Rachel

India,

If you have had whooping cough in the past you are supposed to be immune to it. Supposed to be. Kind of like chicken pox - once you've had it you shouldn't get it again. But strange things happen.

lthomas521 posted a link to an article that recommends getting a booster even if you have already had whooping cough.

Talk to your doctor and see what he says would be best for you.

Rachel

Thanks for sharing that article. I'm glad to know that they have come up with a safe booster with pertussis for adults. I guess Alaska's health care is just behind the times.

Rachel

Hi Lauren,

I wouldn't call what I see hallucinations, but I do have visual disturbances sometimes. It looks like a shadow in my peripheral vision. It goes away in a few seconds. I've never paid attention to what my bp or heart rate is doing at the time, though. I guess I should do that!

Hope you can figure out what's going on.

Rachel

PickledFairy,

Interesting...I'm not quite sure what to say!

I hadn't heard of Yohimbine being used for dysautonomia. But, maybe it helps somehow. I did some research online. I don't see how it could help POTS or hypovolemia, though, since Yohimbine does indeed dialate blood vessles. I don't know enough about neuropathy/your type of neuropathy, so I don't know what the drugs effect would be on that.

Yohimbine does seem to be somewhat of a conroversial drug. I would definitely do some research online and quiz your doctor for more information.

Good luck! Let us know how Yohimbine works for you.

Rachel

Congratulations!!! That is wonderful news! I'm glad you'll be able to teach them about dysautonomia. Hope all goes well and that you enjoy your teaching position. Your students will have one very cool teacher.

Rachel

How wonderful and sweet. Thanks for sharing.

Rachel

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to try them out!

I've never had a problem with a tetanus booster shot. But I've never had the TIG shot. I don't know which shot you'll be getting.

Have you had a tetanus shot in the past? If not, make sure the nurse knows that. For those who have not had the DTaP shot and the TD booster shots, then the shot they need after a bite is different than the TD booster. They need the TIG (Tetanus immune globulin). Some nurses don't know/forget this. So we've got to stay on top of things!

http://www.everettclinic.com/kbase/frame/s...g3065/frame.htm

http://www.everettclinic.com/kbase/glossar...i150857/def.htm

Hope all goes well.

Rachel

P.S.

I've just been looking into shots a little more online. I remember the nurse telling us that there aren't boosters for Pertussis once you're older. I'm not sure if this is the case all over the US or not (mandatory shots vary from state to state). Children get the DTaP shot. And then the booster at the age of 4-6. But the booster for teenagers and adults is just the DT. It doesn't have a pertussis booster in it.

http://www.healthline.com/adamcontent/tetanus-vaccine

So most adults and teenagers can contract pertussis. Be careful if you're around someone who has a barking cough!

Whooping Cough is no fun! Last winter my 2 1/2 month old son caught whooping cough. We do immunizations, but at 2 months old he had only had the first shot in a series of 4. So he was not fully immunized yet. The doctor put him on Zithromax, which killed the bacteria, but the cough still lingered for a long time and made sleeping and breathing very hard for the little baby. It is a miracle that he is still alive today.

If you have already had whooping cough then you should now be immune to it. But, if you've been immunized, the immunization does wear off eventually. A strong antiobiotic helps a lot and keeps pertussis from getting worse, but the best prevention is immunization and booster shots.

For a healthy older child/adult many times whooping cough isn't too bad to deal with. But for the sake of babies and those who are already sick, immunizations are a huge help.

If anyone wants further information on Pertussis (Whooping Cough) here are two pages of info from the State of Alaska.

Pertussis Fact Sheet:

http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/id/dod/pert...isFactsheet.pdf

More info on Pertussis:

http://www.epi.alaska.gov/bulletins/docs/b2005_20.pdf

I'm so glad to hear that your doctors visit went so well! That's great news! I hope that the meds are just what you need.

Would you please send the article to me too? Or you can just send me a web page link if it's on the internet. Thanks!

Rejoicing with you,

Rachel

Lavender,

Yes, this happens to me too. I'm a very laid back person and have never really been stressed in my life. But for the past 3 years especially my body has responded to stress in the way you just described. Sometimes just a small disappointment will wipe me out.

Welcome! We're glad to have you here! This is a great place to find information and people who care.

Some hospitals have patient financial assistance programs.

I do not have insurance, but recently had to have an MRI and blood work done. It was very important that they be done as soon as possible. The hospital had a financial assistance application that I filled out at the time of my tests. The bills totaled over $5,000 (and I couldn't afford a penny of it). But I was approved at 100% for assistance and didn't have to pay anything! My bill was covered by donations of doctors and employees of the hospital, and people in the community. What a blessing!!!

I would not have known about this service if someone hadn't told me. Anyway, check with your local hospital. Some of them do have good programs to assist those unable to pay their medical bills.

Rachel

Dear Julie,

I hope the appointment goes well and that your doctor is willing to listen to you about POTS. You're right - many doctors don't like it when we diagnose ourselves! But bring a list of your symptoms, and a detailed description of POTS and its symptoms. Request a tilt table test so that you can receive an "official" diagnosis. Be persistent!

Good luck! Let us know how it goes and what your doctor says.

Rachel

Glad you found us Shannon! Welcome to the forum!

And thanks for helping to promote POTS awareness!

Rachel

Linda,

I get those same symptoms too. Not necessarily every day, but several times a week it happens to me.

Thanks for sharing! I'm so happy to hear that your family doctor stepped in and helped out. And it's good to hear that Blake is doing well. I pray that his procedure goes well on Monday.

Rachel

Welcome home dear Sunfish!

We've missed you here and have been praying for you. Glad to hear that you are home. Hope you continue to regain strength.

Love,

Rache

I've never had a problem with erythomelagia.

This happens to me too. You said the doctor called it a pvc. What exactly is a pvc? I don't remember that term.

Dear Tessa,

I'm so sorry that the visit to the doctor went so badly. It is awful to have a doctor ignore your symptoms and tell you that you'll be just fine.

Is there another more knowledgeable doctor in your area that you could go to?

Hugs,

Rachel

Oh, dear Ernie,

I'm so sorry you have to go through all of this.

Hugs,

Rachel

Thanks for sharing!

Lavender,

I did my ttt when I lived in Virginia. I have a friend who recently had a ttt in Anchorage and it was a terrible experience for her. They left her strapped to the table for 2 hours while they were waiting for the doctor to show up. I don't know which hospital she went to for the test, though. Maybe that was the same place you had yours done where the guy was so inconsiderate.

This fall I had some blood work and an MRI done at Providence Hospital and the Providence Imaging Center. Everyone was WONDERFUL and so kind. I don't know if that is indicative of the rest of the hospital, though.

Rachel

P.S. Do you recognize my avatar? It's a picture of the Kenai River taken from the deck of Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing!