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    Hi, I'm new, my name is Christine and I'm 21, with 20 degree scoliosis, a "retarded" hip (thanks to my last job), a genetic anomaly where I was born with six vertebrae in my neck instead of seven and some rather..concerning problems just recently starting.

    I know scoliosis causes problems breathing with the constriction and pressure on the ribcage, but lately I've been experiencing some kind of...palpitations of some sort with my heart. It comes and goes randomly, and can happen several times a day to once a week. I'll be sitting, laying down on my left side or standing doing something when all of a sudden I'll feel my heart beat slow WAY down for a few beats before speeding up like I had just gotten done with a marathon run, and I'll suddenly be out of breath, lightheaded, and on some occasions have gotten so dizzy that I thought i was going to pass out.

    I should also mention I have anemia, my count is at...six or seven? I believe. I eat foods that are high in iron and carbs, cause I know if I don't eat I'll crash, but..my real question is, Is this normal for scoliosis? Does it cause such odd symptoms?

  • #2
    Originally posted by Creepy View Post
    Hi, I'm new, my name is Christine and I'm 21, with 20 degree scoliosis, a "retarded" hip (thanks to my last job), a genetic anomaly where I was born with six vertebrae in my neck instead of seven and some rather..concerning problems just recently starting.

    I know scoliosis causes problems breathing with the constriction and pressure on the ribcage, but lately I've been experiencing some kind of...palpitations of some sort with my heart. It comes and goes randomly, and can happen several times a day to once a week. I'll be sitting, laying down on my left side or standing doing something when all of a sudden I'll feel my heart beat slow WAY down for a few beats before speeding up like I had just gotten done with a marathon run, and I'll suddenly be out of breath, lightheaded, and on some occasions have gotten so dizzy that I thought i was going to pass out.

    I should also mention I have anemia, my count is at...six or seven? I believe. I eat foods that are high in iron and carbs, cause I know if I don't eat I'll crash, but..my real question is, Is this normal for scoliosis? Does it cause such odd symptoms?
    No, it's not normal for 20° curves to cause organ impingement (far from it) OR heart palpitations.

    If I were you, I'd be examining the symptoms related to a hemoglobin count of 6-7 (and why it's that low) when 12-16 is normal.

    Are you under the care of a physician? If so, what do they say?

    I don't believe you can expect to raise a hemoglobin count as low as you claim to normal via diet alone, and what do carbs have to do with boosting hemoglobin? Nothing, to my knowledge ...

    And what do you mean "I know if I don't eat I'll crash"? Are you NOT eating normally, or what?

    Regards,
    Pam
    Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
    AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


    41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
    Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
    Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


    VIEW MY X-RAYS
    EMAIL ME

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Creepy,
      You need to see your Doctor right away. You may have a condition where your body is not absorbing iron and your heart may be reacting to your low blood count. It is being stressed by working harder to get oxygen to your brain. I will be thinking about you. Sally
      Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
      Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
      Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
      Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
      New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
      Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

      "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Christine, I have never experienced the racing of my heart but I have experienced vertigo which has cost me my licence. My daughter who is 24 has just been diagnosed with Williams Parkinson White sydrome (WPW) which has these symptoms. This is a defect in the heart where the normal heart has only pathway, with wpw you actually have two pathways which causes a racing. Might be something you mention to your doctor, you will need a ecg to diagnose. My daughter does not have scoliosis, but it took us several years to get this diagnoses. Good luck to you!!! Patty

        Comment


        • #5
          I eat normally, but if I miss a meal (or snack) I usually start to get real sleepy or pale, due to the anemia. Iron supplements have made me incredibly sick every time i tried taking them, so i eat foods high in iron (dark greens, red meat, breads and carbs, etc) as well as cook with cast iron pans when I can to get the iron I need. Maybe I should try a magnesium supplement?

          I see a chiropractor, but at the time I have no insurance or job to finance me going to the doctor. I have, though, been through several blood tests throughout the past two years and from what they see, besides the low blood count, I'm perfectly fine. A bit higher in plasma than normal, but fine.

          My chiropractor has said the breathing problems are common with my scoliosis, but I haven't been to him recently with the loss of my job and the start of these palpitations. I don't even think that's what they are, but talking with my father (Who has various heart problems, including a palpitation) he's recently gotten an EKG and ultrasound done about it and his doctor said it was normal, and put him on some depecote or something similar.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Creepy View Post
            My chiropractor has said the breathing problems are common with my scoliosis...
            A) Chiropractors don't know shyte about scoliosis.

            B) Chiropractors don't know shyte about scoliosis.

            I wish you could afford a way to see a doctor, but please don't waste money you don't have seeing a quack. He is absolutely, positively WRONG in what he told you.

            Just reaching here ... lemme guess ... he said he could cure your curve - and symptoms - with enough sessions ... and money out of your pocket?

            If he *measured* your 20° curve, you could potentially have a 40° curve - or no curve at ALL. That's how stupid these guys are about scoli.

