Joan
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Thanks, Lisa! You are a very good teacher!
I know what it's like to have 80/50 blood pressure. Before I was diagnosed, I couldn't figure out why it was so hard to get out of bed in the morning and why I'd feel so shaky. When I got a BP cuff, it became painfully obvious, because that was my BP every morning! I'd drink a couple of cups of hot water with a little ginger in it, and then I'd get more energy (BP would go up as I moved around.)
The baking soda is optional. It's added to most commercial nasal saline solutions as a buffer, to make it sting less and less harsh on the nasal passages. I do recommend, if you're mixing the solution yourself, to use Kosher salt or other salt without iodine added. I prefer to use the pre-mixed packets (less messy), but home made is just as good.
As for the "doughboy" effect, I agree that it's edema from leaking fluids, but I think it also is related to the adrenals being exhausted, and that's also another contributor to the fatigue. I find that if I have a bad attack and take prednisolone for a few days that clears the edema quickly, and the fatigue leaves, as well. When I get into a too hot environment, I start to puff up, flush, etc. I know it's leakage causing it. It's all so intertwined.
The puffiness I get is generalized. There's no wheezing or rash. In fact, I tend to look pale and just "puffy." I notice it around my eyes and in my face first, but my rings also get tight, pants feel tighter, get brain fog, etc. If I press a finger on my cheek, an impression stays there for a few seconds. Sometimes the puffiness follows an episode, but sometimes it's an "early warning" sign, and I tighten up my self-care and increase meds. It's like a red flag to slow down.
Here are the rare published possible side effects of gastrocrom:
"Other Adverse Events
Additional adverse events have been reported during studies in other clinical conditions and from worldwide postmarketing experience. In most cases the available information is incomplete and attribution to the drug cannot be determined. The majority of these reports involve the gastrointestinal system and include: diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, glossitis, stomatitis, vomiting, dysphagia, esophagospasm.
Other less commonly reported events (the majority representing only a single report) include the following:
* Skin: pruritus, rash, urticaria/angioedema, erythema/ burning, photosensitivity * Musculoskeletal: arthralgia, myalgia, stiffness/weakness of legs * Neurologic: headache, dizziness, hypoesthesia, paresthesia, migraine, convulsions, flushing * Psychiatric: psychosis, anxiety, depression, hallucinations, behavior change, insomnia, nervousness * Heart Rate: tachycardia, premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), palpitations * Respiratory: pharyngitis, dyspnea * Miscellaneous: fatigue, edema, unpleasant taste, chest pain, postprandial lightheadedness and lethargy, dysuria, urinary frequency, purpura, hepatic function test abnormal, polycythemia, neutropenia, pancytopenia, tinnitus, lupus erythematosus (LE) syndrome"
Although rare, it can cause edema. I myself have tinnitus that I believe was triggered by the gastrocrom. I guess it's like all meds. Is the cure better or worse than the disease?
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