#that medication did work for me tho

[salt-baby]

POTS Medication Vocabulary

after about the third time a doctor prescribed a medication that made my POTS drastically worse, and about three doctors visits past giving up on being an easy patient, i started asking my doctors the following questions whenever they prescribed a new long term medication:

is this medication a hypotensive? (will this medication lower my blood pressure?)

does this medication have a risk of tachycardia? (can this medication raise my heart rate?)

is this medication a diuretic? (will this medication dehydrate me?)

can this medication cause hyponatremia? (will this medication cause my body to lose salt?)

your doctor likely doesn’t know all of this off the top of their head for every medication, but they should know the most common adverse reactions. some may simply tell you they have no clue. i still think it’s worth asking to force them to consider these mechanisms.

for additional consideration:

your pharmacist likely knows the answers to these questions better than your doctor does. 

an additional list of types of drugs which should be avoided is available here, in the table on the fourth page. (note that propranolol, a beta blocker, is often prescribed for POTS but is discouraged by this paper. as someone whose taken it, it’s worth trying to see if it will improve symptoms, but didn’t for me. Additionally, these are just guidelines, and in those with, for example, both hEDS and POTS, the benefits of opiates for pain relief may be worth the risk of worsening POTS.)

regardless of what the doctor says, I always look up the FDA info sheet before taking a medication. these can be found pretty easily on google (your med + “fda pdf”), and list most of the adverse effects. I’m happy to make a post about reading these info sheets.

there’s a reason prescribing medication is left to those with years of medical training - it’s a complicated and difficult process. but oftentimes those who do this work are so overworked and burnt out, they don’t have the ability to read someone’s entire medical file, or be aware of an adverse event that only affects those with an uncommon condition. I find asking these questions forces my doctors to think about my chronic conditions, and after so many adverse events, I always check a medication for myself before taking it. 

remember that you can and should refuse to take a medication that is making your life worse or harming you. even pediatric patients have the right to refuse a medication, and often times, I’ve found nothing other than a very firm “no, I refuse” will get a doctor to consider other options. and even though its against the norm, remember that you have the right to ask your doctor why they’ve chosen that medication for you.

as always, feel free to ask questions, they make my day!

#i have intense opinions on the usage of propranolol #also your doctor will not like being asked these questions #i did this to one once and their eyes got as big as dinner plates #then they ran out of the room presumably to google things or ask their supervisor #that medication did work for me tho #i also dont usually ask for short term medications or extremely common ones #ie like antibiotics #salt baby talks #pots #Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome #dysautonomia #ableism #disability

[luck-of-the-drawings]

THIS THING IS SCUUUFFED AS HELL & ITS ALSO THE BEST THING I HAVE ANIMATED THUS FAR. IM SO IN LOVE WITH EMIZEL. JUST WISH I GAVE HIM MORE STUPID TATTOOS. NEXT TIME THO. NEXT TIME. I ALSO LOVE VEX&VIV SOOOO MUCH. charlies flavor of Deranged is my FAVORITE!!

#cw gore #jrwi fanart #jrwi show #jrwi suckening #jrwi suckening spoilers #ACTULY FINISHED THIS A WHILE AGO. kept going back n forth between trying to work on it more or call it done #in the end i chose DONE!! i worked on this for a full day n a half. NO idea what possesed me but it is NOT happenin again anytime soon #i shall do better NEXT TIME!! in the meantime tho OH MY GOOOOOD WHO WANTS TO SCREAM ABT THE SUCKENING WITH ME #THE FUCKINNN THE FUCKIN THING WITH VEX N VIV BEING THE SHADOW LEADERS OF THE FANGS/DEMONS #OH MMYY GOOOODDD THATS THEIR LIL MEAT GENERATOR... THTS SO FUCKED UP AND COOL UUUGHHH I LOVE THEM... #THEIR FLAVORE IS SO WONDERFUL. I LOOOVE HOW SILLY THEY ARE. MAKING PUNS WHILE PULLIN A SCREAMING VICTIM APART #vex n his lil fashiony art workshop and viv n her sterile n clean doctors office #i bet she doesnt even HAVE a medical liscense. it would be funny if vex did tho. could u imagine #they main MEDIC in tf2 together. viv is the battlemedic while vex only pocket medics for her. COULD U IMAGINE #guh i could go on abt these two forever n ever n ever i LOVE THEMM i gotta draw em more.... #OH ALSO before i run outa room. i should say. i took inspiration from a tf2 animation called POOTIS ENGAGED #the animator. Ceno0. uses black bars in the action sequences in SUCH A COOL WAYYY everytime i watch that video i feel inspired #oneday ill make more complex fight scenes... one day.... #in the meantime UGHHH I LOVE THE SUCKENING SO MUUUCH CAN I JUST FUCKIN SAAAYY THAT I THINK EMIZEL IS A SMART COOKIE!! #THESE PPL FUCKING FEAR HIM NOW!!! 'SHAMIA SHAMI' IS NOW THEIR MORTAL ENEMY!! POWERFUL ILLUSIONIST. CANT DIE. #THAT PART AT THE END THERE WHERE HE FUCKIN. KILLS HIMSELF INFRONTA THEM. THATS SO AWESOME. THATS SO METAL. AND THEN HE COMES BACK!! #I WATCHED EP 7 ASWELL BUT I WONT SPOIL IT HERE. BUT OMYGOD. EMIZEL IS SO COOL AND CAPABLE N SMART N FUNNY N UGHHHHHH I LOVE HIMMMMM #OKAY THATS MY RAMBLE FOR THE DAY THANKYOU FOR READING. I READ ALL TAGS SO YOU SHOULD RAMBLE TOO. IF YOU WANT. IF YOU CAN.