            Pam
            Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
            AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


            41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
            Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
            Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


            VIEW MY X-RAYS
            EMAIL ME

            Comment


            • #7
              Uh, No, he did not say he could "Cure" my curve. Second, there ARE chiropractors out there who do know what they're talking about, and mine actually showed me all seven x-rays he took of my back - and guess what was there? Six vertebrae in my neck, a curve in my spine, a hip that was completely messed up and a left leg that is short about a half inch. He doesn't tell me I have to come at all, only when I want relief for the massive migraines that my neck causes or the lower faceting problem I have in my lumbar, mostly brought on by lifting more than five pounds or standing for too long without rest.

              I wish I could afford a regular doctor, too. Hopefully Obama comes through with his universal heath care plan.

              Comment


              • #8
                I understand your dilemma with the cost of health care. Really. What I don't want to see is yet ANOTHER person taken in by a chiro claiming to know squat about scoliosis.

                Originally posted by Creepy View Post
                ... there ARE chiropractors out there who do know what they're talking about, and mine actually showed me all seven x-rays he took of my back - and guess what was there? Six vertebrae in my neck, a curve in my spine, a hip that was completely messed up and a left leg that is short about a half inch.
                Oh, wow. I ~always~ gain respect for a person's knowledge when they're able to express themselves in such an articulate fashion. You have kids, parents, grandparents, etc. on this list, and dropping F bombs isn't the way to effectively communicate here. Let's use our big girl words, shall we?

                You're entitled to your opinion just like everyone else, but you are in a MINISCULE minority with your misguided assertion chiros know scoliosis. FixScoliosis (a user on this list) is probably the ONLY chiro who's ever earned my respect on the topic, and he did so by providing VALID scoliosis information, articles and discussion for patients (without wild claims) on his website. He is more a fellow traveler in a quest for knowledge.

                What does the fact your chiro "actually showed me all seven xrays" have to do with anything? Obviously you're unaware that real scoliosis specialists take TWO films. Do you know *why* chiros take that many xrays? So they can BILL for them. They're medically unnecessary, and generally of such poor quality and interpretation they're worth less than the film they're processed on.

                For your own good, I'd suggest you receive confirmation on a missing cervical vertebra from a scoliosis specialist before you buy a chiropractor's diagnosis. It IS possible to have a missing vert (Amae, I believe, has an absent lumbar one), but be skeptical if you don't know what you're looking at. Again, factor in the QUALITY of the x-ray: I've seen films taken by chiros that could have been interpreted as a spine or an image of the Virgin Mary. SRS docs use a radiology department for a reason.

                IF you have a leg length discrepancy (LLD) your "curve" could very well be nothing more than a compensatory result. Has he suggested - or have you tried - a shoe lift? Something simple and cheap to try. Be aware that chiros are just as notorious for telling scoli patients they have LLD's (when they don't) as they are for tossing around bogus terms like "subluxation".[/quote]

                Originally posted by Creepy View Post
                He doesn't tell me I have to come at all, only when I want relief for the massive migraines that my neck causes or the lower faceting problem I have in my lumbar ...
                You'll have to explain your term "lower faceting problem". That's a new one on me.

                If you're trying to say your chiro claims you have problems with the facet JOINTS in your lumbar area, know that a chiro can't possibly make that diagnosis. 100% confirmation of facet joint issues by a MEDICAL doctor (usually an anesthesiologist/pain mgmt doc) isn't even a given. The closest they can come is via a diagnostic facet joint block (usually a combo injection of a steroid/anesthetic). No WAY, no HOW can a chiro make that call based on an x-ray.
                Fusion is NOT the end of the world.
                AIDS Walk Houston 2008 5K @ 33 days post op!


                41, dx'd JIS & Boston braced @ 10
                Pre-op ±53°, Post-op < 20°
                Fused 2/5/08, T4-L1 ... Darrell S. Hanson, Houston


                VIEW MY X-RAYS
                EMAIL ME

                Comment


                • #9
                  Yes, he did suggest that and I have a shoe lift, and it does help. My leg is short, too - I measured it out myself, and my hip points don't sit even when my legs are off..it's about a half inch to three-quarters of an inch off. The reason he took so many was because of my hip problems and my neck. several were for different angles, at different positions of my neck. he only took two for my back. What is going on with my neck, is my C-5 and C-6 never separated in the womb, so I was born with this large, fused vertebrae that causes hypo-extension and painful migraines that last for almost two weeks, or longer if I keep my head down, lay down wrong on either side or tipped back for too long. It's a genetic anomaly, rare for the neck but somewhat common in the lumbar and thorax, according to my searching webMD and talking with nurses and doctors that would come into the drugstore I used to work for. I took medical science in highschool and although i'm not an expert, far from it, I at least knew which bones I was looking at it it just wasn't RIGHT.

                  And it isn't just HIS diagnosis, I went to my regular doctor (when I had insurance, back when I was twelve) and he said I had a slight curve and that was that. In no way did he offer any help for it, suggest I should go to a scoli specialist, a neurologist or pain specialist, nor did he help me when I said I had pain in my neck, nor did he explain why i was getting these migraines. That's when I was also referred to a hemoglobin specialist and was told about the anemia. I haven't gotten a straight answer from my doctor recently about what my last tests showed other than I was still anemic, because every time I ask for a blood count they just say is was high in plasma. (can I also mention it took them two days on the phone with them to tell me I was anemic, even though I wrote it down on my paperwork? They "didn't know how to tell me", like I had no idea and it was something tragic like cancer. Thank god it wasn't, but..you get the idea.)

