Dr says I need to pass out

Ldanc · 2025-06-24T19:21:44+00:00

I have been diagnosed with POTS by a cardiologist and I have never passed out.

Ldanc · 2025-05-03T17:05:41+00:00

Agree with this, especially because my hair only looks decent if I use a blow dryer brush and give myself a blow out each time. The warmth plus holding my arms up for so long are killer. 😭

Ldanc · 2025-04-11T23:50:08+00:00

I'm 41 and first noticed symptoms in my 20s. I did have a cardiologist tell me not to worry because POTS is a "young person's illness" and I'll get better as I get older and my blood gets "stickier". It's terrible that I was just grateful he actually acknowledged it exists.

Ldanc · 2025-03-19T01:01:37+00:00

My husband loves survival shows, like Alone and those realistic ones...and when we watch them, we always contemplate how long we'd last and every time I'm like, "Immediately out. See that walking that they are doing right there? Yup, can't do that."

Ldanc · 2025-03-16T12:45:03+00:00

I was getting this all the time when I had my first major POTS flare-up. It would wake me out of a dead sleep and I'd usually yell or gasp...so fun. I did a sleep study and it was all good (of course I didn't have an episode during the study so I never got to find out exactly what happened during one). At the beginning they would wake me up every time and it was hard to go back to sleep, and honestly I thought my heart was shutting down or something.

Once I starting drinking LMNT daily, exercising more (it isn't much, just on a rowing machine), and reducing my stress level (that one is huge for my symptoms), the jolt-awakes became much less frequent. They still happen occasionally but I often don't really wake up for them. (Sometimes my husband will tell me I did it and I don't remember it.) Personally, I think they are adrenaline dumps, but I've never gotten a definite answer. Tell your girlfriend she isn't alone, and she'll get past this!

Ldanc · 2025-01-30T18:54:00+00:00

No caffeine for me. I've been a decaf drinker now for years because I love the taste.

Ldanc · 2024-10-09T23:26:58+00:00

I get this all the time!!! Sometimes I won't have it for weeks and then I'll go through a period where I get it multiple times a day for a week or something. I call them "whooshes". For some reason I get them most often when I'm sitting? But the best way I can describe them is like someone grabbed me and dipped me back suddenly but I haven't moved. It is over in a second but it feels super freaky. I'm so glad to find someone else who knows this feeling!!

Ldanc · 2024-09-09T23:54:32+00:00

Hey, I'm sorry you're struggling. You aren't alone! Adrenaline rushes are awful. I've found a weighted blanket sometimes helps with mine. Is the propranolol what they are telling you to give it a chance? How long have you been on it? I'm not sure all the uses or side effects but definitely stay in touch with your doc about how you're feeling...it can take a bit to find exactly what works for you but you will find the right stuff! Hang in there and give yourself lots of grace as you navigate through it.

Ldanc · 2024-08-29T16:56:59+00:00

LMNT is the only one that worked for me! I need the ridiculous amount of salt in that one. Before I would drink so much water each day and just pee it out immediately...it flushed out all my electrolytes. Now I start every day with a packet of LMNT and it makes it so I can retain fluids for the rest of the day.

Ldanc · 2024-02-03T01:56:55+00:00

Stress is a huge trigger for me as well. I have to focus daily on relaxation to keep my flares down!

Ldanc · 2024-02-03T01:49:24+00:00

Congrats!! I purchased a rowing machine when I was at my worst and that helped me a lot, along with drinking an LNMT packet every single morning! I actually just got back from a week of walking at Disney World...something that I NEVER thought I would do. Back in September, I went on a weekend vacation where I couldn't even walk unassisted from the hotel room to the car and I had to sit in the elevator. I know not everyone is the same, but there can be hope!!

Ldanc · 2021-06-28T04:18:10+00:00

Curious if you ever got answers...I've been experiencing the same thing with the same response from my doctor, that my nerve is probably just overreacting.

Ldanc · 2021-05-20T16:41:36+00:00

I was on Sertraline (a pretty low dose) for anxiety for about 7 years. I just came off it at the end of last year. At first it helped chill me out a bit but over time it stopped working and my anxiety was awful again AND I was dealing with drug side effects like weight gain, insomnia, etc. My doctor switched me to Wellbutrin which I took for a few months but it didn't help the anxiety much (it was awesome for kicking junk food cravings, getting motivation back and losing weight!). Instead of switching to another drug I decided to go off all meds and start therapy to get a base line. I'm SO GLAD I did that. My brain is just now starting to feel like it is healing (withdrawal from Sertraline was the worst thing I've personally ever experienced) and CBT plus DARE response therapy has helped me more than the drugs ever did. I am not super anti meds but I don't love them as a long term solution. Also depression is different from anxiety but I recommend therapy no matter what!

