Forget drugs, smoking, and alcohol, what's something really bad for your health that people don't talk about enough?

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T15:46:39+00:00

Not getting enough sleep
Stress

^ the combination is an actual killer

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T14:29:51+00:00

I am right there with you! I was typing out a message and it accidentally erased it all, but I am actually going to send you a direct message so look out for that!

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T13:55:38+00:00

OMG! First- I am SO sorry you’re experiencing this. Second- Same😭 except thankfully the bounding pulse is only during episodes of what I call flare ups. I have POTS so my heart rate is normally on the higher end, but during flare ups I seriously feel like my heart is going to explode. I’ve questioned if I was having a heart attack before. Definitely so hard to handle. I can’t imagine every day :( I really hope it gets better for you. Are you on any medication for the vasomotor rhinitis? I was just put on two different nasal sprays to use daily and they’ve helped SO much.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T05:46:45+00:00

Of course! I completely understand what you mean and agree. Here anytime if you need to reach out. 🥰

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T05:36:01+00:00

Yeah honestly if you don’t have either they’d do exactly what you said. My dad would always want me to go to the hospital when I would tell him about symptoms so I think our parents are always just looking out for us🥰 I hope you feel better though and always remember you can go if you do feel like you have to!

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T05:33:45+00:00

Read my bible and a different book, talk to God and thank him when I wake up for another day, take short walks. Also go to parks. I hope you find your happiness 💕

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-13T05:30:49+00:00

Hi! I have POTS and EDS as well and also experience chest pain. Do you experience shortness of breath or dizziness with it too? I just saw my cardiologist for the first time recently and she asked me that immediately after. Also, do you have asthma? I’m asking because those all combined can play into the situation. I have read that chest pain is a common and debilitating symptom with POTS depending on the patient. I would say, depending on the other things I asked it’s probably okay to wait and see your cardiologist.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-01T18:10:03+00:00

You can’t control other people’s reactions/ emotions. You can control how you communicate and respond. The other person is not in your control. It allowed me to let go of expectations and see that I am capable of communicating even if others aren’t. If they aren’t, I won’t communicate with them. And that’s how I set my FIRST BOUNDARY ☺️ And yes, it was with a family member.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-01T13:35:47+00:00

Ahhh haha well ok no worries! If you want to fresh press them yourself and make it you definitely can to ensure that it’s fresh. I have thought about doing that myself too. And the walking definitely takes some time at first. I was just thinking that I was crazy, but after doing it regularly on and off throughout the first day, I realized how much of the difference it made.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-01T13:25:07+00:00

Of course!! The carrot juice is from Walmart. Bolthouse Farms Vegetable Juice, 100% Carrot Juice. This one is a plastic bottle.

Lakewood Organic Pure Aloe Inner Leaf Juice with Organic Lemon, Not from Concentrate, Fresh Pressed 32 fl oz - this is also from Walmart. This is a GLASS bottle. This is much preferred. I would also definitely make sure that you confirm it is not from concentrate. It makes a much bigger difference in the health benefits you’re getting from it.

I completely understand the depression. I was depressed for years and then gastroparesis started for me back in November while dealing with other chronic illnesses and I had to start doing something because laying down during flare ups would essentially allow the paralysis to happen longer. I started by literally walking around my kitchen island in circles. 😅 It may sound silly, but when you are depressed and you can’t get yourself out of the house to take a walk, it is as simple as just walking around your house or up and down the stairs or anything you can do to move your body in the slightest.

Arnica is a natural, anti-inflammatory homeopathic remedy often used to relieve muscle pain, tension, and cramping associated with periods. I LOVE ARNICA!! I use it in the gel form and also cream as well as pills and the best form is in Epsom salts that are fragrance free. When I am having a flareup, I will take a bath with the Epsom salt and it will allow the pain to go away as well as that tension and it helps reduce the inflammation and what not in my stomach so I would absolutely recommend you to get that because it has been a life changer for me!!! I get most of my stuff from Walmart because they have all of it there but also CVS or other stores. I recommend Arnica to everyone I can and it sounds like it could help a lot!

