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Delta

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Everything posted by Delta

  1. Hi, @albertspa! Your post is interesting! I do believe you're on to something, as I have experienced very similar. Although I was not diagnosed specifically with hyper POTS, just POTS, I believe I have the hyper variety based on symptoms. I have noticed that my brain fog significantly improves when I am having a lively conversation with someone, where there's a lot of "give and take", or a conversation in which I have to think. An example of the latter would be when I have had to call someone about a business matter or, say, a question about a bill I received. Or, as you stated, "laying out a logical argument". And the effects are long-lasting, pretty much for the whole day. And yeh, I have attributed it to increased blood flow to the brain. Exactly how the physiology of it works is above my pay grade, but I've noticed it enough times that I know it wasn't coincidental.
  2. Hi,@bro123, Right here! Would you believe I could never get mine on? They were actually compression tights and I was professionally measured by someone at the place through which I purchased them. I know the measurements were correct because I looked them up . . . but . . . I barely managed to get them up to mid-shin. Once I got started on meds (beta blocker), I didn't need them. I keep them in my closet in case I ever do need them. (Knock wood)!
  3. @MomtoGiuliana, @Pistol, @Shiloh, @bizbiz, First off, thanks very much to all of you for responding to my post. I've realized a couple of things, although they don't really tell me what happened. First, I was trying to figure out why I did not notice this coming on sooner as I was walking and I realized it came on suddenly. There is an abacus-looking thing that my husband made - it's attached to one of the outbuildings that I pass on my walks around the pasture. This is so I can keep track of how many times I go around. When I walk by, I move a "bead" (Don't laugh - it's easy to lose track when you're listening to good music and walking briskly!) And what I realized was that no more than two minutes before this episode happened, I had walked by and moved a bead with my right hand/fingers - no problems! So within that couple of minutes, my right fingers/hand decided to get wonky. So I think that's a "clue" - I just don't know to what! Second, I've been out in colder weather for longer than 40 minutes and nothing like this has happened. Granted, I was wearing more clothes then, but I don't believe a T-Shirt and capris was inadequate cover for temps in the high 50s, especially since I was constantly moving. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all while I was walking. No issues on yesterday's walk (low 70s in early AM) or today's (low 90s, late afternoon/early evening). I think I need to wait until the next morning with temps in the high 50s, and see if it happens again. @Pistol - We did notice that both of my hands were very pale, no pink. We didn't see any blue tinge. But yikes, no, it didn't occur to me that something like my neck might be involved. You are right that it is easy to assign new symptoms to a known condition when they could be caused by something else. I will definitely be bringing this up with my POTS doc, and my primary. I will post again when I have updates. Thank you all again for responding to my post!
  4. Hi, all. I hope everyone is feeling good today. I'm hoping for some input on the weirdest thing that happened this morning, and am trying to figure out if this is POTS/dys-related. It hasn't happened before. Every day I take a 40-45-minute walk around our pasture. My walk is a little over two miles total. So I took my walk early this morning when it was cool - high 50s around here this morning. When I was almost done, I went to fiddle with my iPod, which I was carrying in my left hand, and discovered that my right hand would barely work. Fingers didn't want to bend. I went to lift up my right arm, and it felt heavy; it did not want to go up. Kind of like when your arm "goes to sleep" after you've slept on it, but no tingling, needles-and-pins feelings. Okay, so now I think I'm having a stroke. I started feeling a bit fuzzy-headed, but I don't know if that was just because I was starting to get a little scared. I went straight to the house. By the time I reached my husband, my left hand was starting to feel the same way, but not as bad. Husband noticed both hands were very pale and hands and arms very cold. After maybe 15-20 minutes, I was back to normal. Hubby thinks circulation got messed up because it was cooler out than I was used to and only wearing a short-sleeved T-Shirt, and cold constricts. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Usually any temperature-related POTS symptoms I get happen when it's too hot! I will definitely mention it to my POTS doc, though. It was scary.
