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Does anyone know if the gluten antibodies (IgA & IgG) have anything to do with antinuclear antibodies? I don't know if I've been tested for gluten but I know I have high Ana. I obviously have POTS & have tons of GI problems that seems like nothing fully helps so this article makes me wonder? Maybe I'll talk to my dr next time I go

I'm moving to TX next year & would like to see Dr Suleman. Can anyone give me info about him? How hard is he to get into? Will he take someone who has already been diagnosed? Is he will to work with you & not just boss you around? I'd love to hear anything you can tell me about him!

I know someone posted a thing a while back about struggles with the flu shot & someone responded with a study about this years affect on cardiac function in health people. I am wondering if anyone else has gotten the shot this year? What was your experience? I am so torn & going to the dr this week?

Potsgirl- I'm too tired to wear makeup too. Def give batiste dry shampoo a try- great for when you are feeling really bad. Its good to head there is another non-makeup wearer. I have a friend who strongly believes that if I just made myself up I'd feel sooo much better! What's the point of looking pretty when you feel like death? My couch doesnt care!

Im always on the hunt for beauty products and tips that help when I don't feel good & are all out simple to make me feel & look prettier even when I don't feel well. Recently o discovered a great one I'll post & I'd love to hear if anyone else has found some! 1. Dont feel good enough to wash you hair? Batiste dry shampoo is AH-MA-ZING! I have think oily hair & it can make it seemed almost as good as washed! Just be sure to get original scented-blush & tropical make my throat tickle http://www.drugstore.com/batiste-dry-shampoo-original/qxp261878 2. Braun wet/dry epilator. Epilate in the shower or bath when you have your stockings off already, just like shaving but'll last longer. I have hairy, coarse leg hair & after a few months of using it weekly I can now go two weeks! Hoping to get to three or four http://www.braun.com/uk/female-grooming/silk-epil-epilators/silk-epil-7.html 3. Bag balm- helps with pesky razor or epilating bumps & chaffing from stockings http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/181-2412369-6975338?a=B001D6PMMG 4. Tea Tree oil- add a drop to your lotion to help keep athletes foot from your stockings at bay. The scent takes a little getting used to but after tume you hardly notice? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spring-Valley-Pharmaceutical-Grade-Tea-Tree-Oil-2-fl-oz/10316901 Your turn!

Sallyblooms, how did you get to better days?

Do you get headrushes with the smallest of movements? I have a lot of days where just moving my arm of body a tiny bit causes them & it's so frustrating.? The least little bit of movement brings on dizziness and nausea. Anyone else?

Does anyone know if you can have lowflow pots without plasma renin & angiotensin problems?? I had a ttt done by dr Stewart himself & he immediately said that I had lowflow w/in minutes he knew & said "your thoracic empties rapidly" whatever that means? Anyways he sent me to have plasma renin & angiotensin 2 tests after I got back home. I went after I was home & when they were taking the blood the ladies had to look up info on how to test it & my mom started telling them what she read about it but they told her they knew what they were doing. ? Anyways a few weeks later there was an email for dr Stewart saying "no abnomrality found" that's all it said & we've never heard anything again. So I wonder two things: 1. Was I ever tested properly? 2. But more importantly- if I don't have plasma renin & angiotensin problems do I still have lowflow pots. The cuffs & monitors he put me on seemed to show it

Have any of you been told not to only drink water that it diluted ?you aNdlevel it out with a sports drink??

I don't know if anyone from this forum have gone through it but there is a blog where a lady went through it Potsrecovery.com However people have been commenting recently but I haven't seen her answer?

Hi Krissy! I don't have any advice for you but wanted to say that I understand you frustration. I'm 25 and have had severe POTS since I was 12. I've never had a normal life and all I want to do is be a normal twenty something & the lack of independence POTS & OI causes makes it all the worse because you end up feeling useless ( at least I do) Heiferly & Brye: what do you guys do for a warm up & cool down? I see you say thats important and I wonder what the difference is with warm up/cool down & normal exercise?

I do have a lot of stomach problems. I have had them all my life. I am going to have to talk to my dr about it, I hate going to the dr so much sometimes I get emotional. So a new dr makes it worse. I'm hoping they put me on a loop recorder instead of an event recorder because I don't want to be responsible for pushing the button. I have some many symptoms so often, I don't always know where they come from?! I've also realized I have this fear of being told there is nothing wrong with me and I am crazy.? Most likely it is something like SVT. I think POTS has just really worn me out emotionally lately

For as long as I can remember every once in a while i get these flutter-like feelings in my chest. It lasts less than minute & it's almost like dizziness in my chest. About a year ago I started wondering if I should say something but never did because I didn't want to go through the stress.? Now, I have a heart rate monitor & sometimes when I get that feeling as well as times when I get emotional or excited my heart rate goes REALLY high on the monitor, around 200-235. It's really scared me, I know I have to tell my dr & can't get in for a while. I've read a little about SVTs not being dangerous but then I've read about v-tach & atrial flutters. It all makes me want to cry and ignore it but I know better. I've been through so much the past 12 years already.? I hate having to go to another dr and all that jazz. What are the chances that I have something else really wrong with me or just typical PotS? Am I crazy for crying over it??

