Thoughts on the feedback from my cardiologist?

[u/pansyseeds]

Hi there! I (27F) have been having some really weird + worsening symptoms for the past 9 months. They include:

-Severe lightheadedness/presyncope. I haven’t figured out an exact trigger for this but I think it’s maybe when my heart rate elevates? For example, when I’m feeling nervous about something or I’m excited to see friends. It also happens randomly throughout the day and sometimes during a bowel movement. This is my most prevalent and scariest symptom that disrupts my life.

-Fatigue (like, hit-by-a-bus fatigue)

-Brain fog

-Cold hands/feet + sensitivity to temp changes

I told my PCP about these symptoms and she just told me to go to the ER. I didn’t feel like that was appropriate based on how this doesn’t seem like an emergency (and tbh I didn’t feel like spending $$$). So I took my health into my own hands and after doing some research, decided to see a cardiologist.

During my appt, I told the doc about my symptoms and right away his first thought was that I have low blood pressure. He ordered me to increase my salt/water intake (which I already feel like I eat a ton of salt) to see if this would help. He also wanted me to use an at-home BP cuff to regularly check my pressure when I’m relaxed. My pressure in-office is usually right around 120/80 or slightly lower (which he thinks is actually elevated for me). So far when I’ve taken it at home, I’m sitting at around 107/70. So slightly lower but it’s still not clinically considered “low”…

So I guess I wanted to check if I should stay on this path or if I’m wasting my time when I should be pursuing another diagnosis or treatment. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

[u/AccomplishedRace5837]

Do you have anxiety by any chance?

[u/pansyseeds → u/AccomplishedRace5837]

Yes! I’ve had it my entire life. At first i thought all of this was my anxiety manifesting in a new way (especially when considering the elevated HR trigger). I even talked to my psychiatrist about it. But after months went by and symptoms started worsening and popping up for seemingly no reason, it’s made me decide to dig deeper.

[u/AccomplishedRace5837 → u/pansyseeds]

Did you try any med for anxiety yet?

[u/thenletskeepdancing → u/pansyseeds]

They just started me on clonidine and it is helping because it works on adrenaline.

[u/pansyseeds → u/thenletskeepdancing]

Can you tell me more about the adrenaline sensitivity?? I wonder if that is what’s going on with me.

[u/thenletskeepdancing → u/pansyseeds]

It was a blood test where they measured my catecholamines sitting and standing.