Megan

that's awful. hang in there!

Congrats! That's awesome!

Sorry it's taken me so long to answer...I take Spring Valley enteric coated omega 3 fish oil softgels, just from the drugstore or walmart. (the coated makes it so that you don't get a fishy taste) They're supposed to be good for a ton of other things too, but I do find that if I miss a day my concentration is off.

Meg

I've taken so many meds that I can't remember what caused what, but I do remember that I had a bad reaction to Toprol. That's probably not useful, but I thought I'd mention it.

Meg

Thanks for the replies!

Meg

I'm almost halfway through college (2 1/2 more weeks til the school year is over!) I'm majoring in Journalism, which seems to concern some of my profs. They don't think I'll be able to keep up with the job and the demands. However, I was diagnosed my senior year of high school, which means when I started college I was just starting meds, coping mechanisms, etc. So I'm hoping that since I'm for the most part stable now, I'll actually be able to work the job I want. Winters are difficult for me, though, so I tend to take lighter class loads then. Works now, and I try not to worry too much yet about what I'll do in the future. With good writing skills (and a german minor) I could probably write brochures or something from home if I absolutely had to. I do have disability help now, through my university, since sometimes I have attacks and miss more than the 2 days of class allowed before your grade drops. (small private college...they actually pay attention to who shows up) Anyway, I figure I'm not gonna give up on what I wanna do just because it "might not" work out. I just know I should have a plan B in mind.

Meg

Good luck!

Meg

I've definitely been using that lately! :-) My boyfriend's fraternity formals are this weekend also, and I didn't want to look see-through.

Meg

I'm glad the surgery went well and that he is feeling okay. Still sending prayers your way!

Meg

Hi Endure, I don't want to sound disrespectful in any way, but I think that no matter what drug you're considering taking, you should consider that anything could happen, no matter your past history. So even if you and your dr's decide it's a good idea, I feel like going into it convinced you couldn't get addicted would be a bad idea. I've gotten addicted to medications that were supposedly "non-addictive" hallucinated on ones that "couldn't possibly cause that" and I think it's because of the POTS and the medication intolerance, or rather extreme sensitivity, I have. I know every person is different, and I know you've experienced a lot, but I would recommend to anyone that they are open minded that anything could happen...good or bad...on a new med. I've had a lot of crappy meds from dr's before I was diagnosed, and maybe that affected the way I react to meds. Anyway, I just worry that saying you're confident it couldn't happen could lead to a problem, even if you're extremely careful.

Meg

Okay, so lately I've been having some pretty bad abdominal pain (been on vicodin, weening off is driving me nuts with my sensitivity to meds). I had a couple of tests on my gallbladder because that's where my pain is mostly, but I don't have gallstones and my gallbladder is functioning normally. I've noticed some posts lately about abdominal pain and GI issues. I was just wondering how many people have IBS? My symptoms seem to match, and when I was eating all carbs because we thought it was my gallbladder, some of my pain went away, and I think it could be because I was eating whole grains and getting more fiber. So I just wanted to know how many people deal with it, how they deal with it, and the worst symptoms they have from it. I can get a referral to a GI dr, but last time I did that it was before my POTS diagnosis and I got an "it's all in your head." Thanks in advance!

Meg

It sounds similar to migraine pain to me. Do you have a history of them? I've come to believe that POTS can cause just about any funky thing, but maybe an appointment with an eye dr would be good to be sure nothing else is wrong.

Meg

I just wanted to add that I was sent to mayo by my psychiatrist for tests on how I metabolize meds (and they did the wrong test for that...) but I had just turned 18 and was in pediatrics, and in the general exam they observed signs they thought were POTS like, so they gave me the TTT and some other tests and determined it was POTS, even though I had originally gone for a psychiatric thing. So, when I went, I didn't have a diagnosis (although my psychiatrist kind of thought I did). Anyway, the story seemed slightly relevant, like maybe there's hope for you to get there.

Meg

Good luck with the cardiologist! I know some people don't consider a TTT necessary for a diagnosis, but it made me feel better to have all the tests I could to confirm my diagnosis.

Meg

Sometimes my chest pain is severe enough to make breathing difficult...or rather, taking a breath make the pain feel worse. But def. get it checked out with your dr.

Meg

That's frustrating about the salt...although I suppose if it worked many people would be asking for extra ice cream.

Meg

If your blood pressure rises, it makes me wonder if it is really POTS. I'm obviously not a dr, though. Have you had a tilt table test or any official diagnosis?

Meg

I overheat in winter when I walk across campus in a winter coat. (I also get really really cold and can't warm up, so it's a balancing act for me) I don't know where you live or what the possibilities of moving are (or if it would help at all) but I thought I'd throw that out as a possible option? Hopefully you find something to help you!

Meg

This does happen to me sometimes, and I find that propping my legs up helps quite a bit, even though POTS patients are supposed to raise the head of their beds, typically. Sometimes I do homework lying on the ground with my legs up against the wall. (helps with concentration, too. more blood to the brain.)

Meg

I have never heard of it, but I hope you find some answers looking at your childhood charts. I've given up on figuring out my "trigger." It wastes energy I don't have and I figure I might as well just take care of myself in the state I'm in now.

Meg

Just wanted to say that I'm happy at least one of your symptoms has been relieved!

Meg

I'd suggest getting a second opinion, and maybe considering giving it a try, because the way most POTS people's bodies work, you never know what might actually help. By the way, one of the POTS things in general can be sensitivity to hormones, meds, chemicals, etc., so I'm sorry that your past experiences make this worse and that it is so frustrating.

Meg

When I had my TTT my heartrate only went up 27 beats, but I was still diagnosed with POTS because of my other symptoms. (such as the very frequent passing out...) I'm fairly certain that it's normal to not always even go up at all.

Meg

I'm on Cerefolin for brain fog, also. As well as potassium (I believe it's the florinef that lowers this). Would it be possible to call the office and possibly get some information to help you decide whether or not to go?

Meg

So sorry you had to go to the ER! I get chest pain sometimes, but after talking with my doc, I recognize when it's POTS pain and I rest until it goes away. It's a fairly frequent symptom for me. Maybe it could be something similar?

Meg