[hypaalicious]

It’s going swell.

#it’s nasty work locking me in ‘easy mode’ with the score penalty #but ‘easy mode’ is whooping my ass like ascension 7 did in is3 #this humbling… is difficult for me to shoulder LMAO #I cannot remember the last time I struggled in IS like this #maybe in Fungimist when my roster was ass and I had no clue what I was doing #but Dawg if I don’t start with a Medic then IS4 refuses to give me one later #I literally have yet to do a run where I’ve been given a Medic ticket #did Sami cannibalize all the Medics? is that what this is? #Gummy & Quercus have been putting in an absurd amount of work 😭 #Wtf is with that first final boss tho #why is my Collapse rating off the goddamn charts all the time I’m already HURTING #Sami got TOO MANY HANDS rn LMAOOO #but we ball #arknights #明日方舟 #is4

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

#me for forever: i probably have ocd. that would make a lot of sense. psychologist: u seem to meet the diagnostic criteria for ocd. me: >:-O #so yeah. i officially have ocd. shocking. i know. its only exactly as i suspected #i did not expect to get so much investigation into bipolar tho. checked a lot of boxes on a bipolar checklist sheet #and like yeah this issue probably goes back to hs but like its not that obstructive. i mean. it is but like. its not that bad #and yes. the fact that i had a fucked up reaction to Lexapro may support that diagnosis. but like i dont really remember what happened that #well. it could just b how ocd and anxiety along with whatever spectrum problems i have manifest. it could just b pmdd #i do have recorded spells of high energy outside the expected phases of my cycle. but like ya kno #it would just truely truely shock me if i was bipolar #but what i described was apparently fucked up enough that my counselor was like hm have u looked at a physical medical issue? #and im like. ive not been to a doctor in 6 years. so i have a doctors appointment next week lol #yeah. so interesting so far. this does mean exposure therapy which im gonna hate but i mean #its the thing that works with ocd and i wanna get better so lets fucking go i guess #unrelated

[imagineagreatadventure]

just submitted all my short term disability paperwork to hopefully extend my leave for a month. i've used all my sick and pto time prev to take care of my mom, and bereavement leave the last two weeks and it basically all runs out v. soon. hr has actually been as good as hr can be about it but i'm literally incapable of working right now. so it better be approved so i can y'know pay bills

#otherwise fmla through the gov't i go #fml fmla tho #i'm literally just trying to get to midmay #i think i can start working at least part time again around then #but this month is 1000% a wash #like there is no way in hell #i actually miss working a bit but i can barely think #also did you know grief is a diagnosis me neither #personal #i got two medical providers to hopefully help the approval but i'm like ugh about it

[jacqueline-of-all-trades]

Finally just watched Emesis Blue.

Had no idea what was going on half the time, but the animation was pretty stellar

#tf2 #emesis blue #please tho can someone please explain to me what the deal is with Medic #and why is it everybody seemed to be accidentally traveling through time #AND HOW DID DEMO DIE????? #so many things were happening man #maybe it's because I'm not quite privy to the horror genre and how it works #but that was pretty much just two hours of confusion for me

[voidimp]

man i would love to be asleep but unfortunately my brain

#we love an undiagnosed sleep disorder #that might actually be a heart problem who fucking knows ill find out in uhhh a little while #eventually. idk how long it takes to get the results #all we know is its very much not sleep apnea (i did not think it was sleep apnea but they made me get tested for it anyway) #(and then said well its not that!! good luck. also ur heart did a weird thing so go get that checked out maybe) #so now i have to get a heart monitor like yaaaaay medical bills #do u know how much it costs to get a proper sleep study that like actually measures ur brainwaves #like literally thousands of dollars apparently. & they have SPECIFIC HOURS that u have to sleep for it?? like... i work second shift tho #not that they even really gave me the option for it. i mean ig i couldve asked but i wouldnt be able to afford it anyway #i think theres sort of an in between test thats not as good where u gotta stick shit on ur head at home maybe ill ask abt that eventually #but i already spent almost 300 on the sleep apnea test that i didnt even need ://

[sharkneto]

.

