Inclined Bed Therapy

[happy_canuck]

Hi folks,

I may be a little closer to solving my rapid rise in blood pressure 4 weeks after I started IBT. This is my theory only (haven't checked it with a dr yet).

First, everything appears stable now. My BP is lower than 125/85 every morning and elevates slightly through the day (~135/85). I am still sleeping on a flat bed, although I did nap on the inclined bed today for 3 hours.

I think my rise in BP may have been caused by a slow-release progesterone IUD I had put in after I crashed with extremely low iron last October. When I looked this thing up on the Internet (it's called Mirena), there is lots of information to suggest it can cause BP to rise. I contacted my gynecologist today, but didn't hear back, so I hope he will weigh in and remove this thing next week, if it's the culprit. It was meant to stay put for 5 years (or I hit menopause, whichever comes first!).

The good news is, if true, this means I can go back to my inclined bed. I'll keep you posted.

Sandra

[Algis]

Hi Andrew;

Personally still without obvious improvement.

But: this morning my wife told me that she feel less fatigue since sleeping that way; and that she wake up fresher.

So if it does nothing to me at least it please my wife

Thanks!

[AndrewKFletcher]

Hi Andrew;

Personally still without obvious improvement.

But: this morning my wife told me that she feel less fatigue since sleeping that way; and that she wake up fresher.

So if it does nothing to me at least it please my wife

Thanks!

. There is no doubt whatsoever that you will benefit from Inclined Therapy. This theory about how the body functions in relation to posture and the effects of gravity, and by no means specific to multiple sclerosis or ccsvi.

I.T. affects every drop of fluid in the body. Some people have a very rapid improvement, while others with more pronounced long term ms problems have to be patient, often up to 4 months before changes become apparent.

There is something else you could be doing to speed things along more and that is using a wedge cushion under the normal gel cushion of a wheelchair seat or any seat you use frequently. The idea is to raise your bottom higher or at least level with your knees. Bucket type sitting posture or wheelchair posture is bad according to this theory. In fact that slouching posture we all love to get into is ideal. Odd how we tend to find our comfort zone without taking into account the effects of gravity.

In fact many elderly people refuse to lay flat in bed or sit in poor posture chairs. They tend to raise their chairs on risers and sleep this way, avoiding a flat bed completely. Those that spend a long time laying flat do not live long, yet those that do not apparently live much longer and healthier. Coincidence maybe?

[Algis]

Well noted Andrew.

In fact the biggest problem is to get me at this height. There is only my wife and I to get in/out wheelchair/bed.

Our house cant handle cranes or portals.

My wife is incredibly strong and courageous; but she just cant.

The 18cm under the bed already made a big change and a new difficulty. I still have only 1 hand/arm that's power is fading. I cannot stand. So the transfer is each time a trapezist synchro act between her and I.

I will try but then again I will not be able to go under the table; etc... Each change is a general adaptation.

I'll try thanks

[Asia]

Hey there!

I am intrigued by IBT and the effects of it described here. I think I'm going to give it a try especially that it costs no money at all. I'm just wondering how to do it with my bed - I use a hospital bed with metal legs. Do I have to incline it all the way to 15cm, or should it be done step by step?

[Algis]

@Asia: I do not pretend to know; but I red it all so this is a short version: rise it half way (~10cm) for about a month then if all is ok; raise it all way up to >=15cm as you feel fits.

An hospital bed - could you use tubes (2) in which you stuff up to ~10cm 'things' (stones, gravel, papers, plastic, name it...). A plumber would sell you at a bargain 2 pipes with a flat closed end I guess ?

Just a wild idea; hope it might help

[Asia]

Thanks - yeah, I suppose tubes would work. I'll speak to my dad about it.

[Dovechick]

You can also use bricks or breeze blocks, not expensive and you can you buy them in different sizes. I have a similar bed and used timber block I made from two pieces of 7.5cm x 2.

[AndrewKFletcher]

If you have ms, could you please help me with a poll question about posture on thisisms forum. Please elaborate in a reply on the thread so that we can identify any emerging patterns.

