Interesting study

[laurab2818]

Psychiatric Profile and Attention Deficits in Postural Tachycardia Syndrome - Source: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry, Oct 31, 2008
by Vidya Raj, et al.
February 8, 2009

Objectives: Patients with postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) often appear anxious and report inattention. We formally assessed patients with POTS for psychiatric disorders and inattention and compared them to patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and control subjects.

Methods: Patients with POTS (n=21), ADHD (n=18) and normal control subjects (n=20) were assessed for DSM-IV psychiatric disorders and completed a battery of questionnaires that assessed depression, anxiety and ADHD characteristics.

Results:

• Patients with POTS did not have an increased prevalence of major depression or anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, compared to the general population. Patients with POTS had mild depression. They scored as moderately anxious on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, but did not exhibit a high level of anxiety sensitivity.

• Patients with POTS scored significantly higher on inattention and ADHD subscales than control subjects. These symptoms were not present during childhood.

Conclusions:

Patients with POTS do not have an increased lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorders. Although they may seem anxious, they do not have excess cognitive anxiety.

They do experience significant inattention, which may be an important source of disability.

Source: Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. Oct 31, 2008. PMID: 18977825, by Raj V, Haman KL, Raj SR, Byrne D, Blakely RD, Biaggioni I, Robertson D, Shelton RC. Vanderbilt University, United States. [E-mail: vidya.***@****]

[supineallthetime]

Hey that's interesting.  Seems to fit.  They say the physical symptoms get mistaken for anxiety often enough.  The "inattention" is one of my key issues... as is fatigue (mental & physical) so an ADHD med approach would probably help me and likely others... though there are complications with them being somewhat anxiety provoking.

[Heiferly]

This reminds me, anyone else have "white coat" blood pressure?  I've noticed I consistently have it only at certain doctors' offices.  I can tell which doctors stress me out the most by which offices my BP is always higher.  And it's a vicious cycle because those docs then never see firsthand my "normal" low BP despite all the meds, so they're more incredulous of my complaints.  The more incredulous they are, the more they say ignorant things to get my blood boiling.  And over time, my body learns to just start cranking up the BP in anticipation the second I walk through the door of their office.  And on and on ... I've seen some of my healthiest blood pressures in the offices of some of the biggest quacks I've had to deal with because they make me so furious, LOL!  

[AireScottie]

Hey, thanks for posting.  This is interesting.  I may look this one up and print out the article for a few of my favorite quacks.  Gee, maybe we "seem anxious" because we can't get any help and are in constant danger of cracking our noggins :)