Found my problem - it was obvious!

[Kennetgf]

Are you saying you have to get up multiple times at night to drink more salt water or because you will have to pee? There is slow release salt in the UK but can’t find it in the USA.

The 02 idk just doesn’t seem like a valid option. What would you do, get a CPAP machine and connect it to it? I can’t imagine it curing CFS and it’s a lot of money

 

[pgrovetom]

What is the dosage of fludrocortisone? Do you take it at night?

I have found its too potent taking every night at the minimum dose of .1mg. So I cut them in half and tried .05mg. It worked. When I say its too potent, what I mean is even though it 100% solves my night and awakening problems but my day time blood pressure is too high after my body reaches stead state of Flurocortisone. I did prove my night problems were to low blood pressure for my body. Then the problem is finding a workable solution. But I'm sure everyone is different so its a trial and error problem. If you take even .05mg of Flurocortisone for a few days, you will know quickly if that's your issue. Then you need to adjust the balance between the drug dosage and daytime blood pressure. You can take the Flurocortisone every other night or less frequent if it still works.

 

[pgrovetom]

Are you saying you have to get up multiple times at night to drink more salt water or because you will have to pee? There is slow release salt in the UK but can’t find it in the USA.

The 02 idk just doesn’t seem like a valid option. What would you do, get a CPAP machine and connect it to it? I can’t imagine it curing CFS and it’s a lot of money

I don't recommend salt but it was my poor mans way of testing whether my blood pressure was too low. Once I knew it was my problem, I switched to finding the right Flurocortisone dosage. That's tricky because any drug slowly builds up its blood concentration. I did not have pee problems worse than before. Flurocortisone works because it causes the kidneys to increase the salt concentration in the blood with body salt. That in turn results in the sodium in the blood to draw more water. That in turn makes more volume and that increases blood pressure. Oral salt is not a well controlled way of doing this. It is a cheap way to raise your blood pressure while you sleep.

 

[pgrovetom]

Are you saying you have to get up multiple times at night to drink more salt water or because you will have to pee? There is slow release salt in the UK but can’t find it in the USA.

The 02 idk just doesn’t seem like a valid option. What would you do, get a CPAP machine and connect it to it? I can’t imagine it curing CFS and it’s a lot of money

One problem with salt is it doesn't last long. So taking a glass of water with the right amount of salt. Salt taken should be isotonic of having the same amount of salt the actual blood has. Isotonic water is Sodium chloride (NaCl): 0.9% (9 grams per liter) and Sterile water. That's the same amount you get at a hospital when they are trying safely increase your water/blood volume. Since sodium is a critical Ion used by every cell in your body too little sodium or too much sodium can be a problem.

 

[pgrovetom]

Are you saying you have to get up multiple times at night to drink more salt water or because you will have to pee? There is slow release salt in the UK but can’t find it in the USA.

The 02 idk just doesn’t seem like a valid option. What would you do, get a CPAP machine and connect it to it? I can’t imagine it curing CFS and it’s a lot of money

Salt is not a stable way to raise your blood pressure. A few nights won't hurt but it should be isotonic or match body/blood sodium content.

I'm not sure what you are talking about with the CPAP machine. Its a different problem.

 

[pgrovetom]

Thanks, that is very useful and informative.





This study says that the prevalence of nocturnal hypotension in the general population is 9.1% (when defined as a nighttime blood pressure of less than 90/50). And if you use a looser definition of less than 100/60, then 45% of the population have nocturnal hypotension.

So presumably nocturnal hypotension often does not usually cause the sort of symptoms you have experienced, otherwise 9% to 45% of the population would be ill with these symptoms.


So perhaps nocturnal hypotension only causes major symptoms when combined with some other (unknown) condition. Maybe if you have a condition which tends to constrict the capillaries to start with, and then on top of that you have nocturnal hypotension, then maybe that's when symptoms may appear.

For example, Raynaud's causes excessive constriction of small blood vessels.

Everyone has different arterial makeup and blood distribution varies dramatically. What is low blood pressure that will result in a blackout varies widely. A marathon runner at 30 can probably tolerate a very low blood pressure. An 80 year old man with heart disease and lived a life of poor diet and poor exercise will faint at much higher numbers. Everyone is different.