flop

Hi I was just wondering if anyone took more than one antihistamine medication at the same time? I take acrivastine (UK only, non-drowsy) three times a day all year round for my rhinits. Most of the time it works well and I don't get any side-effects from it.

At the moment the pollen counts are officially "very high" (off the top of the scale) and despite the acrivastine, singulair, cromoglycate eye drops and cromoglycate nasal spray my symptoms are becoming unbareable.

Worst issues are intense itching of the soft palate / roof of my mouth (I am scratching at it in my sleep), sore itchy throat, itchy ears and congested nose. I have unofficially "self-diagnosed" oral allergy syndrome (I get swollen lips and tongue after eating several different sorts of fresh fruit - apparently a cross reaction to pollens and I can eat them ok in the winter months - weired). The only relief is from holding ice lollies (popsicles) against the roof of my mouth - this temporarily relieves the itching for 10 mins. Having minor asthma symptoms (usually really well controlled unless I get a lower respiratory infection and then need to use home nebuliser).

The last two summers I have had to go onto oral steroids which have taken until Christmas to get back off again - I really don't want to have to go down that route again.

It is really getting me down and stopping me from sleeping (I know several people have commented in PMs that I am on here most of the night). Got to sleep at 5:30am last night and delayed alarm until 8am which put me in a mad rush to get ready to go to work.

Is it ok to mix two different types of antihistamine? Like perhaps take a sedating one in the evenings or just take two different ones together? I've asked 2 different doctors and one said it was fine, the other said it should never be done?

I've never had any allergy testing or seen a specialist but my GP says it is unneccessary.

Thanks,

Flop

The best way of describing your symptoms is to make a list of everything that you do / would normally do in a day.

Start with what happens when you wake up, how you feel when you walk to the bathroom, if you can get washed and dressed yourself and how long that takes you, making and eating breakfast, then other chores like doing the laundry and ironing, shopping, cooking.

Tell them typically how far you can walk, what symptoms make you have to stop (tachy, dizzy, palpitations, pain, shortness of breath)

How long you can stand up for, how long you can sit in an upright chair for, how long you can read for.

This will let them see what your life is like without you needing to write an essay, keep it to objective facts that you can measure (like time, heart rate, bloodpressure, distance etc) rather than subjective statements (such as ...makes me feel awful). If you struggle to do activities of daily living then they should understand that going to work would be even harder for you.

At the end of the day they are trying to make sure that people don't cheat the system. People may get better but not tell the benefits office and continue to claim disability. What they want to do is ensure that disability money goes to people who need it.

Best wishes, and try not to stress too much about the assessments as that will probably make you feel even more ill!

Flop

Well it took a while to get the stocking off - the nail polish had glued it to my heel and had to be very careful gradually peeling it off to not upset the run/ladder in it. I think that maybe I over-did the nail polish as even after washing the whole of the heel area is hard and distorted. I hope it's not too lumpy to walk on (flatter than a darn anyway) - I'll try them out tomorrow and let you know how we get on.

Flop

Mary can you describe your breathing problems for us? Things to think about so you can tell you doctor would be when it happens (when active, when sitting quietly, when lying down / asleep, after eating...) if there is anything specific that seems to trigger an episode?.....How do you get it to go away?....How long it lasts for?....Do you cough / bring up sputum?....Does it hurt to breathe / cough?...Do you make whistling / wheezing sounds?

There are lots of other questions that a doctor might want to ask but having a think about those might help or point you in the way of possible causes.

For exapmle coughing and wheezing after exercise or laughing and at night can be pointers towards asthma. Cough with sputum could be an infection. Sudden fast breathing with feeling dizzy and pins and needles in the fingers and lips could be hyperventilation or a panic attack. Lots of others too. I hope you PCP get a diagnosis soon so that you can know how to deal with the breathing issues.

Flop

Have some ((((((HUGS)))))) - I think you might need the extra energy to reboost your mighty powers

"Here she comes to save the day, MightyMouse is on her way...." (I used to love that cartoon)

Flop

Sorry that the memory foam didn't suit you - I hope you can find something better to replace it with (and celebrate that you decided to buy from a store with a returns policy).

I once stayed in a very expensive hotel (the Savoy, in London) where I slept in the most comfortable bed I have ever felt. It had a firm supportive mattress but with a very deep (6 inches I think) down topper that you sank into. The combination of a good solid base but with the fluffy topper was very comfortable (I usually get terrible back ache after sleeping on a strange bed) - I wonder if that sort of combination would be any good for you - allow your shoulders to sink in without allowing your lower back to sag?

Happy bed trying, (I wonder if people ever fall asleep in bed shops?)

Flop

Jacquie, in your signature it says that you are taking midodrine 10mg x3daily. Have you thought about trying a smaller dose? As Rita said the Midodrine headache is usually due to the rise in BP when you take the med, so perhaps your BP is going higher than you need it to.

This is just a guess but seen as midodrine has such a short duration of action (approx 4 hours) I would have thought that if the headache was caused by the midodrine that is should wear off as the drug leaves your system (please feel free to correct me if my assumption is wrong here).