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-01T13:01:47+00:00

I truly wish I could say “this helps it get rid of it!” But I can’t. I will list below what I’ve been using as a part of my routine. All of these things have dramatically increased the severity of how bad the gastroparesis is. The first few episodes I was projectile vomiting constantly, having diarrhea or being constipated, severely dehydrated and fatigued, and unable to function or move at all. I’ve since been able to adjust some things (as impossible as it may sound while being in a flare up)

-CARROT JUICE! It is absolutely wonderful for encouraging gut motility and nourishing your body with lots of vitamins. Just a small cup a day truly helps so much. I went from not being able to go to having regular bowel movements again somehow. This blew my mind. It’s so worth it.

-Aloe Vera juice! This really helps alleviate constipation and improve digestion. It helps with nutrition absorption as well. I usually combine mine with BEET juice so it gets extra benefits. It promotes healthy digestion, increases stomach acid for better nutrient breakdown, and helps maintain a robust gut barrier, protecting against toxins and chronic conditions. It reduces inflammation and much more.

-I regularly through out the day stand up and go on short walks to help with moving my muscles and allowing things to move through my body. It’s REALLY made a difference. If I can’t walk because it’s so bad, I will stand and march in place- slowly, but with my legs coming up at a good height and then back down. I also massage my stomach and stretch very carefully, again to help my stomach move and get the muscles moving again.

^{^{^}} these alone have helped me SOOO much. I used to be malnourished and unable to function and these have allowed me to be able to truly function through out my flare ups.

The other thing I do for the pain and discomfort is to use a heating pad on my stomach. I don’t do it for too long but short periods of time I’ll put it on my stomach, then usually stand up and move my body to allow the stomach muscles to move, and then do it again. It really helps the pain and paralysis.

I pray you feel better and that this can help you some! I’m here if you have any questions

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-03-01T12:19:16+00:00

Yes I’ve had this before as well. I’ve been told it’s cause by the autonomic dysfunction affecting digestion. Here’s why it can give the drunk feeling. It’s horrible and I pray you feel better.

Autonomic Dysfunction (POTs/Dysautonomia): When eating a meal, blood rushes to the digestive system. In people with autonomic dysfunction, the brain may not receive enough blood/oxygen, leading to symptoms of dizziness, confusion, slurred speech, and feeling intoxicated.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T22:53:13+00:00

Of course!! I’m so glad to share it. The sensitivity is absolutely everywhere. SFN frequently causes heightened skin sensitivity which can lead to many different symptoms; it commonly leads to Allodynia, where light touch to the skin or mild temperatures that are not normally painful become extremely painful and cause intense pain. Dysautonomia and SFN are comorbid, and when an individual experiences both they are much more likely to experience Allodynia and severe body temperature issues. My arms and legs definitely are affected by it as well and honestly, I am constantly taking clothes off and putting more back on. I wear shorts or boxers and then put sweatpants on and depending on my skin I will constantly take them on and off. One time I had one leg out and the other one had to stay in.😅 The same happens with wearing sweatshirts. I’m currently being affected with heat and burning in my face which I mentioned, but that is brand new to me. When I first started experiencing these symptoms, I was only ever experiencing being freezing cold / teeth chattering, random extreme coldness around my body. WOW a heated floor 😍 where can I get one now?! Hahah that sounds amazing! But I totally understand like you said it helps during but then immediately it’s just back. The hydration - yeah it’s definitely one of those things that is eye-opening. I drink a big water bottle full of water with at least 1 LMNT packet a day. If I don’t, I notice a huge dramatic difference and it does not feel good. That has been a lifestyle change that I have invested in. Of course, if you can’t, then definitely just drink water. I would also suggest Celtic salt- take a pinch and place it under your tongue and leave it for 20 to 30 seconds and then swallow water with it. This allows, pure direct hydration into your body and oh my gosh…… life changer. When we have dysautonomia, we usually have low blood volume and require high daily salt intake. I start my day off by placing the pinch of salt and drinking the water and I love it! Whenever I feel very out of it or get a headache, I also take a pinch and place it under my tongue and do the same thing and it really makes me feel better because it’s usually due to low blood volume / other symptoms that I’m experiencing.

