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lorrie

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I am new here and newly diagnosed with POTS. Believe me, my symptoms are NOT new. I have struggled with them for about 15 years or more. I have tons of questions and things I would love to talk with you all about but I will start with this one first... what exactly is the difference in POTS and NCS? The only real difference I have found is that some patients awaken from sleep having an episode with NCS. I do this often and think I have NCS and not POTS. My doctor couldn't really explain the difference.

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I am new here and newly diagnosed with POTS. Believe me, my symptoms are NOT new. I have struggled with them for about 15 years or more. I have tons of questions and things I would love to talk with you all about but I will start with this one first... what exactly is the difference in POTS and NCS? The only real difference I have found is that some patients awaken from sleep having an episode with NCS. I do this often and think I have NCS and not POTS. My doctor couldn't really explain the difference.

I believe that the difference is how your episodes feel. I have both and the NCS episodes are completely different. I am more likely to go unconscious, I get weak and must lie flat but then feel better more quickly. With the POTS I just shake and shiver and feel lousy for hours or days. The POTS acts up when I'm tired in the eve when I overdo it. I don't go unconscious and my body doesn't reset itself so that I can recover quickly and feel normal...(sometimes after going unconscious I feel like my body resets itself and I feel great). I was told by Dr Grubb that I have both based on my episodes although my tilt table only shows I have NCS. I think my NCS acts up in the early morn more often. WIth POTS the heart rate rises and with NCS it falls. Blood pressure can be high with POTS but with NCS it is low. THese are just my observations from my own episodes and what I've read. Both are lousy but to me the POTS is much worse as it lasts longer and looks more like I am having an anxiety attack so people just think I'm a little crazy and unlike NCS I don't get much ehlp/relief. NCS I get visibly pale and weak and it looks like there is something physically wrong.

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Hi! Welcome to both of you!

For any new people on the board here is some info. and links to check out if you have not already. Also, you can search past posts on the board with the search engine on the bottom of the board. This can be helpful to see what different people have had as an experience with a particular med etc.

POTS vs. NCS (taken from dinet.org)

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome is defined by excessive heart rate increments upon upright posture. A person with POTS will experience heart rates that increase 30 beats or more per minute upon standing and/or increase to 120 beats or more per minute upon standing (Grubb, 2000). These exaggerated heart rate increases usually occur within 10 minutes of rising.

While the hallmark of POTS is an excessive heart rate increment upon standing, patients often exhibit numerous symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysregulation.

Neurocardiogenic syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness associated with a drop in arterial blood pressure, quickly followed by a slowed heart rate (Grubb & McMann, 2001, p. 133).

Neurocardiogenic syncope (NCS) is also referred to as vasovagal syncope or neurally mediated syncope.

Neurocardiogenic fainting usually occurs while standing. (among other symptoms)

So, in most basic terms POTS is a dysregulation of HR and NCS is a dysregulation of BP. But, there is much more to it, but this is part of what makes them different. They are different disorders that can be seen by themselves or apart.

Links to look at:

http://www.dinet.org/index.htm (DINET homepage)

http://www.dinet.org/pots_an_overview.htm (POTS overview)

http://www.dinet.org/symptoms.htm

http://www.dinet.org/what_are_the_mechanisms_of_POTS.htm

http://www.dinet.org/what_causes_pots.htm

http://www.dinet.org/how_is_pots_detected.htm

http://www.dinet.org/what_helps.htm

http://www.dinet.org/what_to_avoid.htm

http://www.dinet.org/research.htm

http://www.dinet.org/NCS/ncs.htm

Nina (MightyMouse), also has this great thread of info. http://dinet.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=1954

Welcome! Hope this helps!

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Essentially POTS is defined by an increase in HR on standing with various associated symptoms.

NCS is a form of Syncope which means a blackout.

Lots of members have POTS symptoms on a daily basis with occasional episodes of NCS when they have a blackout. Hope this makes sense!

Flop

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Just to add, you don't actually have to faint to have an ncs diagnosis. I get close to fainting all the time, but don't actually faint. My main symptoms though are relatively stable heart rate, that may even fall, and significant fall of blood pressure with upright postures--and of course symptoms, such as lightheadedness, visual blurring, twitiching, shortness of breath, chest pain. But I rarely get tachycardic upright. My bp can fall as much as 40 points systolic and 20 diastolic, but sometimes less, within a minute or two of standing. But I"m still conscious, I just feel awful. (Surprises medical people that I am still cohereht at 70/40).

So you don't actually need to lose consciousness to have ncs.

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Ditto to Rachel. Both POTS and NCS (aka NMH) fall under the broad term dysautonomia. Dysautonomia refers to ANY type of regulation problem with the autonomic systems--sympathetic and parasympathetic included.

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Guest tearose

I'm late here but noticed some newbies I haven't welcomed...so welcome lolo, njfainter, michelle f., and turtlefairy and whoever else I may have missed!!!

DINET is a good place to learn, share and gather the strength to keep pushing gentle forward.

Welcome to the family.

best regards,

tearose

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