đDropping it like it's POTSđ
Drop it like itâs P.O.T.S.
Hello everyone! Iâve created this post as there seems to be quite a few people who have inquired about POTS and shared their stories. I wanted to create a post where people could be informed, stories can be shared, and questions can be asked. I apologize for the long post but I tried to hit all the main points from beginning to present time of what those with POTS go through. ***Drop it like itâs POTS is one of my favorite sayings as with POTS you literally could drop to the ground at any second unconscious, even if you were fine a few seconds before***
What is POTS?
POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome which is a type of dysautonomia. POTS is specifically a disorder of the autonomic nervous system (and is seen as an autoimmune disorder) meaning it affects everything from heart rate, blood pooling, movement of the digestive system, and body temperature to name a few. The main translation of POTS is the following:
Postural = Relating to, or of
Orthostatic = Upright posture
Tachycardia = Abnormally rapid heart rate
Syndrome = Group of symptoms that occur together
So to put that all together, POTS is to do with the symptoms a patient experiences through the abnormally high heart rate due to sitting upright. This can be from laying to sitting, sitting to standing, running, and walking.
The three different types of POTS are:
Neuropathic - Loss of nerve supply leads to poor blood vessel muscles, mainly in legs and core body
Hyperadrenergic - Overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (Increases heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure + diaphoresis and hyperthermia)
Low blood Volume - Reduced blood volume that causes similar symptoms that may overlap in neuropathic and hyperadrenergic POTS
What are the causes and who is at risk for developing POTS?
Women ages 13-50
After illness, infection, certain autoimmune conditions, pregnancy, and trauma
What are common symptoms of POTS? (*Varies from patient to patient)
High/low blood pressure and heart rate
Chest pain
Dizziness/lightheadedness (Common when standing or walking)
Fainting or near-fainting
Fatigue
Temperature deregulation (hot or cold, or both)
Brain fog (trouble focusing or remembering)
Vision changes
Headaches
Body aches (could be flu like symptoms)
Insomnia
Tremors
Exercise intolerance
How to Diagnose?
It often takes patients 4+ years to get diagnosed due to having to rule everything else out first. The most common test to get a diagnosis is a tilt table test (TTT). A TTT measures ones heart rate and blood pressure as your posture changes position. A blood and urine test can also be done to test for POTS and other conditions that mimic it. Another popular way is a QSART test which measures the autonomic nerves that control sweating. An autonomic breathing test can help measure the blood rate and pressure response during exercise.
What are the treatments?
Unfortunately, there is no cure for POTS yet which means it is all about treating the symptoms. This is done through medications (i.e. beta blockers), compression stockings, salt, electrolytes, cardiac rehab program, diet/nutrition, exercise, and sleep.
My Personal Story
When I started high school I was just coming out of a TBI(due to a snow tubing accident) and really felt I had my life on track. In a matter of weeks I randomly started passing out and my school and I had no clue as to what was causing it. It only continued to get worse and I even started having seizures. What used to be a once a month thing turned into an everyday issue. I went from doctor to doctor. All my tests came back fine. No one had answers for me. It was hard because people didnât believe me, but I was the person feeling the pain. There isnât anything I wouldnât do to stop it. I begged my doctor to run a TTT as my physical therapist who was helping me recover from the TBI mentioned POTS to me. She had had a patient who had similar symptoms as I did. I asked my doctor for two years to run the test but he refused to. Finally after 4 years I had a new doctor who listened to me. She agreed to run the test. I did not enjoy the QSART testing but that was mainly because I cannot detect temperature so when I was just starting to feel warm I was actually overheated. (Summer and I are not friends to say the least). Within 24 hours my test was reviewed and came back positive for POTS. It was a relief having an answer but it was also a realization that my life was going to be changed forever.
Since being diagnosed in 2019 I have struggled every day. Many days I cannot go to classes because I am too weak to lift my head up off my pillow. I work twice as hard as others to keep my grades up while managing POTS and my other health conditions. Iâve changed my diet a thousand times to find the right balance so my body can break down food without making me feel ill. I have to drink at least 2-3 gallons of water a day and consume eight meals a day. These 8 meals = an average personâs 3 meals in a day. With POTS the digestive system has a hard time breaking down food so this breaks the portion up into smaller meals to where it can break it down while still maintaining a certain amount of calories.
There are many other things that I go through but if anyone is interested I encourage you to listen to the song âI Believe In Youâ by JJ Heller as it accurately depicts what I go through and what many POTS patients go through. âDysautonomiaâ by Spoken Word is also another good one to listen to to help understand what these patients go through as it is a physical but also mental journey.
Iâve shared my story because I know there are others out there who have POTS. We are not alone. I have a voice and I chose to use it and bring awareness to this condition. POTS doesnât define my life, it is my life. It has shaped me into the person I am becoming and while some see it as a negative condition I prefer to look at it as âOk world, youâve thrown this at me but I succeeded, what else do you have?â Everyone has a right to feel different about their condition. Some days I am very positive and other days I feel it is the worst thing in the world. POTS is an invisible illness until you see someone going through a symptom, but I hope by reading this is makes people more aware that just because we may not be able to see something it doesnât mean the person isnât going through something.
