Fibromyalgia &/or chronic back pain?

Options
2»

Replies

  • pickledginger
    pickledginger Posts: 172
    Options

    I get totally brain-fogged and dizzy and stupid and more when I spend too much time sitting or standing.

    I started getting serious about finding out what was going on a couple of years ago, when I started graying out if I sat up too quickly in the morning. Or sometimes, when I was just walking along.

    Turns out I have autonomic dysfunction -- dysautonomia. The part of the nervous system that's supposed to automatically handle things like adapting pulse and bp when we stand, or coping with changes in ambient temperature, or adjusting the pupils when the light level changes ... it's not working very well. So I might get breathless sometimes just standing still, yet be able to crank away on a recumbent bike with no problem. (A regular bike or exercise bike? not good.)

    People with CFIDS/ME or FM or Lyme have higher-than-average rates of dysautonomia. It's possible that's part of why you have problems at the store.

    I get the brain fog and I get dizzy and stupid feeling all the time. Do you see stars if you stand up too soon? I've never heard of dysautonomia but all of that sounds very familiar!
    Sometimes I see stars. More often, I get fuzzy out-of-focus vision ... then, if it's bad, the edges start to fade to gray. Mostly, I avoid blacking out.
    Most doctors don't seem to have heard of dysautonomia, so you're in good company! Try asking about orthostatic intolerance, or google "poor man's tilt test".

Categories