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The last couple of colds I've had, I have run a low-grade fever. But for me, that means a temp of around 97 or 98 F since my norm is in the 95-96 F range. My symptoms got drastically worse after a sinus infection in 2007, but I had had fainting and fatigue issues years before that. My cardio thinks I've had POTS all my life and it just decided to make its presence REALLY known in my 20s for some reason. I haven't been on beta-blockers personally, but that's interesting. If that's what contributes to yours, hopefully with time it will ease up. The dry winter air here in the US is really not fun for my nose right now. Ugh! Best of luck!

Thanks, MomtoGiuliana! I really appreciate your sharing your story with me Thanks for the advice about consulting a high-risk OB/gyn. I'll do some research and see if I can find one who has experience with dysautonomia patients. That would be ideal! Like a lot of us, I'm type-A and believe in planning far ahead

I know there are a million posts about pregnancy and POTS, but I was hoping to get some feedback on my situation. I have POTS with crazy tachycardia episodes--last time I went hiking, I topped 215 bpm and felt like I was going to die. I take Zoloft, Wellbutrin and Mestinon. If I don't, I have fainting episodes and feel like "heck." (Not sure how strict the curseword filters are ) I also have NCS and irregular heartbeat. I've also been diagnosed with depression and panic disorder but I'm not sure if it's truly panic or just adrenaline surges, which I get a LOT from the POTS. I know arrhythmia and tachycardia puts me at risk for stroke. I currently work 3 part-time jobs, two of which are from home, because I can't handle the couple of full-time office jobs I've had. The last one I had, which I was super excited about (and posted about here back in June), I crashed and burned the first day and quit. Continuous adrenaline surges/nausea at my desk, felt like I was going to faint for 3/4 of the day (maybe due to fluorescent lights? not sure), and afterwards had full-body tremors, dizziness, and weakness for hours and couldn't eat due to nausea. I have a pretty decent balance in my life now, but recently I met someone... he really wants biological kids, but A) I'm not sure it's safe for me, and B ) I'm not sure if I would be able to care for a baby properly after giving birth. I'm almost positive I wouldn't be able to bring in much money during the pregnancy period. With the irregular heartbeat and my sensitivity to drugs, I'm also terrified of giving birth. A couple of years ago, I had to have an emergency root canal, and the local anesthetic triggered a huge reaction: fainting in the chair, crazy high tachycardia, a flare-up of other symptoms that lasted for days, etc. The medications I take make it possible to do the jobs I have and earn a living, as well as do daily things like clean, shower, and grocery shop. I have come off of them before and the results were horrible. I would be terrified of being pregnant while being on these meds, but being off of them is also terrifying because I know what happens when I'm not medicated. There is also the issue of readjusting to going back on meds after pregnancy if I were to go off, and the adjustment period is incredibly difficult for me. The two of us are talking marriage, but of course I'm incredibly anxious about this. Most women can just take this stuff in stride, but as a woman with POTS, it's something I have to take much more seriously and give a lot of thought to (I'm sure a lot of you can relate). I am open to adoption, but it's likely we will be living in his country, where adoption is not as socially accepted and can be difficult. Surrogacy is incredibly rare there. If anyone has been on meds while pregnant or has struggled with this decision, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I haven't yet discussed particulars with a doctor because I'm waiting to see a new cardiologist now. I'm a Type-A planner, though, and I want to have all the information I can

YES. I am in the same boat. I was actually diagnosed with chronic bacterial sinus disease years before the POTS/NCS dx. I've been through what feels like hundreds of rounds of antibiotics, have been allergy tested a few times with no positives. I don't have seasonal allergies, but I have a constant post-nasal drip, and when I get a cold I feel like I'm going to die. I've wondered if there is a connection as well. So far I have no answers.

I used to take Nuun, too, and I noticed positive effects, especially in summer when I had trouble moving. I stopped taking it because of the ingredients, though. I wasn't having adverse side effects, I've just gradually chosen to follow a cleaner diet overall and cut out ingredients that I wasn't sure about. I'm already on several medications and just didn't want to add more chemicals into my body if not absolutely necessary. As yet I have not found a good substitute that is "cleaner." I agree with gjensen, though, about looking into long-term use studies, if they exist.

