Carrie- I don't get the chest pain EVERY time I get the palpatations or have the breathing/heart rate issues, but I do maybe 60% of the time. Sometimes it's only like an asthma tightness, other times it's like a "boa restrictor wrapped around my chest squeezing my ribs to breaking point" tightness, with a painful burning feel right in the middle of my chest, as well.

Thankfully, I don't have any tachycardia or arrythmia issues, I was relieved to find that out. I'm sorry that you do have that, though. I'm glad your cardiologist is monitoring well for you.

LOL about the amnesia. I get that too! Or when I'm in the middle of a big flareup my brain stops working properly, so my words come out wrong. Instead of asking for a drink I'll say "can you get me one of those... you... know... t-shirt things... no... err... you know.... you got me one before... in the bathroom... it's... no, in the kitchen... what you put in... grrr!! Drink! That's it! A drink!" My family think I'm a tad loopy!

Sandra- On the migraine thing- I also get migraines. I've had them since pre-RSD days (my RSD started in 2000) but I'd only get them once every 3-6 months back then, now I get at least two nasty ones a week, and it's been at that level for at least the last four years. Mostly I can take the edge off them with medications, but not every time. I talked to my RSD specialist about my migraines last year and he said that they're a good friend of RSD. I guess that's where the vascular issue comes in.

The medication I'm going on (the beta blocker) to steady my heart rate is called Metoprolol Tartrate. They're 50mg tablets and I've gotta start on a 1/4 of a tablet. She doesn't want me on too much too soon as it may lower my blood pressure, and I near faint when I get up quickly already, we don't need anything else lowering it!

I'll be starting it tonight and am off to research it more now- I never put any medications into me without first reading up everything I can find. Matt (my husband) likes to have a printout of all the side effects etc so that he can monitor me in the first 24 hours and make sure I don't keel over, lol

x Kate