Feeling Like Pots Has Been Around Before You Noticed It...

[SeattleRain]

After my initial "episode"/symptoms ran me over in July, I've started thinking about some health related problems in the past and they seem to make more sense now.

Has anyone else thought about a health problem in the past, that seems to make more sense now?

A few years ago I thought I had developed a severe case of social phobia. I'm a people person, so this was hard for me to understand. It started when I was at office max checking out buying a chair and out of NOWHERE, BAM, I was about to pass out. I brushed it off, but then it started happening over and over again whenever I was out somewhere in public. This lead to anxiety which lead to me thinking that the anxiety was causing it, and that I have "social phobia".

Looking back, it seems more likely I was just experiencing severe Presyncope. I also started having really bad anxiety attacks during this time (really, really bad). I had no idea why - I had no real complaints about my life and no work/family/relationship stresses that could trigger it. Now, I feel like those were Adrenaline surges or something causing me to panic.

Never considered going to the doctor because I hated the doctor's office more than anything (never enjoyed hospitals) and if I did have anxiety, I wouldn't have been willing to go on medication anyways - so I just toughed it out.

Then as fast as the onset came on, it went away about a year ago. No social phobia, no more anxiety. Overnight - poof!

Anyways, to my mind it seems like I'm connecting the dots more or less with past issues that seem related in some way to what I'm experiencing now...

[Rachel Cox]

Sounds reasonable. I can see patterns across my life looking back (am a lot older than you) and some definite flare-ups and fine periods. I actually found it a huge relief when they gave me my POTS diagnosis, because it made so many things make sense. It helped me to be much kinder to myself.

[puppylove]

When I was younger I had frequent urination and was tested for diabetes and urinary tract infections all the time but nothing ever showed up. I guess that could have been an early sign of it. Also like two years before my symptoms really kicked into gear my legs would randomly turn purple and of course no doctor knew why. Now I know it was definetly blood pooling.

[k&ajsmom]

Although I have had autonaumic issues my whole life, I didnt have POTS till this past June. Before it got severe I had some of the exact issues u did. I went to a store to buy a friend a gift and had this crushing anxiety. I felt like the air was sucked out of the room and I couldnt breath. This started happening more freqeuntly as I got sicker. I went out to eat with some friends and had to excuse myself and walk outside. Totally freaked to go anywhere or even drive. I have never had anxiety before and like you am a total people person. ughhh it suxed!! Now I look back and know it was my pots but there was many days I thought I was losing my mind. As Im working on controlling my symptoms that feeling gets more faint.I told my doctor I was losing it and becoming phobic and he actually grabbed my arms and said "ITS NOT ANXIETY ITS UR NERVOUS SYSTEM FREAKING OUT" lol loved him for that...made me feel sane again

Ive also noticed other things as I read more posts, like my allergies and sensitivities to meds., heat intolerance but the anxiety was the worst.

[Guest mattgreen]

Completely!

I've had minor autonomic disturbances my whole life which I either thought was normal for everyone (absurd, looking back) or I somehow rationalized away. I could list a thousand examples.

[Leigh8]

ohh my god, YES! I spend like a year and a half in therapy and seeing a psychiatrist for my "generalized anxiety disorder" even though I never felt anxious. The docs somehow convinced me I was though. They said I might not actually feel the anxiety, and it all just manifests as dizziness. Two years later I got the dysautonomia diagnosis, and now I understand it was pre-syncope and low bp.