and cost about $60 at modell's back in '08. It's always accurate, except when I twist my body in such a way that part of the chest strap loses contact with the skin momentarily, but that's rare. I've had to change the battery in the watch once so far, but the chest strap battery is still going strong after a year and a half, and I use it a lot.

I'm sorry that your skin is so sensitive, but if you can wear a bra, you should be able to wear this. The huge benefit of the chest strap type is that it not only gives you your heart rate now, but also realtime feedback on trends, like you saw in my videos. With the 'place fingers here' devices you only get a one-time measurement, with no idea of trends, up or down.

I highly recommend the chest strap type, Polar and SmartSync, along with videotaping your own symptoms for documentation purposes.

[tinkerbella]

THANKS for all the great info. I really thought I wanted a strapless watch till I saw your video. I know my daughter has one maybe I can borrow it first.

Bellamia

[mae2480]

Hi. I have never posted on an online forum before...but everyone thought I was nuts...including myself...lol...but yes I started taking Midodrine 5 mg 3 x every 4 hours from waking and while I usually run hot and have extreme heat sensitivity, on this I feel so cold, aching cold with chills and my breasts are so sensitive and the nipples are almost always hard and obvious. Usually within the 2 hour mark of taking it and then tapering off until the next dose. I haven't noticed that it has raised my blood pressure very much, but the headaches and dizziness are not as bad. When I asked the doc after a week of using it he said I needed to keep taking it to become better adjusted to it so I hope like the previous writers, that the sensitivity and chills will wear off soon.

On a side note, I also take Propranolol 80 ER once daily and have done so for many years for POTS. My cardiologist denies the possibility, but I am absolutely positive it is somehow regulating my cycles.

Thank you for confirming I am not going nuts... 🤗

Martha