Does This Sound Like Sudden Drop In Bp (Sitting)??

[JenniferInOhio]

Trying to figure out what happened today. I was sitting with my daughters helping them with schoolwork (we homeschool) and I had this floaty feeling in my head almost like a boat on the waves. I thought I was imaging it and then I had another big "wave." I knew something was not right at all. Then I felt warm? and a little tingly in my chest/upper body - like I might go down. Something was definitely happening. I moved quickly to the couch to lay down and put my feet up. I felt better almost immediately and took my bp - 90/54. Nothing unusual for me.

I've never fainted so I don't know how it feels right before. Does that sound like a sudden drop in bp? I was sitting most of the morning with a few breaks to get up and do laundry and fix lunch. I had only drank one glass of water in the morning and had a bowl of cereal. There was nothing good for lunch so I didn't have anything until around 2:00 (oatmeal and milk) and it happened about 15 min later.

After my episode, I had a salty snack and a couples glasses of water. I felt ok the resf of the day - maybe a little shaky - from nerves possibly.

Anyway, it seems weird that it happened while sitting. Is that strange?

[krystal]

You described my episodes so well. Feels nice not to be alone I guess :/

I get this if I stand too fast so I have to sit or lay down. I think it's strange but I don't know why it happens. I hate feeling shaky but ativan helps me calm down.

[Chaos]

I have read in several articles that although POTS is mainly thought to affect people when standing, there are definite abnormalities that can be seen in sitting and even in supine.

http://www.research1st.com/2012/03/05/ans-dysfunction/

This link shows some slides of ANS dysfunction as charted for patients even in a quiet sitting position compared to normals.

I think it's interesting that the doctor notes that all this was going on and the patient had very little sense of anything being wrong. Makes me wonder what a graph like that would look like when we have these episodes where we REALLY know something is wrong. If we're living with these fluctuations all the time, all day long, I imagine we filter a lot of it out until there is something pretty big that catches our attention.

[Katybug]

I often become presyncopal if I sit too long with my feet on the floor instead of propped up. My doctors often pay for making me wait too long in the waiting room because I end up on one of their exam tables for an hour because I have presyncopal episodes and they are afraid to let me leave and drive. I'm usually fine after 15 minutes of laying down. It's not unusual for potsies to have attacks even while sitting. Whether it's BP fluctuations or hr fluctuations or blood sugar issues is something we often discuss amongst ourselves.

[dkd]

Most of my presyncope episodes were when sitting and one while lying down.

The first time, I was watching videos on youtube and had just eaten a cookie when I got tingly all over, vision started dimming. I stood up, not know what was going on. I felt shakey and weak, so I sat back down. I though maybe I had a blood sugar drop since I'd just eaten that cookie. It was about 5 months later that I got my dysautonomia diagnosis.

I haven't had any 'bad' episodes since starting beta blocker and midodrine (knock wood) but I still get these little momentary lightheaded feelings--like when youre driving on a country road and go over a little hill kind of fast and you get that little whoop feeling--and these are pretty much always when I'm sitting. I'm assuming it's a quick blood pressure drop, but I'm not sure.

[artluvr09]

I have had this feeling a lot. It's like it almost seems like your nausceious in your head instead of stomach. I am feeling k ind of like that now. like I am having trouble focusing on things and one time I got up and was going to head up the stairs and I heard wooshing sounds in my ears. my bp oddly doenst crash when I get up from sititng it rises. plus are you due for your time of the month? I get that way when I am due and I am due in 2 days.

[JenniferInOhio]

Thank you all for your replies. It helps to know that this can be normal for Potsies. I just thought it was strange that it happened while sitting. It happened about 9 months ago - same thing with the sitting. Has never happened from standing - which I think WOULD be more normal. I am at the ovulating phase of my cycle and was sick with a bad cold earlier in the week, but I've been over that for a couple days now. I'm a pretty well functioning Potsie so I rarely have symptoms, but when they do happen it's scary and I can't imagine this happening everyday like it does for some of you

[yogini]

It sounds like it could be dysautonomia related, ould be an irregular heartbeat or BP issue. It's good that you felt better right away. Not sure what the weather is like where you are but we had a terrible storm here last night. Earlier in the evening I felt a couple of dizzy spells, and I realized the cause after the storm hit. I often have symptoms before and during severe weather.