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Hyperadrenergic pots/medical PTSD treatment

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
I think this is a problem that's a combination of autonomic dysfunction ans teuama from the medical system. I will now avoid going to doctors even when it's necessary or beneficial for me , because I've had such bad experiences that I fear them. I'm not looking for somethinf that heals rhe trauma overall, just something that helps wbthe acute symptoms like panic etc when in a doctor's office. The PTSD makes my hyperadrergic pots and white coat Hypertension way more intense. My bp. Is nwvwr high af home but is very high at doctors

I react badly ti beta blockers but considering that alpha agonists may be more tolerable
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
Have you not been able to find a good POTS specialist where you live?
Im semi homeless right now, and don't even have a PCP. I feel that saline is generally the best treatment for my pots , but don't have access to that currently. I'm looking for treatments that help with the symptoms just on a short term basis so I can deal with more doctors appointments
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
So, one doctor saw my heart rate amd blood pressure in office and was pretty blown away. But I explained when I take it at home it's basically universally normal and she didn't think I need medication then. But I got her to prescribe prazosin to help with sleep and benzo taper anyway.

The med seems to make me.feel unpleasant. But my only concern is being able to prevent acute panic in situations like going to an urgent care , that leads to elevated blood pressure , which leads to them not wanting to give me saline. If I had a solid PCP this could all be worked through. But I don't have a PCP out here. Anyway I'm wondering if there are very short lasting alpha agonists that would be gentler and/or not have same level of side effects.

My thought is that besifes the ptsd , hyperadrenergic pots is compensatory for low blood volume and that blocking adrenaline without increasing volume can go wrong. Based on David bells observations and my own experience. What do you think @Hip? And besides short acting benzos and alpha agonists what would u recommend for an acute panic situation.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
It seems like I react poorly to alpha agonists too. Probably because I havw low blood volume ans my resting blood pressure is mostly normal. So I'm wondering if it's even worth it to take something to keep my bp from spiking during medical appointments. But like I said , this has practical ramifications as if it spikes high enough they will refuse to prescribe saline.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
Are there any meds that help with acute panic and ptsd reactions besides benzos, ssris, beta blockers, or alpha agonists
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Are there any meds that help with acute panic and ptsd reactions besides benzos, ssris, beta blockers, or alpha agonists
If you are in a state that has legal cannabis or a medical cannabis program, a doctor could recommend a type that might be helpful. In my state PTSD is a qualifying condition for a medical cannabis card.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
If you are in a state that has legal cannabis or a medical cannabis program, a doctor could recommend a type that might be helpful. In my state PTSD is a qualifying condition for a medical cannabis card.
Weed actually worsens my panic and my pots
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
Actually alpha agonists worsened my CCI symptoms a LOT. Both the pain and sense of instability in tbe region and the vertigo/neurological symtooms. I wonder if that's because adrenaline is protective ans helps stabilize the joints by keeping the muscles tightt
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
If you are in a state that has legal cannabis or a medical cannabis program, a doctor could recommend a type that might be helpful. In my state PTSD is a qualifying condition for a medical cannabis card.
You're in Albuquerque ? Do you know caring docs or good urgent cares there? Since we got kicked out of Las Vegas Nevada we've been in Las Vegas new Mexico
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Weed actually worsens my panic and my pots
This could be the strain—that is why you need a cannabis-knowledgeable doctor. With “weed” you don’t know what strain you are getting. With medical cannabis you know exactly—including the mgs.
You're in Albuquerque ? Do you know caring docs or good urgent cares there? Since we got kicked out of Las Vegas Nevada we've been in Las Vegas new Mexico
I see an electrophysiologist and a nurse practitioner who are both dysautonomia and ME/CFS aware, but they don’t guide my treatment—only support it with scripts that I can support with research.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
This could be the strain—that is why you need a cannabis-knowledgeable doctor. With “weed” you don’t know what strain you are getting. With medical cannabis you know exactly—including the mgs.
I've tried many, many many different types of medical cannabis products wirh every conceivable ratio of CBD/THC, and reacted poorly to all of them.
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
ee an electrophysiologist and a nurse practitioner who are both dysautonomia and ME/CFS aware, but they don’t guide my treatment—only support it with scripts that I can support with research.
This is more for saline and valley fever treatment , I don't need them o be me/cfs apecialists just to be nice and familiar w the problem.
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
This is more for saline and valley fever treatment , I don't need them o be me/cfs apecialists just to be nice and familiar w the problem.
I have never spoken to either about these issues. I don’t think the electrophysiologist would be helpful unless you had a definite cardiac problem as that is her specialty. She does see a lot of POTS patients but I’d guess that most all of them will have a more primary cardiac problem. I have no idea how the nurse practitioner would respond to Valley fever or the need for regular IV saline.
 

