The disease: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS

[PlateletGal]

A link to an article from an Oregon newspaper about POTS :

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090531/NEWS0107/905310408/1001/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01

[PlateletGal]

Thank you for clearing that up. I actually came here to set the record straight, as I'm now orthostatic again (due to herxing symptoms) and my BP is now rising when I stand up (vs. dropping).

Btw.... POTS is very common in people who have CFIDS (AKA: CFS, M.E., post viral syndrome, chronic EBV), so if you have any members here who have CFS or CFS symptoms, feel free to send them over to the fibro/CFS forum. I will do the same in our forum !

~PlateletGal (Co-CL of the EBV and fibro/CFS forums)

[Heiferly]

Thanks for the link to the article.  A few comments:

I was thrown off momentarily by the 80% recovery rate cited for POTS patients.  I'm thinking they meant childhood-onset POTS patients specifically but failed to say so, as these patients are known to have the best outcome in terms of prognosis.  Prognosis varies much more depending on cause and other factors for later onset POTS.  

As for the rise in blood pressure, it varies from patient to patient so this may indeed be true for her.  Along with the 30+ bpm HR increase, some patients get a BP increase, some get a decrease, and some get no appreciable change whatsoever.  I believe those with increased standing norepinephrine levels are the ones most likely to see the BP increase, but I'm far from certain so don't quote me on that--perhaps someone with H-POTS could chime in on that?  

Finally, I paused at length when the doctor said the world literature on POTS was only 2 inches thick.  I have read SO much in efforts to understand my illness and help others answer their questions.  I suppose a great deal of it is not directly regarding POTS, but about dysautonomia in general or related disorders.  Upon reflection, I may have been hasty in balking at the suggestion that there are only 2 inches of information on POTS.  I suppose it's possible that strictly speaking, that may be the case.  :-/

[netthetics]

Enjoyed the article.  I have problem with my BP going up and heart rate revving up and skipping beats when I stand.  It makes me feel faint too.  I have problem when I bend over I get really dizzy.  I can barely clean house and bend over to pick up an object off the floor as I get dizzier and dizzier,  I was under impression the POTS could be either a rapic rise or fall in BP.

[halbashes]

Though it could be a typo, there are POTS patients with higher blood pressure.  Some patients experience episodes of both high and low blood pressure.  Other forms of Dysautonomia can exhibit both high and low blood pressure as well.

I didn't actually see where the article indicated raised blood pressure, only lowered blood pressure, but either way her symptoms seemed autonomic.  Thank you for posting this article.

[PlateletGal]

Good catch ! I believe the newspaper made an error. (not the first time, I'm sure !)  ; ^ )

[AireScottie]

Read this, but I'm confused.  It says her heart races and BP goes up.  I thought BP went down with POTS.  Newspaper error or what?