I started feeling like I was going to faint and ended up having a panic attack for ten minutes. The point, though, was to keep me from moving unnecessarily, which throws off the measurements they're recording. He had removed my glasses, so that was tricky for me. The nurse dimmed the light for this part and, once I was at 70°, he told me to focus on a spot on the wall across from me. You should instantly regain consciousness because your blood pressure stabilizes when you're in the prone position If you faint, they immediately lower the table. This is almost upright (90°), so there's a small platform for your feet to rest on. Part One: They try to evoke a fainting response by tilting the head-end of the table up to 70°. There aren't any dumb ones - you've never had the test before. Take this time to look around the room to try to feel more comfortable. Expect them to pull your hospital gown down for this part. The biggest discomfort is the cold stickers from the EKG. It feels a bit like Frankenstein's lab, tbh. They attach you to a heart monitor and EKG, apply safety straps (3-4 straps that go across your body so that you don't fall when you faint) and a helmet (in case your head falls forward and then flips back upright), and describe the test in detail. They take you to the testing room and get you set up. You shouldn't feel it at all once it's placed.ģ.

If it's uncomfortable after a couple of minutes, ask them to move it.

It's just a simple stick, but I'm very accustomed to IVs. They have you change into a hospital gown and hook you up to an IV of plain old saline for two reasons: it helps keep you hydrated, and it's through this IV that they will administer Isuprel, if needed. Paperwork, including a medical history.Ģ. Here's a general idea of what to expect, with my experience (December 2017 at Johns Hopkins) and some more personal reflections in italics:ġ. If necessary, they administer it through your IV to trigger the fainting response. The medication they use is called isoproterenol (Isuprel). If you don't faint on your own, they're going to make you faint so that they can learn how your body recovers from it. I don't know a more pleasant way to say it, but you're going to faint. Sorry for the following super long reply about the tilt table test, but I commented this elsewhere a while back and thought it might be useful. Do you have Raynaud's? I wear fuzzy thermal socks to keep my toes from turning blue (while the rest of me overheats).

Tilt to live in cold blood