Rufous McKinney

Senior Member
Messages
13,251
I'm not looking for somethinf that heals rhe trauma overall, just something that helps wbthe acute symptoms like panic etc when in a doctor's office. The PTSD makes my hyperadrergic pots and white coat Hypertension way more intense. My bp. Is nwvwr high af home but is very high at doctors

I experience high level white coat PTSD. I won't list the reasons, ME is NOT the reasons. So I measure mine BP at home and maintain nice notations and the doctor is less likely to push the issue when you can show them quite a few numbers you wrote down,dates etc. They took my BP four times in the Urgent Care, thought the machine was broken.

I'm doing alot better now, as I have a Primary Doctor I generally like and trust. Thats lowered the issue quite a bit. But its still there for the next one I don't wish to see.

I can reduce a mid-level medical reaction with 0.12 mg Xanax.

I've done some energy work using EFT for releasing some of this and I think it can be helpful but at the same time- having an actual doctor or dentist who understands is the best fix for- reducing this. And I understand this is quite hard... but like in the parking lot before an appointment and I'm tremblng, I'll tap for that in the car (EFT, online )...and is a type of displacement, it short circutes the reaction a bit and lowers the decibles. (plus your breathing).
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
experience high level white coat PTSD. I won't list the reasons, ME is NOT the reasons. So I measure mine BP at home and maintain nice notations and the doctor is less likely to push the issue when you can show them quite a few numbers you wrote down,dates etc. They took my BP four times in the Urgent Care, thought the machine was broken.

I definitely have white coat syndrome. But it seems intertwined w the autonomic dysfunction in me/cfs as well as medical PTSD from me/cfs. Bc I had anxiety before me/cfs but never had spikes as high as this and I cannot calm the heart rate and bp easily w breathing exercises , it seems to be partially related to a lack of autonomic control, even though there is a psychological trigger. But yes, my resting BP at home is always basically fine. When it spikes high though it's hard to convince a doctor this (they always raise an eyebrow or two even though i say it's normal at home). But none of the meds I've tried for it help, and it makes sense they wouldn't if I don't have essential hypertension.
I'm doing alot better now, as I have a Primary Doctor I generally like and trust. Thats lowered the issue quite a bit. But its still there for the next one I don't wish to see
. Yes when I find a medical professional I trust ans get to know them it helps wifh this a TON. My infusion nurses at old infusion center knew to never tell me tbe numbers right after they took them and never made me feel bad about having high numvers. They had great bedside manner and totally believed i was sick. My numbers dropped to normal range at a few weeks out from my first infusion, for that reason.
I can reduce a mid-level medical reaction with 0.12 mg Xanax.
Yeah, that a low dose lol. I used to be able to do this with Ativan but i got dependent, this past summer. I'm not psychologically addicted, so I plan to taper partially so I can use it for emergency situation like this--which qould make it more effective. But I can't use kava to help taper bc of elevated liver enzymes and it seems i can't use alpha agonists. So I am trying to think of things that would help other than benzos
 

frozenborderline

Senior Member
Messages
4,405
Out of curiosity how high does yours spike in a medical setting and what is the average at home? Mine is usually around 120/80 but sometimes 130/85 at home and spikes as high as 160/90 at the doctors--when it gets above 150 they really freak out. Even though you can have temporary spikes way above that without suffering the damage--damage occurs when it's high all the time , not from a temporary spike, afaik