#lmao apparently i was on Too High A Dose of T for starting #i finally got in with my new doctor - who is great already love him #miles ahead of my old one who asked me if i went to church and found comfort in god #and he did a double take when i told him what i'd been prescribed - a literal double take #i am now on half of what i was before whomp whomp #which is probably good until we know how my body metabolizes T #but also feels like a little step back #you have to be so goddamn patient with hrt huh #up side what i've got now will last twice as long i suppose #i don't regret going with the interim medical provider to get started because i'm 3 weeks ahead of where i would have been if i'd waited #but it is a little disconcerting to have a doctor who works for a pride clinic and prescribes hormones all the time go #''that is absolutely the wrong dose here is what you should be on'' #and i am glad i am moving my care to him #thanks beth tho you were a real one for getting me the initial prescription and giving me a max dose to really kickstart things #boy stuff

[hawnks]

all of the nurses at the clinic being extra special nice to me becuase i came in looking like this:

#tw drugs #drug mention #in the tags #I just be rambling #‘p-p-please may I have some adderall?’ #they’re not allowed to prescribe adderall without at least 5 adhd tests becuase this is a college town tho jsjdjdjfkf #i am starting a non-stimulant today tho and I’m nervous!!! #I’ve never been on medication before and I grew up in a very ‘drugs are for when you’re bleeding out or giving birth ONLY’ type household #so I was like……. maybe through sheer willpower I can overcome #but then I was like watching this lecture by russel Barkley about executive dysfunction #and I was like. yeah. this person knows me. #‘for adhd the problem isn’t knowing. the problem is that there is a wall between knowing and doing.’ #i went to get blood work done and the nurse was like trying to soothe me with conversation and I was like 👁👄👁 #AM i really so small little pathetic?? #like YES it did make me feel better. but I’m embarrassed. 😔

[britneyshakespeare]

i got all dressed for an afternoon day at the middle school and then i checked the sub software and saw my assignment was cancelled. so i got into some jeans and a sweatshirt

#im not wearing my nice skirt and long flowy shirt all alone in my house #this is minimally disappointing but honestly? not TOO much lol #tales from diana #i dont have any other work days this week tho hahahaha but ive kind of been in declining health again #like cant-work-two-full-days-in-a-row-anymore kinda bad #i hate this shit. my mom wants me to call my doctor again about it but ive had so much despair seeking medical help #considering this whole time it's done nothing fo rme #whatever. maybe later maybe later! #i did already take adderall though so hopefully ill at least do some reading #almost done the epic of gilgamesh girlies. wut wut

[awek-s]

sorry but the way a single interaction w my mom ruined any kind of progress I made this week is insane

#I started taking my meds again for one #she walked in the kitchen after work today and immediately proceeded to tell me I did everything wrong and basically made me feel so fucking #stupid. all I’m doing is tryna do something nice and cute for this stupid holiday bc everything else in my life is falling apart #but I should be used to it I mean just a few weeks ago she essentially admitted she thinks I’m doing nothing with my life #even though she uses me for photo ops and as a way to get attention from her coworkers and friends #bc she LOVES to brag about me she adores it even #but behind closed doors it’s ‘how can I put alex down today?’ #misgenders fatshames tells me I’m lazy despite having almost 3 degrees doesn’t take any of my medical issues seriously #even tho she’s the reason I went so late before I got diagnosed (she doesn’t want a sick kid! how Tragic for her) #I’m TIRED like I’m tired of not being able to do anything right ??? and like I’m sorry I know there’s more important things going on in the #world right now but my irl stuff was such a non issue for real alongside it and now it’s like #all of the ideation is back I feel like. yeah what is the point in doing anything I don’t do anything right anyway #sorry I’m just. venting #mrow.org

[notsodailycake]