Definitely sounds like an insulin issue. You might try switching to a high-protein diet, as mentioned above, but also cutting out grains for a while (yes, all grains) and adding more healthy fats (coconut oil, grass-fed butter if you can tolerate dairy), and avoiding all refined and added sugars. Grains and high volumes of carbohydrates can cause the blood sugar spike and crash, resulting in that awful hungry-shaky feeling. I've been doing the Paleo diet for a few months and have noticed that I'm much better able to regulate hunger now. The science behind it is that your body will switch from burning sugars as fuel to burning fats as fuel, and since fats burn more slowly, you don't have the sudden crash. You also don't get blood sugar spikes after eating or intense cravings.

Hi Faintinggoat (I love your name ), I went through a really rough period over the summer and was incredibly depressed because of it. Many of us are type-A overachievers, and that might make it harder for us to deal with a long-term diagnosis. For me, it meant a career path change, which was devastating and continues to be so when I hear about the work my former colleagues are doing and how their careers are taking off. Maybe it sounds silly, but I think to myself "It could be worse." I focus on the fact that I am a lot stronger and more functional now than I was 3 years ago. For instance, now I work 20 hours a week at an office. I would never have been able to do that 3-4 years ago. It's a long, slow road, of course, but it truly helps to focus on the positives. I fortunately found a friend recently who has a different chronic illness, and we've built a support system for each other. It's been great to make that connection. When you can, try to get outside. I take walks and hike as often as I can, both for the exercise and to lift my mood. You might also look into trying light therapy, especially if you're in the northern hemisphere and going into winter now. That's something I recently started. I've also been tweaking my diet and following about a 70% Paleo diet. It's tough, but honestly it's been fun to discover new recipes and learn about the nutrients of each ingredient in my food and how they might help my particular symptoms. I also want to say that the community here helped me through a really difficult time over the summer It's a great place for support and encouragement.

Hi all, My symptoms are somewhat stable these days, although it seems fairly easy to throw them out of whack. While I am not getting worse, I have also stopped getting better. I currently take 50 mg Zoloft/sertraline, 37.5 mg Wellbutrin, 60 mg mestinon, and vitamin B and D supplements. I'm interested in taking Chinese herbal medicine, and have received a three-day trial of herbs to brew into a tea. However, I'm nervous to take it in conjunction with my other meds. Has anyone taken Chinese herbal medicine along with conventional drugs (especially SSRI's)? Should I not mix the two treatments? A friend told me not to take it with the SSRI, but I can't just quit Zoloft cold turkey for 3 days and then take it back up again My dosages are all really low because I'm super sensitive to prescription drugs. I'm really interested in a holistic course of treatment, but not at the expense of being able to function.

I have moons on my thumbs (more so on the right one) and my right index finger. My nails always have a blue-purple cast and a brownish band below the white part at the tip (it's not dirt! below where that would be). I wonder why.

I'm on it and have been for a few years. The first two weeks were AWFUL as far as side effects--literally couldn't get off the couch, nauseous all the time, couldn't eat, fatigued, etc. I'm on a low dose because I'm sensitive to meds, but it does seem to control my symptoms better than without it. It took a good 2 months, though, to notice anything positive.

I started at 30 mg once a day and felt pretty nauseous the first week. I'm doing 60 mg/day now. It seems to help a tiny bit, but it hasn't been a "miracle drug" for me. I'm also on Zoloft (50 mg) and Wellutrin (37.5 mg). Best of luck. Sounds like you're dealing with a lot now!

I got tons of helpful and sympathetic replies to a post I made last month after I attempted to go back to work full-time. I wanted to just post a quick update about what happened. In the end, I couldn't do it. I explained my illness to the boss and she was not sympathetic and it was kind of a mutual decision for me to not work there. It was a fantastic job for me, but full-time hours and the high-energy, slightly stuffy office environment (with fluorescent lights) did not agree with my body one bit. I had taken the job in a different city, but I packed up and went home. Since my husband and I recently separated and I now have to financially support myself 100%, I didn't have much time to mope, so I started looking at possible part-time gigs I could do in conjunction with my part-time online work. As luck would have it, I got an interview pretty quickly and was offered an office job, 20 hours a week, 9-1 every day It's a very quiet office, just a small firm consisting of an attorney and me helping him out in the mornings. He doesn't like stressful cases and also doesn't want to overwhelm me with anything, so he's easing me into the work. It's a bit of a long commute, but I'm so excited to be able to work in an office, even part-time. I've been there for a week and a half and it's going great so far Getting up in the morning is difficult, but I don't start until 9, which is a godsend. And I know if I feel sick, I only have four hours and then I can go crash if I need to. Then in the evenings, I'm still doing online work. I seem to have found a good balance so far. Here's hoping it continues! I wish I could do a regular job, but it's just not realistic at this point given my energy limitations and symptoms. However, I feel so much more hopeful because I've had some degree of success with this so far. Here's to staying positive! This girl isn't giving up yet!

