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As a woman, I sweat way more than I'd like to! One day when I was 16, I started sweating through my clothes at school for no apparent reason and it just never went away. Usually it's not as bad as it was at that time, but I still choose clothes that don't easily show sweat because it's embarrassing. My major areas are armpits, the back of my thighs, and the back of my knees. When I got married, I was nervous and I could just feel the sweat running down my legs...yuck! Also, I sweat more when it's too got (of course) but also when I'm too cold. I went to the doctor when I was 16 about it and she told me I had anxiety and promptly put me on Paxil :/ Way to go, doc... My major issue these days is NIGHT SWEATS. I soak through my pajamas and leave wet spots on the sheets. It's so gross and uncomfortable. I'm glad my husband doesn't seem to mind.

Wow, a house call would be awesome! I wish more doctors in the US would do that, but I think most have the attitude that medicine is "big business" and it wouldn't be worth their time :/ Sad that even with all the advances in technology and new tools at our disposal, doctors seem to actually care less than ever before. At least that's been my perception. I can't do morning appointments either. I had to be at the hospital at 7:45 for my TTT and I was like a zombie. For my cardio appointments, I never schedule them before 12:30. I just can't think in the morning and I feel sicker. I agree with sue1234, making notes ahead of time and bringing them with you is the best way to outsmart the brain fog!

Thank you for the replies! I've been taking the Wellbutrin in the early afternoon (I wake up around 11 am) and the Zoloft at night. I had some anxiety and the obsessive thoughts again last night and of course trouble sleeping. I wondered about the stimulating effects, too, since I'm already super-sensitive to caffeine. I have the night sweats without the Wellbutrin-- that's why I was prescribed it, I think. Besides interrupting my sleep and being just gross, I think all the sweat is causing yeast infection issues. My cardio said it might help with the night sweats and it should blunt the other symptoms. I'm just wondering if I really need it. I hate being on meds in the first place, so it's tough to convince me to stick with a second one. I might just ditch it today. Man, are meds frustrating or what? I'd love to do without them but without the Zoloft I'd be fainting right and left. I haven't really tried changing my diet, although I eat pretty healthy. I've eliminated caffeine and I avoid wheat because it irritates my IBS, and I don't eat much meat or dairy. I also only use non-toxic cleaners in my house (I use vinegar-based cleaners and things like that). I haven't tried Wahls or Paleo but I might check into them. I'm also a firm believer in eliminating toxins. I try to air out my house as much as possible too.

As I said in another post a few days back, my cardio added 75 mg Wellbutrin (generic) to my 100 mg Zoloft (generic). I've been ok on the Zoloft although it was **** the first few weeks I was on it. He prescribed the Wellbutrin because I have been having super-awful night sweats every single night. I'm on day 4 of Wellbutrin and I don't like it. The first day I had an elevated HR but was otherwise ok. Then the insomnia started, but worse than that is the racing/obsessive thoughts that accompany it. I know it took me a while to get used to Zoloft, but that was mostly overcoming the severe nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. I don't remember it having mental SEs like this. However, when I was a teenager and was put on Paxil for "anxiety" (what I now know to be POTS) I did have the racing/obsessive thoughts. I also had them as part of an allergic reaction to an antibiotic when I was about 13. How long do you wait to see if a med is going to work out? I gave Florinef about 3 weeks but the headaches were too much. 4 days seems like a really short amount of time, but I don't know how much longer I can deal with these mental side effects And if anyone knows if Wellbutrin is supposed to help with night sweats, please share. I'm skeptical.

I have POTS and NCS/NMS and I seize when I faint. When I started having serious episodes, people asked if I was epileptic. During the TTT I fainted within 3 minutes of being upright and seized while unconscious. I don't know what causes mine; I haven't been tested for adrenal issues or mast cell disorder. My sympathy goes out to your son. It's bad enough to feel crappy so much and faint but then seizing on top of it too! I really empathize.

