Sitting Tilt Table Test?

[Angelika_23]

Hello,

Can anyone give me any information on what to expect from a "sitting" TTT. Apparently I am worse since the last time I saw my doctor at Cleveland Clinic. He is ordering quite a few tests to try to get a handle on what is going on. I failed the "normal" TTT so spectacularly last time I guess they didn't feel the need to repeat that one.

Mack's Mom, he is also ordering the mast cell urine test. Finally!

He did also say he's looking for carcinomas in my urine... Is that a bad thing? What does that mean? I would have asked more questions, but I spent all morning collapsing and feeling terrible. They had to actually put me in a room instead of me waiting in the waiting room I was so bad.

Thanks,

Angela

[issie]

angela,

So, sorry you're feeling so bad. It's miserable being sick and then having to go to the doctor on top of it. I don't have an answer for you as to a sitting test, but wanted to acknowledge you and what you're going through. Maybe you will get some answers.

[Angelika_23]

So no one's had one of these?

[ajw4790]

Angela,

***Disclaimer: My brain is not working the best right now.***

I was trying to follow your post and question.

If I understand correctly you went to CC and saw a neurologist? And he is having you return for tests? Part of the thing I learned there is there is not great communication between neuro. and cardio. and each knowing what each other does. I think they have been working on it, but I know I had that issue. At CC the standing (Head Upright TTT- HUT) is done in their autonomic lab (neuro.) and the "sitting" Hemodynamic TTT is done in cardio.

So, from what you said I am assuming that you are asking about the Hemodynamic TTT??? As far as it being ordered because "you are worse", I feel is not exactly the case or less that is what he said, i think it is ordered frequently there now for anyone that fits certain criteria. They look more at the body's blood volume and amount of pooling that one has. So, there is probably more of a question or concern about blood volume and where it "settles".

If this is what you are talking about, myself and others have discussed it some before on here. It is quite a detailed explanation of the two tests that they lump together and call the Hemodynamic TTT. I know for me it was probably the hardest and most symptom causing TTT of the 5+ that I have had. They were very good about responding to my needs etc, but when I reached "that point" I felt awful and it took FOREVER to try and bounce back from and then got a monster migraine on the way back to the hotel. I was in Columbus/Cincy at the time. I want to stress that you likely need to stay the night or at least rest for a few hours. I think it took 2-3 hours. They do EKG, BP, HR monitoring, and scans to show blood pooling throughout the test. They give you iodine and a radioactive tracer. They take some blood. There is a lot of laying still on the hard table. Make sure you are comfortable before they start, my back hurt bad afterwards.

Mine showed that my blood volume was more or less normal. Borderline iron deficient anemic. Hyperkinetic circulation. BP crashed after sitting for however long. I think HR went up at least 30 BPM too. It pretty much just said what the other test had said, but didn't clear up much of anything. It did show that I do having blood pooling issues, even when lying down. But, the testing did not change anything for me. You may want to make a return appmt. to have one of their cardios explain the results. I never got a very good explanation, but I also did not feel that they would see me to explain it, because it wouldn't make much difference.

Hope that helps, and makes sense. My brain is a bit mushy...

[Chaos]

If its the hemodynamic study that you're referring to, I did have one of those. They had me lie for a long time on a table while they did lots of blood draws and injections and scans. Mostly you just had to lie there quietly while they did their timed blood draws and all the other stuff they were doing. I had a regular TTT a couple hours before this one and it made me pretty sick (BP dropped to 34/22) so they were very conservative when they did the hemodynamic study to only bring me a little ways up toward sitting. They dropped my legs down about 30 degrees and brought my head up about the same amount. It was not nearly as bad as the regular TTT for me. On the other hand I was so dazed from the regular TTT that I don't really remember much about this study.