  5. Hi, @albertspa, Before I was diagnosed and prescribed meds (a beta-blocker) five years ago, I noticed that my symptoms were much better, if not completely gone, at night. Next morning, get up, same old song and dance. What I figured out, and there has been some discussion about this on this forum, is that a lot of POTS symptoms come from inadequate blood flow. When I was up during the day and moving about as best I could, it was helping to get the blood flowing; I was basically exercising as I (tried to) go about my daily life. So by the end of the day, I felt much better. But then, while I'm sleeping at night, there's not much physical activity going on and I would wake up with the worst brain fog and other symptoms. And the cycle would start all over again. Feel worst in the morning; much better at night. I haven't noticed much difference in symptoms vs. the weather, at least not consistently, other than heat makes things worse. Something I did notice is that since I started walking for 45 minutes daily - it's the same route; a little over two miles - my tolerance to heat seems to have improved (!!) BTW, I do believe that I have the "hyper" variety of POTS based on my symptoms, although the doc (neuro) who diagnosed me didn't say that; he just said, "You have POTS". Also, another thing I think helps me is that we have an adjustable bed and, with my doc's OK, I elevate the foot of my side of the bed just a few inches. I think that, along with the meds, has helped with the brain fog. Good luck - I think you will find a lot of good information and helpful people on here, as I did!
  6. @Pistol Thanks for posting this! It really is intriguing - I am going to mention this to my POTS doc at my next appointment. I really am curious as to whether anyone else with issues similar to mine has had the same experience!
  7. Hi, all, I have a question relating to my reactions to MSG (monosodium glutamate) as relates to the med I take for POTS. Typically, if I eat something that contains *added* MSG (not something in which it occurs naturally), I will get what I call the "MSG Trifecta" - extreme sleepiness, thirst that makes me need to drink something carbonated to feel a "burn", and a mild headache around what feels like the outside of my entire head (I call it an "eggshell headache" because the way it feels reminds me of when I crack a boiled egg and the crack shows around the entire egg, but doesn't go deep). My husband gets these same symptoms after consuming MSG. Obviously we avoid eating things with added MSG. But, what I've noticed is that over the past year or so, I've eaten a few things that I didn't check at first that turned out to contain MSG. My husband ate these same things at the same time, and got the usual symptoms, but I didn't! This has happened at least three times now in the last few months. The first time I thought it must be a fluke, and that maybe the product had even been mislabeled. But now I don't think so, because my husband got the same symptoms, as usual. So, what I'm wondering is - is there any chance that the beta blocker (Propranolol) I take for my POTS might be keeping me from getting those symptoms? Has anyone here experienced anything like this? Thank you for any comments!
  8. @JennKay, Hello! Sorry for this delayed response; I haven't been on here in a few days! I believe my Propranolol is normal release, because it's not a capsule, it's a small blue pill (Actually a scored 20 mg. pill that my doc wanted to start me on, but I asked if I could start with 10 and move up if needed, so I just get the 20s and break them in half). Every time I've read about propranolol extended release, it referred to capsules, and this is definitely not a capsule. I take it early in the morning, a couple of hours before I get up for the day. Usually I manage to wake up somewhere between 3:30 and 5:00 A.M., so I take my pill then - I keep a glass of water next to the bed - and then roll over and go back to sleep. By the time I get up, which is usually between 6 and 7 AM, the pill has been on board for a couple of hours already. Honestly, it started working for me almost immediately (KNOCK WOOD!!)
  9. Same here. Hoodie on; hoodie off; repeat! I do notice that when I feel particularly cold and check for a fever (thinking maybe I have fever chills), my temperature is in the 96 range.
  10. @Pistol, Thank you for posting - this, in particular, is enlightening and helps me make sense of some things. You are kind to spend time and (limited!) energy to post helpful information for others when you are not feeling your best. I hope this flare will take its leave of you soon.