Thanks for your input, targs66 I appreciate it! I'm also really drug-sensitive, that's why I'm a little wary of adding anything new. My doctor prescribed 75 mg of Wellbutrin, which seems pretty low, but even so I'm thinking about taking only part of it at first.

Has anyone tried these two medications together? I've been on 100 mg of Zoloft for a couple of years now, but I've been having a flare-up of symptoms for the past few months, and my cardiologist just prescribed Wellbutrin to be taken in conjunction with Zoloft. Zoloft was horrible to get accustomed to, so I am really wary of adding something to it. I wasn't sure if this is a standard combination of medications, either.

I had thrush once a few years ago before I was diagnosed. I got it after being around cigarette smoke and being really stressed out. Thrush is a fungal infection, and I think a lot of us have issues with yeast infections both internally and externally. I haven't had thrush since then but I've had other yeast issues. Mine was not related to heartburn. I've only had a few bouts of heartburn in my life, although I do get indigestion after eating stuff like Indian food. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the two are related for you. My doctor said eating yogurt can help with the thrush and yeast issues. I'm not sure how true that is, but I figure it couldn't hurt, and there are other health benefits anyway

I have been on Zoloft for a while. Originally I was prescribed it for "panic attacks" when I thought my symptoms must be all in my head. They started me at 25 mg and I was sick as a dog for two weeks. I literally could not get up off the couch. I pushed through it and kept taking it and moved up to 50 mg. It helped with the anxiety and other POTS symptoms (even though I still didn't know what they were). I went off of it because I had to for an overseas job and my symptoms all got much, much worse-- anxiety, tachycardia, dizziness, fainting, nausea, etc. Several months later I went back on it, starting at like 6 mg using a pill cutter. It was much easier for me to go up from starting that low. I went up to 50 mg and thought I was ok, but then I had a really bad period of fainting and seizing and injuring myself while unconscious. Finally at that point I was referred to a heart clinic and diagnosed after testing. They bumped me up to 100 mg, which was hard to adjust to at first (again I stepped it up gradually though) but helped. I was on Florinef with it for a while, but stopped because it gave me horrible headaches. My issue with Zoloft is that it is very difficult to lose weight. I am extremely careful about what I eat so I do not gain weight, and I actually lowered my dosage to 75 mg to try to lose a couple of pounds. It worked, but after a few months at this dosage, I am feeling quite a bit worse. Much worse insomnia, night sweats, inability to eat a normal-sized meal without getting crazy tachy...

During the first part where I was lying down, there was no talking and I was left in the room by myself with dim lighting and no noise. After the tilted me up, the doctor was there and diagnosed me with POTS almost immediately, and the nurse told me to report symptoms, which I did for about 2 minutes (including a shout for help ) before I passed out. As I was coming to, there were several nurses around me and they kept asking me to respond. Once I was awake with IV fluids, they discussed the POTS and NMS diagnoses. I also nearly pass out when I laugh a lot or talk a lot, especially with people I don't know. It's so embarrassing.

I have these symptoms too, and my doctor brushed them off, saying they were just likely part of the whole POTS thing. I have night sweats more nights than not, and I have to get up to pee 1-3 times each night, usually only once these days but sometimes it spikes. This has been happening for nearly 3 years. At the time of my diagnosis, I know there were no issues with glucose levels. I haven't been tested since. I think it's safe to rule out menopause in my case because I'm mid-twenties. It's so frustrating that my doctor just tells me not to worry about it. I have no obvious triggers either. I've tried lifting weights before bed, taking ibuprofen, doing stress-relieving things before bed, but nothing. I have always had extremely vivid dreams that make me feel as though I'm not getting enough sleep, but it is so much worse with the sweating. It's weird though, because like Emma246, recently my symptoms are fairly controlled through exercise and in my case medication. I don't know anything about the possibility of mast cell issues. My doctor just hands me SSRIs and tells me to basically deal with everything else :/ I've tried to look for other doctors but we all know how frustrating that is...

