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picaresque

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Posts posted by picaresque

  1. Mytwo, I take Celexa primarily for anxiety and depression, so, for me, I go through my psychiatrist for that. At the same time, I have noticed the benefits listed above that I feel are POTS-related and not anxiety-related. Other antidepressants I tried had side effects that negatively effected my POTS - such as Lexapro make me more tremulous. I haven't had the drop in HR that lemons has had - I wish I did! lemons - I'm surprised that surprised that you were on 40 mg so soon, as that's the upper limit of dosage according to my psychiatrist! I'm glad you found a dosage that works for you.

  2. I take 30 mg of Celexa and I've found that it's helped to limit some of the feelings of "internal tremors," where I'd feel like my insides were shaking or sometimes like a short-circuit feeling, and also muscle twitches. I don't know if that was my nervous system malfunctioning or anxiety or both, but, while it still happens, it happens less being on that. Just the general feeling of relaxation that its brought on has helped me deal with my symptoms from a better state of mind. And I second what Dani said - if it's something you're interested in trying, it may take a few tries to get it right. I've tried five or six, trying to balance out side effects.

  3. I'm not currently doing exercise every day, but the best for me, even when feeling symptomatic, is swimming. I also like yoga, but I have had near-syncope changing positions at least once. So, I stay away from that when I'm very symptomatic, but can tolerate it with mild symptoms. I have an AM/PM yoga DVD that and I find that the PM is just the right intensity for symptomatic days, when I'm too tired to go to a class. When I'm feeling very well, I love to use the stationary bike at the gym. I've never been able to stand very long on the upright machines like the elliptical or stairs, but I have good stamina with swimming, yoga, and the stationary bike. I also do crunches/sit-ups and push-ups that, along with cutting out caffeine, have helped somewhat to lessen muscle twitches and tremulousness. I also try to walk a LOT, even on my worse days. I think it's a real balancing act, figuring out what works for oneself. And, for me, not focusing so much on what I can't do and just trying to do something, anything.

  4. Thank you both! I just scheduled an appointment with Dr. Abdallah for the end of June. Like you, Chaos, I find myself needing the health benefit of knowing that I have a diagnosis, at the very least. I'm lucky in that my symptoms are not at all debilitating, but are enough of a nuisance to make me constantly fatigued, and having a more definite answer would certainly give me some peace of mind!

  5. I'm a new member here and first, I just wanted to thank you all for choosing to build such a good community and share your knowledge and resources! This website helped me to understand what had been going on in my life starting around age 16. Now in my early 20s, my symptoms have increased. Falling over from near-syncope and fatigue became common occurrences. Other symptoms that had been there before increased, as well: frequent urination, constant thirst, palpitations, tremulousness, gastro problems (pain, constipation, diarrhea, bloating), among others - exacerbated by heat, exhaustion, and stress.

    After a disappointing appointment with my PCP, who did not take me seriously at all, I decided to seek out a cardiologist. I was told that my symptoms during the TTT did not fit a postural problem and that I had Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia and given a prescription for Magnesium Oxide. When I looked at the test results, and read more about IST, I was convinced that this was wrong and that I have POTS. My resting HR is not high - it's frequently in the 50s. While my cardio had excluded postural because I passed the TTT with no drop in BP, I demonstrated a 50+ jump in HR within the first ten minutes and throughout the test that righted itself when the table was lowered. My ECG showed both bradycardia and tachycardia, with highs in the 160s, but night time was not high. I raised these points with my doctor at a follow-up appointment and he agreed with me that I "probably" have POTS and started me on Midodrine.

    Now, I'm trying to decide whether "probably" does it for me and whether my cardio should have seen the points I raised before I did. My next follow-up with my cardio is in Sept. I'm considering making an appointment with Dr. Abdallah in northern VA, because my cardio is not a specialist and I want both the validation and best treatment that comes with a diagnosis.

    Right now I'm trying to find a balance between understanding all of this, my grad studies, volunteering, and what I can manage of a social life. I'm lucky to have understanding friends and family who take me seriously when I'm fatigued or with other symptoms. This community has been invaluable in helping me learn more about what I believe is going on with me. There's a quote I like by Lin Yutang: "Hope is like a road in the country; there was never a road, but when many people walk on it, the road comes into existence." Thanks for sharing your experiences to bring into view the road for people like me - and I hope I can do the same for people.

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