HopeSprings Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 The parking at my children's schools is such a pain. There's like one street to park on and tons of parents trying to get those spots. Yesterday when picking up my daughter I had to settle for one a little farther than I'd like. It's wasn't far by normal standards, but a minute or two walk... uphill. Not a huge hill, but a street with an incline. I had to stop and tell myself.. I can do this. Halfway through I feel like the blood is draining from my face, my legs feel like lead, my chest is heavy - it's just HARD. This is ridiculous. Do you guys have a hard time walking?? It's not so bad on flat land, but this little hill might as well have been a mountain. Am I just totally out of shape or do you experience this with POTS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natalynn22 Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 i think its pots... I had a stress test done and they only had me walk up hill on the treadmill and my heart started racing and my bp dropped... walking on any incline seems to make symptoms worse! Sorry hope you are feeling better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodnuff77 Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 I think it's pots I have the same problem. To put my kids to bed in their upstairs bedroom takes some time then alot of resting before I can read to them. My Dr gave me handicap plates because of this then of coarse the dizzyness and syncope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chaos Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Depends on the day for me. On a bad POTS day I can't even walk thru my house without being out of breath etc. On a better day I can walk up hills (there's no where around my house that doesn't have a hill) and although my HR still goes pretty high and I get SOB, it feels different than on the POTsie days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzysillyak Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 I have this too. The only thing I ever found that helped was moving verly slowly. Easier said than done tho.I discovered in pt a few years ago that my muscles don't recover from exercise at a normal speed. So while I could ride the recumbant bike, I had to go very slowly or else my legs spasmed. Also wanted to say that when I was iron amemic this was 100 x worse. Even tho myIron and ferritin levels are good, I'm experimenting with taking iron daily now to see if it helps. Tc .. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serbo Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 yeah i get this to, if i push through i get a massive adrenaline rush and some tachy, but like what i imagine what a sudden panic attack to be like. I guess the body is trying to use whatever mechanism it can to push blood to the brain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmichaelson Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Going up hills or steps is just like that for me as well. On good days, I can walk on flat ground pretty easily for a long time, but whenever I go up stairs or any sort of incline, I get really faint, short of breath, tachy, etc. I don't really understand why an incline makes such a difference, but it definitely does for me. I've been trying to exercise more for the last couple of months (slowly building up) and it doesn't seem to have helped with this issue so far, but maybe in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alex Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 I have the same dilemma. I know I'm deconditioned as I spent almost 3 mo in bed, but I also know/have been told this can be due to POTS. During my treadmill stress test both my bp and hr grew steadily then gradually returned to normal (I believe the hr reached 167 from 78 or so at rest - can't recall the bp readings but I was told they were normal), second stress test - on a bike, while withdrawing from bisoprolol (my beta blocker at that time) my hr went from 119 at rest to 178 gradually, but when it came to slowing back down it took a long time and instead of just decreasing gradually it kept yo-yo-ing up and down. It wasn't funny at all. Good thing - the ecg's they ran during the test were normal (or so I was told). Today I did a bit of work in the kitchen, 20-30 min, went up and down the stairs twice and I feel just about exhausted. Checked my bp and hr as I thought they'd be through the roof and to my surprise 116/74 and 87 bpm. "Funny" thing this POTS.I guess every day is different, and every one of us is different in terms of the symptoms, reactions, meds, etc.Hope you're feeling better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Its impossible to differentiate deconditioning from POTS. But that is a symptom of POTS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HopeSprings Posted February 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Yes, stairs are a problem too! You'd think we'd do better in these situations because we're using the calf muscles and wouldn't this push more blood back upward? It never makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubytuesday Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 I think it has to be POTS. I'd always rode bike 10 miles/day--up and down hills/against the wind--then suddenly the legs were led. Then I felt strange (almost like near syncope coming on). Was so close to the house--didn't know if should push it/risk it or get of and get down (but I was afraid if I got down, I may not be able to walk it home). That was the start of the bad POTS last summer. Never have been able to do regular bike for safety but could do 70 min on tredmil in aquaciser and can bike on recumbent bike (but cannot climb steep stairs or hills). We have 1 steep step in garage to get to upright freezer. I can do it if there is something there I can push off with but for my legs to do the work--I think it is like when you raise your arms above heart level and get light headed, same thing happens when you raise your legs too high. I exercise on bike every day, 25 min. so I just don't think it's deconditioning.With my OH, cardiac specialist explained to me (and with ehlers-danlos), the calf muscles are not able to constrict strong enough when the blood and fluid rushes to the leg to keep things from pooling and then can't get enough back to the heart and brain. The I believe this happens with dysautonomia since the ANS also regulates things we do not think about (including vasoconstriction/dilitation). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puppylove Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 My bed is a loft bed and every night when I climb the ladder to get in to my bed I am out if breath and heart pounding when I lay down. It's rediculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted February 11, 2012 Report Share Posted February 11, 2012 Thumbs down to inclines and steps! When I was well and used to take step aerobics, I never felt as out of breathe as I do now after a steep set of steps. I feel out of breathe and like someone is sitting on my chest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunny Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Add one more "me too" to the list. Though mine's variable. Inclines/stairs/carrying things up stairs really takes a nice hit on my stamina. When I'm feeling really POTSy, my endurance level is minimal. When I'm feeling good, I can walk 10+ miles in a day and not feel it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramakentesh Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 I agree with bunny - im the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anna Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Same here, I can walk fine on the level but inclines kick in the tight chest, breathlessness, head pain and nausea. This is worse when I am generally more symptomatic. My children are the same, my daughter can be doing a full on dance performance, without getting any more worn out than the next person, but if she has to go up stairs, she becomes very symptomatic, this surly can not be deconditioning it does not make sense! Has this phenomenon ever been looked into more it could used as a diagnostic tool?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brethor9 Posted February 13, 2012 Report Share Posted February 13, 2012 Count me in too!!! Used to work out like a demon and run almost 2 miles everyday......now on my worst days I practically have to be carried up the stairs ;( this illness is so weird!Bren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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