I also recommend coconut water. I used to drink lots of Vitamin Water Zero, Gatorade G2 and Sobe Lifewater, but I've found coconut water to be more beneficial. I'm wary of too much sugar as well as artificial sweeteners, so coconut water seems to be the way to go for me. I like the Vita Coco brand the best as far as flavor goes. I'm glad it's gained popularity with the mainstream because I can even find it out in the sticks where I live

I had a flare when I had regular local anesthetic for an emergency root canal. I've had a reaction to topical anesthetic that they applied before doing an injection, too. The best thing in my experience, although I still wasn't completely symptom-free, was non-epi injection anesthesia with no topical beforehand. They said it would wear off quickly, but for me it actually lasted much longer, just the one dose lasted around 5-6 hours. I think my inappropriate nervous system response to the usual jitters about going to the dentist is partially what always makes me feel sick during and afterwards. Good luck! I find it helps if I promise myself a treat afterwards, like a banana milkshake

I try to get up between 9:00 and 10:30. I set an alarm, but it usually takes me about 20 minutes to summon the energy to get out of bed. I eat breakfast right after, with decaf of half-caff coffee, take care of the cats, kind of "space out" for a while as I try to get dressed and do hair/makeup. Then I usually work a little (research work from home) for an hour or two depending on that day's workload, and fix some lunch. I take supplements with lunch and drink water and iced tea (usually unsweetened iced green tea). After lunch I work some more and do some housework such as laundry or cleaning the bathroom or mopping if I feel up to it. I check the garden in the afternoon. Mid-afternoon I exercise for 30-60 mins, usually a cardio type DVD (lately I've been challenging myself with Bob Harper's Inside Out Method series). HR often up in the 190s during this, and afterwards I have to rest for a while so HR can come down. Usually takes about an hour to get back around my regular HR (70s-80s). Work a little more, depending. Start dinner to have it ready shortly after my husband gets home around 5:30. On nice days, we take a long, usually slow, walk at a nearby park. I shower at night because hot water in the morning makes me faint. I go to bed around 12:00 but often wake up in the night feeling very nauseous with a high HR and end up watching something on TV for a couple of hours. About once a week I meet with my boss, which means a 3 to 4-hour meeting and a 45 minute drive each way. I can't do much before I leave for this meeting because I know I'll start to feel very sick at his place. I usually can't do much at all the next day either. I fidget a lot during my long meeting and drink something with electrolytes like coconut water or LifeWater. I also take a light snack with me like Bel Vitas. I try to do most of the housework, but some days I just can't do it. I'm worried that my work from home job as a research assistant isn't going to last much longer, and I don't know what I'll do then. I was offered a teaching position at a university last year but there's no way I can handle that right now. I'm glad I don't have kids but I have a lot of bills and I get stressed about being able to stay afloat. My husband is super helpful and is very understanding when I don't feel well. I'm much better than I was at this time last year but I still can't handle a full-time job. On days when I absolutely have to get up before 9 or so, I feel terrible.

Yes, reading and taking notes set me off. I had horrible issues with this in grad school before I knew what was going on. I've found that if I'm in a place with flourescent lighting trying to read it is much, much worse. I get the same rush feeling you described above with dizziness and also nausea. I am also susceptible to tension headaches in my neck.

I am able to exercise. When I was first diagnosed 14 months ago, it was incredibly difficult. I could only go about 10 minutes on the elliptical before fainting. I found a recumbent bike on Craigslist and started training slowly on it. Then I worked walking into my routine. Now I'm able to take long walks and do intense cardio DVDs, although it's not unusual for my HR to sometimes still hit 200. I'm also trying to get out and hike because I really love doing it, even though it's really challenging for me. I put a lot of stock in the idea that exercise might be a key in managing symptoms. I am still pretty symptomatic after working out, though, and it takes a very long time for my HR to come down. And pretty much without fail, about 4-5 hours after an intense workout I feel like a zombie. Curiously, I can't do yoga. It makes me feel the worst out of all the types of exercise I've been trying. I used to do it a lot before diagnosis.