  11. @Pistol, I am sorry to hear this and I hope you and your husband/family are on the way to a fast and full recovery!!
  12. Hello, all! I hope everyone is having a good day. I am thinking about getting inked on one of my upper arms. Do any of you have experience with tattoos - has anyone gotten inked after being dx'd with POTS/dysautonomia? I asked my POTS doc, who is a neuro, and he said that from a neurological standpoint, he saw no problems with it. I know to take precautions - stay hydrated, eat enough, and don't have it done if I'm flaring that day! But I'm wondering if the pain or even the ink might trigger some kind of autonomic response/flare. (Never done this before, in case that isn't obvious, LOL). Thank you for any thoughts, advice or experience you'd care to share!
  13. @MikeO, Mama and babies!! Great pics. What kind of apples?
  14. @MikeO, If it involves taters, which I love in any of their iterations, and green beans, I'm all in! Thanks for sharing! (Have you been rummaging around in my kitchen?! We have exactly one "Corelle Livingware" dinner plate in the house, and that is exactly what it looks like)!
  15. Hi,@Knellie, Pepto for me, as well. In the months before I was diagnosed and prescribed meds, I was nauseated Every. Single. Morning. Plus diarrhea. My motto at the time was, "Pepto Bismol - not just for breakfast anymore"! I hope you find something that will bring you relief soon.
  16. @Scout, I believe I have hyper POTS based on symptoms, although when I was diagnosed, the doc just said, "You have POTS". We didn't discuss various types. I debated the vaccine for a while myself; I also asked my POTS doc's opinion, who advised me to get it. But I still wasn't sure, and I just finally figured that if I got covid, whatever happened would likely be worse than side effects. My husband and I took the J&J . . . we know a lot of people for whom the side effects of the two-jab regimen sounded pretty unpleasant. The only side effect I saw that I woud relate to hyper POTS is that for about an hour right after getting the jab, my blood pressure was up. Like, too high up. 170-something over 80-something. After a while it came back down. The other side effects were pretty garden-variety and lasted for about a day - chills, low grade fever, fatigue, headache and body aches. But no POTS flare.
  17. @Sarah Tee @cmep37 Talk about attitude! When I was still making the rounds being referred to different doctors while they were trying to figure out what was wrong with me, I saw this one cardiologist, young guy, who had a really flip attitude about POTS. I first met him when he stopped by my room the morning after the hospital had kept me overnight, and he had recognized my name and was, like, I see you have an appointment with me next week, so I thought I'd stop by and see what's going on with you. I thought that was very cool; very proactive. But then when I saw him a few days later at the actual appointment, he started talking about POTS and he was, like, making fun of it, saying it was a "junk diagnosis" (yes, he did) and making fun of doctors telling people to eat more salt. Yeow. A few weeks later I was diagnosed with POTS by a neuro, whom I now see for POTS. So honestly, I think if you see a cardio who doesn't know much about POTS/dys but is *open to learning about it and to working with you on your treatment*, you are probably in good hands but, along the lines of what @Pistol commented, a good primary or other doc can be just as good if they know what they're doing and take you and your condition seriously (and don't have a sucky attitude)! @Sarah Tee I hope you are able to get to a physician who can help you find answers and relief soon!!
  18. Hi, @racingheart77, Is there any chance that what you feel is muscle twitching ("fasciculations") rather than palpitations? I know that sometimes they can feel like a pulse. Either way, I hope you get relief soon!
  19. Best of luck with your endo - I hope you get some useful answers!! This is a good point! I personally keep a tumbler of water bedside not only so I can sip during the night, but also because I take my med very early in the morning, before I get up for the day, so it will be "on board" when I do get up.
