Helen + should I go to Mayo

January 5, 2008

Helen, it is very disturbing to me to hear all of this. If I couldn't get

my own reports, I don't know what I'd do. It has been totally due to my

efforts of reading labs and researching that I feel I'm somewhat close to

figuring things out.

I saw a new doc Friday, a GP from Harvard, practicing 24 years. I didn't

expect her to be an expert on PA but I did expect her to have had some

exposure to it. She'd never heard of it but was very receptive to reading

Dr. Grim's article, and she was intent on figuring things out for me. I

told her she's probably seen lots of it but never recognized it. She didn't

disagree. She's willing to work with me in seeing any endos, getting any

tests, etc.

I've been having episodes of paralysis when the morning sweats start. At

first, I thought I was having a bad dream but am now realizing what is

happening. It is frightening.

I believe my BP rises because my tinnitus gets terribly nerve-wracking when

the sweats start and I get terrible anxiety. I've never gotten up at 4:00

a.m. to check pressure. Generally, the higher my BP is, the worse the

tinnitus is.

I'm within a hair of calling Mayo in MN for an appointment. The only thing

holding me back is the specter of yelling " fire " in a packed theatre. What

I mean is that my BP is varying from ~210/114 clear down to ~130/85. Dr

Grim, is it possible to have PA with BP that sometimes gets that low?

I'm on diazide, T4, estrogen + periodic progesterone. Nothing else.

Symptoms:

1) Last ARR = 32.5

2) Often test low K

3) BP often high to very high.

4) Significant anxiety, rarely decreased - no emotional reserve for any

upset

5) Daily early morning sweats

6) Metabolic syndrome

7) CT scan normal three years ago, complete workup at CU med school, no

diagnosis or resolution

Should I schedule an appointment at Mayo? I'm tired of muddling around with

the locals, but I don't want to go through the Mayo effort for nothing.

Val

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