help

[fanny186]

I was diagnosed with pots a month ago when I went to the emergency room with chest pains and umbness on my left arm. After seeing about ten different doctors I was referred to a cardiologist who is currently treating me. I was always healthy, active and have no medical history. I did overwork myself and have been very stressed for the past year therefore I thought I had a nervous breakdown. I had no test done like stress test or tilt test but when I stand or sit my heartrate goes up..but it has happen while I sleep as well. This is scary for me as I have four kids to take care of and a full time job. I really hope they find a cure for this thing, I have asked for an MRI but was denied. currently taking salt tablets, drinking lots of water and gatorade..please give me some advise..I am going nuts!

[LivingInHope]

It doesn't sound like they did enough to diagnose you in the ER or with your cardiologist either.  Things like a tilt table test and blood test of norepinephrine while standing up are two diagnostic tools used to determine if you have POTS or not.  Does your heart rate after two to three minutes of standing go up compared to lying down by at least thirty beats per minute?  Is this the type of testing your cardiologist did to determine your diagnosis?   And what did your blood pressure do with standing?  Did they make sure you weren't low on iron and ferritin (iron stores)?  I was having more chest pain and higher tachycardia numbers when I was low on iron (though my CBC was normal).

  And the fact you are having tachycardia while sleeping suggests something more than POTS is going on (not to say you couldn't have more than one problem).  What is your blood pressure like when your heart is racing?  

[tonyad]

  Hello,

    It would not seem unreasonable for your cardiologist to refer you to an Electrophysiologist to have Formal Testing done to make sure of a Proper dx as well as the proper treatment.

   Is your B/P usually Low?

~Tonya

[pepito6]

what are you symptoms now?  Did the  cardiologist put you on a beta-blocker? How is you Blood pressure?