Mornings Are So Tough On Me!!!

[mrsdavidson8605]

I just don't know what to do. I am SO weak in the mornings. Tired. My heart rate gets up to at least 150 when I stand. This doesn't seem to taper off until at least 3 or 4 in the afternoon. My heart races all day but it just seems so much worse in the mornings. I even sleep at an incline on an adjustable bed. That doesn't help either. It's so hard to take care of my 10 month old daughter with this condition!! ugh!!!! any advice? I'm not on any medication currently but have tried SEVERAL of the "typical" meds for POTS. I also have done the salt tablets and the x tra water but nothing helps!!!

[Megan]

I'm so sorry that nothing has seemed to help. I am on a handful of meds, but mornings are also difficult for me, so I find that it's best to take my meds, go back to bed for half an hour, and then get up and slowly get ready for my day. Rushed mornings kill me! All I can think of is trying to talk to your doc about this (if you haven't recently...and keep asking if you don't get answers!) I'm praying for you and your daughter! Hang in there!

Meg

[dizzygirl]

uhm morning generally can and are rough for pots pts. has to due with your blood/fluid volume being low i believe.

Uhm i realize with a baby at home you might not be able to take things slow in the morning.. but maybe a few tricks might be of help for you..

do you have somebody who can help you in the morning hours? with your daughter by chance?

Uhm can you tolerate pickle juice? dill pickle juice is high in sodium... and you might find that it gives you a boost...your fluid volume and blood pressure... also bouilion broth as undiluted as you can possible stand it.. is also a good thing to drink first thing ...some one suggested that i keep bouilion broth in a thermos by my bed and rink it even before i get out of bed in the morning.. maybe you could try this...

also have you tried compression stockings of any form yet?

Uhm adding salt to everything that you eat.. and washing it down with water or some kind of fluid can help keep things steady as welll..

and of course gatorade or power ade.. is helpful to drink too... i know that trying meds can drive you nuts.. but i would really recommend getting on something to bring your HR down walking around at 150 all day everyday.. n wonder you feel so weak!..

there are lots of differnt combo's that you can try of medications... you can look on the site main page under treatment... there are different meds and non medical things listed there to help you with pots...

i really wish you luck in getting your symptoms under control! I dont know how your doing it with a 10 months old baby.. wow god bless you! hang in there

hugs

dizz

[Mary P]

I just don't know what to do. I am SO weak in the mornings. Tired. My heart rate gets up to at least 150 when I stand. This doesn't seem to taper off until at least 3 or 4 in the afternoon. My heart races all day but it just seems so much worse in the mornings. I even sleep at an incline on an adjustable bed. That doesn't help either. It's so hard to take care of my 10 month old daughter with this condition!! ugh!!!! any advice? I'm not on any medication currently but have tried SEVERAL of the "typical" meds for POTS. I also have done the salt tablets and the x tra water but nothing helps!!!

I'm truly sorry to hear that you have to suffer this much. I can't imagine what you're going through but you're in my thoughts.

Do you find that the main source of your weakness begins in your legs? Mornings are worst for me as well, but I'm not as nearly as poorly as you in this regard. One of my earlier symptoms that told me that something was seriously wrong was leg weakness, heaviness and aching. I'd go for a walk and when I felt I'd fall, I'd slide gently down onto someone's lawn for perhaps 1/2 hour before I could move on home. No one saw this because everyone was either at work or school. I didn't walk all winter but have had a few very short walks recently.

I used to have a much 'rougher' time even when taking those first few steps out of bed. I'd feel as though I would fall and sometimes had to slide to the floor and crawl the short distance to the bathroom. I'd be weak, light-headed and nauseated and my heart was racing. I'd take a gravol with a full glass of water and return to bed for 2 hours and would then find it easier to get up and proceed slowly into my day.

Then, research led me to do leg exercises before I got out of bed, and things have been some better since then. I lie on my nack and push my legs, one at a time, up and down along the mattress. Then I lift them, one at a time, up and down. Then I shake them in the air. Finally, I sit up ever so slowly and move them up and down, as if I were marching. Then I put my legs back onto the mattress and put on thigh-length support hose before finally getting up. All of this takes about 5-6 minutes but it has helped me. The waist-high hose suck the life out of me.

I hope you don't mind that I've told you what has been helpful for me. I'm new to this site and have never been part of any forum until now so don't really know what's proper. I don't want to come across as a 'know-it-all'. I know that we are all different but should you decide to try this, I hope it helps you as well. I'm so thankful that I've discovered this site and am so grateful to know that I'm not alone and that there are others who understand and care.

I have also had the head of my bed raised 5" to make it easier to get out of bed. I have used reputable sites for my research so, with no help from any doctor, I have to believe that what I've been doing has helped me.

I leave my breakfast set out at night so there's less effort to getting this ready and eaten in the a.m. This saves strength and energy when things are worst for me.

