@cuppanina not sure if you're still here, I found this as I've had it about 3 times only when I sit up. It explains potentially rather why the mechanism is not kicking in to lower the heart rate, vs looking at what is causing it. (Likely my issue is as regards ligaments in the neck, EDS related or not). What's called a dynamic ekg can identify it. And it requires the vagus nerve and sympathetic nervous system to counter it, and weak vagus nerve has been mentioned before with ptsd. He said it also can be associated with feelings of panic. There are exercises to strengthen the ligaments and also the vagus nerve. It also arises from looking down such as at a phone (required by me at work for hours).
There are many videos but here is one:
I have Cushing’s Disease, rare disease that is constantly high cortisol levels. Usually caused by tumors.
I also was officially diagnosed with POTS but it was caused due to the longterm effects of my Cushing’s (or so they tell me). The tilt table test? Absolutely not fun! But I was told POTS is almost always a symptom of, or product of, another “something else wrong”.
‘I also stopped absorbing B12 at some point so I have some permanent neurological damage from that, which can also be a byproduct of my Cushing’s but can also lend itself to POTS.
All of which lend to my personal battle with Tachycardia for the last 7 years. The only time I don’t have tachycardia is when I am angled over or directly laying on my left side. (POTS) Standing up causes a spike in my heart rate from 70 to 120 in less than 5 secs usually and the longer I stand, even in one spot not moving, the higher my heart rate goes. As soon as I lay back down on my left side within usually one to two minutes I am back to normal of 70-75. Sitting up in an upright position my heart rate will just continuously go up and up and up until finally I have to lay down. However, the caveat, is that if I do too much during the day. Then my heart rate doesn’t go down even when I lay down on my left side, or I should say it does but usually not below 100.
And thanks to Apple Watch being water resistant I can tell you that my highest heart rate in the shower was 210 but is on the average about 180 to 190. So I am only allowed to take showers once a week and only until, my heart rate hits 150-160 Per doctors orders… I don’t even get to dry off. I wrap up in a towel and go lay down
. It’s very much not relaxing. Baths are a little different. But I still can’t sit up for long periods of time. So I just have to watch my heart rate and I can’t let it get above about 140 - 150 because the standing up part causes even more skyrocketing. Hence why my family refers to me taking a shower or bath as my weekly triathlon.
So this is actually part of my life medically speaking. My heart rate is a constant battle. I have seen cardiologists times. I have had more ECG’s and EKGs then I can count. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my heart. Hell I have to be even careful how much I talk at one time if I’m sitting up or standing up.
Now being new to complex PTSD, since January, I don’t know if it was PTSD related or any of that. However there is a lot of talk about it at Cushing‘s recovery Support website that I go to. But since Cushing’s Disease doesn’t have a way to “catch it”, maybe the constantly high cortisol levels are a possibility. And I say that because Cushing’s syndrome, a sister, if you will, to Cushing disease is or can be caused due to too much exposure to steroid use like with prednisone.
Now I have lost my train of thought… I had a point in here but between the dog, the cat, the bathroom and a salesman, I have completely forgotten what that was