God, I'm starting to have my health close to declining to GLBUH!Michael levels-

#for those who don't know #it's bad #pretty bad #luckily I'm not o n his level #but this week got me falling pretty close (. 3.);; #not only did i force myself to work even when sick i did so when i got my period #which is pretty bad rn #i feel like puking half of the time can't move headaches all that stuff #but it at least means I'm not THAT bad of a shape rn bc otherwise it wouldn't have come #but also i haven't been eating alot but that's more side effect of my medication which makes me feel lack of hunger #then due to anger and stress on Tuesday bc of my teacher and his email i lost ALOT of hair and its pretty thin rn #so to check off #I'm a bit underweight due to lack of food #lost alot kf hair due to stress #and i pushed myself to work even when my body couldn't #all in all #I was pretty close to becoming Michael XD #after this one tho I'm taking a huge break #which means either more doodles or little nothing at all for days #depending on how i feel cuz sometimes i doodle to de stress #cake talks

[axiolotl]

can't believe this resident who saw me before my gastroenterologist. I said the only way to relieve my nausea and stomach cramping is emetrol (essentially a fructose syrup) because I can't take Pepto bismol because of my blood thinners. she quite literally scoffed and said. dismissive. "Uh, you can Pepto Bismol with blood thinners."

"okay, well. my hematologist and pharmacist both said I shouldn't, so--"

"really? 🙄"

MA'AM. YOU'RE gonna be the one to tell me what I can and can't take on blood thinners? a GASTRO doctor? oh yeah, my blood doctor and my medications doctor are just stupid, huh. yeah. ill just ignore the huge label on the medication saying not to take with blood thinners. yeah. I'll listen to the fuckin gastro doctor on this one. shut the fuck up.

she even looked taken aback when I said I try warm compresses to help the stomach cramps and she was like "uh...okay...🤨" and I was like listen, I have chronic pain from a lot of issues, I'll throw any self care pain management on anything.

"what chronic pain do you have?"

"arthritis-"

"aRtHrITis? 🤨" just completely doubting? me?

me, slowly, carefully explaining: "yes...osteoarthritis...in my knees, feet, neck, and"

and she literally waved it away like "okay yeah yeah yeah." bro i .

#she only backed off when i told her the times i did take pepto it didnt even work! #and emetrol doesnt interact w any medications and also doesnt constipate me! #(diabetics should be cautious tho ofc) #god #i hated this fellow. my actual doctor was nice but like. fuck off #ellis.txt #she wanted to dismiss my abdomen pain as musculoskeletal SOOO badly #i was like. i go to a physical therapist i do stretches i have breaks from my binder a week at a time....go #d #healthcare sux.txt

[nomaishuttle]

exciting day so far

#264 (the couple who pays extra to have their bed made every day (which is crazy)) knocked over a CLOCK in their room #the wife did it on accident luckily she was ok.but i had 2 hunt down maintenance to fix da clock and i thought i found a guy but apparently #he wasnt actually a maintenance guy So i might kms. but he said hed find a maintenance guy for me so.. #bc my boss was like ok ryan (head of maintenance (wnd housekeeping but hes a maintenance guy. my boss is the real head of housekeeping lol) #might be in the maintenance shop. and i was like okie went in and he wasnt 💀💀💀 so i just saw a guybwearing black which i thinkk is #maintenance color and i was like halp me ! and he was like erm yeah ill find a maintenance guy for you ^-^ #it was so awk tho. my job on weekdays (except tuesdays bc thats the day they get cleaned) is 2 make the bed and its usually umm #shes usually in da shower with her caretaker. not like eith but. ykwim. and the husband is usually asleep on da couch #but i got there like 10 minutes early so they were both up and also yhe husband was like Are you a guy can you help and i was like erm no #and i misunderstood i thought he was having like #a medical or #something else issue. yk. but then i overheard him talking to the wifes caretaker and realized he said CLOCK. and i was like ohhh ok.. #but i finished the bed and said okie ill find a maintenance guy t come help asap :] #and he was like thanks 👍 hes very sweet idk if we had spoken b4. well probably but idr much of it #i think ive mainly spoken to da wife b4. shes very sweet shes had a stroke so its a bit difficult to understand her sometimes but shes very #nice.. i ws sooo worried thenfirst day bc allegedly we got there early (aka the time they usually went to do the bed) so now k do it at 9 #which is mildly inconvenient but not too bad. ideally id be making the bed b4 i starty rooms 4 the day bc i have like an hour anf a half to #do my morning work. so i could just slot ir in real easy.. but its all good jo worries. but ya so she was kind of irritated the first day #and also it was my first time speaking to someone who had had a stroke. so i didnt realize thats just like. how she ralks and thought she #was just super duper mad. and i was like eep! but its ok.

