Lily

I found they're easier to get on if I use the ones with open toes. They either come with or you can buy a little sock-slipper that eases the way. Then you just pull it out the open toe. I also put them on "wrong" by putting the gloves on and proceeding as if they were nylon hose.

One of the things most dietary philosophies seem to agree on is that we should not eat much if any processed food. I like to point out to my historical geology students that Homo species first appeared in the fossil record about 2.5 million years ago, Homo sapiens about 200,000 years ago, and processed food about 100 years ago. Processed food is evolutionarily novel, and just because we can eat it doesn't mean it is good nutrition.

Perhaps you dropped your carbs to low for you. I'm trying to remember what I used to know about neurotransmitters and diet, but I'm coming up blank right now. Maybe you unintentionally shorted yourself in a major or minor requirement to make a neurotransmitter. Have you checked the Mark's Daily Apple forums? Not everyone is knowledgeable, but some have good solid knowledge. They may be able to offer better advice than I.

I haven't tried Whole 30, but I try to follow the Primal Blueprint. My compliance varies, but when I am more compliant I feel better in general, have no joint pain, no postprandial hypoglycemia symptoms, and I lose weight so very easily. I have no idea if it impacts my POTS, because I haven't been paying attention to that aspect. The biggest problems I have with it are that I get bored (ADHD), and if I don't eat enough healthy carbs during the work day I run the risk of overeating nut butter or some other treat after work. I can't do ketosis, but I function best on 80 - 150 g carbs. I usually end up getting about 50% of my calories from fats. And yet my cholesterol numbers and ratios are about as good as they can get. Breakfast today is 3 hard boiled eggs with arugula pesto (dairy-free) in an ancient grains wrap, coffee, and a banana. I may or may not be hungry for lunch. Maybe a snack at 2pm. About your happiness comment: Sugar and grains (and dairy) can be addictive, so if you have only gone off them for this Whole 30, then you may still be adjusting. Your mood may recover yet.

Neat. I didn't know there were so many diseases that sometimes can be treated with parasites.

I have been having a hard time getting myself to the gym to lift, but it turns out that high repetition bodyweight exercises make for a challenging workout. Yesterday in addition to walking around for an hour leading a field trip I did 3 sets of 20 full bodyweight squats and 3 sets of 30 bodyweight calf raises. Tough enough to "count" in my mind. I complained to the POTS doctor about the lack of guidance on the internet for POTSies who are either not exercise intolerant or who have worked their way up a lot. He said that I can just proceed as if I didn't have POTS, so that's my plan. I am currently working on re-establishing the exercising habit.

I just learned something interesting. Details of results of cardiovascular training include increased blood volume. See here: http://www.outsideonline.com/2065496/your-body-sports

I am currently on the tenure track, with POTS and ADHD. I don't take ritalin, because my neurologist knows I get palpitations and so doesn't want to prescribe it. I take Strattera (and coffee) for ADHD instead. For POTS brain fog I get the most benefit from working with my feet up on my desk. And salt/water/compression hose.

Now I'm wondering something. Like I said above, vigorous exercise is not a problem for me, but slow exercise will provoke symptoms. Am I right in going for vigorous exercise, hitting 70 - 85% MHR in cardio or else weight lifting (heavy weight low rep, or else high rep bodyweight)?

Unfortunately yes, you have to stand leaning against the tilted table, stare at the wall, and wait for symptoms to happen. Think of it as an opportunity to practice patience, or meditate, or pray, or something. One of my TTTs featured silent and serious staff/doctors, but the second featured chatty and talkative staff/doctors. Its not as bad if the people are chatty. If they are looking for POTS it might not need to go on for 45 minutes. If they are looking for neurally mediated syncope, then you might need the whole time. If they get impatient sometimes they give you nitroglycerine, which dilates blood vessels. Not everyone does that, though, as it can give false positives.

You could contact the universities ahead of time and ask about disability accommodations. Or how about one of those canes that folds out into a little seat?

My understanding of the exercise tolerance issue is that you must do what you can, even if only 1 minute, and keep pushing yourself to try to do more. Even if your progress is extremely slow, progress of any kind will help POTS symptoms to improve.

I have POTS with blood pooling, so exercise that is slow enough to allow pooling (eg walking, golfing) will provoke symptoms. Vigorous exercise will not provoke symptoms, so I do weights and push myself at cardio, as if I didn't have POTS. That seems to work for me. I was told that consistent exercise, and working to improve duration and resistance level, will eventually pay off in reduced symptoms. I do not have the delayed reaction you described, though. That is interesting. Is the reaction less severe if you do an easy day?

