Why are we so sensitive to medication

[Ling]

I am having allot of problems lately with water retention. I should actually have 2 size clothes in my cupboard. I can literally be bigger in a day or two then smaller a week later again. Goodness I can’t keep up. I went to the pharmacy I have been going to for years. They gave me a homeopathic "fluid imbalance'. Apparently it is so save they give it to pregnant women and babies. Well with in 1 hour of taking 3 out of the 5 tablets recommended. I WAS DRUNK, wasted by the evening I had heart cramps and the weirdest pressure in my head. I stayed home the next day and tried to sleep it off. I cannot believe the reaction I had. I would never give this medication to a baby. Imagine? Everyone has this crazy idea that if it is herbs and homeopathic it is SAFE!!

Once again I learnt a hard lesson. I know I was just being stupid. My husband asked me what I was thinking.

[calypso]

Hi Ling,

I have swelling too that won't go away. I don't know if you are on salt tablets or eating high salt, but that makes you retain fluid. So if you can tolerate eating little or no salt, that may reduce the swelling.

I know that for me, it doesn't really matter how little or how much I eat salt. I swell no matter what. But maybe this advice will help you. I would definitely wear compression hose, too, to take the workload of moving this fluid off your heart.

Amy

[briarrose]

Yes many of us our sensitive to medication. Many studies have been done about "Natural remedies and herbs" but people don't realize how dangerous they can be. Your doctor should know before hand and you should always check to see if something is deemed safe before you mix it with your normal medications, there have been many bad reactions. People can overdose from vitamins too.

My mother helps chair the RN Association at our hospital. A couple of years ago she helped to put on a seminar about natural remedies, herbs, vitamins and how they can be used safely. She said it was very enlightening.

I would imagine that our drug sensitivities have something to do with the brain- hypothalamus, thalamus, neurons, serotonin....I'm guessing of course.

[Guest tearose]

Oh ling, you are so dysautonomically normal! I too am oversensitive to medications and only take the tiny doses when needed. I can't take much salt or I swell terribly! I use compression instead to keep my blood pressure up.

I don't understand the chemical reason we are so sensitive but intuition says we have a "sensitive system" to begin with, so when we add a new chemical our body usually overreact to a new substance.

Are homeopathic remedies as safe as manufactured remedies? I thought I read somewhere that homeopathic treatments can vary in potency. Is this possible?

be well, tearose

[Ernie]

Hi Linq,

Could you give the list of the homeopathic remedies that were in the compound that you took?

I crashed 4 years ago because of a homeopathic medication. I took it at 10:00 p.m. and then I started to faint every time I stood up. I never thought that this would happen to me because I was also told that homeopathic medication are safe.

I don't know why we are sensitive to meds and other things. My hypothesis is that I am always in overdrive so maybe my system thinks it is attackec and defend itself from false alarms.

Ernie

[Guest GayleP]

I am very sensitive to meds as well. It's getting worse so that meds I used to be tolerate I now can't. I'm down to only a few meds that I can handle.

Some meds I take 1/2 of a child's does if I have to take it. I take baby benadryl when I get hives.

I agree, watch out for herbs as well. I'm not sure why we are all so sensitive. I heard once that people who are sensitive to alcohol should inform their doctors because then you are more likely to be med sensitive as well. That fits for me. And so many doctors don't get what I mean when I tell them I'm a wimp and can't tolerate most meds. I've had trouble explaining what not tolerating meds means.

[calypso]

Many medicines ARE herbs. People often forget that.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a good one to read when thinking about using herbs, as it is his specialty.

Just thought I'd add that.

Amy

[opus88]

I don't believe I've ever had a negative reaction to homeopathics. Herbs, however, can be horrible for me.

Homeopathic remedies are extremely efficient and free of side effects IF you have the proper product and dosage for your situation. It's a good idea to work with someone trained in homeopathy to help you, but I'm sure your pharmacy had the best intentions and had probably never seen an undesirable reaction.

Sorry you had to go through that!