I do notice that if I don't drink at least 8-10 glasses of water/fluid a day, I'm not as well as I could be...whatever well has to mean for us. Two of these glasses include gatorade, one is fruit juiceand one is coffee. I'd never get down just water. I also keep 2 glasses of water on a night stand because 8 hours is a long time to go without fluid.

[iheartcats]

I was actually thinking of posting this exact same topic...I seem to do much better in the late afternoon/evening than morning/early afternoon.

I can no longer jump out of bed and get moving...I try to move my legs a bit and 'wake up' for about 20 minutes or so. Then I take my allergy meds with skim milk and slowly get ready. Some days are far worse than others (I am usually around 120ish in the AM, but sometimes 130 and 150-160 on really bad days in the AM).

I know people have suggested to look into medications...I've been putting this off myself but may finally have to do it. I struggle to make it to work every day on time and it's a little easier now that the winter is over...but winter will come again and just scraping the car can ruin my day!

I've wondered if mornings are so bad because of the dehydration over night...I should try to 'drink' when I wake up during the night. I already have to get up to bathroom and that is horrid because you never get a full nights sleep! And you have a baby to deal with, too. Do you try to push fluids? I find it hard...but I try. And I still have a Latte in the AM and sometimes a Coke Zero at night. I've tried the no caffeine and I was worse. And I recently read a study that you still get fluids (it's not a total waste). But I'm no good without my morning Latte. And since it actually helps a bit no doctor is making me stop that, thank goodness.

Good luck and thanks for posting this - I'm glad the morning-issue is shared by others and hopefully people can give us more tips.

[mrsdavidson8605]

I know how you feel.. I DO try to drink at least 60 oz per day, and have a glass of water by my bed. I do wake up several times a night, so I try to remember to drink, but when you're half awake, it's kinda hard.. lol I've tried so many medications, and all have failed to this point.. plus I don't have a doc here where I live that has any idea about POTS. I'm thinking about the saline IV thing, but not sure if it's worth the hassle bc some people say it does nothing.. IDK I just wish there was relief!!! I'm glad i'm not the only one dealing though.. thanks for the post.. hang in there!

[bluesky]

Some days are far worse than others (I am usually around 120ish in the AM, but sometimes 130 and 150-160 on really bad days in the AM).

Cat-Lady, I'm still new to all this and trying to figure things out so sorry if this is a silly question but when you say 120ish in the am or 130 or 150-160 do you mean as you move around trying to get ready in the morning? Or just upon waking? I'm trying to get a sense of what is a normal hr or abnormal hr for daily activities. I easily go up to 135 just slowly wiping down the kitchen counter. It doesn't feel good so I'm assuming that's too high. Is that right?

My brain is really foggy right now so I hope I'm making sense!! Thanks.

[ajw4790]

Yes, I too have a really hard time getting started earlier in the day! It stinks! People always want to know why I get up so early, but it is because to get somewhere on time have have to move very slowly. Get enough fluids and food. Also, I can't just hop out of bed and jump in the shower- that always ends in getting very sick and blacking out. I must move slowly. Then, by the time I am around I am exhausted. I can not imagine trying to do all this while caring for others etc. During this time I have to be concentrated on myself.

I hope you can find a few little things to help you out here and there.

[iheartcats]

Some days are far worse than others (I am usually around 120ish in the AM, but sometimes 130 and 150-160 on really bad days in the AM).

Cat-Lady, I'm still new to all this and trying to figure things out so sorry if this is a silly question but when you say 120ish in the am or 130 or 150-160 do you mean as you move around trying to get ready in the morning? Or just upon waking? I'm trying to get a sense of what is a normal hr or abnormal hr for daily activities. I easily go up to 135 just slowly wiping down the kitchen counter. It doesn't feel good so I'm assuming that's too high. Is that right?

My brain is really foggy right now so I hope I'm making sense!! Thanks.

Not a problem.

When waking up it's usually 'decent' because I'm lying down. Maybe 72-85 bpm depending on how dehydrated I am. Sometimes when I stand up it pops right to 120. Just standing. When I start getting ready it'll go to 130-160 depending on the day. I try to get ready slowly, stretch, drink some water or skim milk...but the morning is always bad no matter what I do.

Before POTS I used to get ready with no issue so I assume my heart rate was less than 100. You always hear 60-100 is 'normal.' I didn't feel weird getting up and ready back then, or notice any fast beats. Running up and down stairs and stuff it'd go up, but that was 'normal.' Going to over 110 just wiping a cabinet or putting on mascara is 'not normal.'

I've had a hard time getting a grasp of this too. Because when I go to my specialist I've been up a while, got ready, so it's usually 100-120...doctors never see us at our 'worst'...those first couple of hours in the AM!

But when I'm cooking it can get to 120-130 at night...standing, heat, etc. and that's not normal. Just like wiping your cabinets...135 is too high.

I hate POTS.