This Is Either A Weird Coincidence Or Not A Coincidence...on Bed Rest

[Lemons2lemonade]

So, when i was in college in 2007 i took Anatomy and Physiology. My professor told us a story about his PhD work at NASA where they studied the effects of prolonged bed rest on individuals. He said that after a week of bed rest they had to rehab healthy individuals because there was so much atrophy they could not leave the facility. A. this shines a lot of light on the negative effects of bed rest

B. For all of you out there up on pots research, i wonder who ran this study...Nasa...OI...Ben levine anyone?

I came down with POTS right around the same time i started taking that course. It is either a small world, or not a coincidental as it seems considering my professor probably had direct interaction with POTS patients.

[Kellysavedbygrace]

There are a number of well known autonomic docs that participated in various studies at NASA. (Ben Levine, UT Southwester; Fred Jaeger, Cleveland Clinic; Italio Biaggioni, Vanderbilt, etc) Not sure which ones but I can't imagine much of a connection to your case.

It is likely is that you were diagnosed much quicker than the average person because of your knowledge of autonomic dysfunction through your studies.

[bunny]

Not quite after a week of bed rest, but after several weeks, yes. If you want to read all about it, there's a fun blog over at http://pillownaut.com . She's actually been a participant in these studies numerous times and goes into details about what the researchers did and how her body reacted. I'm not on my regular computer, but NASA has a research website where they've posted tons of data on these studies including protocol & effects. I do think their research could help a few of us; given the complexity of some cases I'm not sure it'd be the cure-all for everyone though.

[ramakentesh]

What I find interesting about this whole thing is that a nursing home where I visit where my wife's grandfather lives many of the patients actually spend all day every day pretty much in their beds, yet according to the resident doctor there none of them develop POTS. Some do have orthostatic hypotension and require walkers and medication.

[bunny]

Ramakentesh: Interesting observation. Orthostatic hypotension is a major issue in nursing homes, usually due to blood pressure drugs and old age, but I don't recall seeing POTS in the elderly population. Makes me wonder if this is a "new" disease caused by something external, or is it something which only affects younger people?

[looneymom]

Could someone clarify bedrest? Does this mean someone that cannot get out of bed at all? Or someone that lays around alot but is still able to get up and take care and bathroom, showering, getting dressed needs.

[jangle]

Norepinephrine transporter inhibition is the only thing that consistently produces pots in healthy controls. Something to think about

[ramakentesh]

Well said my friend. Well said.

[Kellysavedbygrace]

In my region of FL there is a large elderly population. My cardiologist has seen 3 POTS patients. 2 are also Parkinsons patients. Then there is me.

[corina]

Looneymom imo bedrest is not being able to get out at all