Delta

Ugh! Sorry you have to deal with that. I have gotten these huge welts before, but are you sure they are all from skeeters? Because the biting flies around here are vicious and their bites can make some nasty welts that are larger than those from mosquitoes. Like, 50-cent-piece size or a little larger and perfectly round. I don't recall getting a flare after being bitten, but it's not difficult to imagine that the bites could have activated one, especially if you normally avoid the hot weather so much that the bites are a relatively novel stress to your system. Good luck and I hope you're not itching too much (Ivarest helps me . . .)

You might like these. They are very thin cotton and comfy. I wear mine often! https://theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/store/ars/item/53818/purple-paws-and-hearts-lightweight-lounge-pants?utm_source=ars-store-nl&utm_medium=email&utm_term=07152018&utm_content=postcard-B0&utm_campaign=sale-paw-print-bark-gains-53818&origin=EPGA_071518_P_53818_B0&oidp=0x60a53460b33567bac0a82939

Right; my dr. did all of those tests too (Valsalva, etc.), connected to the BP and HR monitors. Although I don't think I did freestanding; they asked me to hold on to a chair with one hand. Ha - I have to laugh at your comment about "the super human activity of having a shower." At one point I was trying to figure out why washing my hair made my heart race (I prefer baths so generally only use the shower when I'm washing my hair) and then I realized it wasn't washing my hair that was doing it; it was *standing* in the shower. I bought a shower chair and we already have one of those extra-long shower head hose things so those are very helpful! I guess I will find out if/how the compression hose work if I ever get them on. 😄

Hi, Jill, Ugh; sorry you are dealing with this. I have had similar happen to me a few times. Not on any meds at the time. From what I recall, it occurred early in the morning when I was laying flat or mostly flat on the bed. I would start to nod back off and then feel this rush in my head, as if it was intending to keep me from falling back asleep, which it did. I also recall laying flat in the bed early one morning and feeling what I am guessing was some type of adrenaline surge moving slowly up from my stomach area all the way up into my head. Both sides of my stomach, mind you (adrenaline from each adrenal gland?). I laid there and literally felt whatever it was slowly move upwards. After that I was jittery all morning. I did make a connection of these episodes happening when I was lying pretty flat, and I haven't had any - knock wood!! - since I elevated my sleeping position, so what I would suggest is to try to elevate yours, maybe kind of prop yourself up on an extra pillow or two, if you haven't already, and see if it helps. Good luck and I hope these symptoms resolve soon!!

Wow. That looks awesome. I can just about smell it and hear the crunch when I bite into it! My artistic skills with regard to bread involve being able to bend the twisty ties on a bread bag into different shapes.

Thank you for responding! My dr. prescribed the BB due to tachycardia; sorry I didn't make that clear in my post. He dx'd me w/POTS following a "Poor Man's TTT"; my resting HR when he examined me was over 100. But that's not always the case! Sometimes the resting is normal. Up and about or standing, less so. It has gone into the 120s just walking through my house and higher in other circumstances. He then sent me for the actual TTT, which confirmed. He probably also figured in the anxiety angle, although he didn't say that, but I understand propranolol can be used for that. Re: the BP - when this first started earlier this year, my BPs were normal with some highs. Then they were more highs than normal for a few weeks. For the past few weeks, they have been normal the way they used to be before POTS most of the time, with a few highs thrown in. I don't remember what my BP was doing at the time I first saw this dr.! So my concern is, I'm assuming the BB can't tell if and when my body is going to decide to be normal or not . . . so the BB will do its job anyway, right? It's impossible to predict. And I get concerned that it will do its job even if its not needed, and cause problems. Re: the TTT - something about it I don't understand: How is the TTT the "gold standard" of diagnosing POTS when one is leaning against/supported by the table during the test? Wouldn't free-standing be more diagnostic? Because I have become symptomatic while standing, say, in a grocery store and, when I couldn't find a chair, leaned against something which helped to a degree. I did my own poor man's at home one time and got warm, woozy and elevated HR standing unsupported after less than three minutes - that was all I could take before I sat down. Even at the poor man's at the doc's office, they had me hold on to a chair while I stood. It would actually seem to me that the "poor man's" version would be more accurate than the actual TTT. I guess maybe they want the patient to be supported for safety reasons.

