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From: schneidt79@nycap.rr.com
My name is Tara and I am 25. I was diagnosed w/ vaso vagul back in 2000. I was in college and had decided to start running again as I had the year before. The very 1st time I got sick when I stopped running though-not while I was running? Anyway, that was the beginning. After that I had more episodes, in the shower in particular. I always felt it coming on just in time to get across the hall to my dorm room and bed before I passed out. I have always been sensitive to heat but never like this. The only time I had ever passed out before was when I was really ill with some bug when I was ten or so. I'd lose my vision, get sick to my stomach, feel very hot and sweaty, etc... No one took it seriously and it never happended again. I remember that I was sick for days though. Anyway, besides these new episodes I felt crappy all the time. I was soooo tired and light headed. I had trouble concentrating-even sometimes had trouble reading. I had blood tests done-normal. I went to a neurologist and had an MRI and an EEG done-normal. Next I went to a cardiologist and received all the usual tests-halter monitor, ECG, stress test, ultrasound of my heart, & the infamous tilt table test. I of course never had an episode during any of these tests. They did notice that my heart rate went up and down dramatically during the tilt table test-but I never passed out. I had good days and bad days. My doc said to try meds which freaked me out and I never went back. I was amazed that by being careful I managed my health and got better on my own. Now, years later I am worse than ever. I got a nasty bug that precipitated the onset of my old symptoms with a vengence. But it was different than before-less major episodes and more of an ongoing feeling of being dizzy and exhausted. I could sleep all day & night. I had some episodes of nearly fainting, etc... but mostly it was a never ending feeling of a mild version of an episode with exhaustion. I got my blood tested again-just in case-normal. My primary told me to go back to my cardiologist from 2000. Sure enough he told me I had all classic vaso vagul symptoms. I have tried Midodrine (to raise blood pressure) and that did next to nothing and I had side effects from it. The doc told me to exercise-yah right! When I am dizzy & ready to faint-I think not! I just went back yesterday to tell him that I weaned myself off of Midodrine because it didn't work-so he wants me to try Flourinef. In order to that I have to change my birth control (something to do with the estrogen level). This med. makes you retain salt & water! Great! I am going to try it of course, what else can I do. I am desparate for anything that might work. I have been going thru this for 3 months. I have lost my job. I can't file for unemployment because you have to actively pursue a job while you are on it. I can't work so how can I look for a job? I have had no money coming in since May. Is anyone else bad enough where they can't work a regular job? I might be able to do something from home-but what? Those jobs all seem like scams and 1/2 of them want money from YOU! I don't have any! Any suggestions? Please help with any advice you can give! Thank God for this website! Thank you! August 16th 2005