I'll be dehydrating for the next two weeks

[Daniel]

Here's the scoop.  I'm about to try something somewhat risky.  All my POTS contacts online are saying I'm crazy even to attempt this. Since coming down with POTS, I've been on a high-sodium diet designed to retain a lot of water which, in turn, increases blood volume and decreases a lot of the symptoms of not having enough blood.  Hydrating was the goal. Only problem is that after 7 years of that, I'm now 100 lbs heavier than I was when I came down with this. I was wondering if the increased weigh gain was, to one degree or another, offsetting the benefits of the increased blood volume. So I discussed the idea with the doctor today and am going to go on some diuretics for a couple of weeks, under her supervision, to see if losing a lot of this water weight will actually make me ultimately feel better/stronger afterwards. If the weight loss helps, we will keep it up. If not, then we will stop it. Or we will stop it as soon as I start feeling worse.  But I already run 25-30% low in blood and have that much of a deficit of cerebral blood flow.  Doing something designed to decrease my water retention is likely to cause some level of "drying out" or de-hydrating...which will make my symptoms even worse - unless the weight loss compensates for it.  It's anyone's guess whether this will ultimately be a good idea or bad one.  I feel like I have to try *something* though because the status quo isn't improving things.  So don't expect a lot of deep thoughts or quick responses from me.  If I'm OK, I'll be here with my usual wisdom and quick responses.  But if I'm too weak, I'll be staying in bed and my access/involvement will be limited.  Keep me in your prayers, if you don't mind.

Daniel

[Marv]

Just to help you with these two needs, if urgency strikes:

 

Hospital zone:

 

 

 Bathroom zone:

 

 

 

 

Daniel said:

There are two within 20 minutes of me.  One is half of that.  I'm more concerned with living near a BATHROOM right now though. :)

Bit Brush said:

Do you live near the hospital? 

[Jason]

Praying for you.

[Jax Agnesson]

Daniel, you're worrying me! (O me of little faith,,lol!) Please, mate, get to a doc's. It sounds like trouble.

But then, you're a big guy, you know your own stuff. Whatever happens, take care. And remember:  we can't afford to lose you, good people are scarce!

[Daniel]

At this point, Jax, I'm feeling worse than normal, but still within the range of "normal" for me.  For example, it is common for you guys to give me a  me to get a headache.  But I'm getting more of them this past week.  And it is common for me to feel weak, but my energy level is really crashing in the evening.  So I'm spending more time in bed, but I expected that.  Normally when I get up from my recliner and go upstairs, it raises my heart rate from the 80s to the 100s.  Last night it was 150.  That is my normal range after being up for 10 minutes to take a shower or something.  But that is nowhere near the too-frequent 160s-170s that I've seen when things were "bad", and nowhere near my "high" (or "low", depending on how you look at it) of 192.  At that point, I *did* go to the hospital.  They sent me back home, but at least I got checked out! :)

So basically, as long as I am staying down, I'm as OK as I ever am.  When I get up, I am more symptomatic than normal and get there faster.  And it all makes sense when you understand the underlying factors.  If things continue on this track, I'll likely stop this after the two week test.  I was thinking/hoping that losing the water weight would be fairly easy (and it seems to be) and result in me feeling better.  But upon some experience with this, the "feeling better" only would occur during the times when I'm up and about.  Weight doesn't effect much when you are reclined back or laying down because you are not hauling it around.  And if I'm too symptomatic to get up and about without risk, the fact that I'm doing it lighter isn't going to help much. 

[Jason]

Daniel,

Still praying for you.

[Jax Agnesson]

Thanks for the update, man. We all care about you a lot. Stay in touch. Love and respect. Jax.

[Daniel]

Don't worry.  I've got too much to live for and too many people to set straight to risk dying early. :)  Part of this is to satisfy some folks that think that I'd do so much better if I was just lighter.  So I'm humoring the idea and trying some things.  If it works, great.  If not, then at least I know more things that don't work.

[Jack]

Daniel; Do you remember one of the "Back to the Future" movies, where Michael had broken his neck, and was wearing a rig that carried him around,  up-side-down? Do they make those rigs, yet? Or maybe one of those anti-gravity tables that tilt your upper body down, and feet up, would get more blood to the brain.

 I've been working on my TH.D. Degree. (Theoretical Doctorate, that is)

Daniel said:

At this point, Jax, I'm feeling worse than normal, but still within the range of "normal" for me.  For example, it is common for you guys to give me a  me to get a headache.  But I'm getting more of them this past week.  And it is common for me to feel weak, but my energy level is really crashing in the evening.  So I'm spending more time in bed, but I expected that.  Normally when I get up from my recliner and go upstairs, it raises my heart rate from the 80s to the 100s.  Last night it was 150.  That is my normal range after being up for 10 minutes to take a shower or something.  But that is nowhere near the too-frequent 160s-170s that I've seen when things were "bad", and nowhere near my "high" (or "low", depending on how you look at it) of 192.  At that point, I *did* go to the hospital.  They sent me back home, but at least I got checked out! :)

So basically, as long as I am staying down, I'm as OK as I ever am.  When I get up, I am more symptomatic than normal and get there faster.  And it all makes sense when you understand the underlying factors.  If things continue on this track, I'll likely stop this after the two week test.  I was thinking/hoping that losing the water weight would be fairly easy (and it seems to be) and result in me feeling better.  But upon some experience with this, the "feeling better" only would occur during the times when I'm up and about.  Weight doesn't effect much when you are reclined back or laying down because you are not hauling it around.  And if I'm too symptomatic to get up and about without risk, the fact that I'm doing it lighter isn't going to help much. 

[Daniel]

They do have things that will hang you upside down.  They are frequently used in some types of back therapy.  But I get that kind of "rush" just by lying flat - quickly followed by a headache.  I typically don't lay flat.  I even have the head of our bed elevated by 4".  

Jack said:

Daniel; Do you remember one of the "Back to the Future" movies, where Michael had broken his neck, and was wearing a rig that carried him around,  up-side-down? Do they make those rigs, yet? Or maybe one of those anti-gravity tables that tilt your upper body down, and feet up, would get more blood to the brain.