Thanks Andrew

There is also a paper posted below the poll relating to postural paralysis from 1938 with brief case descriptions.

I think you will find this interesting also. http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-9774.html

[Asia]

What poll is that? I must have missed that.

ETA: Right... I feel silly now Thanks for the link.

[hwebb]

I may have mentioned in one of the threads that I was originally diagnosed with repetitive-strain-disorder, which was revised to a diagnosis of MS when I had the MRI done.

Anyway...back when the doctors thought I had a repetitive strain disorder, I was advised to seek massage therapy to help loosen some of my rock-like shoulder/neck muscles.

I obtained some relief from this, back in June 2009. The myotherapist told me that she saw heaps of patients with my symptoms/injuries during winter...cause everyone is clenching up their shoulders when shivering in the cold. Thinking this is quite relevant given how much we now know about the involvement of veins in MS.

BTW Andrew - I've been doing IBT for nearly 8 weeks now. I had a two minor MS relapses during this time (7 day relapse...ad 3 day relapse...it's my first year of MS). However, I feel I've been going well overall. I think generally my symptoms have been less since I started IBT. My arms don't go dead at night anymore. Occasionally just my left hand will go dead still. When I wake up, my neck is always in a weird bent position. I straighten up, wave my hand around to get the blood flowing again...and all is good. I have a lot less numbess during the daytime too.

I'll let you know how I'm going in another two months time.

hwebb

[AndrewKFletcher]

Has anyone noticed varicose veins and oedema changing yet?


Thanks for the update Hweb

Regarding the relapses, what were your symptoms during the relapses and were these while using the inclined bed?

[katie45]

Andrew, for the first time in 6 yrs. my feet are not only 'normal' size but neither is purplish in color. This is HUGE! The numbness/pins,needles and 'fuzzy' feeling is all diminished along with the swollen, tight feeling. Also I was showing my dghter how I can now lift right knee to place my foot onto the footrest of the w/chair without having to lift it with my hands.... (she cried )





edited this to clarify I began IT jan 5 2010....11 days!

[ErikaSlovakia]

You might be interested in my changes:
as my backache was getting worse I went to 10 cm last night. My backache is much better.
I did not have any backache before IBT.
I think my biggest problem is Carbamazepin - it makes me so dizzy. You may be remember I was able to go to 900 mg a day instead of 1200 mg. It was OK for 10 days. As I wake up at 4 am because of my stupid terrible pain in my neck, shoulder and whole right arm, I take 300 mg. Of course I am not able to get up until almost 10 am, I feel drunk and dizzy, so I will go to 1200 mg again. I will ask my neurologist next Friday to prescribe me 150 mg pills and will try it with less mg.
I hate the side effect of Carbamazepin but I can not live with the pain!
I would feel much better withou that. It is big complication for me. It means I still really feel much better in the evening.
But I am patient, I am sure I will figure out something. I do not want to go flat. I am sure my "good morning headache " will come again.
Of course I have headache during the day. Each eye sees diferrently, moreover the left focuses slowlier.
Erika

[AndrewKFletcher]

Erika

Thanks for your update

Could your backache be cause by night clothes rolling up as a result of sleeping inclined? this was a problem for my wife.

Also, some mattresses are pretty useless on an incline as the springs apply pressure in places,

For this reason we chose a memory foam mattress. But memmory foam toppers can be obtained cheaply and providing you place some antislip fabric between the topper and the mattress it should remain in place.

Also, drug potency is increased on I.T. Or the uptake of the drug is improved. This is the opposite to what astronauts experience where gravity is greatly reduced. Their drug uptake decreases. Flat bedrest provides the same deterioration that space travel does, including bone loss, muscular atrophy, heart atrophy, visual disturbances, nausia, and neurological impairment. There is a great deal of literature about the harmful effects of microgravity and indeed prolonged bedrest.

So you may be right about the level of medication causing some of your problems.

Andrew