[katsusu]

If you think that we have POTS because the chemicals in our body are basically messed up making us sensative to heat, standing, and other things. It would make sense that our body would seem to over react to any chemicals that enter our body- in what ever form-

Anytime i start a new medication, i research it - look ate side effects - and discuse it with my doctor. Then I wiegh the benifits with the side effects - then usally try it at the lowest dose and increase it slowly.

Since I have Parkinson Disease- I have no choice but to take medication that causes me to become more orthostatic hypotension - consitpation - naueusness - - and a bunch of other great effects. I need the medications - all 5 of them. Taking 11 pills every day for it. At first i could not tolerate them but slowly i was able to reach the level i needed to get relief from the PD. The most important thing is to know your body - learn what effects you- don't take the doctors word for it -(look it up yourself) especiall if its a new doctor or a doctor that works on another system -make them work with you, start a very close relationship with your pharmacist so he undeerstnads your conditions -they can be as important as your doctor sometimes giving you recommendations of different medications in the same family of drug that might effect you less-- know what side effects are -so you can prepare yourself (just in case)- knowing that you might need to tolerate it till your body can get use to it. Basically knowledge isthe best medicine in this case.

Hope this helps you understand alittle better.

Kathleen

[Guest Ph03ziX]

L0

I agree with KAT. The very nature of dysautonomia means put anything in or on our bodies and it will react dysfunctionally. MCS, (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) seems to be a pathological feature of POTS, which ofcourse makes sense. Why though, is another matter.

Ta

Ben.

[Guest Julia59]

All this makes me wonder if there isn't some autoimmune factor to dysautonomia. It seems as if our system is sensitive to everything----even good old sunshine.

It's as if our immune system is in overdrive rejecting anything that does not feel like a natural part of our body. Or our immune system is attacking our ANS system---just like in hashemotos thyroid disease when the immune system attacks the thyroid gland----but then agian those are natural parts of our body.

Maybe if the immune system IS attacking the ANS it is also overactive in other area's as well. Do I sound like i'm off my rocker yet?

Julie :0)

[opus88]

There have been pieces of research that attempt to make a connection with autoimmune problems and also with connective tissue diseases. But so far as I know, nobody has been able to establish that link with either of those possibilities. Until science can improve its understanding of the human body, we won't have any real answers.

[porque]

Julie:

Yes there seems to be an autoimmune association to dysautonomia. My GP feels this is what happened to me. Ok I'll admit it...I told him my theory and then he agreed that it made perfect sense...(I bow as I win my nobel prize...lol) According to research I've seen, this seems to be the case in post viral/bacterial onset POTS. An autoimmune mechanism attacks the nerve meylin sheath and not the virus...this also explains why people who get POTS due to a mild virus are more likely to get normal again...the meylin sheath simply heals itself. Hope this make sense.

As far as meds go...I dont seem to be sensitive to anything at all and never was. But might I remind you that I never took a perscription drug until I was 20 (with the exception of birth control) and POTS hit me suddenly...now I take beta blockers. But I have taken tylenol, motrin, cough syrup, sinus meds, clartian and stuff like that with no problem.

[kristinp29]

You're right--homeopathic/vitamins/herbs does not mean safe! They should always, always be taken when you are under the care of a naturopathic doctor, who knows more about nutrition than the average doc (they are not taught much about nutrition in med school) or a nutritionist.

I was never able to handle any amount of medication. I'm hypersensitive to all drugs to the extent that I get all the "rare" side effects when I take even the smallest dose. I've seen a nutritionist since July 2002 and take numerous supplements which have helped me tremendously. My nutritionist spends a lot of time cross-referencing interaction possibilities with everything she suggests I take. She's very good with dysautonomiacs and has several clients with dysaut.

Yes, I've had the bloating, too. It's so awful! Last year, I actually gained 12 pounds in 3 weeks simply from POTS. It took me MONTHS to work it off, since I couldn't exercise. As a teenager, I was absolutely devastated. POTS causes some crazy things...