Posted by Ritch on May 22, 2003, at 22:28:56
In reply to Drug that could change my life...if I can get it, posted by Snoozy on May 22, 2003, at 12:39:25
> In addition to the extreme sleepiness and depression, I also have a low blood pressure condition - basically, if I have to stand without moving, within a few minutes my bp drops and I get very sick, woozy and faint. I haven't actually passed out, but that does happen with this condition. I've tried several medications for this, and either they didn't work or the side effects were too bad. I've also tried many non-drug treatments.
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> It may not sound bad, but I have to avoid situations where there's a possibility I would have to stand for more than 5 minutes. I pretty much never shop, and when I have to it's miserable. It restricts my life considerably.
>
> This morning I was doing some research, thinking of trying one of these drugs again - I'm so desperate. And I find that stimulants (Ritalin and Dexedrine) are used as treatments. Not just end-of-the-line, everything else under the sun has been tried and failed treatments, but primary treatment.
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> I had asked my pdoc if I could try Ritalin, for the sleepiness, and he didn't want to prescribe it. (My 2 previous pdocs had given it to me, for fatigue, several years earlier).
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> The thing is that I'm committed to this huge project for the next 5-6 weeks, and I can't get out of it. I've been in tears wondering how I'm going to get through this given the way I feel.
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> I'm thinking of calling my pdoc and telling him about this find. I could also try my cardiologist, but that would probably take a while to get in, and I don't have much time to wait.
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> If I could feel awake, and be able to stand on my own two feet (literally) for more than 5 minutes, life would be so much better.
>
> Does anyone have any thoughts? Thanks.
Get a blood pressure machine. Take a reading when you first get up in the morning and chart your BP and HR (in the same way) every hour all day long eating/drinking coffee/whatever. Next to the readings write down ANY medications you take and at what dosage. Do a diary. See if your BP/HR taken sitting at a table in the proper position is different from a reading standing up (have somebody hold the machine if necessary). This is the kind of thing that happens when you go to the ER with a stomach flu and have postural hypotension (dehydration). Look to see if your heart rate increases substantially when you stand up for awhile (in association with the BP drop). IF so, you are having postural hypotension troubles for some reason. This is way out there, but if you can't get stims for this-you might want to consider other meds that can boost BP and help depression like Effexor.
poster:Ritch
thread:228336
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030520/msgs/228471.html