Why Did This Happen?? Pots, Mcad, The Heat?

[Godsgal]

So I had an episode this morning, one very similar to when I initially was hospitalized for 5 days with the start of all this mess. I noticed lately that position changes have been making me more dizzy than before (standing up suddenly, bending over to pick something up, etc.) and I'm starting to get the tunnel vision again too (which I had before starting meds). I have had a lot of congestion lately with runny nose and ears popping from it. I have been cheating on my histamine free diet, partly because it's fun and partly because I'm getting some additional testing regarding MCAD done. SO....I had been getting dizzy like the room is moving and I take my blood pressure and it's fine. First question, does it makes sense that this dizziness is from assumed fluid in my ears from all the congestion?

Continuing on, last night my husband gave me a sip of chocolate milk accidentally and I'm allergic to dairy not to mention I have some kind of MCAD weird responses to foods. I started twitching and feeling crazy but it dissipated and I went to bed. This morning, like an idiot, I decide to cheat on my diet and have some chocolate almond milk. That stuff is so good! I noticed I was dizzy again this morning when standing up and my ears pop when I swallow so I have assumed it's all from allergies/congestion. After that, I went out to drive to a garage sale for the first time by myself in months! I was sitting digging through boxes, trying to get up slowly, etc. and all of a sudden I got really hot. I looked up and the sun was beaming down on me. I'm in South Florida and it's supposed to be quite a hot day today. Really quickly started deescalating. Heart felt funny, impending sense of doom, feeling like I'm gonna pass out, really thirsty, hot, all that. I drive home (barely) and my hands and leg were shaking. I haven't felt that awful in a while. For an hour or so after that, my body temp could not get regulated. I'm sweating, I have goose bumps because I'm cold, back and forth with that, along with muscles shaking. Very thirsty. I ate sea salt and chugged 16 oz. of water. A few minutes later, a good POTS friend of mine told me to take a claritin. It has been about 2 hours since the episode and I'm feeling more stable, miserable and tired, but stable.

I have no idea what that was about! Was it the heat? Was it a POTS thing? An MCAD thing with the stinkin' chocolate almond or cow's milk plus the heat? I was only in the heat for 10 minutes but I was crouching down, bending over, etc.

Any thoughts?

[lieze]

I think it's possible to have an episode even if you do everything you can think of possible to try to avoid one.

So you'll have to decide maybe it is okay to splurge a little now and then and eat that chocolate.

There are things you can do.

I carry a bp monitor with me in the car now and don't go anywhere without a drink even if it's just water...and it would be handy too to take a friend on your garage sale hunting adventures so if you do get symptomatic they can drive and you can just lay down and close your eyes and focus on your breathing slowly in and out.

If you feel too bad also maybe decide if you want to recover first before you try to drive although I know home always makes me feel better.

I think trying to do things in the morning make me more susceptible to a potential episode. So maybe try spending the morning hydrating yourself and eating then as you feel more stable then decide how you want to spend your energy.

Last is I love it that you are enjoying your life and going for adventure. Try to keep doing that so you have other focuses beside just being sick. I took time out and just laid around gripping my mattress waiting for the next uncomfortable symptom-what you are doing sounds like so much more fun if you are able.

[icesktr189]

Yes POTS quickly went downhill with allergy problems. My ears pop with pressure, I have severe sinus pressure and migraines. Also super dizzy and exhausted. I think tge allergies/mcad worsen POTS so much.

[enko]

That was maybe a presyncope episode. I get those when it's hot or I'm in a room with lots of people - feeling hot, dizzy, nauseous, sweating, can't breath, having vertigo and tingles in my neck and back of head, starting to feel numb, everything starts to fade out and I feel like that my legs will "chop off". Afterward I'm all in pain, have a headache, shake and feel thirsty. Heat and low BP don't go well together. Since you have POTS that doesn't make things any better. Always be sure that you're well hydrated. Next time you get an episode sit down (on the ground) somewhere in shades (important since you need to cool down) and put your head between legs or lay down flat (so that your heart can pump up easier) and drink at least 200 ml of water. That will stabilize your BP and heart. WAIT for some time until you feel better (15-30 mins, depends on you). Don't get up too fast or you'll feel even more worse. I've found that for me it's wise to avoid direct sunlight because I almost instantly get tingles in my neck and start feeling dizzy and nauseous, specially if I need to stand for few minutes.