Help... Trying To Figure Out If I Have Pots! My Readings

[mkgirl01]

My readings

Laying down bp 116/76 pulse 86 .... I used pulse rate idk if that's the same thing from heart rate

Standing

1 min 118/81 pulse 113

3 min 113/78. 107

5 min. 113/ 79. 101

10 min. 107/ 74. 109

[mkgirl01]

But if I do it myself by taking my own pulse laying it was 80 and standing it was 100

[MomtoGiuliana]

Hi mkgirl

The definition of POTS is a rise in hr on standing by 30 beats per minute, or a heart rate in excess of 120 beats per minute, on standing. That said, our symptoms can vary daily so that some days we may meet these criteria and not other days. With a patient barely meeting this definition, from what I understand, specialists may still diagnose POTS if other symptoms are also present.

Perhaps see if there is a trend over a period of a week +/-. I think it can be helpful to share data collected at home w a doctor.

Have you seen a specialist? Had a tilt table test done?

When I was very sick with POTS, my sitting hr was typically high 70's but would go to 130-160 (!) on standing. But there is a great deal of variation in symptoms including hr changes from person to person with POTS.

[davecom]

Hi mkgirl01,

Only a doctor can officially diagnose you with POTS. With that said - your vitals during that particular test were quite normal. As someone else said, it maybe worth repeating a few times since symptoms can vary greatly day to day. If you do it a few more times and results were more dramatic then it maybe worth getting a workup from a doctor qualified to look into POTS.

[mkgirl01]

Thank you I have decided to keep a journal for a week of my heart rate... I will let everyone know the results....

[davecom]

PS I saw in the other thread that you were being treated for your symptoms as if you are being anxious. It is certainly true that in many many of our cases our symptoms were at least partially chalked up to, and misdiagnosed as, anxiety. At the same time, if you are anxious when you stand up, thinking you have POTS, then your heart rate will go up. Try not to be anxious when doing these tests - maybe think about something else or watch TV while you're standing. As much as you don't want a false diagnosis of anxiety when you really have POTS, you also don't want a false diagnosis of POTS when you really have anxiety or another condition coupled with anxiety about the condition (which is natural since we all are anxious about our health when we're sick - but it only makes it worse). Good luck!

[mkgirl01]

thanks...question i had heart tests would any of those give a suspicion to pots?

[davecom]

Studies have shown that POTS is generally associated with decreased standing stroke volume:

http://hyper.ahajournals.org/content/58/2/167.short

...but this would very very rarely be ever checked for - in fact I have never heard of someone getting their stroke volume checked standing apart from this study. A holter monitor would show spikes of heart rate every time a person is standing up. So, in short no. Most patients will show no heart abnormalities. A subset of patients (perhaps a small subset) may have de-conditioning associated with the onset of POTS or accompanying it. In these cases, an exercise stress test may reveal de-conditioning. However, what is thought to be de-conditinoing may actually be POTS. Confusing - not really, but rather muddy.

[mkgirl01]

I did have a holter .... So that would not be good way to tell if someone had pots?

[Guest Alex]

mkgirl,

the gold standard test for POTS is a tilt table test.

Also POTS is a diagnosis of exclusion - many other causes can and should be ruled out before such a diagnosis is made.

According to the research, the criteria for POTS is not only an increase in HR as MomtoGiuliana has mentioned above, but the patient should be symptomatic for at least 6 months, your symptoms should be relieved with recumbence, your BP should also not drop significantly.

See this link for more

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

Not sure what you mean by heart tests, but most of us had a load of these and have not revealed anything abnormal, so I'd say no, typical heart tests cannot reveal POTS.A complete autonomic work-up is what you're looking for I guess.

Try to take it easy - I know, easier said than done, but in my experience panicking can only make things worse.

Keep us in the loop.

Alex

Edited September 7, 2013 by alex74alex

[davecom]

No, it would be if it was looked at accurately. I had a holter 6 months before diagnosis that clearly showed I had POTS - heart rate was spiking to 150 every hour for a few minutes (must have been while I was upright) and the technician reported it back as normal. If he had been more vigilant I would be 6 months further along now... I later requested the report myself after I got the POTS diagnosis and was horrified. Ask for a copy of the report yourself if you're curious - or more clearly just ask your doctor how much tachycardia it showed. If the 24 hour holter is rarely showing big swings in heart rate then you probably don't have POTS.

[mkgirl01]

thank you i will... im going to keep a journal for a week about laying vs. sitting and go from there i have been having this for 6 months and my symptoms arent relieved upon sitting or laying ...but ill try that for a week and see what my heart rate is.... but id like to know is pots something that gets worse over time? can you die?

[MomtoGiuliana]

POTS is not a progressive disease and it is not life-threatening. I suppose fainting spells could be life-threatening (some people w POTS faint) if you fell and hit your head, etc. B/c POTS patients can feel so very sick it can be hard to believe there is not something very seriously wrong. I hope you feel better soon. Most people improve over time.

[davecom]

thank you i will... im going to keep a journal for a week about laying vs. sitting and go from there i have been having this for 6 months and my symptoms arent relieved upon sitting or laying ...but ill try that for a week and see what my heart rate is.... but id like to know is pots something that gets worse over time? can you die?

Good luck again - and laying vs sitting would not be as helpful as sitting vs standing... If I were you I would do a couple more poor man tilt table tests and talk to your doctor. Good luck!

[mkgirl01]

I ment laying vs. standing sorry hahaha