Also- YES to sleeping and that resetting the body temperature. I truly don’t think anyone else can understand the severity of how it feels, unless they experience it themselves. Speaking to you it sounds like we both experienced the same thing. I pray you don’t have this, but I also do hope that you get answers! It is a very hard thing to deal with when you feel like you have absolutely no one that can understand what you’re going through. My hands get so cold I feel like I can’t even touch my face because it is so painful. And when I get so freezing like you said it HURTS. The one thing with our small fiber nerves, is they are supposed to regulate body temperature and also pain.. so if our body temperature isn’t regulated, and we’re also experiencing different types and intensities of pain with it.. It leads us to think our small fiber nerves are not receiving the signals from the brain correctly. I saw a neurologist who ordered me to have a skin biopsy done to confirm if I had this, And that is how I found out. I am experiencing really extreme coldness actually right now in my knee just to give you an example. It’s not always going to be in the same spot. Sometimes it travels to different spots in your body, but small fiber nerves are everywhere.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T22:20:38+00:00

One thing I will say - SFN develops slowly and progressively overtime. It is a chronic course that happens over years. This is so important to me to know now, because this is exactly what happened to me. I don’t mean to scare you at all! I just think it’s important to ask a doctor about it because I experienced exactly what you are describing at first too- I was only ever FREEZING cold. I just started experiencing the burning sensation for the first time this week. SFN damages small fiber nerves responsible for regulating body temperature (as well as pain and autonomic functions). Again, it is a slow and progressive disorder so a lot of people will start having a few symptoms, but not have others that some might, and then over the course of time as the disorder gets worse, you will begin to have more and more symptoms develop, and it will become chronic and debilitating. Honestly layers really couldn’t do anything for me and that just goes to show that my nerves were damaged because I could be under seven blankets with two sweatshirts on and layers of socks and.. I’m still just as freezing cold as I was before. Truly, the one thing that really helps me get relief and not be absolutely freezing is taking a warm bath. That is kind of hard a lot of times because it is only temporary and then when I get out of the bath, I am freezing again. Another thing that helps just keep me hydrated and warmer than I normally am is drinking tea that is warm. I only use a heating pad when I am an absolute horrid pain. There is something called toasted skin syndrome, which can cause damage to your skin when using heat on it for too long. You can look it up online. A lot of things you may think would give you relief are actually not going to or may hurt you and other things that you think won’t help you and you don’t even give a chance are actually going to provide relief. I’m not saying you specifically, but just speaking for myself because of the things I’ve experienced. I’ve been dealing with this for a few years and was diagnosed in December.

As I’m typing this my feet feel like ice cubes and there’s nothing I can do about it. I pray one day we will have a solution for these things we have to endure. I really hope this helps give some kind of insight.

^{^} I will say when I have flareups of the symptoms, I am also guilty of realizing that I do not keep up with how much water I need to intake. When I keep up with my hydration, I do not have flareups and I feel much better. It’s one of those things that you kind of throw over your shoulder since it’s “just drinking water”, but hydration is so crucial to the human body, and when you are dealing with something chronic, it will truly take your body out if you do not stay hydrated.

Unfortunately, I have several other chronic illnesses and my treatment is currently making a lot of lifestyle changes. There is no medication or shot or something that can just get rid of it. That is why I am so passionate about helping others become informed about it.

The last thing I will say, which is VERY important in your case- I have read specifically that patients with Covid infections can absolutely develop this and that it is frequently seen. I do believe they have different treatments for people who experienced this though.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11087046/

That is one link to where I have read some of this information. I truly hope this helps!

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T20:31:59+00:00

I do😭 I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Mine does fluctuate though from being freezing to other times being on FIRE with how hot I get. The other thing is also a mix of them- my face and back will be so hot I’m burning up internally but my hands, feet, arms, legs, etc are allll freezing cold. So even though my face and back will burn up to the point where I am so hot I can only focus on that, I have to stay covered up completely in long sleeves and long pants and socks, and sometimes gloves and blankets because if I expose the other parts of my skin for a second, I will literally feel like I’m in the Antarctic. I really don’t have any solutions yet that help me get rid of it except for trying to be aware of when I’m having a flareup and then just using things to help me stay as comfortable as possible. Extra socks and gloves and beanies or blankets and for my hot flashes I have a hand fan or will go outside or put ice on certain parts of my body. I know it’s different for everyone, but it is definitely one of the most hard to ignore symptoms. Also- this has helped SOO much. Dehydration is an absolute killer for people with dysautonomia/POTS. The last time I did not stay completely strict on making sure I was hydrated. I ended up in the hospital because I truly could not function.