Thanks for response! I guess that low is normal for your Dad . . . and wow, that really does seem pretty low. I get a little nervous about it because sometimes I get dizzy/lightheaded, and when I check my BP, it's normal. I have felt dizzy/"brain foggy" in the past when BP was high (and the dizziness went away when it came down) but the flavor of the past few weeks has been more normal with occasional highs (systolics in 140-150 range). I think my dizziness may be stemming from blood flow issues, because it has gone away if I lay down with the "feet end" of the bed raised. I recently got a pair of compression panty hose to try, but as of yet, I haven't been able to get the rackum-frackum things on. 😣 But that's another thread . . . !!

Thank you for responding! Your PCP may have been right because those two days I was talking about = no dizzies! I do have two BP/HR machines (cuffs) at home - one for the arm and one for the wrist - so I check often. Maybe too much, LOL. Wow; if you are normally 120/80 and go to 110/70 with 25 mg twice a day - it doesn't sound as if it affects your BP much at all . . . mine went to something like 98/60-something and that made me a little nervous. Can I ask why you switched from Prop. to Met.? I actually tried metoprolol (sp.??) a few weeks ago but stopped after three tries because boy, did it mess with my head. I woke up with the worst brain fog ever and it felt as if my head were, like, stuffed with cotton balls or something! Propranolol is what I have now.

Hello! I hope all are feeling good today. Would anyone have any advice to offer on taking a beta blocker when your BP and/or HR are normal? My doc recently (about a week ago) prescribed a pretty low dose (non-selective) once a day, which I basically quartered and spread out throughout the day because it's a fast-acting version and I haven't taken a lot of meds so didn't know how I would react. But I have to constantly monitor my BP and HR. The thing is that I really think the BB helped, because for the first two days I felt so much better. But then I started backing off (didn't cut out completely) because I didn't like how low some of the BP/HR #s were. They weren't super low, just low enough to make me nervous and I've been dealing with so much dizziness lately (with normal numbers), I'm not sure I could tell if something was too low without actually getting a reading! I have a message in to my dr. about this but I am wondering how others deal. Thank you for any thoughts and feel free to ask me any questions/clarification! - Delta

For floors, I had good results with this stuff I got at Lowe's called "Method Squirt & Mop Hard Floor Cleaner". It's supposed to be non-toxic. The "lemon ginger" variety has a mild lemony scent, kind of like 7-Up or Sprite. Below is a link to the Method products site - you can click on "Ingredients" for each product to see if any of the stuff is stuff you might be allergic to. I saw on-line that Walgreens and Target also sell it; it's not unique to Lowe's. And it's convenient to be able to squirt it directly onto the floors. Good luck - I hope you find lots of good products!! https://methodhome.com/products/squirt-mop-hard-floor-cleaner-lemon-ginger/ Edited to add - I also can't say enough good things about Skout's Honor products - see link below. The stuff really does work! Best of all, a portion of each purchase goes to help animals in shelters! I've bought it on-line and also at PetSmart. I think they're actually out of Cali. https://www.skoutshonor.com/

Thanks!! There are a couple of places here locally that I will check with. One more question - what symptoms do they help with? I don't know that I have pooling in my legs because they don't turn purple when I stand; however, my feet turn purple hen I am sitting on the table at the doc's office, with legs dangling . . .

Thank you for responding! The scrip actually doesn't specify a strength; does it need to? Are 30-40mHgs what people with POTS are supposed to wear? I have heard that they are difficult to put on and that it can take some time to "master the art" . . . Do you buy yours on-line?

Hello, and Happy 4th! My dr. wrote me a scrip for compression stockings - little did I know that there are so many different types. From what I have read on here and elsewhere, the type that are actually pantyhose (i.e., they go up to your waist) are the most effective; however, I see that some of these have "feet" and others are "footless". Is there a preference? For example, one site said that footless ones might not be as effective because leg circulation starts in . . . the feet! I would be grateful for anyone's thoughts, type/brand/etc./recommendations, experiences, etc. Thank you in advance! - Delta

Hello! Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but how does clonidine affect how much you pee - it's a med for high blood pressure, right? Also does it affect your lightheadedness? Thanks!!

