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Anyone else have difficulty standing for long periods? Why is this?


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I am a healthy, active person. I try and jog 45 minutes 3x a week. I work out with light weights. I can walk for miles with no aches. However, if I stand in one place for a few minutes, I ache. I can even get light-headed if I stand long enough. (I do have low blood pressure, so I guess this is why I get light headed easily.) I have always been like this.

 

When I stand and talk to people, I try and shift my weight from one foot to the other. This helps but does not alleviate the problem. My legs and back ache terribly. Once I start walking, I'm completely fine.

 

Anyone else have this issue? What causes this?

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I have this problem; so did my great-grandmother, apparently. I have no idea what causes it, but church was the worst. I can be on my feet and MOVING all day long, but standing still is horrendous. My mom used to think that I was locking my knees, but even if I consciously make sure they were slightly bent, I would get that heavy feeling in my chest and need to sit down. I don't have chronically low bp, either (I consistently run 120/80), so that isn't my problem. I have no idea what it is.

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Me to. I know Im not locking my knees or keeping them too straight because my knees are hyperextended and go backward if I lock them Pretty obvious! :lol: Kind of like a stork!

 

But yep, I get very tired and want to collapse if I stand too long. Maybe it just comes from being used to going going going going going..... :001_huh:

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I was diagnosed a number of years ago with something that is called neurally-mediated hypotension or sometimes neurocardiogenic syncope. They seem to mean more or less the same thing.

 

I had trouble similar to what others are describing for most of my adolescence and yound adulthood. In fact, I remember going to the doctor when I was a young teen complaining that I often felt faint when I stood up quickly. The doctor's sage medical advice was, "Don't stand up so quickly."

 

Finally, when I was pregnant with my daughter, things got really bad. I ended up going out on maternity leave early because my OB didn't want me taking public transportation. Once my daughter was born, we started seriously looking for an explanation.

 

I was diagnosed following a "tilt table test" and went on medication. Eventually, though, I was ready to try for another baby and had to stop taking the drugs.

 

What I've discovered in the meantime is that I do about as well just managing the problem by being aware of it. So, for example, if I get woozy or lightheaded after standing still a while, I go for a brisk walk. I worked at DisneyWorld for several years and found I would have trouble when I was assigned to outdoor locations. (Humid heat makes it worse for me.) But I could handle it for a few hours by making sure I kept moving, even if was just walking around and around my cart.

 

Here's some basic info about the condition:

 

What is neurally mediated syncope?

Neurally mediated syncope (NMS) is called also neurocardiogenic, vasovagal, vasodepressor or reflex mediated syncope. It's a benign (and the most frequent) cause of fainting. However, life-threatening conditions may also manifest as syncope. NMS is more common in children and young adults, although it can occur at any age. NMS happens because blood pressure drops, reducing circulation to the brain and causing loss of consciousness. Typical NMS occurs while standing and is often preceded by a sensation of warmth, nausea, lightheadedness and visual "grayout." If the syncope is prolonged, it can trigger a seizure. Placing the person in a reclining position will restore blood flow and consciousness and end the seizure.

 

I got this from here: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4749

 

Hope it helps someone.

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What is neurally mediated syncope?

Neurally mediated syncope (NMS) is called also neurocardiogenic, vasovagal, vasodepressor or reflex mediated syncope. It's a benign (and the most frequent) cause of fainting. However, life-threatening conditions may also manifest as syncope. NMS is more common in children and young adults, although it can occur at any age. NMS happens because blood pressure drops, reducing circulation to the brain and causing loss of consciousness. Typical NMS occurs while standing and is often preceded by a sensation of warmth, nausea, lightheadedness and visual "grayout." If the syncope is prolonged, it can trigger a seizure. Placing the person in a reclining position will restore blood flow and consciousness and end the seizure.

 

I got this from here: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4749

 

Hope it helps someone.

 

When I was a teen and young adult, this would happen to me. If I stood quickly, my vision would "blackout" and I'd feel really warm and tingly. The vision would fade back in within a few seconds but it felt really strange. That hasn't happened to me in a very long time though.

 

Now I just feel tired when I stand stationary.

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YES! I can walk all day long with hardly a break and then get up the next day and do the same but I really have trouble standing for several reasons:

 

1. If I stand still for long periods my legs get severely tired and sore to the point that I fantasize about sitting down as much as I would fantasize about food if I hadn't eaten all day. And then I have to massage my legs for several hours to get rid of the pain. It's not really my knees but my whole legs. I once had a part-time sales job and could not do it because of that. I was fantasizing about chairs after the first couple of hours.

 

2. I don't seem to think as clearly standing up and I sometimes have trouble making decisions because of it. I can't listen to tour guides if everyone is standing around the tour guide and there is nowhere to sit.

 

3. After giving birth to my child who was not c-section (I had a bad tear but this was 7 years ago and there is no other pain) whenever I get my period I have a really rough time standing for even short periods ie. cooking, standing in a grocery line.

 

I don't really talk to others about this because I think people will think I'm crazy or complaining. Are there names for these things?

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I have always had this problem and find standing in queues difficult if I cant sit, move around or lean against a wall. I remember as a kid finding it very difficult to wait in lines at school, and I didn't understand why, since everyone else seemed fine.

I have extremely low blood pressure, which is hereditary, so I presume that is why.

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I have this problem; so did my great-grandmother, apparently. I have no idea what causes it, but church was the worst. I can be on my feet and MOVING all day long, but standing still is horrendous. ...... I have no idea what it is.

 

Me too! I can't beleive this thread! I thought I was the only one! I've been like this my whole life. I know that it started when I was very young, maybe 10? or less? I have NEVER been comfortable standing still. My legs ache enough to make me figety. I always have to shift from side to side if I'm standing still and I can't wait for permission to move again or sit down! This has been true for me my entire life without exception. I've never asked a Dr. about it. I've never had any other symptoms such as "heavy feeling in my chest." I too, am very active and can walk for miles and work the farm all day long. Weird!

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