dawn

Beta-blockers (Inderal), Xanax, SSRI (low dose Celexa), and Klonopin at bedtime. Dawn

Yes, I was always a worrier. As a child I worried about everything. I have had alot of therapy in my life and one doctor suggested a theory that I have always believed. Because, my father was an alcoholic and I was so afraid of him, I would hide when I saw him coming home at night, weaving back and forth on the sidewalk. I would pace and look out the window then, I would hide. I remember (age 5) thinking he would find me because he would be able to hear my heart going so fast. Anyway, the psychiatrist gave me an article about becoming adrenaline sensitive. He said it is almost like an allergic reaction to my own adrenaline. I have always startled easy. Always, have had tachycardia and always been a fainter. Dawn

Nina, I was just catching up on posts. I'm so glad that you have a good doctor and this complication was taken care of so quickly. I would think you will be tired for sometime after 2 surgeries so close together. It's a good sign though, you are MIGHTY, because that would be hard on a person with perfect health. Hope you are resting. Maybe you can reach down and paint your toenails Take Care. Dawn

I had mine in OR with anesthesia. Not general anesthesia. I guess what makes a difference is: Is your BP low? Do you have heart rhythm problems (PAT or SVT)? Can you tolerate Versed? It does lower your BP. For those 3 reasons I had to have it done in the OR and go in the night before for my prep, I had an IV running during the night. Also had a 500cc bolus of saline twice before the procedure. When I woke up the morning before the procedure my BP was 88/42. After they gave me extra saline it went to 96/52. It stayed in that range throughout the colonoscopy and for a few days after. Talk to one of the GI nurses and explain your concerns. I think it is better to be cautious. Dawn

Nina, So glad to hear you are home and on the road to recovery. Everyone I know who had a breast reduction has no regrets. Take good care of yourself. Each day will get better. Dawn

Lactose intolerant. Codiene, Sulfa, Lidocaine, Valium, Augmentin. I am really bothered by the smell of chemical cleaners and the smell of silk in fabric Dawn

Hi, I had a colonoscopy on Monday. I anticipated it much worse than it was. I did have it in the OR. I am fortunate that my friend does my anesthesia. He said with my low BP he needs to give me a drug that RN's aren't allowed to give. I was asleep but not under general anesthesia and don't remember a thing. I had 1 mg of Versed and then he uses a drug called Propofol. You wake right up after, no drowsiness. I left the hospital within the hour. Oh, I had a new prep too called Moviprep. You only have to drink 2 liters. It is loaded with Vitamin C so has that taste. Not that it is wonderful but was able to get it down. Here is a little info about propofol if you want to ask your doctor- Propofol?s popularity is due to several characteristics that render it superior to other sedatives in terms of side effects and duration ? these include: * Rapid onset and short duration of action * Shorter waking and recovery times * Reduced need for opioids, resulting in less nausea and vomiting Wish you all the best. Dawn

It takes awhile to get used to beta blockers. I know about the feeling of being jolted awake. I take Klonopin 1 mg at bedtime with my beta blocker and it has helped alot. My doctor said even if it doesn't make me sleep, it gives my autonomic nervous system the rest it needs. Maybe you could ask your doctor and see what he (or she) thinks. Dawn

Tammy, Do you lay with your legs elevated at all during the day? I have found it helps alot. Dr. Low at Mayo said to lay 45 minutes twice a day with my legs up to get the blood pooling in my legs back up to my heart. I lay on the floor with them up on the couch. When I am tachy I have found that chugging a glass of something cold really helps. I know the frustration, but when I am like doing laundry and get tachy and weak, I just go lay down and put my feet up and if someone is home have them bring me a big glass of something cold. I frequently have an irregular heartrate when I get up- I have worn holter monitors and had it checked out, it is just PAC's. It's good to get it checked and have a doctor confirm that it is harmless if you haven't done that. Good luck. Don't let it throw you, we as humans were designed to exercise and get our heartrates up, we can do it without having to work out. Dawn

My depression is diagnosed "situational depression." I really don't disagree. Who wouldn't be depressed when they feel like their life has been taken away? I was always spontaneous and very active. I loved my job, I loved to shop, I loved being busy. Staying at home for me *****. Not being able to make plans drives me crazy (because who knows how I will feel that day). I hate POTS. Thanks for letting me vent. Dawn

Yup, have the same thing. I unhook my bra the minute I am in the house. My pants are all elastic or a couple sizes too big. I think that is part of the reason I stay in my PJ's so much. I know my friend has fibromyalgia and she says any clothing that is tight on her skin causes her extreme pain. I don't have pain really, just feel so confined and can't breathe with a bra on or anything tight around the tummy. Dawn

I have the same thing going on. I have been to the ER when it was high (200/108) and it always came down with no treatment. My doctor says it is just "labile." He said not to worry unless it is consistently high, that is when the risk of stroke comes in. 208/164 seems way too high though, was it taken with an electronic cuff? I have gotten some really bizarre readings with mine. I went back to a manual cuff and stethoscope. It is much more accurate I think. I was really high on my last tilt table, the tilt table before that one my BP dropped very low and I fainted. I think part of the reason we feel so crappy is our BP is all over the place. Dawn

