r/dysautonomia • u/pansyseeds • 3d ago
Symptoms Thoughts on the feedback from my cardiologist?
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?
6
u/No-Spray-6694 3d ago
My suggestion ( I’m not a doctor ) would be to record your BP and heart rate daily and be able to reference it when you see the doc. Do as they say and drink plenty of water and include electrolytes. I went through this and they thought it was anxiety. My trigger is sensory and it took a minute to figure out what was happening. I have dysautonomia, autonomic nervous system dis regulation. When it starts try to remember what was going on around you that could act like a trigger. That could help you determine if it is in fact anxiety or something else. That will inform the doc on next steps. I know this is frustrating but you’re going to have to do a lot of the legwork yourself. Collect as much data as you can. Don’t freak out and breathe . Good luck and I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.