update.

[hayley]

hey everyone.

i just wanted to update you with some good news.

i went to see the specialist on tuesday and he said that he cant treat me with medication because my blood pressure is abit high,but then goes low through the night.So ive got to carry on as i am with exercising and drinking and looking after myself.

ive been having alternative therapy.Its called the bowen technique.It helps balance out your body and it has helped so much,i am soo much better.

The specialist said that i can go back to work part-time but it would be better if i had a desk job. Im thinking about doing volunteer work for a couple of hours a week.

I know i will have bad days and good days and ive got to try not to overdo it.

but i am happy that i can finally start getting on with things.i think i am one of the lucky ones but it hasnt been easy.So there is hope for other people and dont give up.

take care.

h x

[calypso]

That's great news, Hayley! Tell me more about this Bowen technique, when you have time.

Amy

[MomtoGiuliana]

hayley

So glad to see you are doing better and have found something helpful.

I think it is typical for bp to be lowered during sleep--how did your doctor determine your bp goes very low at night, btw? I know from holter monitoring that my heart rate goes down below 60 bpm when I sleep--which I think is also typical of POTS. I am curious how a low bp at night prevents any medical treatment--not that you have the answer!

Please give us more information about the treatment you are using--I have not heard of it either.

Katherine

[hayley]

im not sure how it works but i think its to do with pressure points in your body and the man just gently touches them.It works on people with anything including ms.If you do a google search on bowen tchnique you can read all about it.sorry i dont know how to do the links.And it also is suppose to open up the pathways so that the messages can get through easier. Its takes about three sessions to notice any effect.hope this helps.

they found out my bp goes low at night through a blood pressure monitor and is high through the day.the medication they usually use for pots i think is to higher bp.im not really sure.i tried beta blockers but they made me worse so i think im better off without meds.

hx

[MomtoGiuliana]

hayley

I hope it continues to help you.

Not all POTS meds increase bp. I have somewhat high to high bp, at times, during the day. I take a low dose beta blocker--which lowers bp, as well as hr. I also take a low dose SSRI. An SSRI does not directly lower or increase bp, but rather seems to "calm" or improve functioning of the autonomic nervous system--in my case. SSRIs are commonly prescribed for POTS and help in many, but not all, cases.

Take care.

Katherine

PS Here's a website on the technique for anyone interested

http://www.bowtech.com/welcome.do

[Sunfish]

hayley -

glad to hear that you found something that's helping you & that you feel good about your plan moving forward. i do find it a bit odd though that your doc says higher BP means meds aren't an option. like katherine said, there are various meds that don't raise BP at all, or even lower it. (they can be short-acting, so that they wouldn't lower it at night.) it is true though that it's "normal" to have a lower BP at night during the day; it may vary by how much lower from person to person, but most folks - with or without dysautonomia - have lower BPs at night. i know mine gets really low...i've had nurses wake me up in the middle of the night in hospitals b/c my readings were so low they were worried about me...talk about annoying! regarding the meds though, if you're getting relief without meds, i'd say keep doing what you're doing...

hope things continue to go well for you!

:-)melissa