The test begins like this you lay down on a table with heart monitor, blood pressure and other devices hooked up to you. You lay on the table for 30 minutes, and then the table is tilted up to an almost upright position. From here you stand for 30-45 minutes, if you do not produce the symptoms they are looking for the table is moved back down, and then you are administered a medication that produces an adrenaline affect. You are then moved back to the upright position and spend another 30-45 minutes to see if you produce symptoms. Oh, and you are strapped to the table so you do not fall off the table, but not so tight you cannot move around.
And what are the symptoms, well, it is passing out. Well, luckily or not luckily, I produced symptoms within less than 10 minutes. I also produced more than fainting, which scared my husband and the nurse to death. After I passed out apparently I had a seizure, and then my heart stopped. Now I don't tell you this to worry that my heart stopped, this is something that can occur. The reason I am telling you is because of what happened when all this occured. You see, I don't remember anything after passing out. I knew I was going out, and that was it. After that I went to the best place ever, I was Mountain Biking, and it was the best ride ever! I don't remember the whole scenario of the ride, but I was having so much fun, that when the nurse and others, woke me up I had no idea where I was. I was very confused, because I actually thought I had been on my bike. They told me where I was, and then I started to come back to reality.
Let me tell you reality has not been so great. The test made me very sick and weak the first day, so much so I could only get up for bathroom breaks. The next day I was supposed to be better, but was not. Of course being the stubborn person I am I decided I could get through it. This was very stupid as I almost passed out on the way to work. Needless to say I returned home and stayed in bed for the rest of the day. Which brings me to today.
Today I was still weak and dizzy, not as bad as day one or two, but still unable to drive a car safely. So we went to see the doctor, and found out my body was now much lower in sodium and chloride which is why I was not recovering from the test. So the doctor told me what I needed to do which is increase my salt intake. He actually suggested I go to Apollo Burger and eat a burger and fries! I did, and it was nice to have the doctor excuse to eat a burger and fries.
As for the table tilt test. For now the diagnosis is Vasovegal Syncopy, which is why I pass out and have low blood pressure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_episode; http://www.healthscout.com/ency/68/754/main.html;
http://heartdisease.about.com/cs/arrhythmias/a/Syncope3_2.htm
What is the cure? There are medications I can take, but first we take the more natural route.I must drink a lot of water, increase my salt inake, and wear a body compression suit. They key is to drink a lot of water, but not too much to deplete my salt, and then I must eat a lot of salt to up my blood pressure and in order to prevent it from leaving my body I must wear a compressions suit. If all goes well then my blood pressure will go up and I will quit trying to pass out.
