coward

[simon greene]

Hi everybody,

Today i went and had some heart tests in the local hospital,i live in phuket Thailand,they have a good private hospital but it costs BIG dosh to get treated... anyway i had a echocardiogram ...all clear no mitral valve problem then a strest test.... no probs a few pvc's but nothing abnormal.... then the tilt test but after the first set of tilts which made my stomach feel very knotted i backed out of the drugs being injected to make my symptoms appear....why... because i was scared ,i hate my heart symptons so much i didnt want to feel so ill ......so i chickened out,the Doc said we need to do it to find out whats going on but i said no.....the outcome is i have now got new pills ....concor 5mg and zolam .25 mg ...anyone have any info on these tablets.....yes i know i should have carried on.....so is there anyone who can guide me through what happens when they inject the drugs on the tilt test as the nurses english is not so good ...and no chance of any sympathy ...just get on with it man attitude........and pay the bill!

rgds wimp

[gdomaracki]

Dearest~

You are not a wimp or a coward. Dealing with this illness alone is proof of that. I too have "chickened out" of a few tests because I know how it feels and would stop at nothing to make these symptoms go away. I cancelled my second TTT because at my first one I passed out and had an induced seizure. Boy that day still haunts me.

But through my trials I am also learning that although they might be uncomfortable, and downright SCARY. . .we must go through with them, in hopes to find answers. And the best place to become symptomatic is in a hospital, because they can do something about them if they become severe.

I do hope your anxiety eases and you find peace.

Nicole

[morgan617]

Don't feel like a wimp! It's bad enough knowing what these episodes feel like, and then to stand there and let them bring one on is very hard. When I had mine, I made them give me only half the dose of Isuprel. It was enough to do what they wanted to see. I felt icky for the rest of the day, but really no worse than my usual icky. The meds they give you only stay in your system for a few minutes after they stop them, so it's not like you go home with all these drugs still coursing through. You just feel wiped like you do on a bad day.

I have never heard of the drugs they gave you, but guess one must be a beta blocker. You should be able to google them and see.

Many people feel the TTT is absolutely essential in diagnosing POTS. I guess I'm the only oddball that doesn't feel that way. I go by my symptoms as does my doctor. But if it's really important to you, just expect to have a rough day after, like you do after a surge or a syncope. welcome and good luck. morgan

[Poohbear]

I agree with what the others have said but had an additional comment about the TTT and what Morgan said.

While the TTT can be a helpful tool and give a lot of information it does not provide a conclusive diagnosis. Indeed there are many false positives and false negatives with lots of variable factors and reasons for this.

Some researchers have gotten to where they don't use the TTT or if they do, they keep the finding in better perspective. A few of the researchers have determined that "the poor man's tilt table test" is really more accurate because it more closely fits with what we and our bodies do on their own naturally

So, you may want to talk to your Dr about doing this the "poor mans way". Which is...you lie down for 20-30 minutes quietly with no activity or disturbance around you (if you fall asleep that's fine) try not to move around much though. After 20-30 minutes have someone take your BP and pulse while lying down. Then stand up and have someone take your BP and pulse at 1 minute, 3 minute, and 5 minute intervals and then every five minutes after that until you get symptomatic to the point you can't do it anymore (not necessarily that you pass out though). Your aim is to document what your symptoms are and what your BP and pulse are at the worst point.

No injections, no meds (although it's helpful if you have weaned off meds to do this test)

[gwen]

My dr. hasn't made me do the tilt test becasue she says it wouldn't prove anymore than what she has already seen. We have done the "poor Man's" test and I of course didn't do well. I was fortunate the Ins. co accepted that. maybe they saved money right? At one point I told the dr. I didn't care what I had to do , I would but we had not gotten on a good med group yet. I respect she didn't run me thru everything all over again. I totllay fear the ttt because just thinking about it makes me want to throw up and gives me the dizzies. So don't feel bad about stopping the test. see about the other test and if you can't get them to do it, wait until you can get up the nerve again. I sure feel for you. It's hard enough to get thru to dr.s who speak english much less in a foreign country and a foreign language. good luck.

[kmpower]

Hi Simon and everyone,

This is my first post. I just found you all last week and have been reading your threads like crazy. I have been to scads of doctors and have many of the symptoms that you all have been suffering. I think my self-diagnosis of some kind of dysautonomia is closer than any diagnosis the doctors have given me.

I was going to make my first be a new thread called "chicken" and then I saw yours, Simon. Same thing as you. I actually asked for a tilt table test because I had read it was helpful and I had not had one, but once a cardiologist scheduled it and told me what it was, I chickened out and cancelled it. I have been to ER 6 times for tachycardic episodes and once for a drug reaction, so why would I want someone to deliberately induce an episode for a test? Another cardiologist and my GP told me last week I didn't need it, so I was relieved.

BUT...once I started reading these forum threads I thought maybe I should go through with it. Like Simon, I am scared, but if it gives information and if you all recovered from the test, then maybe I should just do it. I know it isn't a perfect diagnostic test. And I know that a label for my symptoms is not what will make me better. But, well, thanks to all of you, I am gathering my courage to reschedule the TTT.

Simon, I wish you well and I hope you learn something helpful. At least we know we have good support here.

LL