In Need Of Help.....is It Possible To Catch Pots ?

[Achilles2323]

So I was diagnosed with POTS 4 months ago

My fiancé has a heart rate of laying down of 70 and standing 135 within 5 seconds

Sounds stupid but is this possible ?

[Joann]

Maybe it is something environmental that is causing it, so it would then be possible to cause it in those around you?

[Achilles2323]

Yes....maybe????

I am so confused rite know

I've been an athlete my whole life and this hit me out of no were

Then this morning for fun she said let me check my hr and it went from 70-135

[issie]

There is another girl on here whose husband got it after they married. So, it makes you wonder if there is some sort of organism or bacteria, virus or something. Things that can be passed on or transmitted.

Issie

[Achilles2323]

That can be it as well

I am so lost rite know

Not even sure what to make of this

[khaarina]

It is normal for the heartrate to go up when a person stands up, then the body is supposed to compensate for gravity and regulate itself. Does his heartrate stay up or get higher after a few minutes of standing?

[Achilles2323]

Yes its normal but 10-25 beats

Nots 70-140 within 5 seconds and then within 1 minute it goes down to 110

[Guest Alex]

To the best of my knowledge POTS is not an infectious disease. In other words, I'd say, no, you can't 'catch' POTS.

Is that a 'regular' thing for your fiancee? Is she symptomatic with that change in HR? A change from 70 to 135 is quite dramatic, so I'm guessing it doesn't just happen unnoticed.

The other thing - even in a non-POTS person (I tested this on friends and relatives) it takes a while for the HR to adjust when going from horizontal to vertical, that's why - I think - one of the criteria for POTS (per dr Raj, one of world's leading POTS experts) is a sustained increase in HR of at least 30 bpm (or a HR of 120 bpm) with prolongued standing (5-30 min). Keywords here sustained and prolongued. The other thing - according to the same dr - one should be symptomatic for at least 6 months to make the criteria for POTS. The mere orthostatic tachycardia is NOT enough for a POTS dx.

see http://www.ipej.org/0602/raj.htm

If that's just an isolated incident, I'd let it go, but if it's a regular, sustained thing, if it's something your fiancee hasn't dealt with before, and she doesn't feel good with that, then she might need to see a dr. Chances are it's nothing to worry about.

Best,

Alex

Edited May 8, 2013 by alex74alex

[abbyw]

Hi,

My doctor insisted on waiting 5 minutes after I stood up tot ake my HR. Try it again and tell us what happens.

Abby

[Katybug]

It is normal to have a heart rate spike when you stand up so if you took her HR at 5 seconds, that is not extraordinary. If it is sustained or goes down and then back up during the 10 minutes after standing, then it would be more conceding. If she didn't have the spike in that initial period of time upon standing, she wouldn't be able to stabilize her blood flow against gravity.

But, to answer your specific question, POTS is not considered a communicable disease but if you developed POTS as a result of a viral or bacterial infection, those infections could very likely be communicable.

[Birdlady]

With me and my husband, we both think he had chronic health problems for years but he could still carry on for the most part. Most of his issues were digestive. I just think as he aged, his problems became worse and more apparent. I don't actually think my husband caught POTS from me. In many ways we have completely opposite symptoms, but the main underlying issue is some sort of chronic illness like CFS, POTS etc. His POTS symptoms have been more mild lately, so I think in his case he actually had a case of the temporary POTS you get while really sick or bedbound.

There was another woman on here whose husband did get a POTS diagnosis, but I don't know whatever happened. She made a post about it a while ago. You may be able to find it in search.

[Relax86]

I think the main thing for us POTs/Dysaut people is that we feel terrible. Our functional level is really reduced. Other people that feel well, for lack of a better term 'normal folks' don't typically take their pulse/BP. I don't mean anything by that except just as an observation of myself. Before POTS I never checked my vitals and never had the urge. Also, and just speaking of myself here....but my 19 year old had to check vitals for a project and then my 15 year old did it as well. I was really surprised at the variation and the numbers. It wasn't what I expected. The lesson learned for me was that it's a slippery slope for me to think of their vitals as a marker for my expectations/health....as they both are young girls who feel great.

I personally used to get very hung up on my numbers but after a year, and considerable improvement I try and focus on how I feel. I know it seems easy for me to say b/c I'm in a bit of recovery. Mostly, I hope you don't worry too much as we all have so much to worry about. Good luck to you.

[Guest Alex]

I think the main thing for us POTs/Dysaut people is that we feel terrible. Our functional level is really reduced. Other people that feel well, for lack of a better term 'normal folks' don't typically take their pulse/BP. I don't mean anything by that except just as an observation of myself. Before POTS I never checked my vitals and never had the urge. Also, and just speaking of myself here....but my 19 year old had to check vitals for a project and then my 15 year old did it as well. I was really surprised at the variation and the numbers. It wasn't what I expected. The lesson learned for me was that it's a slippery slope for me to think of their vitals as a marker for my expectations/health....as they both are young girls who feel great.

I personally used to get very hung up on my numbers but after a year, and considerable improvement I try and focus on how I feel. I know it seems easy for me to say b/c I'm in a bit of recovery. Mostly, I hope you don't worry too much as we all have so much to worry about. Good luck to you.

Relax,

that is so true.

I honestly started feeling better (at least mentally) when I realized that by allowing some numbers to rule my life I was actually ruining it.

There are days when I might have a standing HR of 120 but I feel OK and able to get up and get going, so I just do that. I'm not going to let that number dictate my day. It works...most times, but then I have days when my HR is 80 something and I feel so crappy...

Alex

[Courtney812]

I have Brady and tachycardia. But I may not have POTS I'm not 100% sure even though my HR does meet.

During my TTT I went from 43bpm to 116bpm within 30seconds. I stayed around 95-100bpm for 30mins. My blood pressure only slightly went down. I felt fine during this.

I have a moderate aortic leak which may be causing my Brady and tachycardia... So now I'm thinkin maybe I don't have POTS?