Is This Anxiety Or Is Just Going To Take Some Time To Get Used To Pots?

[kwalk]

So, I have suffered from fatigue problems for about 7 years. I'm sure it messed up my cognitive thinking very much in the process. All this time I thought I had ADD (still might have it, but it doesn't really matter) and thought that was why I had so many problems figuring out people and being productive with my life.I'm sure once I get everything worked out with my diagnosis, my mental and physical functioning will probably amaze me and the past won't matter anymore.

Ever since my diagnosis of pots/nmh was made a few weeks ago, I went through my past and looked at all my failures: wondering how I could have changed things. I guess I'm going through some demoralization. The same thoughts repeat in my mind over and over again, even if I tell myself that it's not worth worrying about.

I have racing thoughts, especially when I try to go to bed (can't really remember if this is every night). Usually these racing thoughts are a mix of a song, worrying about all the symptoms I'm having, or worrying about some situation in the past. I do fall asleep, but I practically can't fall asleep until I'm so tired that my thoughts don't matter anymore.

I haven't really been taking care of myself, haven't cleaned my room in weeks or really helped out around the house, and feel like I spend most of my time obsessing over every little thing that's wrong with me. I do try to do things that would make me happy but I just CAN'T concentrate! or get any joy out of it? I don't know which one it is! I'm probably going even more crazy because I never get out of the house!

I went through depression two years ago, and I'm sure it was a misdiagnosis for the pots because I had many of the same symptoms. I hated the anti depressants. There were just too many side effects. This is why I'm writing here to see what you guys think if I actually need them.

I have many of the same symptoms of hyperadrenergic pots, so this could be very well causing a lot my anxiety. I had my catecholamine levels drawn the other day, so I'll be able to find out the results in a few days.

Sorry for rambling on so much!

[deucykub]

Hi, Kwalk:

I think a lot of what you are going through is the "getting used to POTS" phase. Our lives are so very different from everyone around us, both in that we feel pretty crummy most of the time and that other symptoms most people would think merited a trip to the hospital simply are our everyday.

I have a lot of the same problems with sleeping. I used to take Flexeril to knock me out to help me with my Fibromyalgia sleep related problems, but POTS has made even that powerful muscle relaxer completely ineffectual for sleeping. I also have the same spinning thoughts until my body just seems to finally collapse. How many times can your brain sing the same song over and over again????

As an example of the symptoms we simply put up with...

I went grocery shopping yesterday on an extremely symptomatic day (I'd gotten busy and forgotten to refill my meds. Dumb, yes?). Anyway, by the time I get to the check-out line, I am literally reduced to sitting on the floor: nauseated, dizzy, heart racing at about 160, chest pain, and couldn't breathe. Of course, my luck kicks in, and I hear the person in front of me say, "Um, this should be $3 less." Oh no... shoot me... on goes the little overhead light to call the manager. Delay, delay, delay, and I"m just hoping to keep from collapsing (I'd stood up by this point because I had to move the cart forward). I even considered handing the lady the $20 bill I had in my wallet and saying, "listen, I'm really sick and need to get out of here, will you take this $20 in exchange for dropping the issue and letting me check out?" I didn't, but 30 seconds longer, and I really would have.

Those symptoms would make anyone stop in their tracks and dial 911. Me? I went to my car, cranked the AC, and reclined my seat until I could see straight enough to go home.

I guess what I'm trying to say in a POTSy indirect way is eventually you just kind of get used to not worrying about the symptoms as much any more. You start to learn your body's quirks and ignore the symptoms. It doesn't make the symptoms better, but it does take the anxiety out of the picture to a much greater extent.

[calypso]

Could be part of the hyperadrenergic POTS or could be the initial first year of a new illness. It took me about 18 months from diagnosis for my anxiety to tone down, and it still isn't great. I think you really have to nip the negative thoughts in the bud unless you want to establish a pattern for your autonomic system. The more you think negatively, your body remembers, and will start to react that way every time a new symptom emerges, every time you get sick, etc.

Start thinking the opposite and distracting yourself, and see what happens.

Amy