The Tilt Table Test You may be asking "What is the tilt table test?". Most people likely have never heard of it. Most doctors (except for cardiologists and specific researchers) may vaguely remember seeing one or hearing about it in medical school. Maybe a few other medical professions may have seen or heard about it somewhere in their schooling. Some people may have read about it on the internet or in a study related to CFS. Some people with cardiovascular problems (such as fainting or extreme weakness or dizziness)may have taken the test at a local research hospital or state-of-the-art hospital. There are a few who have taken the test as part of a research study likely not knowing what they were getting into. Here I will share an experience falling in the last category. This is a personal story with some humor. Needless to say at the beginning of the study I had no idea of what I was really getting myself into. I was healthy (except for getting over a cold & what I considered minor and well controlled medical conditions which were not the focus of the study). I was in the "control group". This was the healthy group the sick group was being compared with. Anyway by the end of the week I was beginning to wonder what is "normal". Towards the end of the week we had the tilt table test. I had no idea what a tilt table was but I wasn't too happy about the idea of having to fast. (No breakfast & I have to have my breakfast like many of you have to have your morning coffee.) I didn't know what to expect but didn't expect anything to happen. After they explained the test and what they were looking for (in the sick twins), they connected the EKG leads, BP cuff and IV (for the isoproterenol for later in the test). They first took a "resting EKG and BP readings". No problem. Then they elevated the table (actually sort of like a gurney or strecher) to a 70 degree angle for 45 minutes. Supposedly it's suppost to be "quiet" but I was in the control group & it was getting near lunch time. What happens. The conversation shifts to food. I did learn one thing. Which is better? Butter or margarine? The experts in the JMA say butter. As far as the readings of the tilt table test, no problems. Next they lowered the table, took another resting BP reading started the isoproterenol "to raise the heart rate 10%" and again raised the table to 70%. At first I did have some concern about the old ticker. I've always had a heart murmer since birth which had never concerned me but did concern the pediatric cardiologists throughout my childhood. However this now concerned me because I could literally feel my heart pounding against my ribs and everything else in my chest. No pain, just a lot of pounding. After 5-10 minutes of the pounding I concluded my heart was in excellent shape and was in no danger of a heart attack. If it didn't keel over then it would survive anything I may ever do. It never took a pounding like that before nor since (up to the day I wrote this). No other problems during this phase. By the way the cardiologist had already left. There wasn't any need to stay. Everything was fine. Just routine test for the research study. After 15 minutes, they lowered the table, took some more readings, upped the isoproterenol to raise the heart rate another 10%. No problems. I figured the old ticker was in good shape. They raised the table again and only 10 more minutes to go. The first few minutes went ok but then I started getting what I considered hypoglycemia symptoms (nausea, clammy, feeling a little weak). (I occasionally get hypoglycemic type symptoms when I go along time without eating and I burn up all my "food reserves" in my blood stream. When I eat it goes away. Problem easily resolved and easily preventable so I don't consider it a problem, just a body quark my body has. I eat, no problem.) The technician asked sporadically throughout each phase of the test how I was doing which I had previously reported fine. Anyway this time I told her the symptoms. She then stayed with me and offered an emison basin. (I would have rathered taken some juice to up the blood sugar level.) The symptoms increased (no vomiting) but next my vision began to fade and began to get dark and sounds had a popping tone. I heard the technician reading the BP reporting my blood pressure was down to 60/30. They put the table back down. (I thought it was at the end of the test but much later found out they stopped the test early (at 8 minutes instead of 10). They had turned the medicine off and gradually the popping sounds left, I could hear clearer, my vision was returning. The technician who was staying by my side asked me how I was doing and if I wanted anything. I was thinking "food" but knew they didn't have cereal & milk so I asked for juice. I drank 2-3 juices which didn't bring the results I was anticipating. I still felt weak and some other weird symptoms which I don't recall now, but figured after seeing the juice didn't work, I decided the sooner I get out of there the sooner I'ld get to the cafiteria for food. So I told them "I'm ok". I thought the symptoms were from low blood sugar. They had told me I didn't have NMH since my heart rate didn't raise. After eating lunch the symptoms didn't go away. I still felt weak and shaky. I didn't know what they did or what caused the reaction. Needless upon returning home I asked friends and coworkers knowledgeable of the medical profession about the test. I got responses from "sounds like they stressed out your body" to "I've seen the tilt table test in my residency but don't know much about it" to "I don't know". I checked on the internet and found out about synope and figured this must have been what I had since I do have a heart murmer from a leaky heart valve. I even thought "maybe the orthostatic hypotension I get occasionally had something to do with it". I even asked a cardiologist about the reaction to the test. It wasn't until a few years later I learned how the test was "interpreted" due to the way the "data was collected" the cardiologist "made a clinical call" and reported it "as a positive test". I asked about the other "positive tests (4 people in the healthy group & 4 in the sick). I was told their reactions were the same as mine. Anyway after leaning more about NMH and what to do with it, I figured this may have accounted for some unexplained dizziness and learned what to do about it. It works. No more concerns. I guess it's just one of those "subclinical conditions" that doesn't cause enough symptoms to be a problem but just a few to wonder what causes the occasional symptoms and now I know what to do about it to eliminate the dizziness that may be associated with it.