Iheartfrogs217 Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Way back when I was around 9 years old, I began having PVCs. My parents took me to the cardiologist and they found nothing but just that, simple PVCs. They said I was just fine and sent me on my way. Fast forward and I would say I started to get POTS symptoms when I was about 14. I'm not for sure because nothing was as full blown as it is now. I suspect this because I was always active in sports. I was a martial artist for 5 years and was a basketball starter on a state team. Even though I worked out all the time, I still seemed to be more tired than all of my other teammates. I never really thought much of it and just pushed ahead. Then I got a really bad reoccurring virus and was out if school for about two weeks. I recovered pretty well and continued on. Then fast forward one more year and I got very ill with a sinus infection that knocked me out for another two weeks. After that I began to slowly go down hill. By March (around one year later) of my sophomore year, I felt the effects of POTS full force! Rapid heart rate, purple feet, EXTREME fatigue (I couldn't stay awake for classes which is so unusual because I love school and I'm an A+ student), palpitations and all the other yucky stuff we deal with. A year later I'm still dealing with POTS. The symptoms aren't as bad, except for the palpitations. Matter of fact they have gotten a lot worse over time and I've nearly passed out from a few. (Wow this post is getting long lol). Anyway, I guess my question is could the infection I got a few years ago set of the POTS? Does anyone know why POTS occurs in teenagers? I'm really getting anxious for answers, but I never seem to be able to find any. Thanks so much for reading this slightly long post! And thank you all for all the wonderful support I've received on Dinet! I truly feel blessed to be apart of this community! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Merlin* Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Wow! Your story virtually mirrors my own, except I beat you by a year as my symptoms started when I was 8.I wonder whether, in my case, if I possibly have a genetic predisposition to the condition. I have been diagnosed with POTS and CFS. I recently read an article regarding Dr Light's Gene Expression Study. He and his team were researching the possible cause of CFS. During their studies they found a small subset of CFS patients. Of this group, 71% also had POTS. Their current line of thought is that stressors, such as exercise or viral illness, cause the gene mutation(s) to come to the fore and, therefore, symptoms to become apparent. Coincidentally, my POTS symptoms first appeared shortly after contracting chicken pox. They returned in my early teens after a hefty dose of whooping cough, then again after a bout of 'flu'. Now I'm stuck with them on a daily basis.It is clear just from comparing members stories on this Forum that most of us have very different tales to tell regarding the onset of their POTS, individual symptoms, severity, etc. One thing we all have in common is our non-stop quest for answers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krissy21 Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 Your story is also very similar to mine. I started with palpitations around age 14. They were also diagnosed as simple PVCs and PACs. My POTS symptoms started around age 16-17 but it's hard to tell because they were very mild (higher resting heart rate and fatigue, no issues with bp yet). Then I started having episodes of SVT and my POTS symptoms got worse. I had an ablation for the SVT when I was 20 which got rid of it but POTS symptoms continued. I'm not sure why it's so common in teens. My doctors think mine was caused by having mono at age 16 so I'm guessing the virus could have caused yours too. The good news is, the younger you are when you get POTS, the more likely you are to outgrow it. My dr says 85-90% of his patients end up outgrowing it by their mid to late 20's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Merlin* Posted July 4, 2014 Report Share Posted July 4, 2014 The good news is, the younger you are when you get POTS, the more likely you are to outgrow it. My dr says 85-90% of his patients end up outgrowing it by their mid to late 20's.Well I'm 49 and, four decades on, I haven't grown out of it so far. Any hope for me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krissy21 Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 Merlin, I wish I could say yes everyone will outgrow it! But unfortunately I don't know. No one seems to know why some of us get better and some of us don't. Hopefully someday we all will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
looneymom Posted July 5, 2014 Report Share Posted July 5, 2014 I posted some articles on the autoimmune side of POTS. Dr. Grubbs and other peds. doctors seem to think the kids will outgrow it but time will tell. I have a long ways to go with my son. With adults, I really don't know. I have ask my son's cardiologist this same question He thinks that it has to do with some other underlying medical condition such as dibetes, lupus, or immune related disease. He does not treat adutls but does go to some of the conferences on POTS. I know you guys are looking for your underlying causes and I'm hoping that something I post will help you find answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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