POTS OR ANXIETY?

Hi Simone

I have Vasovagil syncope, like POTS it is a form of dysautonomia, and can lead on to POTS.  When i stand, i go to black out, if i sit it goes, if i stand too long in a queue i got to pass out, to help this i drink a glass of water first.   When stood for long periods crouch down, or, sway from side to side, what happens with vasil is, blood pools into your feet and abdomen, the heart then slows, so blood pressure drops, so you go to black out due to lack of blood oxygen to the heart and brain it can also cause fits, which i have had, it eventually levels itself on its own, you can also wear compression tights or, socks to force the blood back up, you can also prop your bed legs up at night som your propped up in bed instead of lying flat, you will find that with vasil when lying flat that will cause your blood pressure to go high, it drops when we stand.

Mine is causing slow dijestion and blood sugar problems, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,  my stomach muscles are weak, this means they cannot push food through as quickly as it should so it builds up in my uppder admomen, makes you feel sick, you will find it very uncomfortable to sit in a straight backed chair, and if you stand after a large meal it feels like its pushing you to sit down, if you stand long enough, you will go to pass out, for this drink water before and during your meal but not too much, and if possible, as soon as you have eaten you can lie flat so it goes through faster, takes about 30 mins, and during the day to avoid this happening, you are to eat very small meals and i mean small because, the type of food, and amounts your eating make that worse, it will cause you to bloat and feel full with gas, so then you get constipated, then later on all that has to come out, so you get IBS symptoms, stomach ache and severe runs.

Where my sugars are concerned, it will either go too high, or, too low, so for this, i have to eat small high protein low unrefined carb meals, avoid alchohol , caffeine, hot weather, refined sugars, extreme exercise, stress as much as you can, all this will affect your dysautonomia.

Were supposed to drink 3 to 5 litres of water per day, to help low blood pressure and low blood volume, but, if we take in touch much water, or, you are weeing lots, like a race horse, but havent been drinking much, then that is a sign you are not taking in enough salt due to low blooad volume which is our water content of our blood, our condition causes us to wee gallons so we lose our blood volume, so, then we are supposed to be liberal with our salt on our food. 

There will come a time when you feel perfectly well, then you will do something that will upset the balance, your symptoms of anxiety and stress are all part of the dysautonomia, it isn't you doing it! your eating too much refind carbs, you could be doing too much as well, and all this causes our malfunctioning nervous system to go out of wack, either things are working too fast in our bodies, as it affects our, sympathetic nervous system, which is the fight, or, flight system and thats why you feel under stress, then like in stressful situations that have been caused by you, when the stress is over, or, your nervous system settles, we go into the resting stage of stress, triggered by our parasympathetic nervous system, this is called the rest and dijest phase, and thats when everything feels like it has slowed down.  What we have to do is, keep our systems working in the middle, given that it is our autonomic system that has gone wrong, that is very hard to do, and i was born with it, and i am 57 now, but once it all goes off, it is like you have to wait until your body puts it right, but you can help it tremendously with life style changes.

For vagusvasil, they can fit you with a pacemaker, but it is very hit and miss that it would work long term, they can help you with steriods for your dijestive probs, but they can cause large amounts of weight gain, they can also give you low blood pressure pills but that wont stop your problems as a whole all this will just control it, but it can go on its own, mine went for around 4 years, or it was that mild i never noticed, it was the menopause that made it worse, and hormones is another thing that upsets the system, always dreaded period time, found when i was on my periods i felt great, but bad, immediately before, and straight after, wanted to be on my periods all the time, just to feel well, if this sounds like you, then try some of these tips, see how you get on, some people have also used something called Bachs Rescue Remedy, available from chemists to help with the stress symptoms and palpatations, you will also find Sertraline Anti Depressant will help with symptoms, and migraines if you have them, i am on a very low dose and when i try to come off them, my symptoms come back very bad, so, end up back on them, so, not sure what the link is there, doesnt do anything for the depression though...............haha typical.

Good luck with it.