Thanks! That is a good question, as it happened a couple of times when I was just sitting . . . it didn't feel as if I inhaled anything; my description was probably not that accurate but it was all I could think of at the moment. (It felt different than when I actually have inhaled an irritant, LOL!) Do you know what adrenaline surges feel like? I've read where a lot of people on here say they've had surges, and there have been times when I thought I was having one, but not sure. How would I know?

Are you taking a beta blocker? I read that this test should not be done on anyone who is taking one. https://nvrh.org/uploads/1234991810.pdf

Hello, all! This is a new one on me. I get a warm/hot "flash", a woozy feeling, and then I get this feeling in my nose starting from the bottom up, kind of like tingling or as if I used a nose spray or something and the stuff is slowly creeping up my nostrils. Not sure if HR went up because I didn't check it when it was happening. Has anyone felt this or similar? Is it adrenaline-related? Thanks in advance!

I'm not sure of the exact mechanics of this, but it's more stressful on the body to just stand rather than walk around - you can find a lot of stuff on line about it. It makes sense to me, since the TTTs test people in the standing position for so many minutes (I've heard 3, 5 and 10 - I've had poor man's 5) and not while they're walking.

Thanks for reply, MTG! Seeing my primary (or at least a doc who's in the practice; not my actual primary; he's booked a month out . . . but he's awesome . . .) about it later on today. I agree about worse in the mornings; what is up with that morning stuff anyway?

Hi, Shane, I've had the "shower thing" you mention, only with hot baths, which I prefer to showers unless I'm washing my hair . . . I've always liked them pretty hot, and I'd be fine when I go in but wiped out when I come out. At first I thought it was just a hard day at work but I finally realized it was the heat. So I take them not quite so hot now. One of our nieces was telling me how she got woozy when taking a hot bath so I told her when that happens, turn on the cold water fast for relief! I'm not sure how vasoconstriction plays into this, as I am still learning, myself! (Re: the TTT, my understanding is that someone will not necessarily test positive every time because symptoms aren't the same every day). Good luck!! 👍

Thanks for response - do you get it every time you eat, or just sometimes?

Thanks for response! I've heard of this so maybe it's a possibility?

Hello to all - I hope everyone is feeling good today! I am trying to figure out what this is. I've asked Dr. Google, but he didn't see fit to give up any useful information (or more likely I'm just dense or my Googling skills need improving . . .) and searched on here but really can't get it figured. What happens is that I will feel full (middle of my stomach, behind my ribs, will literally hurt as if I stuffed a basketball in there) after eating just a little bit; then, about 20 minutes after eating (unless I eat liquid or truly bird-like portions), I get light-headed, tachycardia and sometimes feel a hot "flash". This has happened before for a few days, then stopped, and then started again seemingly overnight! *I can't seem to relate it to any specific food or type of food; it seems to be more about quantity of solid food.* What I can't figure out is what's going on and how this can change overnight. The weekend before this past one, my husband and I were out to eat and I ordered a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs - huge portion. And it was good. I ate about a third of it at the diner, then another third a couple hours later at home, and the last third and the piece of garlic bread that came with it later on that evening. But hearty portions each time. Also ate some of my husband's fries and hush puppies. Absolutely no discomfort whatsoever. Five days later I eat a 200-calorie micro meal and whoa. Tachy went to 160-something (Thanks, Pulse-Ox - I think!). (Full disclosure - I started to feel full about 2/3 of the way through but went ahead and finished it all since there wasn't much left). Does anyone experience anything remotely close to this and, if so, what is it?! And how can it change overnight like that? I plan to ask my doc about it but would like to get some kind of idea before I do. Thanks for any thoughts/info you care to share and feel free to ask me any questions!

Thank you to all who responded to this post! Your ideas and insights are very helpful and very much appreciated!!

Thanks for this - I see the pindolol is non-selective, so I will inquire with the doc about this!