Balance issues after 18 months of lowering Acetylcholine with sleep aids

[keenly]

I have been using the antihistamines Nytol and Sominex(diphenhydramine and promethazine) for over 18 months, with 12 months of that being a daily use. I am now having POTS issues I never had before and horrible balance problems. I feel wobbly and slightly dizzy with small head movements.

Has anyone with POTS had issues like this? Even when sitting I feel like I will topple over. I never had any of this before I started with the sleep aids.

 

[Judee]

Uh-oh...right now I'm using Benedryl to sleep.

However I only take about 3mg to fall asleep and then again when I wake up mid-way and can't get back to sleep.

I also like something called Sleep essentials from Swanson but the Benedryl seems the nicest right now.

I do also make diy liposomal vitamin c though and that uses a lot of sunflower lecithin which I think helps with acetylcholine. Can you supplement with something like that? I don't know if it would help.

Dr Diana Driscoll had another article on it but I can't find it now or she changed it to this: https://vagusnervesupport.com/antihistamines-and-alzheimers/ (It's talking about alzheimers instead of POTS but I think it would still apply maybe.)

Found it: https://vagusnervesupport.com/top-ten-symptoms-low-acetylcholine/ (Here she does talk about tachycardia and orthostatic issues as two of the symptoms.)

 

[Azayliah]

A daily antihistamine raises my heart rate by 10 BPM. That is a generic, non-drowsy one, no idea if others could have the same or greater / lesser effect. BP going up affects my balance and makes me dizzier, though I don't usually have stationary dizziness unless there's a migraine or flu (maybe PEM?) affecting me.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@keenly
I've been using 1/2 tab of Unisom, whose active ingredient is doxylamine succinate, as opposed to the diphenhydramine in Bendaryl, which I seem to react paradoxically to, and which used to give me bad hang-over effect after use, for several years now, with no discernable after effects. For me, Unisom works like a dream. I use it intermittently but probably 2-3 times a week ....

You might want to take a close look at the ingredients in the OTC sleep aids that you're using, and include in those a close loo at the 'inactive' ingredients. as well. They may be inactive in terms of sleep and/or allergy issues, but your body doesnt know that and might be reacting badly to something other than the active ingredient ....

Failing all that, you might want to try switching to a product that uses doxylamine succinate and see if that doesn't improve your reactions. Also, try @Judee 's suggestion re sunflower oil .... I've found her to be a reliable source of info ad research ....

 

[Judee]

A daily antihistamine raises my heart rate by 10 BPM. That is a generic, non-drowsy

Yeah, one of those non-drowsy kinds made me very wired even in minute doses and some of them have some very concerning reviews on askapatient.com.