How Do You Wake Up?

[Becia]

Sounds like a really dumb/weird question, yes? But I'm having some issues differentiating if this is POTS, side effects from medicines, basic Becia stupidity, etc.

So, last Friday, my doctor added Fludrocortisone to my regimen of increased hydration and salt intake, Midodrine 10mg x3 day, and "stop trying to save the world." (his words, not mine... I guess I have a co-dependency issue along with POTS).

I am curious to others "getting up and going" routines. The past couple days have been VERY rough for me to get going, and I've ended up on the ground more than I care to count (okay, probably about 5 times in the past 2 days). I bring water and a salty "breakfast" with me to bed every night, so I can start the day off drinking, and don't have to get up to get something in my system if my sugar is low when I wake. I normally start sitting up slowly, by placing a few pillows under me, waiting, drinking and eating some, then more pillows, until I'm upright and this abates. I also take my first dose of Midodrine, and this morning, took the Fludro too (been taking it at night, but forgot last night as I kept passing out and didn't get it in).

The past two days have been so hard on me. I've ended up being picked up from the ground once, but have hit the ground about 5 times total. Sitting up is an effort that has me laying back down. It isn't until about 11, I can get around and do much, or trust myself leaving my room for worry of passing out on the hardwood. This may be because I did a lot this weekend, and maybe it is all catching up with me? Maybe it's the medications? I'm not certain, all I do know is that it *****.

How do you start your morning?

[Hope]

Becia,

All that passing out has got to be hard on your body. I am not one to pass out too much. I'm more of the near syncope type. It's been my experience that it takes time (and a lot of patience with yourself) to start getting back on track. And my "track" is like a rollercoaster! One month, I'm doing good, then I'm not, then I improve again, then something knocks me back down, but I will take it over where I was at with it 2 years ago.

So my mornings depend on where I am on that roller coaster. Some mornings now, I get up and I am almost normal and I don't need meds. But most mornings my blood pressure is low. I have learned get up slow as you have. I point my toes back and forth to get the blood to move up to my body. I take things real slow and at my own pace. I have to eat often throughout the day. Most days include salty potato chips. People around me have figured out that I am no good to anybody unless I am moving at my own pace. After 2 years, nobody expects anything from me. I just do what I can do each day. A lot of days, that's sitting on the couch. But I am getting a lot more days that I can actually clean the house! I make dinner most nights. Mornings are almost always worse than evenings for me.

Keep looking for what works for you and your body. I hope you can stop passing out so frequently. I wish you well.

[Becia]

Yeah, I really wish the syncope would slow down. I catch myself near it a lot, and it seems the more I try to fight it, the more exhausted I become. I fought it like heck this weekend, because the roommates and family were out of town, and I had another friend with me part of the time, and I didn't want to freak her out too much (she's seen me be out before, but with the roommates present, so by herself, I was afraid she would panic for no reason, this just happens), and its possible its all catching up with me right now.

Everyone here is cool with the fact Becia may not emerge from her room until after 11 or so, and if the door isn't open, knock and check on me. The only one not cool with it, is me, lol... I wake up and it's like I've got a list a mile long of things I want to accomplish and do, and then mys mind gets really upset with my body when I can't do it all.

The past few days though have had me shaking and my heart just palpitating like crazy though when I wake up. The beats are just as hard now as they were prior to my diagnosis, when I had two heart ablations for PVC issues.

[khaarina]

I wake up naturally (alarm clocks=adrenaline rush), take my pills, eat something, drink a lot of water, and lie in bed until I feel like moving (about and hour usually). Then I take a shower (quick and cold) and go back to bed for another half hour. Then I get dressed and go back to bed for another half hour. It is frustrating because I feel like I am wasting so much time, but if I don't do it this way I will be sick the whole day. For this reason, I have to avoid making plans and appointments in the morning. This is pretty much how I spend my whole day, going back to bed to recover from every little thing I try to do, but the mornings are the worst.

[Racer]

Current routine, I wake up to a alarm clock (vibrating alarm clock, no noise), then turn on the tv, lay on my stomach for awhile. I then take meds, then switch to sitting in bed with my legs up, then take my blood pressure, then if everything looks good, I peel myself out of bed and take a trial run to the bathroom. Then take more meds, eat 30mins later, bathroom/shower, take standing BP, then off to WORK, usually 30 minutes late on a good day.

[Akgirl]

I am very fortunate and I do not have to work anymore. Although I wish so bad I was able too!! I take my meds at 10:00 and try to get out of bed by 11:00 but honestly It's usually closer to noon! If I don't get about 11-14 hrs asleep every night I literally can't function! Prior to pots I needed 9, which is still waaaay more than the average person.

[Becia]

I'm jealous of sleep... I get maybe three hours a night, and that makes my pots worse but I lit ally have had insomnia for months now. I m like you AKGIRL, I can't work, but man I want to! I've tried to keep myself on the same schedule I had before I had to quit, which was waking up and getting going around 5:45, but its so hard anyways, so I quit. I was up before then anyways, so what's the point.

Trying to get myself going right now. I've gotten up twice... Bathroom runs, and managed to get some clothes on, but now I'm laying back in bed. Both times I got up, ended up with me on the ground. I am going as slow as I can, trying to take as much time as I can. Just so frustrating! But I see some ideas in the previous postings that I think I might try... Like taking my meds later, turning off the sound in my alarm, etc.

[kayjay]

I have children so I get up no matter what and try not to think about it. I did a break my nose a few years ago going to the bathroom. So I am a bit afraid of doing that again.

Keeping a "regular" sleep schedual is important to me.

I leave water by my bed as well as a can of v8. I do not sleep soundly though the night so when I wake I drink. I used to not be able to drive my kids to the end of the driveway. Now I usually drive them to school.

I get up several hours before I have to go any where. If I have to leave the house at 7:30 I'm out of bed by 5:00. I do not shower. It takes a lot of planning ahead. Sleeping late doesn't make me feel better anyway. Even on weekends I'm up by 7.

I also do not stay up late. Usually I'm in bed between 8 and 10.