I just FINALLY got my test results from April

[mngirl]

for the serum postural catecholamine test. It says that they were normal:

Norepinephrine upright: 489 pg/mL

Norepinephrine supine: 186 pg/mL

Epinephrine upright: 21 pg/mL

Epinephrine supine: 11 pg/mL

Dopamine upright: <10 pg/mL

Dopamine supine: <10 pg/mL

I finally got some info on my TTT test too...I had a "hyperadrenergic response to head-up tile showing diastolic BP elevation & a remarkable increase in heart rate from 78 supine to 153 by 5 minutes. BP remained stable w/mild diastolic hypertension, heart rate stayed in the mid-150 range."

Anyway...He also stated the following as my diagnosis':

1) POTS

2) Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (right arm)

gotta love this one...

3) Secondary anxiety and somantization

Has anyone else been diagnosed with #3. While looking it up online to see what it means, it sounds like he thinks I am a little crazy!

All of the pain and stuff that I have had has all been medically explained. The POTS was the only thing that took FOREVER to diagnosis, and I did see TONS of docs because they all told me it was an inner ear thing, which I certainly knew it was not.

My arm pain was due to an ulnar nerve compression (confirmed by my doc, which said it was the WORST she had EVER seen), my head pain is from me hitting my head a year ago, and then the Addison's Disease (confirmed by the tests).

Just wondering if anyone else was given that as part of their diagnosis?

~Lisa

[persephone]

how can it be somatization if your heart rate doubled? that's odd

[melly4]

Lisa, I'm sorry you have been through so much suffering. I just have to say that there are a lot of docs out there who love the anxiety disorder diagnosis. It means big bucks in prescribing SSRI's like Paxil, etc. I don't want to offend anyone who has been helped by these meds, but they made my symptoms a lot worse and actually caused me a trip to the ER. I've heard a really great internist refer to the anxiety disorder thing as the "cop-out"diagnosis for physicians that don't have a clue!!

I wouldn't worry too much about it, just concentrate on your main diagnosis and treatment. I mean, don't we all have some degree of anxiety because of the miserable symptoms?!

[Ernie]

Hi,

I got the somatization disorder (even got Munchaussen diagnosis byt the "best" Canadian syncope specialist) before I got the POTS, NCS diagnosis. At that time they were actually telling me that I was faking fainting to get attention. That's when I decided to go to NIH. Doctors just put a fancy psychological diagnosis when they can't justify all your symptoms.

[EarthMother]

My interpretation of #3 is that DUE to the POTS which is REAL and documented, you have developed a very sensitized body reaction (soma is body right?) which logically leads to some secondary nervous tension.

And why not? All the POTS symptoms are bewildering especially when we didn't know why or what was causing them Who wouldn't be a little sensitized under the circumstances.

What I like is the diagnosis that says 'secondary'. It clearly defines that you did not get POTS because your are anxious ... you HAVE POTS and because of this you have a sensitized system.

Don't be afraid to speak/question your doctor about this in just these terms. My doc knows the POTS can make me anxious at times and he knows it's not the other way around. And he'll stand up for me if anyone questions that.

Congratulations on getting some answers.

EM

[persephone]

EM is right...I never noticed the secondary thing. And EM is also right about soma- it's from the classical Greek meaning body.

Thus psycho-SOMAtic- i.e- mind causes symptoms in the body etc.