I know that most of us dread going to see the Dr but I think that a visit is probably a good idea. If you have BP readings before and after midodrine, lying down, and on different doses I'd take them along with you. I know that midodrine is associated with headaches but there could be another cause so a checkup is probably in order.

I hope you're feeling better soon and don't fall over whilst you are off the midodrine, take care,

Flop

Thank you for all the responses to my "compression emergency"

I hadn't thought that terms such as a "ladder" in stockings would not be known outside of the UK. I guess the term comes from the fact that the run looks like the rungs of a ladder, with stiches going sideways only after the upright thread has unravelled.

I have opted for the slightly easier option of carefully putting the stocking back on (didn't make the ladder any worse) and drenching the area in clear nail polish. I decided to try this first as I think walking on a darn might be rather uncomfortable. My room currently reeks of nail polish and I am waiting until I am sure that it has totally dried before taking it off and washing it.

I've still not yet managed to find any stockings online that match the mediven ones that the hospital gave to me - if I track them down I'll be buying an extra pair!

Thanks again,

Flop

I was checked for Addison's disease by an endocrinologist (at my request) when I first started having recurrent syncope. My symptoms fitted Addison's so well that I was prescribed high dose Cortisone to take at home over the weekend whilst waiting for the results of my short synacthen test.

In Addison's disease your 9am cortisol is usually low and fails to rise in response to the synacthen. (I think that for a normal result the post synacthen cortisol level has to rise by at least 200 and to over 500 mmol/l).

My baseline cortisol was over 900! So certainly not Addison's.

I have had to take steroids (Prednisolone) for very severe hayfever the last 2 summers. The steroids make me feel much better, both in sorting the allergies and virtually getting my POTS symptoms to disappear. It was great to be able to forget about POTS, dizziness, excessive fluids, and forget that I was ill - the problem came when I had to come off the steroids. Everytime I decreased the dose I felt really POTSY for about 4 days. In the end I had to get down from 7.5mg by reducing by half a mg a week - took until November just to get off the wretched things. If they weren't dangerous I wouldn't worry but I know the longterm damage that steroids can do to your body.

Flop

Angela - I made the mistake of taking my first SSRI tablet on a monday morning before going to work (Paroxetine 20mg). By 11am I felt drunk / drugged (well I was drugged just that I'd taken the tablet intentionally). I had such bad vertigo that the walls and floor were moving and people seemed to be zooming in and out getting closer then further away from me. It was really scary, I bumped and bounced my way down the corridor to the administrators office to sheepishly explain that I'd have to go home sick and could they call me a taxi? Also had huge huge dilated pupils.

I cut the dose in half and still felt horrid for about 10 days, after 2 weeks I bravely put the dose back up to 20mg. That was months ago - now I tolerate it just fine without any noticable side-effects.

I know this isn't exactly constipation related but wanted to reassure you that the wobblyness doesn't usually last beyond the first few weeks.

Good luck,

Flop

Cardiactec, the abstract doesn't mention postural hypotension, just hypotension. If anyone manages to find the full text of the article it would be interesting to see if it expands on that statement re adults with POTS not having hypotension.

Flop

Congrats Angela on trying an SSRI, I know you had strong feelings about them (as did I, I only agreed to try one when I was getting much more symptomatic because I was worried about the stigma) - hopefully you'll soon be seeing the the beneficial effects that many of us POTSies find from SSRIs.

Flop

Wow, that's a lot at once Nina. Definately counts as a crazy life in my opinion.

I'm sure that you'll muddle through and everything will work out just fine but try not to stress - you know how that causes flares and I don't think you've got time for a flare just now. Seriously, good luck with the surgery and everything else.

Take care,

Flop

Hi Mary,

in the UK we have what is called the National Health Service (NHS) which provides free healthcare to all UK citizens (paid for through our taxes). I was going to post something else about the NHS but then remembered that political topics aren't allowed ooops!

Basically so long as you don't mind waiting you should get health problems sorted on the NHS. We pay a nominal fee for prescription items (about $10 no matter what the drug is). My allowance for NHS stockings is 2 pairs evey 6 months, hence why I need to repair this pair that I have only had for 2 months - they need to last until October before I can get a free replacement pair.

Yes my stockings are "on prescription". My cardiologist referred me to the stocking clinic where a specialist nurse checked the skin on my feet, checked for varicose veins, checked the pulses in my feet, measured the blood pressure in my ankles compared to my arms (ABPI) and took loads of detailed measurements. Essentially they need to check that the compression isn't going to do you any harm and that you get the correct size.

Most of the internet sites selling medical compression hose have sizing charts and pictures showing you where to measure. I guess it might be a good idea to be properly fitted for your first pair then buy further ones from cheaper sources.

Flop

Congratulations - that must make all of the hard work that you put into those students seem worthwhile and very satisfying. Students never forget a good teacher and you may well have had a significant influence on some of your students.

Flop

Cardiactec,

It's interesting that you have had a disscussion about hypotension with one of the authors of the paper. With you mentioning the DROP in systolic BP on tilt, it sounds like his definition of POSTURAL HYPOTENSION.