  20. I take 10 mg. of Propranolol, a non-selective beta blocker, once a day. My POTS doc, who is a neurologist, actually wanted to start me on 20 per day and I asked if I could start with 10 and move up if need be, and he was fine with that. I started with the 10 almost three years ago and so far, so good. I saw where you were taking that but it didn't seem to help you, but you'll find by reading the posts on here that the same beta blockers (and other meds) do not work for everyone, and some people have to try out different BBs or other meds before they find the right one/combination. I'm wondering if another BB might help you. Although I do have a question: What was your dose of propranolol? I ask because I've read that low doses of BBs are more effective at treating POTS/dys, whereas higher doses have been shown to be of little or no benefit. I'm wondering if you may have been prescribed a higher dose. That's all I take as far as pharmaceuticals. I also drink more water than I used to, as it's important to stay well-hydrated to keep your blood volume up, and try to get enough salt in my diet. What also helps me with blood flow is definitely exercise, even if it's just being up and walking. You don't have to be a gym rat or a runner! Just move about when you can. Also, I used to wake up with the worst brain fog so, with my doctor's approval, I sleep with the foot of my bed slightly elevated (we have an adjustable bed) to help blood flow to the brain, since when sleeping I'm in bed for hours and obviously not moving about. This happens to me from time to time - it happened more often before I was diagnosed and treated. I will wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious, sweaty and heart racing, for no apparent reason! I can only assume it's the dysautonomia talking, because I felt just fine before going to bed! I'm sorry you have so much trouble getting some good sleep - I've discovered that not getting enough sleep can actually trigger flares for me, and I'm guessing it's not helping you. I hope you find relief from your symptoms soon - 17 years is a long time.
  21. Hi, @Teodor, I do not have EDS, but this was certainly the case with me, and I think it's actually pretty common in people with POTS/dysautonomia. My symptoms were always worse in the morning and then, by evening, it often was almost as if there were nothing wrong. My understanding is that this happens because being "up and moving around" all day (basically exercise), to the extent that one is able, improves blood flow vs. laying in bed all night, and blood flow issues cause a lot of the symptoms. Once I was diagnosed and prescribed meds, my symptoms improved greatly (knock wood)!!
  22. @Positivelyjenny, I get about six. I actually sleep better since being diagnosed with POTS than I did before all my weird symptoms showed up!! (??!)
  23. This is the story of my life. I was never a fan of drinking a lot, especially water (Boring)! But then a few years ago I had kidney stones (OUCH), and the doc said that I needed to drink more water so I wouldn't keep getting them (I had them three times). I said that I wasn't often thirsty and only drank when I was really thirsty. The doc's reply was interesting: She said that we're *supposed* to drink when we're not thirsty because if you get to where you actually feel thirst, that means you're already in a deficit situation. (!!) So between that and POTS, I've become one of "those people" who tote a water bottle everywhere!
  24. @merkat30 It's called "livedo reticularis" (you can go on line and see all kinds of pics) - I've read it can be caused by a number of conditions that affect blood vessels, so that would include POTS . . . I remember having it all over my legs after sitting outside in the sun on a warm day in long jeans = roasting. This was, like, 20 years ago, before I had any (known) symptoms of POTS. Eventually it went away and I don't get it on a regular basis.
  25. Hi, @Zach Martin I am so sorry you are dealing with this - I had awful brain fog when my POTS symptoms first started showing up. I did also get dizzy and light-headed, but that came on in earnest weeks after the brain fog. Like @Sarah Tee, the brain fog did improve in the evenings, so I figured out that when I was up and moving about all day, at least to some degree, that was improving blood flow to my brain and that's why it felt better. I did try sleeping with the head of the bed elevated, and that seemed to make it worse. So then I tried laying down with the *foot* of the bed elevated (our bed is adjustable) when the brain fog was really bad, and the fog significantly cleared within a half hour. So now I sleep with the foot of the bed slightly elevated, with my doctor's approval. And I also take a low dose of a beta blocker - Propranolol - which has been very helpful, knock wood loudly! I did get a pair of the compression stockings before I was prescribed any meds - I got the panty-hose type - and, although I was professionally fitted, I never could get them completely on. They're sitting in my closet. I hope you find relief soon!!
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