((Rachel))) I really have no clue what it could be but a migraine is possible, I had a migraine for over a month a few years ago & was in the hospital to treat it. Have you changed any meds? Do you think it's a reaction to one of your meds? Sometimes I have sudden reactions to me mess & need to change the dosage

Does anybody else feel like they have to spend a large part of the day laying down, still, doing nothing, & usually with your eyes closed? If so, how often & how long? Can anybody keep themselves occupied most of the day if it's sedentary, like reading, drawing, or crocheting )things like that? I feel like I have to spend most of the day lying down in rest mode, I do very little activites besides those that are necessary like bathing & such. Is there anyway to get to a point where I cab stay occupied doing simple things? I get so bored watching tv, listening to music or audiobooks but much else just wipes me out.

I take 20mg of Prozac. It was really hard to adjust too at first. When I tried to go up to 25 I was like in a fog all the time though. So it needs to be controlled with a good dr. Does Prozac really work the same ad Midodine? Another thing you could try, that my dr has me do, is ice therapy. I pack my legs in once for 20minutes 3 times a day. It's a pain in the butt, but my dr says cold contrists. ?I tried it when I was on Midodrine & my bp immediately went sky high, so it much constrict some.

My dr did try me on Sudafed once. It didn't do anything but neither did Midodrine. I'd say if definitely worth a try if you can't get Midodrine

Thanks guys for your input. I know it takes tremendous strength for her to keep going. When I push myself too hard I stop enjoying things.? It's nice to know I'm not alone in seeing people with other problems do more than we. A month ago my 78 yr old grandfather broke his hip and I have been amazed at how he has recovered when it took me over a month to recover from a stomach bug. The thing is I push super hard...it just doesn't seem that on the outside. I know you guys all get it. Futurehope- I'm glad you have the courage to ignore peoples comments. I've had POTS since I wad 12 and going through all the teenage self-conciousness was not easy. I'm slowly learningyo ignore people and not feel bad if they don't get my limitations. ?I know some disease work better pushed but ?do I remember correctly that POTS responds better to pacing? At least mine does better when I pace and very gradually increase things

Thanks guys! You gave me some thoughts and support I didn't think about. I think the best I can do is just say, "I choose to pace"

So, POTS is hard enough to explain to people but what about when you are talking to someone who as an equally severe devastating illness and they don't get the extent of your limitiations or think you're being a wimp? I have a friend who has a mitochondrial disease called MELAS. She never talks about it but from what I've read it's eventually fatal and at times she has gotten very i'll. She even had a pancreas and partial intestinal transplant. But in between those times she pushes through everything and lives a predominantly normal life. She says some of her closest friends don't even know she has a disease. She live on the other side of the country and so we really only talk online, since she moved 10 years ago. The probleem I'm having is she doesn't get POTS and how severe it is. She thinks I need to just push trough it like she does and that using my wheelchair is letting POTS win. How can I explain POTS so she can understand why I can't go out everyday and go to school or work? There are many people who have disabilities that ate able to push themselves and adapt to situations. It's a tremendously admirable thing. I push myself as hard as I can, as I know we all do, but when the dizziness and tachy and all that yuck takes over it's does just that TAKE OVER there is no pretending it's not there. How do I explain that? She'll say "well I have strokes and seizures all the time and still live a full like fainting shouldn't stop you". I almost wonder if she exaggerates how much she can do bc if she's having strokes & seizures you can't be in public & hide it. Back to my question, how do you explain it to people who think you just need to push a little bit harder bc they themselves push through things?

I do a lot, especially since I've been taking Mestinon & around my period

How do you guys get enough rest? I'm sooo exhausted but eveytime I try to rest it's like my mind goes crazy and all I want to do is something. I don't know how to just relax and it's not anxiety it's just that I like to stay occupied. Any ideas? I can only concentrate for 10-15 minutes and whenever I do thugs I feel awful I'm just so bored how do you rest? It's like I need many hours of just laying down with my eyes closed

Potsgirl- the contact information is found at potsrecovery.com she gives a little bit of his thought process there but you have to contact them for the full program. However, he's VERY specfic who he gibes it to, you have to stop all meds and only have POTS. Hope this helps

Catlady- thanks for saying you still have hope! I have had POTS since I was 12. I'll be 25 soon and annwondering if I've passed the growing out of it phase? Maybe there's still some hope

That's wonderful! Is there anything specific you did to get stronger? I would love to strong enough to keep myself busy for most of the day with moderate activities