Postural hypotension is usually defined as a drop in systolic BP of 20mmHg or more within 2-3 minutes of standing. ie it is a lowering of the BP from it's baseline.

A change in BP from 180/95 to 160/90 would still be "postural hypotension" as would a change in BP from 95/50 to 70/45.

Converesly someone could be normally hypotensive at 80/40 and on standing BP changed to 85/50 (ie a normal increase in BP in standing) - that person would not have postural hypotension but does have hypotension.

Very confusing, what I am trying to illustrate is that hypotension and postural hypotension are very different things and we need to know which the authors were talking about in the paper.

NB - "postural hypotension" and "orthostatic hypotension" are often used interchangebly.

Flop

Help!!!

I persuaded my cardiologist to refer me for compression stockings and I was measured and fitted at my local hospital. I was initially given a pair of 18-24mmHg knee-high socks (very comfy but no help with symptoms). The clinic also ordered 2 pairs of Mediven Elegance knee-highs for me, one 20-30mmHg and the other 30-40mmHg. They were very reluctant to order such high compression despite me showing them an article by Dr Grubb that mentions that support should be 30-40mmHg and waist high.

Apparently I am allowed to have 2 pairs of socks every six months - on on and one in the wash.

The problem is that I have just managed to get a ladder in the reinforced heel section of the 20-30mmHg pair. I have no idea how it got laddered as my shoes are very smooth inside, I never wear them without shoes or slippers and I am very careful to cut and file my nails to avoid snaggs.

Just taking the sock off has resulted in a 8cm ladder, the clear nail varnish I had applied did nothing to stop the run. Has anyone had any success at mending compression stockings? I'm guessing I'd have to use an elasticated thread so that the darn would stretch as I put the sock on.

I've looked online (eg ameswalker) to try to find the same socks to buy myself some more, but can't find anything like the ones the hospital gave me.

Am I chasing a lost cause even thinking about repairing them?

Flop

I hope that you're planning on getting plenty of photos taken of you in your outfit on the day and sharing them with us on here?

Flop

Thanks for the potassium information Melissa, I'd forgotten about that angle. My cardiologist always tells me that there is no need for blood monitoring with fludrocortisone, and there is no mention of potassium in the information leaflet that comes with my prescription (I checked that for information on side-effects before writing my original post).

Flop

Hi Smiles (and in response to Melissa's question)

I've done a quick search for swallow syncope and it seems to be very rare. I found a medical journal article published in "Heart" in 2000 that described the testing of a patient with swallow syncope. It showed on both holter monitor and during electrophysiology study that he had episodes of complete AV block (where no electrical signals pass through the AV node to tell the ventricles to beat, essentially the patient's heart was pausing for 3 seconds at a time when he swallowed fizzy drinks or had a balloon inflated in his oesophagus).

The author reported that the treatment plan for this patient was to place a permanent pacemaker.

I know that the paper only talks about 1 patient and it doesn't say that all swallow syncope is caused by bradycardia so you can't make generalisations.

If you would like more details of the paper PM me and I'll try to send you a link.

I guess that your doctors are hoping to catch one of your syncopal events on the heart monitor to see if you are very bradycardic or having a problem such as AV block at the time of the collapse. Have you had a blackout whilst on the monitor yet?

Flop

Hi Tammy,

Florinef (fludrocortisone) works by causing the kidneys to reabsorb sodium from the urine, water follows the sodium back into the bloodstream. Therefore florinef should actually make you retain water (puffy ankles are a fairly common side effect) not urinate more than usual.

Are you passing large volumes of urine or just passing a small amount more often? Have you any symptoms of a urine infection (cystitis) like burning or stinging when you pee?

I'm not sure about the weakness, I know that the other type of steroids (glucocorticoids, like prednisolone and cortisone) can cause muscle weakness but you would have to check with your doctor or pharmacist about fludrocortisone.

I think that the best thing to do would be to call the doctor that prescribed the fludrocortisone or your PCP and report these new symptoms to them, they might want to do some checks or alter the dose that you are on.

Hope you're feeling a bit better soon,

Flop

Don't over do things trying to tidy up for your husband's return. I'm sure that you want everything to be nice for him but I bet he'd rather have an untidy flat than a wife who had made herself more unwell by dashing about. Just explain to him how you feel and then gradually sort ot the mess as you are able to.

Note, my sister has gone away for a few days and my flat currently looks like a bombsite. I have managed to hang up the wet laundry - seemed like the most important task, at least we will both have clean dry clothes to wear.

Flop

Good luck with the Buspar, let us know how you get on with it.

Flop

Compression in the heat - have you thought about trying thigh high or knee high compression whilst you get over the yeast infection?

My cardiologist tells me that as I get a benefit from knee high 40mmHg compression that I won't get any additional benefit from full leg (not sure that I believe him on this one but the knee highs do certainly help). Might be a compromise and help your BP a bit in this heat?

Hope you're resting lots and feeling better soon,

Flop

He looks so soft and furry, I want to stroke him!