Mrs. Burschman

Lina, I was back on Paxil when I had my TTT. My pulse went up 34 bpm. I know it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't been taking the Paxil. I'm with AJW on this one. It seems like the medication helps control it, but it doesn't take it away. So your description sounds perfectly normal for a POTSy person! Amy

I hope your pain is under better control today, little fishy. My wish for you is ... good stuff to watch on TV! (That's about all one can hope for in the hospital, is it not?) Sending you hugs! Amy

I take Lyrica (another anticonvulsant) with no problems. It helps keep my anxiety under control. It's actually approved in Europe for that purpose. Amy

Welcome, Mary! Probably about 90 percent of us (at least) have been tagged as just plain crazy in the past, so you're in good company! Welcome aboard! Amy

Congrats, Ernie! I hope it goes well and she finds a way to help you out a bit. Also, thanks for taking part in research! I really appreciate people who are willing to do that. Amy

Good luck, Rachel. I hope it helps a lot! Amy

Melissa, Our prayers are with you. You have a special place in all of our hearts. The truth is, we're all dying. Whether it comes a month from now or 100 years, we're all on the same path. My hope for you (and for us all!) is that we have plenty of love to get us to the end of our journey here on earth, whenever that may be. You are loved. Always remember that. Amy

Happy birthday, Dawn! I hope it's a good one, and that this year is a happy one for you. Have a piece of cake for all of your DINET friends! Amy

What I thought was withdrawal from Paxil (tingling in my hands and feet, nausea, weight loss, dizziness, tachycardia, almost a continuous panic attack, and other things I've probably just forgotten) turned out to be POTS. When I tried to stop Paxil twice (once cold turkey, once tapering down over a six-month period) and got the same symptoms, that's when I figured out that it wasn't withdrawal symptoms. It was autonomic dysfunction that is greatly helped by the Paxil. So I'll be staying on it. The side effects are nothing compared to how crappy I feel off of it! Amy

My TTT was no big deal. In fact, I just got bored. Near the end, I felt a little lightheaded, but that was it. No problem. Amy

That bites! I guess it's good to know what the problem is, however. My brother has dealt with gastroparesis in the past. He had good luck with amitriptyline, which is a tricyclic antidepressant. Why that helped, I have no idea. He took it at a lower dose than it would be used for depression. It hasn't been much of an issue for him the past few years, so that's good. Sorry you have to deal with this! Amy

Such withdrawal effects are VERY common with all of the SSRI and SNRI antidepressants (Cymbalta is an SNRI.) In fact, it's recommended that to avoid such effects, users of these medications should taper off of them, really slowly if need be. I'd check with your doctor or pharmacist about what you should do now. They might recommend that you restart it and stop more gradually (though I don't remember if that's possible with Cymbalta.) Amy

If you get migraines, taking magnesium might help. I get a lot fewer now that I take magnesium. Amy

Hot tea is my drug of choice. I don't know if it's the Lyrica or the POTS (or a combination) that makes me so tired. But the shot of caffeine really helps. I haven't noticed that it makes me jittery or anything, so what the heck. Amy

Welcome back! Amy

Hi, Mom! I haven't seen you post before. Welcome! I hope you find as much information and support here as I do! Amy

Lyrica seems to make me a little sleepy (unless it's just the POTS!) It's an anticonvulsant, too. Other than that, I don't think it's given me any weird symptoms. I hope it helps prevent migraines. They stink! Amy

Deucy, !@#$%!!! That's just not fair. Did you get a chance to speak to someone in your congressional representative's office? Or aren't you allowed? I just know my husband deals with disability cases (and Veterans Affairs) every day. Come here and vent whenever you need to! We wish we could do more.l Amy

You could put the Jack Daniels in a paper bag and sit with it in the waiting room. Suppose that would get you seen more quickly? Thanks for the laugh, Sophia! Amy

Rachel, Thanks! That would be good. If you get any info, you can send me a message. In the meantime, I located a doctor who seems promising. She's internal med, but she also has training in women's health and psychiatry. Considering my interstitial cystitis diagnosis, PCOS diagnosis and anxiety disorder diagnosis, I'm thinking she might be good. I set up an appointment, but not until July! In the meantime, my family-practice physician can suffice. What a pain. Amy

Well, that was lame! Amy

Hi all, I got bad news in the mail. My only doctor who gets it, my psychiatrist, is closing her practice (not because of me, I hope!) Anyway, I don't really need a psychiatrist, but I do need a "medical home" per se. I'm not sure what my best bet would be. I have a family physician, but I'm wondering if my case is more complex than she has time for. Should I check internal medicine docs? Any ideas? Amy

Good luck, Maxine! I don't have EDS (as far as I know), but I think it's cool that you're participating in a study. Hopefully, you find out some useful information, both for yourself and the medical community in general. Thanks for playing guinea pig! Hats off to you! Amy

Happy birthday! I hope it's a good one, and here's to a as-healthy-as-possible year for you! Eat a piece of cake for your DINET friends! Amy

Yuck. They used to think multiple sclerosis was just women being hysterical, too. Amy