Iâve created this forum so that questions can be asked and experiences can be shared, so if you or someone you know has POTS feel free to share with the community! Also, if anyone has any questions feel free to ask!
Tagging some people who have made my journey with POTS easier while balancing 7 Cup roles and supported me through it all (I will probably miss a few names, so please donât take offense - there are just so many of you): @ASilentObserver @Asher @FrenchToastClub @SparkyGizmo @DonaldDraper @Mango3 @Ethan @Hope @AffyAvo @MyNameIsNicole @Azalea98 @Bubblegumwings1234 @29amy @Clarrisse29 @hopezzy @CheeryMango @yenturo @AriadneLove @azuladragon34 @cheerfulIceCream @brilliantTurtle89 @Chevy81 @courageousheart96 @GoldenRuleJG @LavenderHere @lueurspace @RainbowdogsofParadise @blissart @blissfulForest7074 @Fristo @HopieRemi @Sunisshiningandsoareyou @emotionalTalker2260
References:
https://www.standinguptopots.org/livingwithpots/what-is-pots
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16560-postural-orthostatic-tachycardia-syndrome-pots
@wonderfulRainbow817
Goodness, Rainbow, this was super touching. ⤠I appreciate this tag more than you'd ever know, *thankyouu*. â¤
You helped me learn something new today, I'm really grateful for it. Thankyou for making this amazing post, you've explained it so well. I'm certain sharing your personal experience wasn't easy, but you did it anyway, to make someone else feel *seen*, less alone and supported, that's such a beautiful thing to do. *hugs*
I admire your courage to keep going and facing these challenges headstrong, you're inspiring in innumerable ways, to say the least.
It's sad there's no absolute cure :/ but I'm really sending all my love and strength to you and everyone out there managing and doing their best despite the struggles. ⤠Hoping for some days of comfort for all.
"Look how far youâve come,
What youâve already done. I want you to know that I believe in,I believe in you."
⤠I believe in *you* â¤
@Sunisshiningandsoareyou
Yes, it isn't always easy to share because it is my vulnerability but that is my goal - that people see it's okay to be seen and that each of us need to be seen by our peers for who we are.
I am so touched. I truly love those lyrics of the whole song but the ones you put are my #1 favorite. When there are others who believe in each of us it validates what we are going through and that's more than I'll ever need - people believing in me. *hugs* â¤ď¸
@wonderfulRainbow817
What a lovely, brave and articulate share, Rainbow. I'll be honest, I'm coming across this for the very first time. This post was so informative and I have also bookmarked it in case I need to revisit. I'll try to read more on it, but this was such a concise piece of work! I appreciate the efforts it took to post you this. I am so proud of you â¤ď¸
Having said that, thank you so much for the tag, and I'm happy I could help you in some way or the other on your journey! :) *sending beams to you*
@wonderfulRainbow817
This is such an informative post, I'm so glad to have access to it!
I learned so much about POTS. I heard about it from a YouTuber I subscribe to named Ikenna. It was also has to hey a diagnosis for him as well.
I'm sure this isn't easy to get through life with POTS and the other health complications you battle with, but you are such a passionate soul.
You love learning, and you work twice as hard to maintain good grades. I am so proud of you because you are so amazing and persevering.
Thank you for sharing, I know so much more than I did before.
Hopefully the community benefits from this as much as I haveâ¤ď¸
@wonderfulRainbow817
Hey Rainbow
Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm experiencing seizures, POTS and other conditions myself and I could really find myself in your words. Even the song from JJ Heller is on my comfort playlist that I listen to on a daily basis.
I wish you all the best. â¤ď¸
Take care
audienta
@wonderfulRainbow817 Thank you so much for the tag. And this is such a well-researched and well said post. It sounds like a very very debilitating condition, but I am so proud of you for opening up and sharing your story. You are very brave and I can't imagine how hard it all is, but still you are here with us. Thank you so much for being so amazingly helpful and supportive. Gentle reminder it's always alright to take a little break whenever needed, we'll be here always!
@LavenderHere
Yes, it can be very debilitating, but I am one of the lucky ones as a lot of people with POTS are not able to work or go to school. I am still able to do that. Also, thank you for the reminder as sometimes when life gets busy or I am busy with my roles on Cups I sometimes feel like I'd be letting my teams down if I take a break, but in reality taking a break is better for me! When I am at the top of my game life is better!
@wonderfulRainbow817
I will add to this that POTS can also be triggered by the connective tissue disorder Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. It also does not affect blood pressure! If you have low blood pressure when you stand, this can be due to orthostatic hypotension and your heart may be compensating for this. POTS is the absence of a huge blood pressure fluctuation with an increase in heart rate upon standing.