I have seen a lot of improvement with exercise, but it's been a long, slow process. I was diagnosed in 2011 and started with walks through the neighborhood at a slow pace, 30-90 minutes at a time (at first it was much less). I often feel better when I'm walking rather than sitting or standing still, so even at my worst I was able to walk a bit. The tachycardia was terrible at first and continues to be a problem. These days, I do typically 30-45 minutes, sometimes 1-1.5 hours, of exercise. I vary it a lot to make sure I hit every major muscle group. Yoga is most difficult for me and I often feel symptomatic afterwards and into the next day. I often do cardio and strength training DVDs, and have worked up to some pretty difficult ones (Bob Harper's Inside Out Method series). I also go for a jog-walk (alternating as heart rate dictates) of 3-5 miles at least a couple of times a week. I also do flat-water kayaking, which is nice because I can take a break when I need to. My heart rate still gets up around 190 pretty easily, and when I'm doing cardio or jogging it tends to hover in the 150s-160s. When I get near 180 I take a break or stop. My symptoms and progress seem to have plateaued, although my muscles are definitely stronger and I'm in good shape now. Sometimes I still feel worse after exercise or even the day after I do something like power yoga, but I think it's beneficial overall. Plus, it's encouraging to see what my body is capable of in spite of the POTS, NCS, and irregular heartbeat

Yes! On rainy days I feel worse in general, but I also find myself doing those sighs more often and yawning more often. I didn't notice the sighing until a couple of years ago when I realized that several people had pointed it out to me and thought I was just constantly annoyed! Doh...

Hi Goschi, Sounds like your hospital stay is beneficial, if for no other reason than to learn more about how your body reacts in certain situations and to certain medications. I personally couldn't handle florinef for all the side effects; for me, the worst was migraines. I believe I also have the psychological element. Have you ever been diagnosed with anxiety and/or panic disorder? I've been diagnosed with both, but it seems like they might act in conjunction with the POTS. Like, I might have a sudden, small burst of anxiety (like a normal person) but then it feels like it triggers an adrenaline surge from the POTS and things start to go downhill from there. I think it's difficult to NOT have some anxiety or psychological element though, especially when you've had public episodes and have been dealing with symptoms for a long time. We're right there with you! I look forward to reading more about what you are able to find out.

Hang in there! I hope the florinef helps. I'm going through a crash right now myself, and I know emotional distress has been playing a part. It's hard not to let it, though! And summer is always rougher for me (and many of us, I think). My neuro recently started me on mestinon and the first few days were ughh. It's tough to try a new med in the summer when we already don't feel well. I love the idea of a cooling vest fashion show, and compression stockings/sleeves, too! I have hot pink calf sleeves that I love I need some zebra print ones or something wild, haha! A friend of mine jokingly said I should look into getting a service pony, and the thought of walking around with a cute pony who wears tennis shoes made me smile I think all POTS patients should automatically get this privilege!

Yes. You are not alone in this. I had/have panic and anxiety issues that I think come from adrenaline surges. Even if I don't feel nervous or worried about anything, maybe I'm even sitting still, if I have a random adrenaline surge my body goes into full-blown fight-or-flight mode and my heart rate races, BP fluctuates, and I get major nausea, sweatiness, flushing, feeling hot all over, etc. This is a major symptom for me, and it doesn't seem to be psychological. I haven't yet found anything that controls it well enough for me to feel normal, especially in public. Sorry, wish I could be of more help.

That's very interesting. I also have trembling and involuntary movements and full-body uncontrollable shaking (which I believe to be hypoxic seizures), and I was sick for weeks as a baby but the doctors, as far as I know, never came up with a diagnosis. I was just hospitalized for a few weeks and then released with them guessing it was just a random virus. Thanks for sharing these with us. I'm going to print them out and mention them at my next neuro appointment.

That's very interesting. My neuro suspects something along those lines, and wants me to be tested for antibodies, but the test is super expensive and not covered by insurance unfortunately. It's encouraging that the research is continuing, though.

