Blood flow and breathing issues

[MTRJ75]

https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2020/08/30/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-orthostatic-tolerance-dizziness/

I don’t know how many here are frequent readers, but I feel like I learn something important nearly every time Cort posts something new. This is really interesting about brain blood flow issues and how they can tie into when we feel labored breathing. Also a little snippet about automotive neuropathy potentially being autoimmune that I found personally relevant and am going to push the neurologist on next month. So many symptoms keep coming back to vasoconstriction/dilation issues. 
 

They do mention one possible solution but I wonder if there is a similar alternative for those who aren’t ideal candidates for blood pressure raising drugs.

[Pistol]

Thank you for sharing @MTRJ75. Yes, it is a known fact that cerebral hypoperfusion causes many POTS symptoms, including those of CFS. It can be caused by constricted vessels not letting blood reach the brain ( like in HPOTS or when caused by overactive sympathetic response ) or by dilated vessels not letting the blood reach the brain. 

The drug phenylephrine is mentioned in the article - antihistamines in general CAN help SOME POTS sufferers. I have HPOTS and suffer from both hyper- and hypotension caused by abnormal dilation/constriction of blood vessels. I have noted that when I have allergies ( like right now since the ragweed is blooming ) my BP runs low and I have more presyncopal symptoms. This is mostly due to the fact that histamine is a vasodilator, therefore antihistamines can help ( I take Claritin ), despite the fact that I normally suffer from vasoconstriction and hypertension. 

I find it very interesting to read a theory explaining the breathing issues that come with POTS. I have times when I seem to not be able to catch my breath, often accompanied by chest pain. I was told by my cardiologist ( and also have read online ) that in POTS this is frequently caused by circulation changes in the chest. So reading how it can correlate with CO2 levels is very interesting. 

Again - thanks for sharing!!!!

[MTRJ75]

You don't know how many times I've started and stopped to respond to this post over the last few days. 

Every time I read some new article or research, I think "Oh, that's me." Then the next one..."No, maybe that's me."

Obviously, we can't trial all these things in one lifetime. 

My worst time of year has been Fall (October - December), but that seems to be starting a bit early this year. I've had several flares or nervous system crashes over the last week with the difference being with these from the ones I had in June is that I'm not doing anything physically to incite them this time. 

I think allergies may be a culprit. I know my head is flooded to the point where my ears feel like broken speakers when I talk.  Strange how I can be flooded, but also so painfully dry around the eyes and mouth at the same time. I wonder if allergies can cause these nervous system flare ups or if it's vice versa. 

I keep going back and forth between what I read in the article (inadequate blood flow, autoimmune autonomic attacks) and something like MCAS. 

I really have to push my neurologist harder, but I'm happy that this one at least tries and in the past I've had a lot of doctors give up on me. It's also more difficult to feel comfortable even asking for any additional testing in this COVID environment. 

But this "let's try this for a few months" has gone on for a couple of years now without much in the way of results. In fact, I think my own neural rewiring attempts have positively impacted me much more than any meds that have been prescribed, but not even that has done enough yet. Of course,, perhaps some things like MCAS and vasodilation/constriction can't be neurally rewired on your own.

I'd love to see the research on that. I know most of the successes in that area have come in CFS/ME (which I know is in my mix as well), some even with POTS, but I think I've just rambled about a bunch of different things and gone in several directions, so I'll end it here.