PoTS and a heart condition

[Anya]

Hi, I believe I have pots and trying to get a referral to see a specialist is hard work. I recently saw a cardiologist who told me there were 2 irregularities on an ecg I had done.

so I'm just wondering if there's anyone here who has both pots and has a heart problem of some kind???

thanks

[Peter Charlton]

I developed a heart arrhythmia, Ventricular Tachycardia.

Before it was brought under control with an ablation, they fed me beta blockers for a while, whilst this didnt give me POTS, it has given me many other symptoms of Dysautonomia, specifically ones showing an imbalance towards the sympathetic side as if being made to stop taking beta blockers cold turkey, swung my ANS balance too far in the other direction. Prior to the day I took beta blockers, I had no AN symptoms at all. I have been off them since last March.

The battle now is to escape the anxiety diagnosis a cardiologist decided I must have developed the same day he gave me beta-blockers, a diagnosis every other doctor is keen to use even though I now have a letter on my notes from a psychologist saying no way do I have any form of anxiety.  

[Anya]

Yeah they tried the anxiety thing with me too. I wasn't having any of it though, so she done an ecg and it showed two irregularities that are unusual together, so now I've been told to have an echocardiogram and an MRI on my heart and to forget about PoTS.

[statesof]

Hey Anya, a little while back I had a cardiologist take me through a lot of testing (treadmill stress test, 30 day holter monitor, bubble study). Outside of POTS I do have a bicuspid aortic valve which is genetic and I've had my whole life, they also found I have a PFO - neither of these would explain the symptoms I get from POTS though and my cardiologist had treated other patients who had POTS so for me it didn't change the diagnosis or treatment in their eyes.

[Debbie Rose]

when my symptoms first started I thought it had to be my heart-my heart rate would be 40 then jump to 120 from lying to standing with all these horrible symptoms. I had all the usual workup and was told I had dystolic heart failure with lots of SVT , PAC's and PVC's and a leaky aortic valve. My mother and sister has SVT requiring ablations so I figured just another version. Fast forward 6 years and with a 2 week heart monitor still shows the irregular rhythms but manageable frequencies, but no heart failure-my heart walls are fine and minimal "age related"(hahahaha yeah I am 62) leaks from valves. But I see a cardiologist once a year for my own sanity-my dad developed heart failure and EP cardiologists don't evaluate the muscle part of the heart (my opinion-been a nurse too long).  But I do know fluids and electrolytes can play a part in irregular heart rhythms too so do keep that in mind too.