Happy to hear you're doing all right! Best wishes for a smooth recovery

Thanks writerlymom and DeGenesis for the kind words, it really helps. And it's cliched advice because there is truth in it It's just so hard to not be hard on myself. I'm a total type-A perfectionist type, which doesn't work out so well with POTS. I am working on it, though. I keep feeling like my adult life has been a series of failures and false starts, but all of it comes back to the POTS, NCS, and irregular heartbeat issues. And rationally I know it's not my fault. At least I learned my limits and gave it a shot. I would feel nothing but regret if I had never even tried, so I am proud of myself for that. And of course there are many reasons a workplace doesn't work out for a person, I keep thinking about that. Now I'm formulating a Plan B and thinking of a combination of part-time jobs I might be able to handle. I will find a way. I also have thought about benzos, but my old doctor didn't want to put me on them. I think it might be time to revisit that, though.

Thanks so much for the support. It was a horrible day yesterday and then last night I had a hypoxic seizure and still feel terrible today. My legs are covered in bruises after the seizure. I couldn't make myself go in, and I know calling in sick on the second day is pretty much sealing my fate. But I think I'm also ready to go home. I tried so hard, but I just don't think I can do it, physically. I think I had been feeling better because I had a routine that let me rest when needed and change my schedule as needed depending on how I felt on a given day. The office is also quite noisy, with people on the phone all the time and talking over one another and the boss's dog barking (it's a dog-friendly workplace), which is overwhelming for me and not something I feel I can get used to. I feel pathetic for giving up after only one day, but I truly feel I can't do it long-term. I feel deep down it would be a mistake to sign the apartment lease on Saturday as scheduled. I know I will lose my deposit, but it's not a huge amount and it's better than being tied to a place I can't pay for for a whole year. I feel devastated and can't stop crying, but I know I can only push myself so much. In grad school I pushed myself too far and ended up bedridden for months. Writerlymom, you're right, I have come a long way even if I can't do a full-time office job. I spoke to my mom and she suggested doing part-time online work and then part-time work elsewhere so my schedule would still be pretty flexible. I think I will give that a go and try to continue living on my own doing that as long as I can. I'm trying to tell myself that giving up on this one thing is not giving up on life. I tried so very hard, and I feel lucky to have been given a job offer at all. Right now I think I need to go home and rest for a couple of days and then regroup. I keep trying to believe there are always other options. I'm going to call my neuro this morning for an appointment and explain the situation and see what he thinks about a new game plan or possibly applying for disability, as much as I don't want to do that. But even if I go that route, life will go on. I have to believe that.

I think possibly the fluorescent lights aren't helping, and the fact that it's warm in the office certainly doesn't help. But yeah, it's hard to tell what all triggers me because there are so many things! I haven't tried propranolol but maybe I should, since adrenaline rushes and sudden nausea is a big issue for me. That also makes me panic a bit because I'd have to take a day off to see my old doctor in my old city since I haven't found one here yet. Ugh!! I also recently separated from my husband So there is a lot at stake. And I know that stress isn't helping either. I really don't want to have to move in with my parents... I just don't know.

I started my new job today, my first full-time job since 2010. I thought I was feeling so much better and had pretty much recovered, so I accepted a job in a new city. I'm staying in a hotel this week and am planning to move here permanently this weekend. But today my heart rate was out of control, I had adrenaline rushes and felt dizzy and just not all there. I was working part-time (~30 hours a week) from home before this and was getting better and feeling pretty normal. I stepped back on my meds, to 50mg Zoloft and 37.5 mg Wellbutrin, plus vitamin B supplements. I had a good routine, but one of my freelance contract jobs was coming to an end, so I put my resume online, thinking, I can do it now! And I got a cool job in a great city. But after the first day I'm not sure if I can handle it and I don't know what to do. I came back to the hotel at lunch and took 25mg more of Zoloft, thinking maybe I should step back up. I have an application in on an apartment and I'm supposed to sign the lease this weekend, but I just don't know. I really wanted this to work out, but I'm terrified I can't do it and will be stuck with an apartment I can't otherwise pay for. I just don't know what to do. I'm sitting here in tears and feeling the lowest I have in a while. Please anyone help

Thanks for the advice on checking about disability! Sounds like a very useful thing to know. I also know my new place of employment does short- and long-term disability as part of benefits, so I took that as a good sign. DeGenesis, thanks so much for the advice. Yeah, I'm more concerned about the social aspect of it, since I appear normal at most times. I don't want to have a doctor explain it unless I have a huge fainting/seizing episode, which hasn't happened in three years since I started meds and an exercise program. So, hopefully I won't need one. Hopefully! writerlymom, thanks! That's true, I'm sure many people don't even notice when POTS is making us feel weird. It's a desk job, and lots of natural light in the office, so hopefully the lighting won't be a trigger. And I'm glad it won't have me on my feet all day. It seems like a great opportunity, so I'm going to give it my best shot!