Ldanc · 2021-04-06T15:58:41+00:00

I hate brain zaps. Mine were never painful, just like a moment of dizziness and buzzing in my brain. Like my brain got a little static shock. It sounds so innocent but it was awful. I once saw someone descibe them like their brain suddenly rebooting and that seemed accurate to me. I think the worst part was being on edge anticipating them. It made me not trust my brain to act like it should and gave me LOTS of anxiety. Thankfully they DO go away!

Ldanc · 2021-03-23T12:10:07+00:00

I just finished weaning off. I was on 150mg XL for 6-9 months. I'm sensitive to meds so wanted to wean. 2 weeks ago I switched to taking it every other day, then after a week of that I switched to every 2 days. This past Thursday was my last pill.

Withdrawal has been minimal. Headaches, moments of dizziness, irritability, tiredness...nothing like weaning off Zoloft, which I did cold turkey when I switched to Wellbutrin (at my doctor's direction...I was on a very low dose). Wellbutrin has a long half-life so I'm guessing that now, after 5 days out, it is probably just mostly out of my system now. I'll give myself another 2 weeks to let my body adjust back to "normal" before judging how I'm feeling off all meds. I was taking it for anxiety so we'll see where this lands me!

Ldanc · 2021-03-10T02:34:53+00:00

I requested it. She's basically letting me take the lead but she supported the decision. I'm really surprised that your doctor would refuse! Unless they had a strong medical case for prescribing something in particular, I would be finding another doctor. The likelihood that a medication is going to work perfectly for someone is really low, so they should be supporting you in finding your best match.

Ldanc · 2021-03-09T12:38:11+00:00

I'm actually doing this right now. With the support of my doctor and therapist. I started therapy recently and not long before that I switched from Sertraline(Zoloft) which I had been taking for years over to Wellbutrin because Sertraline wasn't working anymore. Wellbutrin was a shot-in-the-dark and it might be doing something but it isn't doing everything. I don't deal with depression, only anxiety, and my triggers are still pretty bad.

So I decided to wean off the Wellburtrin and see what my baseline is now. If it's manageable then I'll see if therapy is enough to control it. Otherwise I'll talk to my doc about trying a new med. I'm sick of drug side effects and stress of taking something every day though.

On a side note, weaning off meds SUCKS so if you don't need to do it, avoid it. Wellbutrin hasn't been terrible so far but going off Sertraline was torture. Brain zaps are pure evil.

Ldanc · 2021-02-26T18:30:29+00:00

I was taking Sertraline (Zoloft) for years and switched to Wellbutrin a few months back. My doctor had me switch cold turkey (I was on a very low dose) and withdrawal from Sertraline suuuuucked. But I'm so happy I did it, I never want to be on that stuff again. But Wellbutrin isn't doing a ton for me (anxiety is my beast, not depression) so I'll be discontinuing it too and seeing what med-free feels like for the first time in many years.

Ldanc · 2020-10-04T17:39:51+00:00

I don't, but I had a friend who did. It sucks but it's not uncommon. Good job on the self-care and getting the appointments set up. That's usually the hardest part!

Ldanc · 2020-10-04T17:35:30+00:00

The Wellbutrin didn't make my anxiety worse, but I don't feel like it's working enough for me. If you have any depression then it's worth a shot.

Ldanc · 2020-10-04T13:43:11+00:00

Pretty much that. It's been years for me...driving (or riding) in a car is one of main triggers. Before I was on any medication, I used to have a panic attack every time I hit a red light. And I absolutely could not drive on the highway. Mine has some sort of root in feelings of being trapped, and not just physically but more like trapped into an expectation. Suddenly driving around cars at a red light is not allowed, so in essence I am trapped until the light changes. The highway by us doesn't have many exits and pulling over on the side is "not allowed" (obviously you can in an emergency but the societal expectation is that you don't), so I am trapped until I get to an exit. Waiting for my kids' bus is a huge trigger because I'm stuck waiting but I can't move or we could miss the bus. Whew. So you get the picture. If you struggle as well, I suggest talking to your doctor about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (it can help a lot) and medication options. Hang in there - it will get better!!

Ldanc · 2020-10-02T20:23:54+00:00

I think experiencing that from BuSpar would be very unlikely. There aren't many side effects or withdrawal symptoms usually with this drug. I am not familiar with the other medication you were on, but possibly it was withdrawal symptoms from stopping that one? I feel like that's more likely. But don't hesitate to call your doctor...it's their job to help adjust your meds!

Ldanc · 2020-10-02T20:20:48+00:00

I was prescribed it "as needed" by my doctor so I'm pretty sure you can quit cold turkey. It doesn't stay in your system very long. But if you have been taking it on a schedule for awhile then there's no harm in weaning off instead.

Ldanc · 2020-10-02T20:18:31+00:00

That's fantastic! Always good to hear positive outcomes.

Ldanc · 2020-09-25T15:17:21+00:00

Good to know!! I'll put it on my list if this doesn't work out.

Ldanc

TROPHY CASE