I agree with you westernmass, the bloating is awful. I've also done pregnancy tests since diagnosis "just in case." I think my issue is mostly with Zoloft. I can't seem to lost weight or get rid of the bloat even though I'm eating healthy, never have soda, have cut down on sugar, and am exercising 5-6 days a week for 30 mins to 1 hour 30 minutes. Despite having done this for several weeks, the scale hasn't budged- up or down- in about 3 weeks. It's driving me crazy! I'm actually going to lower my dose of Zoloft to fight it. Here's hoping.

I like these ones too! Also: Nicki Minaj- Super Bass nearly anything by Katy Perry No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom album nearly anything by Lily Allen If you're looking for something really different but really upbeat, try the group Girls Generation, especially their song "Gee." It's sugar-sweet Korean pop music, haha! I lived in South Korea for a while and got into the upbeat pop music they love over there.

That's what I've been trying to do all week, I guess it's just now hitting me-- like you said, after the stressful situation has passed. That must be part of the delayed sympathetic nervous system reactions we have?

Do your symptoms get much, much worse when you're under an abnormally high amount of stress? My husband came down with meningitis last weekend and was hospitalized for the whole week. He was finally able to come home today, but just as he is getting better, I feel myself crashing in a big way. Food does not sound appealing at all, my headaches have gotten increasingly worse throughout the week, and I am incredibly tired despite sleeping reasonably well last night. I also have the shaky low-BP feeling I used to get a lot pre-diagnosis (and pre-medication). I've been keeping up a schedule that is a lot more strenuous than usual this week, staying up for 2 days straight in the ER, going back and forth to the ER/hospital and filling prescriptions etc. My normal schedule consists of getting 9+ hours of sleep (or at least laying around since I can't always fall asleep or stay asleep) and working from home about 25 hours a week. I tried eating some soup and toast this evening but I couldn't finish it. What do you find helpful for recovering after this kind of week? I haven't gone through anything this stressful since diagnosis and I just want to stay in bed with an ice pack across my forehead for the headache and watch movies until I feel like getting up, whenever that may be. Argh!

I suffer from lack of appetite too. Sometimes it's due to nausea, sometimes it isn't. I find it's a lot worse in warm/hot weather or when I'm worn out. I try to take some soup or broth for salt, but sometimes even that doesn't sound good. Sometimes green tea and ginger tea help me feel a little more "normal" (I use the term loosely )

I was a PhD candidate and had to drop out of my program when I got too sick last spring. I am able to work from home about 25 hours a week, doing research and editing/proof-reading. My boss is a retired professor who had to take early retirement from teaching due to his own health issues, so he is really understanding. I had wanted to complete the PhD program and pursue a career in teaching at the university level and work on my own research projects, but I think having to quit school may have been a blessing in disguise considering the huge budget cuts universities are making these days! I didn't expect to be doing this, but I am really enjoying it. And during times when I have extra energy, I can still work a little on my own research.

Sometimes I feel better after exercising and sometimes I have to stop midway through and lay down on the floor. Dysautonomia-related illnesses can be so different for everyone, and even for each person it can change day to day. But it's great that you've found something that helps!

I also feel better if I'm moving. If I'm standing for a long time, like making dinner, I start to feel really bad, and the same is true if I'm sitting in one position for a long time like during class or a long car trip. After a 5 1/2 hour car trip where I was a passenger, I couldn't do anything the rest of the evening or night and I felt miserable.

I would often get more intense presyncope feelings during class, especially last year when I got really bad just before diagnosis. I had a lot of seminar classes that would be 3+ hours long and it would go on the whole time-- lightheadedness, nausea, weird eye twitching, sometimes ears buzzing, elevated heart rate etc. My schedule is easier on my body these days, but when I had class every day it did happen every day. Sitting for long periods is just as bad, if not worse, than standing for me, and I think being surrounded by people in an intense environment also made me stressed, which triggered symptoms. At least that's my hypothesis.