Enid

We have one and I love it...use it for many things: smoothies....hummus......soups that get hot right in it...coconut butter...sunflower seed butter...a caramel sauce from nut butter and dates...I thought my husband was crazy to buy one for the price but we really use it almost every day. Also easy clean up- (although 1 bizarre thing...when it is on high, the buzzing of the motor makes my scalp tingle! Although I also get that with bacon sizzling. Perhaps they should put a warning for may elicit bizarre symptoms if you have dysautonomia!)

Hi I had previously been on monocor for tachycardia (prescribed by a cardiologist) and amitryptiline (prescribed by an ENT for vestibular migraine prevention) the first time I saw the neurologist then went off it for I think at least a couple of weeks before the tilt table test. Also no caffeine in the a.m. and only a light breakfast

I had had mild vertigo, headaches etc after my pregnancy in 2006 and then my symptoms got much worse, with near constant tachycardia after a bad gastro virus in winter of 2008. I finally got a diagnosis in summer 2009 and was treated conservatively and did almost daily exercise (walking mostly) By about August 2010 was virtually symptom free. I felt I had "walked my way" out of POTS! There was a good year and a half symptom free. Unfortunately symptoms came back, worse in fact, in December 2011. I attribute the relapse to increased stress at work with a concomitant stopping of my lunch time walks. So I got myself back into the routine of more exercise (recumbent bike this time) and thought I would work my way out of this episode as well....unfortunately did not go as planned and I ended up started beta blockers in November 2012. Still not where I had thought I was going to be for 2013 but I still have hope I can get to a place a little closer to the "feeling well" end of the spectrum. I am Just coming to terms with the chronicity of this which is a bit of a pain given I thought I had "beat this". The thought of feeling "well" again for even 6 months or so helps me to keep up with the exercise.

Hi Tara - I think he is a good match for me - I was so appreciative to finally have a diagnosis + he is one of the only autonomic specialists in Quebec (and I think Canada) which I find very reassuring. The tilt table test and autonomic tests are done by someone named Julie (I think that was her name) She is extremely calming, struck me as very good at her job and plays music during the test, interesting chit chat, she takes requests but I liked the jazzy stuff she had on! Good luck on Monday!

I first saw him in May 2009 en route to being diagnosed - He had me go off monocor, -a med a cardiologist had prescribed for tachycardia without any further work up ! - before I had the tilt table test in July which confirmed POTS and a mild autonomic neuropathy. He suggested conservative measures then, exercise and fluids etc...and fortunately I was much better and almost symptom free by August 2010 so I stopped seeing him for regular follow ups. I then had a relapse in December 2011 - he was sceptical that "it" came back so he arranged another tilt table test - largely I think to try to reassure me. Tilt table was still positive and off I went with conservative measures again. But I remained with significant symptoms so when I went back to see him again in November 2012 I was ready and armed to try and convince him that I wanted to try meds. I was surprised after explaining my current situation he said sounds like you need a baby dose of beta blocker to "cut the edge" (He never struck me as quick to prescribe) So he started me on 20 mg a day of nadalol which has the tachycardia under control (Although I still get headaches and vertigo nearly every day and the occasional wonky episodes but much less autonomic surge type episodes where I would get shaky, cold SOB etc...

I am followed by Dr Schondorf - a complete fluke how I ended up finally getting a diagnosis of pots after numerous specialists etc...My GP had referred me to an endocrinologist at the JGH because she suspected a pheochromocytoma because of my high epinephrine levels and tachycardia . When I saw the endo he said I did not present as a pheochromocytoma pt because my symptoms came and went. He was the first person who used the terms POTS with me because he had heard Dr Schondorf speak on it just before my visit to him. Ironic that if I had got to see the endo earlier he himself would likely not yet have heard of POTS and I might still be floundering around for a diagnosis! I hope your visit went "well".

I like nuun - not necessarily for the sodium but just to help get in my 2 liters per day