Venting Doctor didn't really care. Also, $300 bill

[puella]

I said I've been feeling dizzy, light headed, weak, and fainting since going up in dosage on my spironolactone. The doctor didn't think my blood pressure was that low, and said I shouldn't be worried, but I want to see an endocrinologist. I looked it up, but it seems different for each person.

I think my anxiety is making everything worse. I've fainted only once at home, in the shower. But the majority of times happen when I'm outside. Maybe part of it is social anxiety. I don't think my resting heart rate is 110, I was just scared in the doctors office. I tried counting with my hands, just now, and got 21 beats in 15 seconds (84 beats per minute).



Also I got a bill for $300, which they seem to care about following up on a lot more than they care about my...care.

 

[Dayrain]

Can I ask you about that material of paper? I have never seen this before. It looks like a fabric cloth?

 

[puella]

Can I ask you about that material of paper? I have never seen this before. It looks like a fabric cloth?

Seems like normal paper to me, I think they used the printer to make small dots over the section. Kind of like the shading technique used in some comics.

 

[Rack.-]

I hope you are feeling better now. Sending hugs your way ~

 

[tiger b]

Sorry to hear. Best wishes

 

[Celerity]

By dizzy and lightheaded, do you mean that the room spins or just that you feel faint? I had episodic lightheadedness that stemmed entirely from muscle tension in my neck which was itself caused by anxiety.

Cervical Vertigo (Cervicogenic Dizziness): Symptoms & Treatment

People with cervical vertigo (or cervicogenic dizziness) experience neck pain, as well as dizziness. Treatments include massage, balance exercises and neck movements.

my.clevelandclinic.org

I pooh-poohed my NP's diagnosis until the home exercises she had me do cleared it right up. Just knowing about the mysterious muscle tensions was insufficient. The exercises allowed me to identify the muscles so that I could relax them during flare-ups.

 

[Kasumi]

ehh? they give you spironolactone?
and it's not even an endocrinologist???

the US sure is a weird place,.. I didn't think you could get anything related to hormones even from a non-endocrinologist.
Can you ask them to get you on CPA or GNRH agonists / antagonists?
They're known to work much more reliably than spino.
What are your Estradiol blood levels if I may ask?

 

[puella]

ehh? they give you spironolactone?
and it's not even an endocrinologist???

the US sure is a weird place,.. I didn't think you could get anything related to hormones even from a non-endocrinologist.
Can you ask them to get you on CPA or GNRH agonists / antagonists?
They're known to work much more reliably than spino.
What are your Estradiol blood levels if I may ask?

I had an endocrinologist in the past, but not since moving states. My E levels in July were 166.4 pg/mL, but I haven't been able to get a blood draw since then.

 

[Kasumi]

I had an endocrinologist in the past, but not since moving states. My E levels in July were 166.4 pg/mL, but I haven't been able to get a blood draw since then.

166 pg/mL seems plenty as far as I know in combination with Progestogens such as CPA, and GNRHa's.

Spironolactone is only a weak androgen receptor antagonist and barely suppresses androgen production. [1]
Most of the inhibition of androgen synthesis comes from Estradiol in that case.
Honestly idek why use Spiro in the first place but I'm also no endocrinologist.

Specifically with your fainting problems (Spironolactone lowers blood pressure afaik) I'd try to get a doctor to prescribe you an GNRHa or CPA, both inhibit androgen synthesis so results can be measured with your T blood levels as opposed to the use of Spironolactone. [2]

There is also something called Bicalutamide, which I know nothing about other that it is a strong androgen receptor antagonist, but it being an androgen receptor antagonist means it would be difficult to measure it's efficiency.

Alternatively if CPA or GNRHa's are unavailable for you you might wanna consider Estradiol monotherapy.
Estradiol partially suppresses gonadal androgen production at normal ranges between 100 - 200 pg/mL but it can achieve full (95%) suppression of androgen synthesis at dosaged above 200 pg/mL, so you might wanna aim at something between 220 - 250 pg/mL to suppress T into the normal female range <50 ng/dL.