Is it normal for ....

[ChadK]

Is it normal for POTS patients blood pressure to raise when standing along with the heart rate increase? I thought that people with POTS have a low BP when standing but lately I have been really fealing bad when I stand and blood pressure raises to about 140/100 and my heart rate raises to about 140. Then I start fealing like all the blood rushes to my head and it feals like my head is full of something. Anyone else ever feal this way. It scares me because I am going through heck with this and eventhough docs think I may not have POTS I know I do , but I think the majority of my problem is my anxiety about being scared to move thinking my POTS may hurt me or something or being afraid of passing out. I just like to hear what you guys think because I feal like I am all alone in this. Also one more thing , does pots come and go in a matter of minutes like one minutes I can not bare to stand up without my heart flying and my bp going up and then the next minute I can get up and do whatever . This happen to anyone else ?

Thanks So Much

Chad Klein

Myrtle Beach , SC

[Lukkychrm42]

It's not necessarily "normal" within the POTS community, but there are some of us out there. I have very low BP sitting and lying down, and then it jumps up to normal or higher when I stand. It's not something to worry about, in my experience.

As for the heart racing one minute but not the next, for me that's usually related to my medication. When I'm completely off medication, it's consistent, unless I'm having a rare good day.

[baby_boy]

I have a High BP and High HR when i stand. I have a mixture between low HR and High HR when standing. Although latley i notice it alot less, on some days when im really bad stading is a problem.

[Laura]

Hi Chad. I have high BP and pulse when standing. I was told for me, it was because the blood pools in my legs when I stand, and my body compensates by raising blood pressure in attempt to force the blood back upwards. The heart is beating too fast to effectively pump the blood upwards, so the blood pressure steps up to try and compensate. Laura

[Jenn202]

I have had episodes of raised BP when staning also...

I think autonomic "dysfunction" can mean not only a drop in BP , but just general unstable unpredictable BP as well... At least that is what my POTS dr has told me.

[Miriam Poorman-Knox]

Anything is possible. We must all really expect the unexpected. We change like the weather. Keep a list of concerns and ask your doc. It passes usually.

Good luck Miriam

[JaneEyre9]

Sounds resonable to me. Today i had an episode of greying out and my BP shot up (118/82) from being rather low (83/50). My HR went up to 140. I think your body's response is sort of individual.

Also, yes I think POTS varies a lot by minutes and hours...at least for me it does. I can have several hours where i feel i can barely get out of bed, then after a while...some rest, some hydration, some food maybe, i feel like i can stand up for a while and walk around.

Good luck to you with your doctor.

Kristen

[Poohbear]

My BP sometimes spikes too high. My heart rate is always extremely elevated.

I have POTS and NCS.

Most Dr's don't know how to differentiate between the various forms of dysautonomia. You may not have POTS but you may have some other form of Dysautonomia (OI, NCS etc).

Good luck working with your Dr.

[Guest Mary from OH]

Yes! If your dr diagnosed with you POTS (ie all the other symptoms, + TTT etc), I would say 100% YES! The reason I say this is that when I was diagnosed, I found out that that is exactly what happens to me!

I was shocked!! Because, my BP is ALWAYS super low, 80/60 or lower. (well, except sometimes during severe migraines and it will raise then because of severe pain which is normal, but I digress....) Anyhow, during the TTT, they discovered that my BP dramatically increased when they raised the table. I was shocked!!! That had NEVER happened to me before that I was aware of. And many times at the drs office, I have had my BP taken when I was standing, so I was shocked. My dr explained that in some people with POTS, this is the case. It is not the "norm" (but I'm usually not the "norm"), but it happens. It usually means that these patients have a more severe problem with hypovolumia (sp?) or blood pooling in the legs.

Hope this helps. At least this was the explanation given to me by my electrophysiologist.

Good luck to you.

[Sunfish]

low BP is not diagnostic for POTS (though a good number do have issues with it...either consistently or intermittently).

"normal" folks' BPs generally rise a bit upon standing but there are definitely variations that aren't problematic (& generally not symptomatic!)

those with POTS can have any variation on lower, higher, no change, or any/all depending on the day, hour, etc. personally i've had all three though my most "popular" pattern of late is a slight rise initially followed by quick drop...

hope this helps,

melissa

[morgan617]

Mine shoots to the moon when I'm up. morgan