My whole family drinks Emer'gen-C. Usually when we feel a cold coming on. I should drink it daily, thanks Sunfish for the reminder about the electrolytes in it. I like tangerine the best. It is a fizzy drink. I buy it at woodmans, walmart carries it also here in Wisconsin. It has 60mg of sodium, gatorade has 90. But...it does have 200mg of potassium vs gatorade's 25 mg. It has 20 calories, 1,000mg of vitamin C, B vitamins. 32 mineral complexes total. I do best with my sodium by eating lots of green olives. I tried buffered salt tabs without success. Dawn

Thank you Michelle. It was so nice to hear them use the word POTS. I wish CNN or Fox would pick up the story. Dawn

I have had problems with this for YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!! I could easily never have sex again, the inderal and SSRI have taken away any sex drive at all. I feel awful during, after and also the next day. My husband is not on the same page. It is a source of friction between us. Wish I had some suggestions for you. Dawn

I can totally understand. I am never hungry. It is all the gatorade that keeps my weight on. I get irritated every night when my husband asks "what should we have for supper?" I can not think of anything that sounds good. I basically eat the same thing everyday. Toast at breakfast, protein bar for lunch and whatever with vegetables at supper. I never feel my stomach growl and could go days without eating but know how bad I would feel if I did that. You are not alone. Dawn

Maxine, So sorry to hear of all the the sadness in your life right now. Regarding the speech. I get those episodes also. I have for about a year now. They can last from 30 minutes to 4 hours. I can tell I am speaking slowly and people say it is slurred. When several people are in the room talking I feel like everyone is talking too fast and I can't keep up. I saw my neuro last week, he said maybe mini strokes or "just a POTS thing." Big help. He suggested I take a baby aspirin daily, they really bother my stomach though even the ecotrin which is coated. I have noticed that this happens usually when I am under alot of stress. If I get really emotional and crying it is almost a sure thing that it will happen. I wish I had an answer for you. God Bless you real good today, Hugs- Dawn

Does it have to be liquid shakes? I can't tolerate milk (bloating). I used to get soy protein powder, mix it with ice cubes and orange juice in the blender. It was very good. There is also a soy powder flavored, cookies and creme, which was good, I mixed it with water. Otherwise peanut butter packs on the pounds (speaking from experience). Dawn

They have the book on amazon.com, also on ebay both in the book section to bid on or on half.com. I'm going to order one from amazon I think. Thanks for the recommendation. I love to read. Dawn

Is Gadolinium safe? Gadolinium has been used for years in adults and children in the United States, Europe and Japan, without any serious complications in thousands of patients. The FDA declared Gadolinium safe for use in MRI in 1988. A few side effects, such as mild headache, nausea and local burning can occur. Very rarely (less than one in a thousand), patients are allergic to Gadolinium. If you have kidney problems, it must be used with caution. Gadolinium should be used in pregnant patients or nursing mothers only when the benefits outweigh the risk. Gadolinium used in MRI is many times safer than the iodine type contrast used in CT scans. There is more information at the International MR Safety Central Web Site. What are the side effects? Side effects of the contrast agent injection include mild headache, nausea and local pain. Rarely (less than 1% of the time) low blood pressure and lightheadedness occurs. This can be treated immediately with intravenous fluids. Very rarely (less than one in one thousand), patients are allergic to the contrast agent. These effects are most commonly hives and itchy eyes, but more severe reactions have been seen which result in shortness of breath. I know when I have had the injection, I did not notice anything. But, as we all know, we are all so different in how we react to everything. Dawn

Jess, There is fine line between being in bed too much and pushing a bit. You have to remember how fast we can become deconditioned (the shakey legs). I would try to be up even if it is to sit in a chair every couple hours and start building back some strength no matter how bad I felt if I were you. Good luck. Any chance it is nice and warm where you live so that you could get outside and lounge in a lawn chair for awhile? Dawn

Cardiactec, It is a gallon. They said the small prep would draw too much fluid out of my tissues. Dawn

Hi, Looking for feedback on a colonoscopy. I am scheduled in mid June. Need to go in the afternoon before for the prep and IV fluids. I am debating about putting it off for awhile as my brother is 3rd on the liver transplant list in Chicago and I will need to be there for a couple weeks. I'm afraid of feeling bad afterward. Also, anxious about drinking the golytely prep. Thanks for your input. Dawn

Hi, Do you know the cause? If it is not bacterial or a virus, I use immodium. You would need to check with your doctor first. One dose does it for me. The other thing I do is drink jello water, I make it with the boiling water, add ice cubes and drink. It really helps. Good luck, Dawn

Maybe you just got up too quickly or were dehydrated. Try not to think about "what if's" it can become an obsession very quickly (I know from experience). I was homebound for 2 years afraid of fainting. I remember when my son turned 12, I let him have 7 boys come for a sleep over. All of a sudden my heart rhythm went to SVT and everytime I sat up, I fainted. I was the only adult home. They had to call 911. When the ambulance got to our home (20 minutes), there were these 8 sets of eyes outside looking into my bedroom window. Happy Birthday or what? I have gotten to the point where I stopped worrying about it, I have fainted in grocery stores and been laid on the conveyor belt, department stores having people walk over me, home alone (which I hate!!!!!!!!!!!). I refuse to let it rule my life. I am not minimizing how scary it is, but worrying does not help. You need to learn to just "ride the wave" as my last psychologist said. I am still working on that one. Dawn