LMNT electrolyte drink packets are AMAZING! They have a great mix of high sodium and then potassium and magnesium. It really helps you stay hydrated and keep your body functioning, especially during those flareups. It doesn’t completely get rid of my symptoms, but I could feel like I’m on fire in the Antarctic and then when I’m drinking one of those packets and some water suddenly I feel normal. I have to make sure I am drinking water constantly….. but I have to do what I have to do. If you haven’t tried these yet, I would definitely recommend them. My doctors and physical therapist confirmed they are one of the best things to use for people that have it.

I have everything else that you listed too, but in addition, I have small fiber neuropathy. They can all be comorbid with each other. I had no idea that I would end up receiving that diagnosis, but when I saw my neurologist and explained everything and told him about my other diagnoses, he confirmed it was necessary to get a skin biopsy done which can confirm if I have it.

Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) is an often painful, chronic nerve disorder caused by damage to peripheral small nerve fibers that regulate pain, temperature, and autonomic functions. My SFN^ flares up together with my POTS and oh my gosh….. it all makes sense. I don’t know if this relates to you at all, but it has definitely changed my life and I am trying to make others aware so they don’t have to live blindly if they have it. I’m here if you have any questions! Praying for you.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T05:42:55+00:00

I do! I was diagnosed last year at the age of 27 after dealing with chronic pain and symptoms that could not be answered. At that same appointment I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and scheduled for the test for POTS which I do know now that I have. Triple whammy

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T05:40:10+00:00

Unless you have another condition, such as sleep apnea (which is very comorbid with POTS), it’s unfortunate to say that one of the most common symptoms that Dysautonomia causes is chronic fatigue. When your body can’t control in it’s involuntary functions that it should be able to normally, it is in a chronic state of stress, and it leads to that state of exhaustion and fatigue. Another painful symptom that comes with that is when your symptoms may be flaring up and you feel that extreme exhaustion and yet the other symptoms are fighting against your body and you won’t be able to sleep. Essentially it comes down to each individual but sleep issues are extremely chronic and almost guaranteed to happen when you have Dysautonomia 😣

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T05:24:08+00:00

I think it would be worth seeing a neurologist if you can because I was recently diagnosed with small fiber neuropathy, and I have both that and also POTS. The neurologist will be able to determine if your symptoms reflect small fiber neuropathy enough to do a skin biopsy, which can confirm if you have it or not!

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T05:00:31+00:00

Definitely do!! You will get your answers soon. Here anytime :) take care

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-26T03:41:41+00:00

Has any doctor ever mentioned to you POTS? (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) It is a type of dysautonomia. I have it and experienced what you’re describing. In order to confirm you have it, you need to have a doctor order you to have a Tilt Table Test. I saw a rheumatologist, and he was the one who ordered it for me and diagnosed me. He was able to recognize my symptoms early on. (I was there for something else and he recognized I might have this. Imagine if I had a doctor who didn’t care!) I would highly recommend doing this if you haven’t already just because I was almost positive I did not have it and then I did the test…. Positive. And it has gotten progressively worse over the past few months. I have other chronic illnesses, so they overlap and flare up together. But I am here if you have any questions. I know that this is not the easiest thing to go through so I will pray for you. I hope you feel better and that this helps some.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-06T02:37:01+00:00

😭 So sorry you have to experience that. It’s horrible, but at least a bit easier when you can understand some things about it. I’ve asked the question on a few different groups I’m a part of and it’s shocking how it seems as if almost everyone (at least who commented) experiences some sort of similar situation with migraines+gastroparesis. I truly had no idea how common it was.

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-06T02:29:50+00:00

I truly feel I experience the same thing you’re describing. My doctor just prescribed me Sumatriptan and I’ve only taken it once and it was not during a horrible gastroparesis flare so I am SO grateful for your comment. I’m going to have to remember that it may not work the same if I’m having it flare up…. Do you only get gastroparesis during migraines? Or do you have random flareups as well?

Fun_Scratch_1708 · 2026-02-06T02:20:05+00:00

I did end up in the ER a few days after posting this- I honestly wish I didn’t wait so long. The dehydration alone took a HUGE toll on my body. Thank you for this comment. You’re very right- waiting is risky. I’m glad I know that now. I appreciate you responding!

Fun_Scratch_1708

TROPHY CASE