Ansar Test Shows Sympathetic Overdrive... My Body Is Always Going.. How Do You Treat It ?

[DadJake]

Hello again everyone,

I thank everyone for their replies in my first post. I just had an ANSAR test yesterday. The Dr. says I have Parasympathetic excess. He says I have too much of the calming which is driving up the Sympathetic nervous system. He describes it like a sea saw and says mine is broke and off the ground. He went on to say that the treatment is what I'm already on, which is Coreg. The problem is he offers no suggestions as to how to treat the immediate symptoms.

I feel like my body is going going going all of the time. It is so uncomfortable. He says this is whats causing my shortness of breath even at rest and other stuff I feel. When I told him drugs like Xanax don't work, he said because it's and adrenaline issue, yet he offers me nothing other than the Beta Blocker to bring it down as it's supposed to counter Norepinephrine. I don't think I can go higher as my Blood pressure hangs around 100 on the 25mg 2 x per day I'm on. I can't seem to find anything on Google to help in addition to this drug.

I'm not sure how I'm supposed to live like this. I feel like I'm on speed even when I try and sedate myself. My body is going while I'm half falling asleep. The graph shows alot of Orange in front and all blue in the background. The blue he says is Parasympathetic and the Orange is Sympathetic.

I'm gonna go see a Psychiatrist again as not only does this feel like a constant Heart attack, but it's screwing with the rest of my body including my other emotions. I can't smile at all about anything as I'm in the constant state of "full alert". I'm crying multiple times during the day.

Thank you again,

Justin

[Ashelton80]

I was exactly like you are describing for weeks at a time prior to my diagnoses. And I was actually like this to some extent while on a beta blocker and when I tried an ssri. How long have you been on it? Why are you on it? As my electrophysiologist told me yesterday, in POTS if you block the hearts ability to compensate for whatever it's compensating for (ie low blood volume, loose blood vessels) then some will have problems like I did. Do you think you have low blood volume? This will always trigger adrenaline surges in me if I haven't salt and fluid loaded properly in several days. As will not sleeping, overdoing it physically, etc. Your body and especially your nervous system is not something you can manipulate into doing what you want it to do right this very moment. Also, have you had your thyroid checked? I'm not familiar with much of that, but i do know my sister in law is hypothyroid and she has the feeling of having a heart attack.

I am just a little confused at what your diagnoses is? It's obvious your body is screaming for help. I know it's normal to just want to find something really quickly to make it go away, but maybe try to dig a little deeper and try to figure out what is going on. If all of your tests are coming back normal look at lifestyle stuff? What am I eating, drinking, how am I sleeping? Vitamin D levels, b12 levels, am I anemic and on and on? I tried the whole counselor route before thinking it was some unresolved emotional issues I didn't know about, but nope it was all physiological. My nervous system is just out of whack for some reason. Here are the things I do when my body is freaking out similar to you....

salt and fluid load

rest, rest, and more rest and then some more rest

eat low carb, high protein healthy meals every 2 hours (blood sugar problems feel the same as panic attacks for me)

visit my atlas orthogonal chiro (i can't explain it, but if my neck gets out of whack depression and pots stuff is so much worse)

try to get in the early morning or late evening sun 15 minutes a day

my body will calm down, it usually takes several days and sometimes weeks before i knew how to help myself...sorry you are having a rough time...i've been there

[DadJake]

I was told it was Hyperadrenergic POTS. So I get tachycardic when standing real bad, but my blood pressure doesn't budge. The Autonomic Dr. says that the Coreg should help bring down the Parasympathetic and the Symptathetic should follow in due time.

So, I might be bringing down the Parasympathetic, but the Sympathetic is not following. Maybe I should wean off the beta blocker.

So lost... I had every test known to man and my thryoid is fine. My plasma norepinephrine is about 40 points out of the high reference range. They checked me for an adrenal tumor and MRI's of the head, etc. Everything is normal otherwise.

Justin

[juliegee]

Hi Justin-

Sorry about all you're going through. The crisis you describe is similar to what I have experienced at various times as well. Many here use low doses of klonopin to temporarily calm the sympathetic nervous system. It's a band-aid for sure, but seems to help through the rough spells better than xanax. Just a thought...

