Mydoggielovesme2 Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Just wondering if anyone else is bothered by low pressure systems? We have a storm coming in AGAIN, and I can really feel it, as I always do. I get more short of breath, more fatigued, and just over all feel worse. This has been going in since moving to Colorado, where I generaly feel worse anyway. Also does elevation affect your POTS? When taking a trip, we had to go over a mtn pass, and it was all I could do not to pass out, and my chest felt like it was going to explode. This has happened every time we have traveled to higher elevations in the past few yrs. Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 I have problems and flares with any barometric pressure change. So each time the weather changes I flare...that of course could be daily. I happen to do a bit better in low pressure but I think that is related to my migraines. I just need to find a place where it is 60 degrees, sunny, and has a soft occassional breeze 365 days a year. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mydoggielovesme2 Posted February 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 When you find that place, we'll all go....lol.... Glad to know its not just me. Sometimes with all the crazy symptoms we have, I start to second guess my myself. To think a weather change can put ya to bed. Do your migraines get better or worse? Mine get worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 tho i love rain which we hardly get in AZ, i can tell a day or two before when we barometric pressure changes i feel like I have the flu, or arthritis. Still, I love the rain so its just a trade off i guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Have the same issues...shortness of breath, more pain, migraines, overall fatigue/weakness etc are much worse with pressure changes. Altitude also affects a lot of people. We're at 5700'. I don't notice altitude so much as humidity and weather changes in general though.Here's a link to another thread where we discussed this in the past- if you want more input as wellhttp://forums.dinet.org/index.php?/topic/14802-linking-barometric-pressure-and-how-we-feel/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 I get terrible POTS - the worst when there is a storm coming in.I actually read this when I first got POTS and honestly thought it was very doubtful.But over time I did indeed notice a definate pattern to the point where if I have a sudden bad day I check the weather forecast and sure enough a high is moving to a large low with a storm quite often. makes February over here a pain in the butt.Even weirder though is that sometimes it gives me bad Ank Spond so to me it could be immune-activation for some reason.Other potential possibilities are ofcourse histamines or serotonin (as both are postulated to increase before and after a storm hence storm migraines). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Some docs acknowledge this phenonema and perhaps it might lead to answers or provide clues? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mydoggielovesme2 Posted February 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Chaos, thanks for the thread. I am amazed how common this is. Rama I hope you are right, this needs more study's also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 My son has the same problems. However what I have noticed this year so far is that sometimes his symptoms do not flare as bad with the weather changes. Just wondering if this has anything to do with how his body is adjsting to the POTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellgirl Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Yes, barometric pressure sets me off, too, and my Fibromyalgia doctor said the same Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Yes, my migraines are actually dependent on changes in the weather. And, to Rama's point, all of my docs acknowledge the connection. I think this has become pretty accepted as a trigger of various symptoms in the medical community (at least if you have migraines) . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 Katybug- I think you're right that it's well accepted with regards to migraines. I have not however had any success with having it acknowledged in relationship to POTS symptoms by any of the specialists I've seen. Ironic, given that those very same specialists do acknowledge the connection between the migraines and the POTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted February 20, 2013 Report Share Posted February 20, 2013 I'm thinking that affects our blood flow and the effects of vasoconstriction vs. vasodilation. If there is more pressure there is greater external pressure on our veins too - like instant compression ---only it would cover our entire body. That could give more headaches and it could also contribute to more POTS symptoms.Chaos, I have real problems when I try to go back to CO where the family is at 7,000 feet. The difference between 5,000 and 7,000 is huge for me. I have to sleep with oxygen there. I can feel the difference when riding in a car between the altitudes - even subtle differences affect me.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mydoggielovesme2 Posted February 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Issie, so many times I've felt like I needed oxygen, but Drs I've seen so far don't. ( Going to Mayo in March)I live in Co, and you can't hardly travel anyplace that you don't reach elevation above 5000. How do you qualify? For the last 6 months or so, I have had more trouble with my lung, than ever before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Chaos...you're probably right but my migraines are so bad and so intertwined with my POTS symptoms that I think my docs don't differentiate where one begins and the other ends too much anymore. Plus my neuro specializes in dysautonomia and headaches. He is a firm believer that migraines are very closely linked with dysautonomia but just doesn't know what the link is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Issie, so many times I've felt like I needed oxygen, but Drs I've seen so far don't. ( Going to Mayo in March)I live in Co, and you can't hardly travel anyplace that you don't reach elevation above 5000. How do you qualify? For the last 6 months or so, I have had more trouble with my lung, than ever before.I had to do an oxygen study when I was at altitude and see what my O2 was while trying to sleep. Most docs will order this and some places do it for free - but, insurance will pay for it. If your O2 drops below 90 they usually will let you have some oxygen at night. I started out renting a concentrator - but, found that if your insurance doesn't let you outright buy one - it may be better with your co-pay amounts to just purchase your own. You have to have a script to purchase one and I got a script and have my own concentrator. I take it with me when I go to higher altiutudes and sometimes even use it when down lower if my O2 drops out on me.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Serotonin is sensitive to barometric changes and is associated with migraines and vasoconstriction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mydoggielovesme2 Posted February 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Issie, thank you for the info. I will bring this up to Dr again. Oxygen would be soooo helpful at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Issie, thank you for the info. I will bring this up to Dr again. Oxygen would be soooo helpful at times.You are welcome. Let us know if you qualify and whether or not it helps or not.Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattle chris Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 I had real problems when I was at altitude last fall in California. We went to Yosemite and I didn't have any severe issues, but we went to King's Canyon & Sequoia and I felt like I was on my death bed. The altitude there ranged from 4,000 to 6,500 feet. I had tremors, felt short of breath and was almost in a state of stupor as I felt like I was slurring my words. My symptoms got better (back to my normal crappy feeling) once we descended to around 2,000 feet. Not sure why I didn't feel as bad in Yosemite as we were at altitudes of close to 10,000 feet.I have felt bad with low barometric pressure, but haven't yet determined whether there is a true pattern for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voner Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 i Live in Colorado also and that storm around the 19th really hit me also. I have noticed that it's the dropping of the barometric pressure that is the trigger and usually it is steep, long drops that trigger thenworst symptoms. Once the pressure levels out, even if it is much lower, my symptoms usually abate a bit. I know here in Colorado sometimes it's just a beautiful sunny a very nice day and I'll feel like crap I wonder why until I check the barometric pressure. Or sometimes I wake up the next day and a big storm has moved in and then I realize why I felt so bad the day before.any of you colorado folks have a local doc who understands Dysautonomia and keeps up with the research? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voner Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Serotonin is sensitive to barometric changes and is associated with migraines and vasoconstriction.RAM, What do you mean by "serotonin is sensitive". What's the dynamics involved? I'm real curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
issie Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Voner, Where in CO are you? I used to live in Southwest part of CO for over 20 years. I had to go to Mayo in AZ to get DX'd. Issie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mydoggielovesme2 Posted February 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Voner, I'm in western Colo, and I hate Drs here. It finally took a Dr coming from Denver to the western slope, for me to get any real help. She is the one who gave me a referral to Mayo Az. Her exact words to me though were, " I really can't help you with this problem, but we'll get you someplace that can." So still no one here in town. UGH!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voner Posted February 25, 2013 Report Share Posted February 25, 2013 I am on the front range here in colorado. for a state with such a educated population, you'd think we have a few docs with Dysautonomia knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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