Methydopa Prescribed Today - Any Info On Vandy Trial

[L4UR3N]

- some docs believe NE levels get low eventually because NET deficiency overstimulates the receptor and bleeds the NE dry, and because NET deficiency in the brain results in reductions in sympathetic outflow through a2 adrenoreceptor stimulation rather than the opposite.

That is so interesting to think about. My grandfather had parkinsons and I often wondered if he had the same issues I do and then his body just wore out---of course we are talking about dopamine not NE, but one can make the connections. I do know that he had heart and blood pressure issues since he was 20 years old--in fact he got sent home from the military due to one too many syncopal episodes.

It also makes me wonder about long term methyldopa use-- I would think it would halt the onset of parkinsons (if that is an outcome), but with our wacky bodies--it just might progress it. It's one of the reasons I have a full bottle of methyldopa still sitting on my desk. I'm too scared to take it.

[kclynn]

Ele, the pain in your arm shoulder will hopefully just go away. I don't know if this is your problem but when I was having a simple blood draw the nurse did a terrible job and hit a nerve. It was painful at the time the pain was great for the next couple weeks but did eventually go away.

[kitt]

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[issie]

Kitt,

Hope things continue to be good for you. Hoping you've found something that will allow you to sleep. It's so miserable not getting restorative sleep. Our bodies can't heal that way. Keep us posted.

Issie

[kitt]

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[issie]

Kitt,

Can you tell us what your response is? How is it helping you?

Issie

[kitt]

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[issie]

So good to hear Kitt. I hope it continues to improve with time. I know a few who were trying to decide whether or not to try this ---but, the side effect warnings were scaring them off. Keep us posted on how you do with time.

I like this breakdown of terms, it makes it a lot easier to understand what each thing does and how it interrelates to each other. Thanks for the link.

Issie

[~elizabeth~]

Whether sympathetic excess is the cause or consequence of POTS is the million dollar question - it could be a side effect because of parasympathetic withdrawal, it could be the main problem or it could be a normal reponse to impaired vaso or veno constriction. I guess this study might help to see whether chronic reductions in sympathetic outflow result in symptom improverment in some or all patients.

Could you explain the above bit about parasympathetic withdrawal? About the only thing I know about my autonomic test results is that I have an imbalance of sympathetic/parasympathetic activity. Could that cause hyperP symptoms, and what are the implications for medication? I've just come off clonidine, I've been on it for 2 years and any positive effects seem to have worn off with time. Adding propranolol actually caused my BP to rise. Also the effects of clonidine seem to wear off too quickly, they last for about 4 hours then I seem to get symptoms of NE surge or vasoconstriction, perhaps because the peripheral agonist effects last longer than the central sympatholytic ones. I'd been wondering about asking about methyldopa, as clonidine has such an inconsistent effect. However, I've had really bad reactions to drugs like metoclopramide that inhibit dopamine, so I guess this means methyldopa might be a bad idea too.