You definitely need to see a different doctor, preferably a dysautonomia specialist. I think it is reasonable and intellectually honest to consider if there might be a psychological component, but dysautonomia proper is physical. Hypermobility: If you have joint hypermobility or Ehler Danlos Syndrome, your veins might also be "hypermobile," or stretchy. They stretch too much and allow blood to pool in your feet instead of circulating. The veins can't contract enough. There are also other physiological things that can go wrong, other mechanisms that lead to the same symptoms. Like Draven said, do your feet turn red/purple/blue and/or do your veins fill up and distend when you stand? Is not normal! Things I was told to do to feel better: 1. Extra water AND salt. I see recommendations of 3 liters and 2 to 10 grams of salt per day. The salt helps the water stay in and not get peed out. 2. Compression stockings, 20-30 mmHg if waist high, 30-40 mmHg if thigh high. 3. Sit with feet up, or legs crossed, or tensing your leg muscles. 4. Exercise, specifically cardio against resistance (stationary bike, elliptical trainer, swimming). Weight training if/when you can handle it, too. The idea is to make your legs stronger and more able to help your poor deficient veins to pump blood. Do what you can, but also push yourself to go longer and do higher levels of resistance.

Did you happen to eat a lot of pine nuts just before the metallic taste? There is a species of pine nut in Asia that gives some people a metallic taste. Look up Pine Mouth. I had it once, and it was so annoying! It took about a week to wear off.

If I remember correctly, body temperature is controlled by the ANS. So dysautonomia could cause temperature fluctuations.

I have POTS, with blood pooling and hyperandrenergic state. My blood pressure behaved pretty normally during tilt table testing, but my heart rate increased by about 50 bpm upon standing. There are many bodily systems that are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, and therefore many possible presentations of dysautonomia. A specialist will be able to figure out what's going on, whereas a general practitioner may only know basic information.

We replaced methyldopa with clonidine. The work on the same chain of biochemical processes, but in different ways. Clonidine decreases sympathetic outflow, which is a great relief. Is very distracting to the ADHD brain and feels terrible. But I am learning today that it is not more powerful than storms. Storm today is making POTS act up. My heart rate was 148 while walking around the house, and decreased only to 90 after lying down a while. If I understand things correctly the neurotransmitters are made in the brain and in the body. My plasma dopamine was normal and norepinepherine was sky high, even though I clearly have deficiencies of both in my brain. Neurologist says this can happen because of the way things are metabolized or something like that.

I have POTS with a hyperandrenergic component. It feels to me like my body is anxious without my mind being anxious: too much adrenaline, fast HR, tight feeling in chest, sometimes palpitations. Also fatigue from all the sympathetic activity. I take Clonidine, which knocks the sympathetic nervous system down a bit. It definitely helps.

The blood pooling is pretty obvious, but I didn't know it is abnormal until the doctor told me. I thought my feet got red-purple because I was standing on them, and that the veins filled and bulged out for the same reason.

If your insomnia started only after you started taking Florinef, then yes, it could be a side effect of the medication. There is also the possibility that this has nothing to do with POTS and the timing is coincidental.

For me, blood pooling is more of a problem than high heart rate. Clonidine keeps the HR and hypernadrenergic part under a reasonable level of control, but this does not fix the blood pooling. Therefore I still have symptoms and these vary according to weather conditions, activity type, and whether or not I remember to take enough salt/water and wear compression hose.

Strattera makes me feel like I have access to the full power of my intellect. All ADHD symptoms are improved. The ones that are less-improved are motivation and getting started on tasks. Coffee helps, as does listening to music. Both of these boost dopamine. POTS definitely causes a ditzy brain fog, getting my mix all worded up, and mind wandering. This is better if I do things that reduce blood pooling. The Methyldopa made it easier to get started on tasks, but it didn't help as much as I wanted with POTS. Now on Clonidine. This one really knocked down the sympathetic outflow, which was in itself distracting. I feel less "on" all the time and hence less fatigued, but I'm not sure if it is helping with ADHD.

Do you need help shutting off your thoughts? I found that making up a storyline for a book helps, or planning a new knitting project. Anything that is all-consuming but completely irrelevant to regular life.

My doc wanted to test my plasma NE during tilt, which the previous doctor didn't do.