POTS and Pregnancy

[junbug52704]

I was wondering if anyone has delt with POTS while pregnant. I am now 21 weeks, the symptoms have started a very long time ago, but I have been misdiagnosed with this or that for years. The doctors are thinking the stress I went thru just before my wedding actual made this episode start and that the pregnancy is just really aggravating it. I had to fight to get a doctor to realize something was wrong. But when I finally found a great doctor he figured it out in a few minutes, I guess because the right symptoms presented at the right time (orthostatic, sinus tachycardia, veniuos pooling, syncope, dizziness, lightheaded, tremousleness, vision issues,stomach issues...etc) But other thatn the research I can find I can not get any info on this during pregnancy. My doctors have only treated 2 people with POTS, so needless to say I feel like somewhat of a lab rat to them. Needless to say this is not a situatio I wish to be a lab rat, all though happy to have a name for what is wrong with me. I was wondering if any one had any info about pregnancy and POTs. They currently have me on Metaprolol very low dose, which isn't doing anything but causing more issues, but are scared to do much of anything to me. Any ideas would help sooth my mind.

[Frankiebell]

I was diagnosed with POTS 3 years ago, though I've been sick for over 10. At the time of diagnosis I was basically bed bound - I'd faint on trying to stand. I was on Midodrine for a while but have been functioning fine for the last year and a half on high doses on H20 and salt, and not being upright without full compression stockings. (this makes the beach a real hoot.)

I am now six weeks pregnant, and completely exhausted. I work from home, full time, but I have been unable to really sit up even for more than an hour here or there. From what I've read here, I guess this is the norm for the first trimester, which really *****.

Anything that has helped y'all with the exhaustion?

[dmolina]

I am in need of any information on POTS and pregnancy. I am currently 23 weeks. My ob never even heard of POTS and my cardiologist has only had one case of it, without pregnancy. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[cjliving]

It's nice to find others going through the same thing. I had my first little one and my first doctor just blew if off... so I switched!! And I love her. She didn't know anything about POTS but she researched all she could and came up with a good plan of attack. All the other doctors and nurses knew about me.. so I went in they were all prepared. I couldn't even stand at 37 weeks so they induced me. They gave me an epidural early on so my HR wouldn't go too high. They just had to give me a different kind of medicine than normal. They also pumped a lot of fluids on board, and had me push in a different way.. but I ended up having a c-section because I wasn't progressing after 22 hours! But it was nice to find a doctor who truely wanted to help me. I am pregnant again with my second.. and I can barely function. I have to wear compression socks to get around.. and have to stay inside because it's summer and heat just makes it all WORSE. Hang in there ladies.. people are starting to realize its just not all in our heads!

[Heiferly]

You may want to take the following article to your doctor:

http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/content/full/104/1/166

It is not universal practice that POTS patients are not candidates for epidural.  Sorry to hear that this was not discussed with you sooner for your first pregnancy so you could be prepared for their decision to let you have it.  

[selevitto]

I have had POTS for eight years and I am having a LOT of dizziness here in my first trimester.  I can barely stand up in the mornings.  I personally do not want to take medication though so I've been loading up on Gatorade which isn't helping yet.  I don't remember having a lot of problems with it during my previous (first) pregnancy though so I'm hoping it will get better as my pregnancy progresses.  I Just thought I'd give everyone a heads up on the epidural though.  I was told by an anethesiologist when I was in labor with my first that I was not a canidate for an epidural because of my condition.....not something you want to hear during really painful contractions!!!  They've become so common place that I just assumed it would be available to me when I needed it and it was in my birthing plan!  My doctors never told me it may not be an option.  I would recommend researching other forms of pain relief (such as medications and breathing techniques) so that you are prepared to give birth without one.  I would have made sure I was much better prepared had I known it wasn't an option.

[llynmyhrt29]

I think it really does depend on how badly your POTS affects you on a day-to-day basis. I am like you, also feeling like a lab rat. I'm still in first trimester, and am seeing an OB, Perinatologist (high-risk OB), and cardiologist. Neither the OB or highrisk OB know anything about POTS which is disconcerting. But I just try and listen to my cardiologist as best I can. I was on fludrocortisone (florinef) but stop taking it at 6 weeks. That was a personal choice though. Since there are less than 200,000 people in the u.s. with POTS it is hard to find drs who even know about it. So if you have a cardio, then I would listen to him the most.