McBlonde

Yep, me too! I haven't been in a grocery store in years..... it's a trigger for over stimulation for me.

It's the craziest disease I've ever heard of..... Same here. I had been doing great. Yesterday I woke up with the "hit by a truck fatigue"... All I can think is "What did I do to bring it on?" and answer is who knows? It could be anything or nothing.... it's just how POTS manifests itself. So frustrating! Today the fatigue is much better. Loss of control ( preventing a flare) is SO frustrating!

Jenglynn ....wait.... what's that about the heart defect?

I have low cortisol - but it's Secondary (or Central) Adrenal Insufficiency (caused by pituitary issues) and not Addison's. I agree about getting the ACTH test but be aware that it can give false results in POTS patients - my endocrinologist is very knowledgeable about pots and has found this in several of his patients. He did an Insulin Tolerance Test to determine my adrenal insufficiency. Apparently there is a population of pots pts who have this issue. It's great that you're looking into this tho as you may find you need stress dose steroids when you're sick or injured.

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Your endocrinologist sounds like a keeper! Good ones are few and far between!

I have to have the air turned down to 68 with the ceiling fan on at night. I'm confused. What is it that causes us to be so hot while lying down, sleeping at night?

After I got the HR app on my IPhone, I finally figured out that my symptoms that were occurring while sitting were not caused by my heart rate increasing. I think it's the blood pooling that's giving me the symptoms when sitting.

Lemons...exactly! Yesterday, I was walking the track and all of a sudden, out of the blue, I had that feeling of "is this real? Am I really here on earth sorta feeling." Sounds crazy after I typed it, lol, but it's exactly how I felt.

Edited to add.... I don't know how they tell the difference between anxiety and a POTS episode. They feel the sae to me.

The best test for cortisol is at Midnight. Lab value > 7.5 is diagnostic for a Cushing's workup. (midnight when it should be at the lowest level)

Before I had POTS, I had

Yep.... the more I drink, the more I urinate. Also, every time I have an "episode" it includes increased urination. Just can't hold it even with Florinef.

I'm so sorry you have suffered a relapse! I've been there. It's a hard way to live ....always looking over your shoulder wondering what it's going to be this time that triggers a relapse. I realized on my last relapse that I was not pumping in enough fluids and salt. I thought I was, but I wasn't. Like you, my BP was low. I added 6-8 bottles of G2 + 8 oz of spicy V8 to my daily salt and water and that seemed to do the trick for me on getting my BP up and feeling better. It's a guessing game, though. Maybe it was just coincidence, but objectively, the BP #s did increase. Hope you feel better soon!

Why do anti-depressants make so many people gain weight?

The cardiologist insisted I take Bystolic. It did a great job at getting my heart rate down, but it made me curl up in a ball with severe fatigue and a type of depressed feeling I have never had.

That sounds like depersonalization, which is a symptom of anxiety. Does it feel like this?

"Depersonalization is a glitch in the mechanism which is responsible for one's sense of self-awareness, in other words one feels unpleasantly disconnectedfrom the outside world best described by the simile like living in a dream/movie."

http://www.squidoo.com/anxiolytics

Hmm, in my case, my estrogen was very, very low and i had very low BP i.e. 78/62..

Hi Mark! Welcome to the forum....sorry you have to be here with POTS! On the cup half full side, it sounds like you won the doctor diagnosis, referral to lottery!

Ditto for me, too. I used to sing in the choir. Then, I would sing a few lines and have to stop. I had no idea why until I got the diagnosed with POTS.

Ditto katybug!! I was going 24/7 in a very demanding job. Was also in the best physical shape of my life - working out with a trainer. I pushed and pushed through symptoms for years before I couldn't push anymore.

-Dizzyde

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Ditto. Me, too!

In August it will be 3 years since I have driven. Actually, driving home from work is when my symptoms changed and got worse. I started getting very nauseated and then a headache would set in. Sitting is one of my worst problems. I think my symptoms from sitting might have to do with stomach pooling, but I'm not sure. I would love to figure that one out!

I have 2 little Maltese, Baby and GiGi. It never fails when I'm having a bad POTS day that Baby comes over, lies right next to me and puts her little paw on my my leg. GiGi on the other hand...not so much, lol!

Prayers for Kayla and her family.

Ovarian cysts are very very common. I've had lots of endocrine/hormone issues which I now think were not actual problems with the pituitary, but rather start in the hypothalmus which is responsible for activities of the autonomic nervous system.

The hypothalmus links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary. If your hypothalmus or pituitary is screwed up, your whole body is screwed up.

Pro .... Now I know I'm not crazy. I have objective medical measurements that prove otherwise.

Con.... My life, as I knew it, it over and won't be coming back.

"get up, work, sleep. get up, work, sleep" wow... that describes perfectly the last 3 years that I worked.... I had to go straight to bed when I walked in the door in order to get up and go to work again the next day. After the 3rd year, I became symptomatic while driving and had to stop.

I have been wondering if Provigil would help me, too, after re-watching "Changes". I have lost so much of my concentration that I can't even read a book anymore. Oh, how I would love to have that ability back! I tried Dexedrine. but it knock me out like a sleeping pill for goodness sake, lol!