The idea that the parasympatheic is too strong & that's what's driving the sympathetic is new to me- almost Eastern medicine in thought. Out of curiosity, where did you do your ANSAR testing? And who's your doc? I'd like to have that testing done, but can't find a doc.

Take care-

Julie

[DadJake]

Julie,

Forgot to mention that I take Klonopin 2 x per day already. The Xanax is on top of that, so you can imagine how bad it is. I can't sedate myself even with that. I've been adding Benadryl to the mix and even low dose Percocet. I can feel it's my Central Nervous System going bananas. Lots of weird sensations in the head. Now I'm getting body aches too. So many symptoms I didn't list them all.

The ANSAR test was done locally, but the interpretation came directly from a Dr. at the ANSAR company who designed the test. His words were spoken to me through my own Dr.

Justin

[babettess]

Justin,

Just a quick thought. I, too, have hyper PoTS. I originally tried Xanax and found that it gave me the same feelings you are experiencing. I described it as being in an almost constant state of panic. Apparently, some people can have what I think is called a paradoxical reaction to it. Please check with your doctor to see if he/she thinks the Xanax could be doing the opposite of what its supposed to do for you. Many of us are very sensitive to medications. You will have to follow your doctor's advise to get off the Xanax as you have to wean off it. ( If that's what he/she would suggest.) I felt much better after I got off it. I currently take a beta blocker and about 2 months ago started Lexapro which is an SSRI. Adding the Lexapro really calmed down the adrenaline surges and the betablocker keeps my heart rate down. I finally feel like this medication combination is working for me. Best wishes that your doctors will find what works for you and that you will feel better soon. Take care of yourself.

Babette

[juliegee]

Julie,

Forgot to mention that I take Klonopin 2 x per day already. The Xanax is on top of that, so you can imagine how bad it is. I can't sedate myself even with that. I've been adding Benadryl to the mix and even low dose Percocet. I can feel it's my Central Nervous System going bananas. Lots of weird sensations in the head. Now I'm getting body aches too. So many symptoms I didn't list them all.

The ANSAR test was done locally, but the interpretation came directly from a Dr. at the ANSAR company who designed the test. His words were spoken to me through my own Dr.

Justin

Whoah- yeah I see how bad it is. Out of curiosity, any allergy-type stuff, flushing, hot feeling, hives, red, itchy skin after a shower, chest or throat tightness? A subset of us with the hyper-type seem to have mast cell involvement. Some of those meds can really calm down the sympathetic nervous system- like atarax, cyproheptadine, or doxepin. Doxepin, in relatively low doses, is especially good at calming down everything. It is an old-fashioned antidepressant, that is a potent H-1 (antihistamine.) How are you eating?

One last question, how'd you find a local doc who does ANSAR testing?

Julie

[DadJake]

Julie,

I do get the tightness in the throat from time to time. Most of what I feel is an overactive Sympathetic drive throughout my body. I get short of breath at rest, just laying down, also with exertion of course too. Benadryl does help calm me down sometimes, but I have to drink the Liquid. I will read up on this Mast Cell stuff and see about getting tested.

FYI, I called the ANSAR company and told them where I lived. They gave me a list of Dr.'s close to me, which was only 2, but they were able to take me within a week, guess I got lucky.

Here is the link to ANSAR home page: Click Here

I'm cutting my Coreg in half as of tonight. I'm gonna see what happens with a 2 week wean. I know I'll get rebound tachycardia at first, but I have all of the symptoms that I first started taking it for even on it, so we shall see. Perhaps I'm bringing down the Parasympathetic and the Sympathetic isn't following as planned. I was on Acebutolol prior to this Beta Blocker, and didn't have much luck with it either at 200mg 2 x day. Again, my Blood Pressure is not the issue nor the reason for these meds.

I was reading tonight how they can cause depression and low Testosterone, both of which I have now. In fact, I am now on Testosterone Injections as my level was 150 on a range of 300-895. Crazy stuff going on in my case.

Justin

[MightyMouse]

This topic has come up a number of times in the past. Try searching ANSAR in the search box on the upper right. Here's what I got.

Search Results: Ansar