Orthostatic Hypotension

[Monnette]

Has anyone out there with Fibromyalgia ever been diagnosed with Orthostatic Hypotension?  I have been miserable for months....nine months to be exact.  I have seen over five specialists...all of them stumped until I seen an endocronolgist recently.   I have had Fibro since 1999.  I have had chronic pain that I have dealt with it well until this past year.  I have always..."sucked it up" so to speak and gone on every day to do what I needed to do.  Now I feel like I can only take one day at a time.  My blood pressure spikes and drops for whatever reason.  I have terrible headaches every day...usually worse after eating.  Vertigo is a  big part of  my life.especially after getting up or down or bending over.  I also have tingling and numbness in my legs and feet.  Sometimes my legs ache at night so bad that I cry.  I am not normally a crybaby!!!!  I am so miserable that depression has become a big part of my life.  Doctors have sucked my insurance of over $10,000 worth of MRI's cat scans...blood tests.  I have high norepenephrine leves (624 last test) and the endocronolgist I seen for the frist time on July 27th said I have orthostaic hypotension.  He told me I am a complex case.  He also suspects possible diabetes or diabetic type illness.  My blood sugars have been very good so I am confused about this.  I am hypothyroid and am on 88cmg of Synthroid daily.  My throid levels have been good.  I have had a lot of bloodwork with this endo and will see him again on the 29th of September.  I cannot wait.  I want an answer...I cannot do what I have done outside since this thing has been a part of my life.  I have had two ER visits for stroke symptoms and high blood pressure.  I have had two incidences of my blood pressure dropping to 87/54 or lower.  This is scary...I live in the mts where the ambulance takes over an hour to get to.  My husband works long hours and I am alone 18 out of 24 hours a day five days a week.  I feel like I will have a heart attack or a stroke if I don't get an answer soon!  Anyone out there with encouragement or similiar problems.....please talk to me  I feel so alone with this illness.  I have always handled my Fibro well.  Now I feel desperate!

[alison713]

hi just read your article ,i feel the same as you i have had fibro for over 4 years and i feel like i am being fobbed of by my doctor all the time my worst flare up was 2 weeks ago i had a severe pain in my chest ,i was on my home at home and so scared i had a panick attack and was taken to hospital by ambulane ,i had to ring my husband and tell him to come straight home luckily he did .,i had lots of tests on my heart and they said it was fine ,i went to see my doctor about this pain several monthes before ,who get saying i had a breast infection ,then it came back i was told it was a swollen rib ,i get so scared now at the slightest pain i to feel like i am going to have a heart attack as all they seem to do is send you back home with tablets ,this last week as been bad i have been going really dizzy and feeling sick im fine when im laying or sitting but when you have 4 children 2 of school age 5 and 7 its scary expecially doing the school runs ,i feel like i am on a escalator and about to faint i allso have a burning sensation in the back of my head doctor says its stress and part of my condition ,i wish there was a proper test for this as at times i feel its not fibro and somethink a lot worser ,im glad i found this site as where i live i dont no person with fibro hope you feel better soon as myself kind regards alison

[PlateletGal]

I know that POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) is very common in CFS patients... I'm sure fibromyalgia patients as well. My symptoms are sooo much better since I started treatment for CFS, but I remember a time when my BP was so low, that I lost my vision for a few minutes.

There is now a MedHelp board for people who have POTS and other heart related conditions. If you are interested, click on "forums" and look for the Dysautonomia Autonomic Dysfunction community.

[patsy10]

I have had orthostatic hypotension for years.  I have not had it evaluated by a physician because I would not take treatment for it.  If I go from sitting to standing or squatting to standing my blood pressure drops to 60/40.  I deal with it by just getting up slowly.  I see stars for a few seconds when I get up.  My problems are probably related to lyme disease as they started after bullseye rashes followed by a severe neurologic, infectious syndrome that last for months.

There is treatment for this.  There are medications to control it.  A cardiologist could possibly help you.