songcanary

I have it. Moderate pericardial effusion was found when I was worked up for dysautonomia. I do not have symptoms from it. I've had four subsequent echos and they have remained unchanged. My doctor said it is not unusual for the general population to have this and it doesn't always cause problems. But he recommends an echo every six months for me just to make sure everything is OK.

Thank you for your wonderful news. I agree with Rama, enjoy the ride but remember to take little breaks along the way. Be nice to yourself. It is very inspiring to hear this and I hope you continue to feel great!

Nausea. And did I mention nausea? Blurry vision like I'm looking through water. Generalized weakness. Out of body feeling.

I replied to this last night and accidentally deleted the whole thing. Then I was too tired to do it again. But Sandyshell said exactly what I was thinking. And very well said, indeed! And I must agree that using judicious language with doctors is sooooo helpful. And when you think about it, it's common courtesy. We all want that. I worked for doctors for most of my career (I was a medical asst even before vet tech & pet sitter), and believe me, they appreciate a courteous patient. OK off my soapbox. Even right now I am a little anxious about making some pet visits today because hubby and another sitter are both out of town. But I've always made it before and I'll probably be fine today. This is when I do the deep breathing and talk some sense into myself. But the physical reaction is THERE and makes me symptomatic--so annoying! I HATE stress .

I really like decorating the house. When I got sick, we had just finished some renovations and all my stuff was in boxes and bags where it stayed until fairly recently. So I'm trying to get my stuff back where it belongs! And of course playing with my birds and dogs.

My beloved phone. It is my lifeline and I have my hubby listed as my ICE. Also a full bottle of salt water is with me everywhere. I am a pet sitter so I list my agenda for the day on the front of my schedule book and cross the visits off as I finish so worst case scenario another sitter could pick up the slack.

She sounds like a very cool and sensitive doctor. I wish they grew on trees .

Learning to deal with stress is my biggest challenge. It is hard for me but I am much better at it now and my symptoms are milder because of it. However, I still have OH and take meds for that. So, I am not offended when a doctor mentions stress AS LONG AS he/she recognizes that I also have a physiological problem. We can have more than one thing going on . And Lemons is right, stress can cause some seriously bizarre problems. My rheumatologist was the first one to diagnose me and he attributed many of my symptoms to stress, but he also ordered a TTT and other tests to try to find underlying problems so they could be treated as well. Good luck in your quest, we've all been there.

Hilbiligrl, I cannot believe that you mentioned carbon monoxide poisIoning! I had that too, in 1997, and I had apparently had it for two years before we got a CO detector in the house, and then all my symptoms at the time made sense. I was a bird breeder then and I was losing babies but the necropsies were always inconclusive. It totally broke my heart to find out I was hurting those little birds without knowing it. I always wanted to do the right thing and I feel terrible about it to this day. I never really recovered fully and got real bad with dysautonomia a few years after that. It always made me wonder if that was my initial trigger. That and some seriously horrible stress. I guess once the bucket spills over, that's it... Sorry to hijack but this hit me smack in the face.

Libby, I must tell you that I totally agree with everything you said. I grew up in a similar situation and because I was the 'normal' one no one ever considered that I might be cracking from the inside. If I had been offered counseling I would have fought it tooth and nail, but I wish someone had insisted on it. Looking back I can see how valuable it would have been. I acted out in many ways that everyone just kept missing. Thanks for your input.

Right now I take a good quality hypoallergenic multivitamin/mineral, ferrous fumarate 200mg, magnesium 200mg and vit D3 1000u. In the past I have taken 5-HTP, Fibrocare (magnesium & malic acid), vit C, melatonin and a few others but they all made my stomach burn or caused flushing. I am just so sensitive. I am grateful for the ones I can tolerate!

I explained it this way to one of my doctors---that many illnesses can slow you up a bit, but dysautonomia takes you down like a cougar on a gazelle. He really liked that because now he has a good mental picture!

I am stunned. I realize you don't feel lucky but in some respects you are. When I was at my worst, my husband actually got on a plane and traveled cross country---twice. I was left on the sofa in my bathrobe alone wondering if I would even wake up the next day. I would have given anything for my husband to dote on me and do everything for me. But no, I had to drag my crippled self around the house just to do the very basics; just me and the dog. I do understand your frustration because I am a 'can-do' person also. But please remember to thank your lucky stars that someone not only cares, but acts on it, too. BTW, hubby gets it now. It was a nightmare before that.

