We Are Not The Only Ones To Have Blood Pooling - Why Do We Have Pots?

[Goschi]

Most Pots patients do have blood pooling in their legs resp. their lower body. Ok, I understand this to be a basic mechanism for what we experience, in first place the compensatory tachycardia to get blood back to the upper parts of our bodies.

But "venous pooling" is in fact a very widespread medical condition, especially among people who suffer from venous insufficiency. Consequently, these patients also don't do too well with standing for a long time. But they don't get POTS (symptoms), as far as I understood. Why do WE get it...?

[Becia]

Because we're "special" (my doctors words, not mine.)

My questions have always been "Okay, this is what I have, what can we do to treat it?" Its hard to believe in all the years that we've had this diagnosis in place, there isn't more being done for it. And I'm not talking research needing to be done, I'm talking just basic treatments even... why are so many doctors blind to this? I know we all have met our fair share of doctors going "what is that?" and even the "that doesn't exist," or "thats just another term for lazy" (Ive heard the last one, and I wanted to punch a wall after I did).

[sue1234]

Maybe pooling is on a spectrum, and we're on the severe end. I have noticed in the last year my youngest daughter, who is healthy and in college, has that mottled blue/red look to her legs below her knees when she stands. She has a life, and does whatever she wants. Me, on the other hand, need to elevate my blue/red legs to get my blood back to my heart and calm down my adrenaline flow.

[Katybug]

My understanding is blood pooling is a feature of POTS, not a cause. The actual cause is the dysfunction of our autonomic nervous system. This is the part of our nervous system that control heart rate, bp, gi function, bladder function, some pupillary function. This system doesn't send our bodies appropriate signals/information on how to react to the current situation, i. e. standing vs. laying down, eating vs. empty stomach.

[Goschi]

Katy,

you are of course totally right - blood pooling is a feature, not the cause of Pots! However, to my understanding it is the indirect cause for our orthostatic intolerance - not getting enough blood to the upper half of the body creates all the symptoms we experience with being upright. Therefore, I wondered why patients with venous insufficiency don't feel potsy. But probably sue is right, our pooling is severe. We are just so special!

[lulusoccer]

We have to also remember that not everybody with POTs has blood pooling also, there is a lot of variability. I personally do not notice really any blood pooling when I stand. However, it probably helps that I am a runner and have strong leg muscles to help return blood and prevent pooling. My main cause of POTs is hypovolemia - just not enough blood circulating.

[gjensen]

My blood pooling is evident only part of the time. Some days it is obvious, and others it is not noticeable. It in no way represents how symptomatic I am, other than during my most severe spells I pool the most (visibly).

I noticed that my oldest son pools more consistently than myself, but is not symptomatic.