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From: KS
I really feel bad for your daughter because your post reminded me of myself when i was her age. I have had many similar experiences to her. I have had VV since age 4. I also had to deal with my father's death. In high school, I would drop like a stone in health class on MANY occassions when they had graphic discussions. (the same thing would happen at the movie theater or when I'd see something graphic) I do have a physical problem when i experience sharp pain, I always faint. But in addition to my physical problem, I have anxiety about anticipating these things which has also led to phobias. I think it would be cruel to perform the tilt test ...you already know she would most likely faint so iI'm glad you opted not to have that done. In my experience the sodium DOES NOT HELP but only makes matters worse but that is just me. I suggest getting a second and third opinion on that. Excess sodium w/ me causes high blood pressure and exasserbates my problem and leads me to feel unstable. I had several problrems in the past with dehydration too butit turns out I was having too much sugar in my diet which causes my body temperature to rise significantly. I cut out ALL sugar and lessened the carbs and feel much more stable. I also drink PLENTY of water and always carry it with me,
Anyway, after I made it through 4 years of college, I found a new doctor who prescribed to me a low dose of Lorazapam(mild sedative). I carry these pills with me everywhere. They have really helped me in many ways. First if I knew I was getting into a situation that I was afraid of, I would take them prior to help calm me down and 75% it worked well and i did not faint. After a while, just knowing that i had them there to calm me down if necessary gave me a sense of security. While I was coping with a family tradgedy, I needed these pills every day. I slowly gained my confidence back and began building up my resources and eventually needed the pills less and less. This past year I only needed to take them on a few occasions when I was undergoing some dental work and once when I became injured. I still faint to this day when I get injured but now I'm able to at least do some things that in the past i couldn't handle before. (like group discussions or a scary movie, etc)
I just wanted to share my story incase anything might help. She's lucky to have a parent who is taking the time to research and support her. Good luck to you and your daughter.