bellaluna

Oh no. Now I'm afraid that I will get the same answer. Yes, I'm kind of fluffy, and probably out of shape, but that ISN'T what is causing this. It is just so frustrating that we have to bend over backwards to prove to our doctors that we are actually ill... seems unfair. Anyway, thanks for the info and the well wishes! Mary

That doesn't sound fun at all... I too have times where I get cold and just cannot get warm again. But then again being too warm makes me feel badly. Iit's difficult because it can be so hard to find the right temp. Today, it was 33 degrees BELOW zero with the wind chill where I am, so I stayed inside wrapped in a blanket! Mary

I agree that you should try to cut the caffiene and see how YOU feel. From what I've heard everyone is different in this area. Personally, I've found that caffiene makes me feel worse, so I try to limit it as much as possible. Hope this helps. Mary

Congratulations to you! Mary

I'm sorry that you, and especially your son, are going through what you are going through. It's bad enough that the Social Security people have decided to mess with you, but the doctor thing is just too much. I feel for your son, how he must feel when he's done nothing wrong, but to be dropped by somebody he trusted anyway. That has to be really tough. I hope that you will be able to find another doctor for him, a better doctor. Although, I have to agree with you when you wonder if there are any decent doctors in the world... Sending a hug your way. I know it won't help, but it's all I can do... Mary

I just had a root canal done last week. I'm not sure what my dentist used to numb me, but he's aware of my condition and also what medicines I'm on, so I let him decide that part. I did bleed a little more than "regular" patients, but it was not a big deal otherwise. I still need to have the build up and crown done, but we're waiting on that a little bit. Gotta save up the money! Mary

He was originally looking for the cause of my syncope. But I didn't pass out during the test, so he was insistent that it was a normal result. When he actually looked at it, at my insistence, I think he realized that it wasn't normal, but it wasn't something he was familiar with. I think he was just trying to cover his butt because I was asking questions he couldn't answer. Apparently, a lot of people who suffer from unfamiliar disorders get this type of treatment, which is sad. I actually started to cry after he left the room because I was so upset that he was dismissing me as just being crazy... but my husband put things back into perspective for me. He said "so what if he thinks you're crazy. We can always find another doctor, and if we have to, another one after that, and another one after that". Mary

Maybe I'm just a dork, but did anyone else who saw the program cry? Maybe it is because I don't have a diagnosis yet... the program made me feel vindicated somehow. I wanted to jump up and down and shout "I'm not crazy!" My husband watched it with me and made the comment "the similarities between you and that woman are SCARY". Well YEAH, because we both suffer from the same type of problem! I think the program made him "get it" more than he did before. It was a good program. Too bad my doctor probably wasn't watching... Mary

Thank you all for the welcome- I'm looking forward to learning a lot from all of you! Mary

Thank you both for the information and the welcome! Pat- thank you for explaining... as far as the reaction after the medicine in the tilt table test, not only did my bp increase but my heart rate went through the roof. No, I'm pretty sure it was not a "normal" response, but to be completely honest, I don't think my doc even looked at the test until I was sitting in his office asking him why he said it was "normal", when I clearly had tachycardia, nausea, shakiness (my legs were shaking almost uncontrollably), dizziness and flushing... I think I caught him off guard, and my doc is kind of a jerk anyway... which leads me to your response Ernie- I had to laugh when you said "you met God"... it is really kind of true because my doc is the kind of person who thinks that because HE'S the doctor, his opinions are the only ones that count. He's very full of himself. I'm glad I've found a new doc, hopefully I'll be able to make more progress towards a diagnosis and getting better. Thanks again to you both. Mary

Hello all. I am so glad to have found this board, and people who can understand what I am going through! I have not been officially diagnosed yet (because my doctor is a bonehead), but I strongly suspect that I have POTS. I began passing out and having "episodes" in mid-September of 2007. Since then, my condition has worsened, and now includes extreme fatigue, weakness, dizziness, tachycardia, flushing, insomnia, feeling cold but being very sensitive to getting too hot also, and hair loss. I haven't been actually passing out as much, but do still have the "almost passing out" feeling where I need to sit or lie down right away. I have some good days where I almost feel normal, but the bad days are SO bad... My doc had me go in for a tilt table test, and this is the part that I'm not sure about... I did have the 30+ bpm increase, but it was within like 15 minutes and not the 10 that I've read is the standard... is there such a thing as delayed POTS? Or can this still be considered POTS? How hard and fast is that 10 minute rule? Also, when the 2nd part of the test was done (where they give you the adrenaline stuff), my heartrate skyrocketed within the first 5 minutes and I became very ill, so ill in fact that the tech ended the test early. According to my doctor, this is a normal test result (really?), and when I suggested POTS, he said that "POTS is an emotional disorder". I told you he was a bonehead. I'm currently seeing a new neurologist, actually just started seeing her. I went in today for an MRI, which I'm sure won't show much, but I'll jump through the hoops if I have to. She has admitted that she does not know anything about POTS, but I think she is more open to referring me to a POTS specialist than the old doc would have been (he just basically dismissed me as being crazy, although he did prescribe Atenolol at my insistence that it was POTS, which seems to be helping, so I guess I have to thank him for that)... Any info that any of you can share is greatly appreciated. I guess I'm basically just looking for reassurance that what I'm experiencing is real, and that I'm not just crazy, as everyone around me, who've never gone through anything like this, seems to think. **Sorry, I forgot one question, so I'm editing my original post- does anyone know why I would have had such a strong reaction to the artificial adrenaline stuff during the tilt table test? Is this a POTS-type thing? Mary