I have had two endoscopies and two colonoscopies. I was given Versed and Demerol during the uppers, and I think the same for the lowers. I was also premedicated for nausea during the most recent endo. The nurse said they do that routinely now. I didn't have any problems during or after any of these. I think the anxiety is the worst thing, really. However, I do not have POTS, I have OH. I don't remember any of the procedures and was home in just a few hours. I sure hope that's true next time because I'm due for another colonoscopy this spring, yippee!

How I wish that sheer will were the answer. For three years I tried to maintain my job but got progressively worse until I had to quit. However, after I got diagnosed, the salt, fluids and Florinef helped quite a bit. But still not enough for me to feel comfortable fulfilling all the responsibilities ALL the time. Currently I work for someone else on an occasional basis when I am feeling well, and I'm very grateful for that. I choose to look on the bright side and know that things could always be worse. But I sure hope I don't have to find out the hard way! I am inspired by other posters every day.

Your symptoms sound just like mine when I had a stone way back in 1975. Only mine didn't pass, it was a triangle and got stuck in the ureter. Ouch . Major surgery and six week recovery. Anyhoo, that's good advice from Dizzy. Just be glad you passed it believe me, lol. Hope you are feeling better by now.

Hi McKenzie and welcome to the forum! I'm hypothyroid with a normal TSH too. I take Armour. Did it take you awhile to find a doctor to diagnose that? I went through at least four of them before someone finally took me seriously. I have been taking LDN for six months now and while it helps my fibromyalgia pain and does increase my energy levels, I have found that it hasn't changed my dysautonomia. But maybe it will for you; I hope so! Take care. Sorry all, didn't mean to hijack.

I couldn't agree more with Issie. While it is very important to be honest and I'm not discounting that at all, it is a delicate balance to also avoid having the child feel like a caregiver. I grew up the only child of a schizophrenic mom and neglectful dad. My grandmother was a saint who mostly raised me and always told me that my ONLY job was to go to school and do the best I could. Believe me, I witnessed horrors that I wouldn't wish on anyone and it really took its toll on me, especially physically because of the chronic stress. But I am glad that my grandmother told me that because it eased the burden just a little bit and helped me realize that it was OK to have a school life with friends. My fellow DINET members are very wise. The advice given has been just so wonderful. I am so grateful to be among such great friends!

I got a bunch of these two years ago and my ophthalmologist told me they are a normal part of aging. Sigh...

Hi Carol, I take 25 mg about an hour before bed. Fingers crossed for you .

Issie, Those are great suggestions. I have been doing a food diary for many years and it's been very revealing and SO helpful. And it's true that we can be allergic to med fillers; I can only tolerate meds/vitamins that are hypoallergenic and it has taken a long time to find the right ones. Before I started food drops I did the rotation diet and it helped a lot; my allergist recommended it. Carol, in the beginning it seems like an impossible task, but with time you'll find that you can settle into a medication and food routine that suits you. You are right, this IS hard so give yourself credit for scrapping away!

And who raised these gems? It just goes to show that being disabled or ill doesn't change who we are inside. What wonderful boys you have! Hugs to you.

Carol, Doxepin really stabilizes me. I am allergic to many meds and an unbelievable number of foods, and I have never had a reaction to it. It doesn't cause weight gain by itself; a side effect is increased appetite. That was good for me when I started it because I had lost way too much weight and it decreased my nausea so I could eat something. I have not been diagnosed with MCAD but I still suspect I may have at least some component of it. Anyway, I just wanted you to know that it is a pretty innocuous med and I really hope it helps you. If I were in your shoes I would be tempted to try it before the others, too. I really don't think it would do any harm to try. However, I am not a doctor . Hang in there.

My symptoms are exactly like Chaos'. They were the reason I sought medical care to begin with. I thought I had a brain tumor or something. It doesn't happen often since I started pushing fluids and salt, but I do get a mild case every now and then.

I have enjoyed seeing the members' pictures and I tried to upload my own, but I keep getting rejected. Can anyone tell me what I might be doing wrong? Mine are all larger than the recommended 200 pixels. Thanks for any help!