tilt table

[sue3708]

I am having this test Wed. What is it like?  What do they do?  A little nervous about it.

[sue3708]

Sounds very familiar, I am on no treatment as well.  The MD said the beta blocker he might put me on would make me feel sick as well.  He said try to live with it.

[pudmott]

PLease excuse my ignorance but im pretty new to all this.
I was in my immunologists office one morning when i felt really hot and sweaty and like my bp fell through my boots. i was sitting down. i asked them to take my bp ad sure enough it was low. My doc sent me for a tilt table test and i was ok for most of it then had the nitro spray under my tongue. it gave me the same symptoms. My heart ratewent up my bp went down i felt sweaty and nauseated.

They didnt tell me what it meant though and i am on no treatment. I find i have extremem heat intolerance. the slightest bit of heat and i am sweating profusely and feel as though im going to explode. i dont seem to be able to regulate my body temperature without an exernal source like a fan. When i take my temp though it is fine.

Is this sounding familiar to anyone?

Pud

[patches328]

hi sue. since early september, i have been very dizzy, poor balance & strong fatigue.can't walk far with sitting down. i was healthy for the past eight years and now it's back. i'm so depressed & confused, and the worst part my health insurance doesnt start till november 1st. the wait is horrible to see specialists. i feel this all started after a bout of monenucleosis. looks like you had you share too. thanks for the heads up.

[sue3708]

Not sure....began getting sick in 2002 while I was nursing a baby..  Had massive ear infection and the doc did not treat aggressively as he was worried about the baby....got REALLY sick, ER CT scans vertigo and then just never got back to baseline.  Urinary retention, gastroparesis, unsteadiness, cognitive problems, fast heart rate, low bp.....you name it.

[patches328]

hi sue. i was dx w/ ncs in 2000. had a positive tilt table test & was on beta blockers for four months. i was fine for eight years and now it seems to have resurfaced. feel free to tell me how long you have had this and what you suspect triggered it. thank you

[sue3708]

Not sure, what type of tumor is it?  Is it secreting hormone?  My guess is that the endocrinologists would say no as that is what they would consider a small tumor.  Are they going to remove it?  Also can they diagnose MSA based on a + tilt alone?  Any other symptoms?  My understanding is with MSA there are ususally urinary symptoms as well.

[o2bfree]

My mother, 63, had a positive tilt table test last November.  Because of this positve test she was given a diagnosis of MSA (multi systems atrophy) by a Mayo clinic Dr. who only has 1 other patient with this disease.Her main symptom is that she is always "dizzy" (Dr. notes say vertigo), which makes getting around about impossible and has had a few falls.  She has a pituitary tumor that grew from .9 to 1.2cm in 6 months.  Would a pituitary tumor cause a possitive tilt table test?  They also say that "dizziness" is not a symptom of a pituitary tumor.  Anyone delt with anything like this?
Thanks!
o2bfree

[sue3708]

No, just said it wasn't serious and that I was going to liv a long time...not much help.  I'm trying to get in with a nuerologist who specializes in autonomic diagnoses.

[halbashes]

To me, that sounds like a positive test.  You should ask your doctor to be certain though.  Did he/she recommend any treatment for you?

[sue3708]

Well, I did OK for the first part of the test but within 10 minutes of starting the isuprel I became sweaty, nauseous, and tremulous as well as my hands went numb.  My BP did not drop but i felt awful.  My cardiologist called it a vasovagal reaction.  Is this a positive test or not?

[sue3708]

does anyone here experience chest pain with their symptoms?

[postie]

My husband just had this test done a couple weeks ago.  They put the IV med in before the test.  During the test, the b/p only dropped a little.  It didn't really bother him.  They would move the table real slow.  But when they were done and bringing it back a little faster, that's when he got really dizzy.

But they told him everything looked good.

He get's dizzy if he stands up when he's been sitting.  Now, before he had this test done, they checked his b/p sitting and standing.  When he stood up, the b/p dropped alot.

[angeldk]

Trial and error...lots of it for me personally. I'm currently on med 4...taking a combination of #3 and #4 to see if they work...not too much success...possible pacemaker might be in my future, but I'm still waiting to see. Lots of lifestyle changes...more water, liberal with salt, pressure stockings, etc. It's all combined and everyone is so different.

[sue3708]

How are they treating you now that you have a diagnosis?

[angeldk]

I just had the test done a few weeks ago and was scared about it before I actually did it. It's not as bad as you may imagine, certainly not as bad as I thought. Don't get me wrong, if you do have a positive tilt test, which means they are able to evoke the symtoms you may be experiencing to get the test, its not pleasant but the fact that they can make a diagnosis is a relief. They start an IV and hook you up to the ecg where they track your heart rhythm. When the doc is ready, they tilt the table to anywhere from 60-80 degrees, where in short you are practically standing up strapped to the table of course. They wait a few minutes and see if you pass out or any symptoms evolve. If not, they can give you any form of drugs the specific doctor uses to raise the heart rate. They do this over a specific amount of time, all the while your blood pressure is taken constantly and your heart rate is watched. For me, when I went positive on the tilt table, I felt the symptoms I had been having...dizzy, lightheaded, sweating, etc...and then they told me my heart rate did a big dip and my blood pressure followed. I did not "fully" pass out because they laid the table back down, but I don't remember the time from feeling sick to laying flat doc holding my hand asking if I was ok. Afterwards, they give you something to eat (juice or something little), make sure your vitals are good if you went positive and send you on your way. It personally took me about 25 minutes of laying down to feel better because everytime I sat up I'd get dizzy and the doc made me lay back down but thats why they have you bring a driver (and if they don't ask it, I suggest it!). It's different for everyone because the symptoms everyone has are so different but I personally think it was a worthwhile test to have. I'd do it over again in a second. Good luck!

[sue3708]

How come you've had this 4 times?

[LISAANNE1983]

it not as bad as you would think. i had it done 4 times now. basically you are in a quiet room and you lie on a table and get strapped on. they will then bring the table up to an angle and monitor your hr blood pressure as they will have you hooked up to an ecg machine. they use this test to recreat the symptoms you have in a controled way. the best thing is to not trt and wiggle your legs as this may prolong test. you may feel faint this is normal  and you may feel your heart beat ect. if tilting alone does not work the may give you a puff gtn spray or an injection of a chemical in your arm. and they will wait to see if that has an effect it usually makes you feel like you are exercising you may then start to feel hot flustered dizzy nauseated they usually put you down befor you pass out though although not always. i know it sounds horrible but it over quickly after you feel your symptoms. hope it goes well