Sue,
Thank god you are having this test done. Two years ago, when I came to this board, I instantly noticed that you and I had ALOT of similiar symptoms. It also took me two years to be diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension,. which has greatly put a big old damper in my treatment. Trust me.
TO answer your questions:
Has anyone had this done.I have low BP and the doc wants me to have it done.
Yes, I had it done. However, I only had the six lead test done and not the 12 lead test done, and I wasnt given the second part of the test.
What will I achieve by doing it?
HELP! ALOT OF HELP! Even alot of lyme patients do NOT realize what NMH or OH or POTS can do to you. For starters, it can make you barely unable to take ANY medications.
Not to mention the dizziness, headaches, head and shoulder pain, getting sick after eating. I could go on.
Can neurally mediated hypotension harm you if it is left untreated?
Yes, it can. You could pass out and crack your head open. You can end up with other problems, - the biggest one of all? Reacting to ALOT of medications. ( tis what happened to me)- wasnt reactions as much as it was gut blood pooling in my stomach each time I took a pill, further taking away blood and O2 from my brain. Im also now hypoglycemic.
It put a real big halt in my lyme treatment, in a REAL big way.
Is it really unpleasant?
If getting sick when walking around, not being able to go into stores, or walking across the yard without getting dizziness, headaches, neck and head pain among blurred vision and an inability to concentrate,
YET those symptoms retract when you lay down, toppled with not being able to take medication to treat your lyme
is the end result of : is it unpleasant, then yes.
But is the tilt table test unpleasant?
Nah.
It brought out my symptoms, which was unpleasant, and I near fainted.
The morons then stopped the test.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING THE TWO PART TEST. I would even call to make sure they are using the TWELVE LEAD and not the SIX lead ( electrodes) they NEED twelve electrodes to test all the various sites.
The idiots up here used six on me. Well whoopidy ding dong!
Research the doc you are being sent to, if you can, to have this done. Or the hospital, etc.
I really thought I was going to have my tilt done the RIGHT way. INstead, I didnt.
Now I have to retake it just to get the medications that I need to control my blood pressure.
Id also suggest you buy a digital blood pressure cuff and measure your blood pressure as best you can.