Numb Forehead

[Traci]

Hi eveybody,

I hope everyones well,

I have some questions

Recently I have been experiencing a numb forehead, especially if I have been upright for a while.

When I lye down it goes away. I also feel the blood flow rushing back to my head.

Most of the time when I am upright now, my head starts to get heavy, I don't faint I never have, but I do feel a heavy tight feeling, with shooting pain in my head, eye and neck. My eyes also feel heavy and they get droopy and it's not from the myasthenia. The pain to me feels like vasoconstriction, but I was told you can't feel your blood vessels.

Again when I first lye down, it slowly goes away, and I feel the flow/pressure feeling again in my head.

Also I am getting this right sided heaviness, I figure the heaviness should be on both sides, but no with me, it's on the R side. My left side feels so light and it looks thinner at times than my R. I know it sounds strange.

When I sleep at night, I am pooling in the lower half of my body. I thought autonomic problems were only suppose to happen in the upright position.

Also, I know I have talked about my eating problems before, which are still occuring, but worse. When I eat my stomach feels like it is going to pop. The rest of my body, even my legs, gets cold, pale and I get shooting pain. It's like my blood is leaving other areas and going into one place. They may try this medication called octreotide if it gets worse, but I'll have to think about that.

I was just wondering if anybody else has experienced any of these symptoms, for I have been quite worried about them.

Traci

On a sidenote, I recently got back from Mayo, they had previously diagnosed me Autonomic Neuropathy, I asked my Dr. what he meant, he said Pots and OI.

[Guest sonotech]

When these episodes are happening to you it sounds like you bodies "survival" instincts kicking in. When there is not enough blood flow to the heart (whether due to anemia, POTS, etc) your heart rate will increase trying to get blood to the heart.

Because when sitting, or standing, blood "pools" in abnormal areas of the body with POTS, then your head/brain is being robbed of blood/oxygen and can give you that "numb" feeling in the forehead.

You heart will always be #1 in getting what blood is available, and other areas of the body are comprimised.

Also, if your hrt rate is high, then lack of oxygen to the brain is always going to happen.

It also sound like you are having blood pooling in the abdomen which makes you feel like you are going to pop.

Hope you get some sort of relief soon!!!!

Laura

[MomtoGiuliana]

I sometimes get numb feelings in my head. As Laura stated, this is probably a sign of inappropriate pooling of blood.

You may be experiencing more pooling on one side of your body. I can get more swelling of my left leg that my right.

I think the idea that POTS or OI symptoms only occur with standing is another one of these myths out there--many doctors seem to be under this impression. Most patients seem to experience symptoms in any position--although the symptoms may be exaccerbated with certain positions, including standing.

I also get symptoms associated with eating--I believe this is pretty common with POTS. My symptoms include more tachycardia, feelings of weakness in my limbs, and pain in my extremities. These symptoms are generally mild for me now.

I hope you can find a treatment regime that helps you improve soon.

Take care,

Katherine

[Sophia3]

I for years, have said I have the feeling like "my head is asleep'..kind of numb..like no blood flow. And ENT neuro said as much after many tests in his office.

So I can believe this is part of pots though no MD...but I am not impressed with M.D. anymore...did the graduate first in their class or last?

Have book smarts of common sense with pts to treat clinical symptoms and not go just 'by the book'.

[Wufflebear]

Yes my nose and the sides of my face get a stiffish/numbish weird feeling when I stand up sometimes/most of the time some days. I also get it when I ride my little excersize bike. It only started a few months ago and I don't like it...but no doc will take me seriously. I get the "well, I dont konw what to tell you on that." comment. I was also told by a cardio that It was caused by hyperventilation....but he had me do a purposeful hyperventilation...and although that gave me that overoxygenated, woozy feeling it did not cause my face to go numb.

I also pool in my abdomen. I actually swear I saw my stomach inflate once when I stood up.