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

#yet again i fail to convince my counselor i have executive function problems. mostly its bc i dont think well in the moment but also i just #feel kinda weird rn so i was having trouble making my thoughts connect. but i swear to christ i do have problems making my executives #function. i think the issue is im a grad student so i do well in school. not that it matters bc i kno loads of grad students with pretty #god awful adhd. one of my former lab mates was like. Adderall barely made her normal. and yet she was still a phd student #so like. its possible to have executive function issues as a grad student. the problem with me is the obsessive thoughts and self #destructive behavior so to her it sounds like im telling myself that i cant get my brain to work unless i put myself under extreme pressure #rather than i cant get my brain to work so to cope im putting myself under extreme pressure bc if i dont nothing gets done #but like fucking if i try to relax i dont do things. i cant clean my kitchen or my room or take out the trash or do my laundry #and im not like not doing it bc i dont wanna. these things r causing me active distress but i cant flip the switch that makes them happen #ive gotta write a grant proposal. read a paper. and find a paper to discuss by tomorrow morning. i had time to do all of this before but i #didnt do it. y didnt i do it? fucking i dont kno. ugh. whatever. i got refered to a psychiatrist so well see what happens there #i did accidentally set the meeting to when i meet with my advisor tho. oops. also my counselor said it sounds like im a rat running on a #wheel. which is accurate but also a really fucking funny thing to have said abt u. ur r a scrawny neglected lil rat. boohoo. #idk what type of medication she thinks i should b on. like what symptom r we trying to exhaust? the 0cd or the mood issues? #i dont even kno what the issue is. not that i guess it matters. idk. i need to read and write. fucking hell #unrelated

[todayisafridaynight]

Its SO upsetting how often the bad guys don't get to have a lasting turnaround. You see it with random side characters, but c'mon guys. Just let them go to prison for a little while and have them come back. I promise you do not have to kill a character off, or base the character off a real life person, thus narrowing their chances of a return even thinner, while building up the possibility of a comeback. This franchise has cursed me with such lovable characters I'll never see again, and my heart can't keep at it like this.

I'm gonna have to just take that suddenly-dropped-off-a-cliff-storyline into my own hands. Gotta pick up all the slack. They're too good at giving tender, heart wrenching moments to characters we'll never see again. Way too good.

Not sure if you know the streamer Crystal, but her reaction to the ending of 3 was the most extreme I've ever seen. She was full on breakdown sobbing, and even the chat was asking if she was okay. RGG look at the hearts you're breaking out here �� Also, your posts about Mine and that ending are beautiful, and you could talk about it a million times. It'll never get old.

the most egregious- pardon the pun- execution of this trope in rgg games is aoki's death.

like legitimately, his death did not need to happen. the past antagonists you could make a decent point for why their deaths were justified (ryuji's probably being the goofiest ngl) but aoki's felt as though rgg was just checking off a to-do list.

i don't really watch rgg content creators, but if someone could send me a clip of that i'd be down to watch: always a fan of watching people be emo over Y3's ending

and speaking of, thank you i have strong enough mental illness that all i can do is talk about that scene over and over again :)

#snap chats #the worst part is im only partially joking about being mentally ill #like i just think of that one directioner fan being a super fan until they took medication and then they were normal #pretty sure if i did the same I Too would have shut up four months ago but to our benefit/dismay medicine's hard to get so <3 #i am simply a dog chasing its tail and by that i mean i will simply talk about mine and y3's ending until i die #or until my mental illness latches onto something else idk #but yeah it sucks dick how rgg does so many great and emotional scenes #but like. we never get to fully see that pay off with characters like mine or aoki #like i want to see them have to face the consequences of their actions- ESPECIALLY mine #mine makes me the most deranged Obviously but i just want to know how daigo would react and treat him #we only get a semblance of how daigo felt after Y3 via the rggo story but its not enough #i want daigo to be upset with mine i want mine to HAVE to work things through with daigo #because unfortunately i dont think daigo would just cut mine off i think he still would try to figure out what the fuck was going on #idk i just need something to happen to mine that crushes him and has him rethink his ways a bit #'crushes' yk like. something beside the pavement--- #i wouldnt want him to totally change tho. i like him deranged but just channel that deranged behavior to their benefit #brb thinking about mine saying he wouldnt be acting up if daigo didnt get shot again jesus christ i think of that line every day #OK I HAVE TO GO DO A COMM RN ACTUALLY I'LL BE MENTALLY ILL LATER BYYYE FEEL FREE TO SEND ASKS AND ENABLE ME