Are there any cardiologists or doctors who can help me?

Question

I have had orthostatic hypotension and bladder problems for 3 years now. I am a woman who is only 26 years old, and these problems keep getting worse. I have tried every med. that my cardiologist could think of to no prevail. Well, anyway I moved and now I just have a OB doctor(pregnant) and am not on medication.
I am wondering why, if may case is the most serious my cardiologist had ever seen, was I diagnosed with orthostatic hypotension w/ neurocardigenic syncope?
By researching my symptoms I discovered my condition perfectly matches Pure Autonomic Failure instead. I want to know if there is a test that can verify if I have this disease instead. Why did my cardiologist never even mention this? I am so frustrated.

Answer 1

Autonomic dysfunction is a very challenging condition to diagnose and even more so to treat. Many cardiologists are not comfortable managing patients like you. You really need to see a specialist in dysautonomia. The best in the country is Dr. Blair Grubb in Toledo, Ohio.

Also the following link may be helpful:

http://www.ndrf.org/index.htm

Answer 2

Let me start by saying that I don't know what your diagnosis is, I can't tell just from the information above, but there is a saying in medicine that goes something like, "when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail" so it's not really surprising when you come with a set of symptoms to a cardiologist that he would look for cardiac causes for it and might not strongly consider other reasons at first. For autonomic neuropathy, which is consistant with your symptoms (but usually a good deal more severe) a neurologist would really be the way to go as far as making the diagnosis and rendering such treatments as we have. You may want to consider getting a second opinion if you really feel your doctor is incorrect in his diagnosis, from here, I don't have enough information to intelligently comment on it.

Answer 3

I'm not a doctor, I'm a retired nurse. I would say you need to an internist and some blood work. Your electrolites may be "off". He can refer you to another doctor if you need to see a cardiologist again. I definitely would find one now that you're pregnant. Normally, pregnancy will make your blood pressure go up. But the changes in hormones might cause your syncope to escillate. So do yourself and your baby a favor and get treatment. Godloveya.

Answer 4

An abdominal belt and a salt retaining steroid do a good job in many.