Getting Sick Making Dysautonomia Worse?

[trappedat20]

Well, I don't know how many people were following my other thread but I have been getting treated for my primary cause and had slowly been getting better. I recently got a cold/sorethroat (that is almost entirely gone now with the exception of a stuffy nose) and my dysautonomia is way worse. I'm having trouble with little things again. I can't even walk from my car to inside the house without my heart feeling like it's going to beat through my chest and feeling like I'm going to faint. I can't even walk to the bathroom for that matter. Everything is getting worse again now. Is this because I got sick? When will it go back to normal? I have been getting better and I'm really upset to be back tracking like this.

I also had another question. At what point do you consider yourself cured (I'm not near that btw jw)? Or do you still consider yourself as having dysautonomia even when you're "cured"? I've always wondered that. At what point do I not tell doctors, or people I have dysautonomia?

[Chaos]

Any time I get a virus or any type of infection, it always throws my dysautonomia into overdrive. It can take me weeks or months to recover depending on how sick I was. According to my POTS doc that's very common with our situation.

Since I became ill, I've never had a period of time where I felt well enough to even begin to think I was "cured". Even my best days I was still only functioning at about 60% of my normal so don't think I have much to offer you on your last question. Sorry.

Hope you feel better soon!

[JenniferInOhio]

Just recently, I had a cold for 3 days. My POTS symptoms were fine during the cold, but about 2 days after the cold symptoms went away, I had a vasovagal response, and was woozy on and off for about 3 weeks. It had to be the virus.

I'm pretty functional, but I don't consider myself cured. My EP says I have "mild POTS."

[griffism]

I have noticed that when I have a virus or a bacterial infection of some sort that my POTS symptoms get much worse, as well. I am not entirely sure why it is that way, but it is much easier to get dehydrated when you are sick. So, the worsening of symptoms might be due to dehydration. Also, my POTS specialist told me that he would hydrate me when I get sick, so that the period of time when I am ill will progress quicker and with more ease, which further fuels this thought. I agree with Chaos, in that I don't think that I will ever be able to drop Dysautonomia from my list of chronic illnesses because I have not had a "normal" day since my onset of symptoms. Hope this helps

Stefanie

[trappedat20]

Thanks guys. I asked about the second part because I'm getting treatment for my primary condition and I always figured if you fixed the primary condition than the dysautonomia will go away. It has helped me a lot but there are a few symptoms I'm wondering if they are ever going to go away. I would be happy to get to functioning at this point. My doctor signed the thing for me to have a handicapped parking permit like 3 months ago but since I knew I would be starting treatment I didn't think I'd need it for long and didn't turn it in. I also have been debating a medic alert bracelet for fear of getting sick when I'm by myself and nobody knowing what to do. I haven't though because I'm hoping I will get better and not even consider myself sick. I guess I will probably always have to say I have it though.

Thanks, I was wondering why I felt so awful this week. I was doing really good with my treatment and then I got a cold and feel like I went backwards fifty steps. Glad to know it's normal. Hopefully it goes back to my new usual very soon.