Shortness Of Breath

[llynnchurch]

I get short of breath when I walk to the car? Is that the shortness of breath that ya'll experiance or is that extreme. I came out of work today blessed to be able to go, but I felt so short of breath and lightheaded just to get to the car? Is that something else, or do all POTS patients experiance this?

[LJENN85663]

I get short of breath when I walk to the car? Is that the shortness of breath that ya'll experiance or is that extreme. I came out of work today blessed to be able to go, but I felt so short of breath and lightheaded just to get to the car? Is that something else, or do all POTS patients experiance this?

I have felt this way many times. When this happens to me my pulse is usually really fast. I also experienced shortness of breath that severe when I was taking 125mg of Betta Blockers twice a day. I am in the process of decreasing/coming off of my beta blocker because of this shortness of breath.

[Rachel]

Shortness of breath was the first POTS symptom I noticed. I was a year round swimmer and was in excellent shape. I started having difficulty breathing during swim practice, and it appeared that I had developed asthma. Inhalers never helped me, though, and asthma tests I had came back negative. About a year later we discovered that the real problem was POTS.

POTS can definitely make you short of breath. I get short of breath now when talking on the phone, especially if I have just been moving around. Sometimes I get short of breath even when I am lying down and resting quietly. Physical activity doesn't necessarily bring it on for me.

What you describe sounds like it very well could be because of POTS.

Rachel

[llynnchurch]

BSNgirl,

I am a 25 year old female, haven't had any kids, and I stay short of breath daily worse after I eat, some reason it was really bad just walking to the car today, I am on a low beta blocker dose, but I do not think my heartrate was high when I was having shortness of breath, if it was at all up it was significant enough I do not believe to make a difference. Symptoms such as this worry me because I am still young and feel like I am a 50 year old overweight, unhealthy man stuck in a 25 year old females body. When they did my stress test to check my heart, the guy doing the ultrasound part said my heart responded like I was an overweight person, I weigh 118 at that time 112lbs, but he said it sped up fast and came back down really slow. Although everything with my heart has checked out fine, as far as I know.

[llynnchurch]

Rachel,

I see that you have been diagnosed with multiple things, I know POTS can be primary or secondary. I have been diagnosed with POTS for 3 years, and although I have been going to doctors the whole time they have not came up with anything else causing it other than a virus. But I feel so badly most of the time, how do they diagnose you with all those things, because I wonder if there is something else or is it all POTS? I think if I knew either way would make me worry less but my body feels so bad that I really wonder could POTS make you feel this way.

[Rachel]

Lynn,

Yes, POTS can make you feel that way. The severity of POTS varies quite a bit from person to person. Some here are disabled from POTS and have to be in wheelchairs whenever they leave their homes, others are able to work full time (though it is difficult for them).

I received a lot of different diagnoses because I have health problems that go beyond just POTS. The diagnoses have come over the years as I have had to continue to have more tests done as new symptoms develop. Some things were diagnosed before POTS, others after the onset of POTS.

You may find it helpful to read on the main DINET site about POTS if you have not done so before. There is a lot of information there about POTS, its symptoms, the causes, etc. Here are a couple of links to get you started.

POTS: An Overview

POTS Symptoms

Hope this helps.

Rachel

[erikainorlando]

I just want to add that yes....that was one of my first symptoms and continues to be problamtic....

I know in the beginning it was because my hr was so high but on the beta blockers I frequently have the same thing. My boyfriend says I huff and Puff!! I am 46...but I am not overwieght and could always do everything and anything!! I am huffing and puffing as I writte this!!

I feel soooooo bad frequently I wonder how it is possible that something so nebulous like POTS can make someone feel so bad but obviously it does...good luck!

Erika

[all4family]

Hi llynchurch,

Sorry to hear that you are experiencing this. I think that breathlessness is one of the most frightening symptoms for me. It seems so hard at times for me to believe that this is coming from something that is not life threatening. Especially when it gets real bad. I have had some blood work done that points to lung (and other) cancers. But I have also had multiple chest x-rays, and 2 chest ct's. When I did my valsalva manuver for my testing I only was able to get the meter to half of where I was supposed to get it. I have had 2 pulmonary function tests. Both of which showed a problem, but it was thought to be from my weight. (I am overweight now, but I was considered anorexic before and still had the same problem). I have also talked to many people on the boards with breathing troubles. So even though I have had lots of tests to show breathing difficulty, there has been nothing to say why. So because of that unless someone finds something else I have come to accept it as a POTS symptom. I sure do understand where you are coming from though. It sure would be nice if we could get more deffinative answers, and some better solutions for this. I hope you are breathing better soon.

Suzy

[ramakentesh]

There has been some interesting work by Dr Stewart on postural hypocapnia and POTS.