Adrenaline/POTS

[Guest guest]

Hmm, interesting info, Bernie.

Took my 8 yo to the ped. cardiologist this past week - she doesn't

have mvp - doctor said to eat more salt for the bp and near fainting

spells. After I questioned him he also said that topping off the

tank (water wise) was a good thing durring the times when

experiencing dizziness.

What you said about adrenaline is what I find very interesting. I

experience highs and lows of adrenalin - I can't find the words to

explain it right now. For instance, if I go to the grocery store and

it's very crowded and crazy - then when I come home (20 min drive) I

NEED tea - it helps me feel calm. Maybe it's adrenaline output at

the store, adrenaline drop on the way home and then I need the tea to

feel normalized.

I've also noticed diet plays an important role in all this - and it

is most likely due to what affects blood pressure and adrenaline

output. And not just with me, but also with my girls.

Heat has a tremendous influence on the girls and myself. We wilt in

the heat and humidity of AL. We recently got back from a week in

Canada, going along the north shore of Lake Superior. Weather was

cool and dry (the humidity the one day I checked was 31% - temp was

right around 70F) We hiked everyday and basically had tons of energy -

as soon as we got home it was back to dragging ourselves out of bed -

even though we contiued to be active.

I'm going to be thinking about this some more.

> Hi Stacey:

> Do you know that when your heart rate is at 120, your body is

usually

> pumping out a lot of extra adrenalin to make the heart beat that

fast.

> Adrenalin can make one feel extremely anxious. Perhaps that is why

you

> feel so very anxious and feel the need for alcohol. Often, people

use

> alcohol to relax and let their hair down. Perhaps your summer job

is

> putting a great deal more physical demand on your body and requiring

> physical stamina that was not required during the university term.

>

> My 17 yr. old daughter developed severe orthostatic intolerance and

Pots

> when she took a required aerobics gym class at high school. She

started

> to have fainting episodes in Dec. after the gym class, although she

she

> had started the class in Sept. and it was the increased demand that

> occurred during endurance training aspect of it. When I learned

that

> increasing the salt intake and drinking at least 2 litres of water

per

> day helped her B.P and lowered her heart rate she started to feel

like

> she had a bit of control. She also is extremely sensitive to

becoming

> overheated and going out on a hot day is a guarantee of having

> orthostatic intolerance. Alcohol is a vasodilator and diuretic so

it is

> very, very unhelpful. Initially it works as a stimulant for

approx. an

> hour and one feels relaxed, but then the other effects take over

and one

> can feel worse. I know how terribly anxious you can feel with the

120

> heart rate. My daughter can still get anxiety attacks when her

heart

> rate gets high. She gets the fastest result at reducing anxiety by

> laying down and putting her feet up at 90 degrees on a wall. She

also

> drinks gatorate at this time to increase circulating fluid and

increase

> salt and potassium in her body.

> She went to the bathroom a whole lot more, but she had less feeling

of

> severe exhaustion and she had to reduce her physical activity. When

> sitting, she always, always has her feet on coffee table or up on

> something.

> This is what works for her and she still has to follow these

principles.

> July and August are tough months for her because of the heat.

> Bernie

>

>