                  I'm sorry about the f-bomb. I understand your opinion of chiropractors and that's fine, so be it. I didn't intend for this to be an all out war over why chiropractors are quacks and yadda yadda. I just wanted an answer, and I got one, kinda. I really wish I could take the advice and go to a doctor, but things being as they are..I'll just have to sit tight and pray it's not as bad as it feels.
                  Last edited by Creepy; 03-26-2009, 09:35 AM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Don't hold your breath for the Obama universal health care plan. That is going to take some time.

                    Some palpitations are normal and some are not. Yours could be anxiety induced or something more serious. Why not call your Doctor and explain your lack of insurance and limited finances and see what he says. There is often financial help for people who can't afford medical care. Also, if he is not willing to explain your anemia or get to the bottom of it, find a Hematologist who will. Having too much plasma is not an explanation of anemia. Here again, some anemia's are serious and some are not. If your Hct is a six or a seven, that to me is quite serious and would definitely put extra strain on you heart and cause breathing problems. Forget the Chiro and see a medical Doctor and stop gambling with your health. I doubt that scoliosis is the real problem here.

                    Sally
                    Diagnosed with severe lumbar scoliosis at age 65.
                    Posterior Fusion L2-S1 on 12/4/2007. age 67
                    Anterior Fusion L3-L4,L4-L5,L5-S1 on 12/19/2007
                    Additional bone removed to decompress right side of L3-L4 & L4-L5 on 4/19/2010
                    New England Baptist Hospital, Boston, MA
                    Dr. Frank F. Rands735.photobucket.com/albums/ww360/butterflyfive/

                    "In God We Trust" Happy moments, praise God. Difficult moments, seek God. Quiet moments, worship God. Painful moments, trust God. Every moment, thank God.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      *** Post of the Month nomination ***

                      For this...

                      Originally posted by txmarinemom View Post
                      [...]I've seen films taken by chiros that could have been interpreted as a spine or an image of the Virgin Mary.


                      I further nominate FixScoliosis to be the undisputed king of all chiropractors in the land from now into perpetuity.

                      And I nominate Ti Ed as the royal comedian.

                      Vote early and vote often.
                      Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                      No island of sanity.

                      Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                      Answer: Medicine


                      "We are all African."

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Unless you got full leg length x-rays, the measurements taken via pelvic tilt/femoral head height cannot be accurate. Superficial landmark measurements aren't accurate either. All this has to do with the fact your legs can/might have adjusted and the angle of the hip/knee can make two perfectly matching leg lengths to be different.

                        Highly doubt the problems you are having are related to scoliosis or the block vertebrae. They need to be addressed separately.

                        Plus, if all the things are related, what good does it do confirming it? You still need to treat the anemia separately, still have to make sure the palps are not the risky type. With common symptoms like anemia and palps, it's probably horses, not zebras. Anxiety can cause all sorts of problems and so do anemias... I wouldn't sit on treating anemia if I were you, that's really low and you need to find out WHY.
                        Last edited by green m&m; 03-26-2009, 11:43 PM.
                        30 something y.o.

                        2003 - T45, L???
                        2005 - T50, L31
                        bunch of measurements between...

                        2011 - T60, L32
                        2013 - T68, L?

                        Posterior Fusion Sept 2014 -- T3 - L3
                        Post - op curve ~35


                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by txmarinemom View Post
                          A) Chiropractors don't know shyte about scoliosis.

                          B) Chiropractors don't know shyte about scoliosis.

                          I wish you could afford a way to see a doctor, but please don't waste money you don't have seeing a quack. He is absolutely, positively WRONG in what he told you.

                          Just reaching here ... lemme guess ... he said he could cure your curve - and symptoms - with enough sessions ... and money out of your pocket?

                          ak's first trip to see anyone regarding his back pain about 6 years ago.


                          chiro: ever seen this "S" shape before? *points to "S" in my back

                          me: no

                          chiro: well, some dr's might be concerned about that, but I don't think it's a big deal, I can straighten that out for you.

                          -----

                          that "S" is still there..

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            I don't know how these guys sleep at night.
                            Sharon, mother of identical twin girls with scoliosis

                            No island of sanity.

                            Question: What do you call alternative medicine that works?
                            Answer: Medicine


                            "We are all African."

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Creepy, I don't have anemia as such but I've had low ferritin levels (iron stores) for years. I take daily liquid iron which you might try as it's easily digested and doesn't have the constipation side effects of tablets I've tried.

                              I find it hard to understand the American health system (or lack of) although most doctors here in Aus charge for visits its partially refundable under our national health called Medicare, and many even bulk bill so no out of pocket, and pensioners and unemployed rarely need to pay.

                              I agree with the others though that a 20 degree scoli shouldn't be causing your symptoms and I would hope you can find the means to see a doc for a full work up.
                              Cathy

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