Health - The Heart -- Orthostatic Intollerance

[zornthro]

SWIM has orthostatic intolerance or some related disorder of the heart. Orthostatic intolerance is basically where the heart doesn't respond properly to external stimuli and thus doesn't pump blood to the head properly. Drinking a lot of water (and sodium) often tends to help this disorder by increasing blood volume and the ability for the heart to pump properly. SWIM has good success with drinking water but drinking lots of water also causes mild chest pain for some reason, probably because of the dramatically increased activity level of SWIM.

SWIM has been unaware of this for a very long time now and thought his primary problem was basic anxiety (orthostatic intollerance causes anxiety). SWIM hears that orthostatic intolerance usually goes undiagnosed like this. SWIM is slightly disgruntled because SWIM has always been very healthy. SWIM believes there is probably another underlying cause and SWIM is seeking treatment from a specialist now that SWIM has been diagnosed.

I am wondering what kava's effect on such a disorder would be. I know SWIM could just ask the doctors but it will be a while before SWIM can get treatment. I hear that people with orthostatic intolerance have drastically different symptoms and some treatments work for some that don't work for other. Kava has potentially several different effects on the heart. Kava is a calcium channel blocker, which in and of itself I think would be bad for a disorder such as OI. Kava is also a blood platelet aggregator. Kava also increases levels of neuronephrin and [IIRC] epinephrine both of which are potentially good for OI. Kava also increases red blood cell count which I think would be good for OI.

Perhaps the most important piece of information would be kava's effect on blood volume. I cannot remember but I have read that kava has effects on the bladder pertaining to bladder frequency. If kava is able to increase water retention or blood volume it would definitely be beneficial for OI. I also think I read somewhere that kava is a vasodialator which is a bad thing I would think. The benefits or drawbacks of kava in conjunction with OI would depend on the extent of each of these effects.

SWIM has found great comfort in kava. It has helped him for the 5 or 6 months sense he has discovered it. Not just for treating SWIM's medical problems but as a way to relax when other activities that SWIM once enjoyed were too stressing on SWIM. SWIM was really quite unaware at how big of a problem this was, not realizing it was something more than anxiety (which is mostly a non-issue anymore as SWIM has adapted to his symptoms). SWIM personally has mixed feelings about kava and OI. For one SWIM finds that kava pretty much always improves his condition. SWIM finds his heart is more stable and responsive after drinking kava, like when standing up SWIM doesn't feel funny like he does when not on kava and SWIM can stay standing / walk around for extended periods of time on kava which he cant do while not on kava. SWIM also notices definite cognitive decline while on kava which could be atributed to an affect on OI or just to the fact that SWIM is drinking kava.


Perhaps one thing that could be easily answered by anyone on this forum is if they or someone they know thinks that the amount of kava SWIM drinks should produce any noticeable acute cognitive decline. SWIM gets kava from a company in hawaii that imports their kava from fiji and vanuatu, fresh. SWIM's kava is a high quality kava. SWIM also has whole kava root which is nothing but beneficial when SWIM uses it (it is a lower dose). In evenings when SWIM uses kava SWIM usually prepares kava with a full glass of water and a heaping teaspone of kava powder (unfiltered). Sometimes SWIM drinks two glasses in succession, rarely more than that unless spaced further apart. SWIM doesn't notice a very large cognitive decline after one glass, at least SWIM can think farily well, but after two SWIM definitely has moderate cognitive decline. The cognitive decline is usually more of an external nature, like SWIM experiences the world differently, but after two glasses SWIM definitely notices that he is significantly less able to think. So what kind of cognitive decline is expected to be normal after two glasses of kava?


Cliffs:
Sorry for the long post the tl;dr guys can note that SWIM has a heart condition and can read/answer the last paragraph to help SWIM. Also I asked what kind of effect kava had on blood volume (does it increase or decrease blood volume?).