Member Profiles
JENNIFER
In 1996 I experienced severe pain in my chest
and the feeling of a heavy weight laying on my chest. A trip to the E.R.
produced a diagnosis of "Panic Attack". The feeling had passed and I left. Two
days later I was in the E.R. with the same symptoms. This time the E.R. staff
found a rapid heart rate. They quickly ruled out a blood clot and sent me home
to my own doctor.
My condition worsened over the next month so that I was unable to walk. Laying
down was better than standing but I would still occasionally have rapid heart
rate while resting. After a series of tests the last of which was a tilt-table
test, I was diagnosed with neuro-cardiogenic syncope. My response to the
tilt-table was very slow. It took twenty minutes to get me to pass out. I was
placed on beta blockers. The beta blocker atenolol slowed the rapid heart rate
but left me exhausted and having daily trouble with blacking out. I couldn't
stand in one place for long at all with out blood pooling in my feet and my
heart rate accelerating. After two years of this state I was placed on Paxil
which seemed to help somewhat. I mainly had problems in the summer.
I became pregnant in 1999 and had no trouble throughout the pregnancy and the
first 6 months of my son's life. I was nursing during this time. I started to
have trouble 6 months after his birth. Within a week I was bedridden again.
After weaning him, I was placed on a combination of Florinef and Paxil. I had
only the slightest problem with some pooling in my feet during the heat of the
summer for the next year and a half. During this time I moved to another state
and started with another physician who followed the same course as my previous
electro-cardiologist.
This Thanksgiving (2002) I had been off my Florinef for four days due to a
mix-up at the pharmacy. At first all I noticed was achiness in my back and neck
while I was cooking Thanksgiving dinner. I thought I had the flu but upon laying
down, I realized that my heart rate was up to 120 bpm. The next day I could not
stand up without having difficulty. I got my Florinef and was told to double my
regular dosage. My heart rate stayed up and I was taken off the Florinef and
placed on a beta blocker. I felt better for two days and then my heart went too
slow and I ended up in E.R.. My doctor then took me off the beta blocker and put
me on salt tablets. I did somewhat better until I developed severe diarrhea. I
was sent to a nephrologist who took me off the salt tablets and placed me on
Viox. I became extremelly dizzy and had worse diarrhea. He then placed me on
Pro-Amitine which helped get me to the point that I could stand up but still had
trouble. He then put me on P! ro-Amitine, Viox, and Florinef and I became worse
again. I am now on Pro-Amitine and Florinef which allows me to be functional
during part of each day but the rest is difficult. I am finally starting to get
rid of the diarrhea. I have most recently been to a neurologist who gave me an
MRI and I am waiting on his diagnosis. The doctors all seem somewhat puzzled by
initial tilt-table test but have not changed the diagnosis. I am praying for
some relief soon.
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