POTS Syndrome

[doyle624]

Thanks for the info. My test is scheduled for June 14th and a lot of the symptoms I have point towards POTS. I had 2 separate shoulder surgeries about 8 months apart. Since the last surgery, almost any physical activity makes my heart race and I get extremely hot. At first I assumed that with me being down for so long, not being able to do much after the shoulder sugeries, that I was just out of shape. But I have been an athlete my whole life and still try to play basketball and baseball. But any sort of quick movement makes me so dizzy, short of breath, and extremely hot that something has to be wrong. Now it's happening just doing little housework like laundry or sweeping. I do appreciate your info and would like to talk to you more about this if I am in fact diagnosed with this. I have already been diagnosed with Crohn's but I'm not sure of the severity until I have another test June 11th. I will keep you posted. Thanks

[beeatrice]

Yes please feel fre eto talk to me about it. I am curious whatyour results will be.... POTS can be triggered by a bad virus, surgery or childbirth.. In my case everything points to the birth of my daughter 2 years ago becasue that is when everyhting started..... Like you I was an athlete all my life.. competed college level in swimming..... I was in perfect health and now people cant understand there is anyhting wrong with me becasue looking at me you see a healthy athletic person which is really frustrating becasue I have found out people have a hard time understanding why the mere act of standing or taking a shower is so difficult fo rme..... If I had a broken leg, for example, they could see why walking or standing would be difficult but not seeing what is wrong has made it hard for myloved ones to truly understand so if you have it I would love to talk to you because you would know what pain this disorder is.....

and boy isnt it aweful to get hot for no reason? I tell you, you dont want to know how much my air conditioning bill is

Seriously though dont worry about the test too much... its a little uncomfrotable but like I said the test itself is nothing to worry about. DO you have someone who can take you and then drive you back home.... I would highly advise on that...... Have you ever been told you suffered from anxiety? Besides cron's have they diagnosed you with any type of arrythimia?

[doyle624]

One other question that might sound funny. I used to love being outdoors in the summer, but since all this started I can't be in the sunlight for more than a minute or two. I know I mentioned that I got hot really easily but this is different. It feels like the sun is burning my skin! Wasn't sure if it had anything to do with POTS. I've never been medically diagnosed with anxiety, but I'm 1000% sure that if I were tested for it, I would be diagnosed with it. I'm pretty much ultra-sensitive about everyday things that don't bother other people. And I've been to the hospital once for what they said was an anxiety attack. When I had a few EKG's in the hospital, the doc said I had something called bradyarrythmia which a slower than normal heart rate(59). Never heard of it but ok. I definitely will let you know what happens with the test and I'm hoping I don't have it. Well kinda. I need to know what's going on with me and it's driving me crazy not knowing. Did your doc ever test you for other things? Do you have to take any crazy meds with POTS? I hate taking medicine of any kind...even aspirin. Let me know if you get a chance. Thanks

[beeatrice]

I think I found my twin... you sound JUST like me I use to swim all the time but I dont anymore simply also because I cant stand being out in the sun...my family thinks Im crazy but I feel weak , my heart races and dizzy out in the sun... Yes I also feel like Im burning my skin too Its aweful...isnt? I need to be in shady cool places all the time now.... Its almost like if I were allergic to the sun or heat..

The reason why I asked about anxiety disorder is because 90 percent of patients with POTS are wrongly diagnosed with anxiety and panic attacks since both disorders share the some of the same symptoms.. interesting hugh? Most doc dont know what Pots is since it only has been discovered since 1990's...... most people go on thinking its anxiety when it endeds up being pots!

Bradycardia is slow heart rate.. I have tachycardia...super fast heart rate
I know this may sound insensitive and selfish but I hope you have pots so I can have someone to talk to about it...since it is so new people that have it dont know they do and not much is known about it so for selfish reasons it would be nice to find someone I can relate to but of course I do hope you dont!

Pots usually meds are given- florinef and miodrine (proamatine).. Like youI wont even take regular tylenol..... in fact when I had me kids the docs made me have the epidoral... anyway i have these meds but havent taken yet.. truth is they scare me ..one is a steroid and the other constricts your blood vessels.. verystrong meds that who knows what it will do to your body? Can I ask how old you are? i am curious if pots hits young or old or all in between...

If you do have it and are put in meds maybe well start the meds toegther and compare notes!

[doyle624]

By everything you've told me about the symptoms, I'm pretty sure we'll be talking regularly because I think I have it. I kinda hope I do too because I really hate not knowing what's going on. When I went to the hospital and they diagnosed me with a panic attack, I tried to tell them that yes I was panicking because I knew something was wrong with me! I may have anxiety but normally I'm pretty laid-back. Just those really stressful moments make my body feel awful. I'm 31 and never had anything wrong with me until I hit 30. In a year and a half I've had 2 shoulder surgeries, pneumonia twice, and now this crap. I know POTS comes on after a major event, so I think I might qualify for that. Yeah I may need some support with taking those meds. It's not actually taking the meds that bother me. I just hate feeling funny or different after taking them. People tell me I'm crazy for not taking pain or cold medicine... but I only get sick about every 2 or 3 years and I've had about 5 headaches in my whole life. I think that's because I built up a resistance by NOT taking the medicines.The one reason I don't want to be diagnosed with this is because I am only 31 and I don't want to live like this for 30 more years. Kinda out of my control though. How old are you and how long ago were you diagnosed? I was wondering about that too...whether it affected people at a certain age. Hope to hear from you soon!