Achilles2323 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 ok so bp is 115/75pulse is 60everything controlled with medshow come i still feel very lightheaded weak and fatigue ?any 1 have any clue ?what should i do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles2323 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 any 1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arizona girl Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Hi, Is it the same kind of lighthead, fatigue and weakness as before you started the meds?Sometimes those kind of symptoms if they are new can be due to the medications. Would need more info to point you in the right direction. However, this is not an uncommon complaint after starting meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boymommy3 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Well, Not sure I have any great advice here. I can just tell you how I feel and what I think about it. I am pretty new to all of this so others may have much greater insight than me.I am on a BB to keep my hr down and it works quite well. I am not have the racing/pouding much at all since I started it (although I don't think my hr is as low as yours). I also do not have low BP, however, I too will have very lightheaded/dizzy spells, terrible weakness, and sometimes my fatigue is borderline exhaustion.Here's my thought about it all. While yes, those are all symptoms of low BP or high HR, they can and are still symptoms of POTS in general. Since our nervous system basically controls how we feel everything, it is that very system that can make you feel those symptoms as well (it seems to me that our crazy confused nervous systems seem to do what they want with no rhyme or reason). That is a very simplified, elementary explanation I have come up with. I am quite sure there is a much better, more in depth answer here, but I am just not well enough versed in this syndrome to be able to give one yet. I am so sorry you are feeling that way. I get so weary when I have the constant lightheadedness and weakness. I will also say that for me those symptoms, like many others, seem to come and go so hopefully you will experience some relief as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleRain Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 I have this problem too. I'm convinced that it's due to pooling in the legs or abdomen (or both) and regardless of your blood pressure, the reduced blood volume/blood flow in your head will leave you feeling light headed. I also feel that it's possible some veins will not constrict properly. You can look up sympathetic activation and see how blood vessels are supposed to constrict and in people with autonomic dysfunction this can be a problem. I think it's primarily in the extremities (arms and legs) but I've read scholarly articles that reference POTS patients with "floppy" blood vessels around the heart, too. I presume you can have this to a certain extend in your head as well. When I stand up, the front of my face will throb and I can tell my blood pressure is rising. However, the sides and top of my head feel numb for lack of a better word - like the blood is being drained. I think (but have no idea, really) this is because certain veins are not constricting properly or maybe some are constricting too much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boymommy3 Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Yes, see....SeattleRain had a much better explanation! )SeattleRain....I get throbbing/pounding feeling in my head when I stand sometimes, too. I don't generally have high BP though. Is our bp high when that happens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altruism Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 You're lucky to have them controlled... I can't control my HR and BP no matter what I take. You should discuss with your doctor other treatment plans involving blood vessel constriction if you think you're pooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeattleRain Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Yes, see....SeattleRain had a much better explanation! )SeattleRain....I get throbbing/pounding feeling in my head when I stand sometimes, too. I don't generally have high BP though. Is our bp high when that happens?You would probably have to get a blood pressure device to find out for sure. When I take mine while I have the throbbing it always is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Achilles2323 Posted January 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 how can you tell if the blood is pooling or if there is not enough blood going to the head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alex Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Achilles,unfortunately those are just numbers and numbers don't always reflect the way we feel - particularly with POTS. (For ex, I would feel uncomfortable with those vitals particularly because the hr is way lower than I'm used to)Could it be that you're still adjusting to the meds you have started taking? When I first started taking a bb my numbers were picture perfect yet I was unable to lift my head from the pillow as I was dizzy, tired, weak, and lightheaded. The numbers themselves, without a complete picture of your symptoms don't really mean anything. In terms of pooling - i'm not 100% sure if what i'm about to say is right but lots of people report a change in color of the skin (particularly the legs turn purple) when they experience blood pooling.I'm sorry you still struggle, and I hope you'll find relief soon.Best,Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vemee Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 Seattle Rain gave a good answer. If the body is having problems getting blood to all parts of the body then it shuts off sections of the body that it considers to be nonesential. This way it can maintain blood pressure and get blood to organs that are vital. For example it can reduce blood flow to the skin thus giving a pale look. As far as the brain goes I can only say from personal experience that this seems to happen with the brain. A researcher may tare that statement to pieces but I have found that I can have a normal blood pressure and be confused, dizzy and in a daze. I took one tilt table test and missed the 30 beats per minute over resting by just 2 beats and had normal blood pressure. The thing is at the time I was so dizzy I was staggering coming into the exam room and remained dizzy through out the test. Of course I was told I had anxiety and not pots.As far as pooling usually Allex74 said it. Usually the lowest part of your body starts to turn crimson or purple when you sit or stand still for a few minutes. Cleveland Clinic does a test where they can measure the amount of pooling. For example: they found I have severe pooling which causes a 44% drop in circulating blood volume when standing. Also just because a beta blocker slows the heart rate down does not mean you have improved. In many cases the heart is beating fast because it needs to pump the blood to the body and for some reason it can not supply the required amount at a normal speed. When the beta blocker slows the heart down pooling can be made worse because the pump has slowed down and is creating less pressure so the body has to divert blood from other places in order to keep the pressure up.Think of the body as a fire engine that is pumping water to a fire. When you open up a hose line the pump pressure drops so you have to increase the rpms of the pump engine to make up for the pressure loss. If you have too many hose lines open then the pump will lose pressure because the engine is at max rpms and can go no higher. In that case the only way to increase pressure is to shut down enough hose lines until you have a maintanable pressure.I hope this helps you and did not confuse you, brain fog started setting in after the first paragraph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cupcakemomma5 Posted January 26, 2013 Report Share Posted January 26, 2013 It's true, you can be on many medications that are just treating the symptoms and not the underlying problem. However it being POTS is just one of those crappy dx that we primarily have to symptom treat.My bp today was 106/75 and hr jumped to 120. And I am on a bb and florinef.....So yeah pills are doing their job (somewhat) but today was one of those days where the fatigue headache, nausea, and pooling in legs were there big time!Really sorry your having an off day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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