hilbiligrl

Hi all. I was going to college full time, entering pharmacy school, working almost full time at CVS pharmacy as a pharmacy tech, plus I help(ed) my husband with his towing business. I could actually drive the trucks and recover wrecks and tow cars, etc... and could go around the clock...... but I always dealt with weakness, severe extreme fatigue and general all over sickness every day for many years..... I was handling it ok up until I had a bad episode in april 2009, I struggled to get through my incompleted classes at college, and after finishing that semester late, I never recovered. I had to quit work and school in october of 2009 and i've been bedridden since. I can now hardly take care of myself, or fix my own food, let alone take care of 2 middle schoolers or even help them with their homework. I can only manage to drive maybe 1 day a week now due to the severity. I have worked like crazy all my life and now I can't. I hate it. Hoping i can become stable in the next year or so to figure out the rest of my life. I guess we will see. Whats funny is im 33, and my husband is 56 and he has been treated for 6 years with congestive heart failure. Looks like we both may be on the same heart meds... lol. hilbiligrl (tennille)

Hello everyone! I've been reading post after post for about 2 mths now and i've went through all of them at least twice! I've learned so much as this forum in an invaluable tool for me and a Godsend, a true Godsend. Im a 33 yr old mother of 2. I had my first episode of autonomic dysfunction in 2002 after coming down with mono really bad (pots hasnt been diagnosed yet, although i just failed the tilt table test and my appointment at vanderbilt is in feb) but Vanderbilt ER said it was Autonomic Dsyfunction, and after reading posts on here, it all makes sense. I was a straight A student in college and was accepted as an alternate to pharmacy school a year and half ago, but came down with another episode in april of 2009 and have been down since.... mostly bedridden since october of last year. My long time doc and friend doesn't believe autonomic dysfunction is possible, so im currently searching for another doc. Anyways, i have tons of questions, but i'll start off with my first 3 questions. I've battled really bad insomnia for over 10-12 years now and nothing has ever worked. I can go 4,5,6 days without little to no sleep and it makes me crazy. I had read on here that someone was taking lunesta with trazodone.... so I asked my doc for trazodone to be added to my lunesta that I had been taking for a year now. The lunesta never made me sleep, but helped me to calm down, i am guessing because it works on the gaba receptors like benzodiazapines do (i always done well on klonopin). I took trazodone about 2 years ago and i always slept longer and harder, but the next day i was sooooo tired and drained. I've been taking it again for about 2 weeks and it is working really good with the lunesta for sleep. But i've noticed it makes my heart rate come down considerably and 30 mins after i take it, i feel the extreme debilitating fatigue get worse and that feeling lasts well into the next day. So, I can't take it every night cuz one of my main symptoms of autonomic dysfunction or pots, is the extreme sickening weakness head to toe, and the trazodone adds to it, but in a different feeling sorta. I was wandering if anyone else has had trazodone to affect them this way. Also, before i found out i had autonomic dysfunction, in march i started taking phentermine for a while. I remember wandering why i felt so darn bad all the time while taking it, plus i would have a hard time breathing when i took it as well. Im wandering if that is a medication that Pots patients should steer away from? Also, i have had a chronic stopped up nose since high school or earlier and my doc has never done anything about it. I started taking zyrtec and ranitidine (aftger reading posts about mcad and trying wat one of yal had suggested with the zyrtec and ranitidine) and i've also been on allegra before, as well as tried claritin and prescription nasal sprays, all to no avail. I know just use dollar store nasal spray every day to open up my nose. I was wandering if anyone has ever heard of a chronic stopped up nose? i'll have more questions to come, but my brain hasnt worked well these past few months and i get confused pretty easy and can't seem to 'organize' or remember my thoughts. Thank you and it is so good to be able to be here! hilbiligrl (tennille)

Hi nowwhat! I have stiffness, then jelly legs back and forth. One day im so stiff that i baby step to the kitchen or barely able to roll over in bed or get up from a sitting or laying position, or heck, just any movement. Then the next day my legs can be jelly and wobbly. But I haven't ever really been stiff like this until this past year as my suspected pots has gotten dramatically worse with no improvements in over a year now, so the stiffness is new to me these past few months. Today im stiff all over really bad. Im still learning everyday, as i have new symptoms on a weekly basis. I have no idea what's causing it. Seems like the right side of my body is more stiff than the left and hurts more, i dunno why though. Im eager to hear some other responses though! 'hilbiligrl' (tennille) here's my stats until i figure out how to do it permanantly: undiagnosed for over 8 years (maybe since childhood) until sept 2010. Diagnosed as autonomic dysfunction at vanderbilt ER. Awaiting testing and appointment with Vanderbilt in Feb. 33 yr old female with 2 kids. Curently taking Lunesta 3 mg and trazodone 50 mg for sleep. I suspect mcad and vasovagal syncope though.