defmunel
11-26-2012, 06:44 PM
My ramblings may get a little lengthy, so please bear with me.
Right now I'm feeling very calm, which is a good time to talk about these things I think.
My fear is that I have an autoimmune disorder called pots. This disorder causes the heart rate to increase from lying to sitting to standing. Increases are >120 bpm or 30 beats. Along with this disorder is low bp upon standing, fainting, lightheadedness, chest pains, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, cold extremities (hands, feet, nose), heat exacerbates symptoms, exercise intolerance, tinnitus.
The reason I believe I have this disorder is because I have a few of the symptoms but the main one being increased hr and tinnitus. I do not have low bp when standing, mine actually increases, no fainting or lightheadedness. My symptoms are MOST apparent in the am-mid morning and then taper off as the evening approaches. I can exercise, (or I could before I was preggo) and yes, my hr would increase quite drastically, but I never felt sick and would always recover fairly quickly. Sometimes it was a longer recovery. Going up a flight of stairs also makes my heart race. I have been seeing a therapist, which has been good. He is a great fit for me. He said that since I am convinced that there is something physically wrong with me, that nothing will change it unless I visit with a cardiologist (who takes me seriously) and get proper testing done. I agreed, that is true. He also said that I am trying to "control" whats happening to me so much, that it's just feeding the fire. A vicious cycle. I've always had issues with control.
Now, something strange always happens. This "disorder" is the absolute worst in the mornings. I mean, terrible. I wake up thinking about it, I fret about it all day.... Constantly checking my pulse, trying to prove myself wrong. That I am a healthy person. But I never prove myself wrong. Until the evening comes. And then it's like I can BREATHE! I can stand and have a normal hr and it feels sooooooo good. I can go to bed easily but I don't stay asleep. I wake up in the night with cold sweats, which I think I internalize subconsciously. These cold sweats are also a symptom on the disorder, but mine are more likely due to pregnancy. I think this event the happens at night makes me anxious without realizing it. Then when I wake in the morning, I'm already anxious, which feeds the fear.
Usually at night I've convinced myself that I do not have the disorder, because it would be impossible for the symptoms to only be half of the day. But yet when I wake in the morning, I've convinced myself I do have it, because there's no way anxiety to cause such an increased hr only when standing.
Anyway, please let me know your thoughts after reading this. I would like to hear them.
Right now I'm feeling very calm, which is a good time to talk about these things I think.
My fear is that I have an autoimmune disorder called pots. This disorder causes the heart rate to increase from lying to sitting to standing. Increases are >120 bpm or 30 beats. Along with this disorder is low bp upon standing, fainting, lightheadedness, chest pains, muscle and joint pain, nausea and vomiting, cold extremities (hands, feet, nose), heat exacerbates symptoms, exercise intolerance, tinnitus.
The reason I believe I have this disorder is because I have a few of the symptoms but the main one being increased hr and tinnitus. I do not have low bp when standing, mine actually increases, no fainting or lightheadedness. My symptoms are MOST apparent in the am-mid morning and then taper off as the evening approaches. I can exercise, (or I could before I was preggo) and yes, my hr would increase quite drastically, but I never felt sick and would always recover fairly quickly. Sometimes it was a longer recovery. Going up a flight of stairs also makes my heart race. I have been seeing a therapist, which has been good. He is a great fit for me. He said that since I am convinced that there is something physically wrong with me, that nothing will change it unless I visit with a cardiologist (who takes me seriously) and get proper testing done. I agreed, that is true. He also said that I am trying to "control" whats happening to me so much, that it's just feeding the fire. A vicious cycle. I've always had issues with control.
Now, something strange always happens. This "disorder" is the absolute worst in the mornings. I mean, terrible. I wake up thinking about it, I fret about it all day.... Constantly checking my pulse, trying to prove myself wrong. That I am a healthy person. But I never prove myself wrong. Until the evening comes. And then it's like I can BREATHE! I can stand and have a normal hr and it feels sooooooo good. I can go to bed easily but I don't stay asleep. I wake up in the night with cold sweats, which I think I internalize subconsciously. These cold sweats are also a symptom on the disorder, but mine are more likely due to pregnancy. I think this event the happens at night makes me anxious without realizing it. Then when I wake in the morning, I'm already anxious, which feeds the fear.
Usually at night I've convinced myself that I do not have the disorder, because it would be impossible for the symptoms to only be half of the day. But yet when I wake in the morning, I've convinced myself I do have it, because there's no way anxiety to cause such an increased hr only when standing.
Anyway, please let me know your thoughts after reading this. I would like to hear them.