Pregnancy And Pots

[micheller]

I'm wondering how pregnancy would affects pots or vise versa. I'm considering having a 4th (I know, crazy lol) but my symptoms started when I was last pregnant. I felt like death and slept probably 6 out of the 9 months. My symptoms are tolerable now and I think most of it had to do with my reflux. I'm guessing the fatigue is increased dramatically but wondering about the other symptoms.

[icesktr189]

Ill be honest with you...

Before pregnancy my POTS was controlled. I did okay during the first trimester and the second, the third was pretty bad. I had about 5 amulance trips because I would pass out and i would be out for minutes. I would also go completely numb everywhere. Birth was tough, but I did okay postpartum. By 6 months PP I was almost bed bound again. My daughter will be 2 in March and I can no longer drive or work and have applied for disability.

For me, it definently made me way worse, but I know there are a lot of people that it didnt really affect (they went back to their "normal pots" after pregnancy). Its one of those things where you dont know how you are going to do until you experience it.

I eventually will have a second child, but I want to be financial stable enough to where if I become bed bound I will have someone 24/7 to help with raising the kids. Its a scary thought for me

[icesktr189]

Also take into account your meds your on... for me I dont feel comfortable taking midodrine or florinef while pregnant... not sure if you are on any

[micheller]

My daughter will be 3 in May. All I remember from my last pregnancy is sleeping and being horribly nauseous the whole time. I only gained 6 lbs (she weighed 5 lb 9 oz) because I couldn't stomach much of anything. I don't think I had the dizziness until after I had her. My last 2 were c-sections so no labor. Whew! I have my first appt with a neurologist next month so I should be further diagnosed. Right now I'm just taking salt tablets. I wouldn't try for another for a year yet so I have time to talk to my neurologist and figure things out. Thanks for the info!

[icesktr189]

Did you have POTS before you pregnancy? I have heard of it being different for women who develop POTS during a pregnancy. Mine was about 2 years after I was already diagnosed, so it could definently be a different situation for you! Dont give up hope, but make sure you have everything planned for the worst just in case

[micheller]

No I started having symptoms when I was about 3 months into my last pregnancy. I ended up quitting my job around 3 months because I just couldn't do it. It has been manageable lately but I know pregnancy can cause all kinds of havoc. lol

[ramakentesh]

There are a few studies on this. Infact I read something from Blair Grubb that reported patients that experienced permanent remission from their POTS following a pregnancy. Ofcourse other patients often develop POTS after pregnancy (just as many also experience autoimmunity at this time).

Some really report struggling.

[Annaliese]

I had a little bit of POTS after my first pregnancy but i didnt know it at the time- i thought i was just chronically fatigued. The second pregnancy, woahhhh, was sick as soon as i was pregnant. Now i dont leave the house because im so ill. think my pots is autoimmune and autoimmune diseases can be triggered by pregnancy. If you suspect you have any autoimmune condition i wouldnt go there. Otherwise, during part of your pregnancy you can feel slightly better. I guess it depends on whats causing your dys.

[Clairefmartin]

I am on month three of basically being bed/wheelchair bound after a horrible pregnancy that kept me hospitalized/horizontal for almost the entire 9 months. I had to get a PICC line because I was not retaining any fluids and my HR and BP were so crazy, and this caused clots, and that added another layer of complications. I almost died and lost the baby. I was (and still am) so de-conditioned that birth took me 3 weeks to recover from and was the most painful exhausting experience I've had in a while. My high risk OB docs called Mayo, and they said it was a 50/50 chance that things will be ok, or will be REALLY bad, and they offered no solutions. I ended up at Hopkins for a month, where all they did was put me on Florinef, as they felt any other drugs were too harmful to chance taking while pregnant. I had about 4 weeks of feeling better in the late 2nd trimester, but because I was on blood thinners and no one wanted me to fall, I had to stay on bedrest. Would I do it again to end up with my gorgeous and healthy baby girl? Yes! Would I choose to get pregnant again for another child? Heck no! I've been ordered by all my docs to never ever get knocked up again, and one actually offered to tie my tubes herself

BUT - with my 1st child, I felt great until the last 2 weeks. Was very active the entire pregnancy, med free, and recovered from birth quickly and nursed for 8 months. My symptoms after that still stayed fairly manageable (that's why I hadn't been on this forum in so long). Now I am back in POTS (and I think MCAD) h.e.double hockey sticks, while trying to manage caring for a newborn. Its the toughest thing I have ever been through, and I've had POTS for almost 10 years, and major spinal surgery before that.

SO - I think you need to consider past pregnancies, medications, do you have a great team of doctors (I did not!), and are you willing to risk a full blown POTS explosion while you have 3 other kids to take care of. There is always adoption Lots of babies need homes!

Good luck!!

[MomtoGiuliana]

As others have said each of us is so different and you can only try to predict how it will be for you based on your own experience. I developed POTS during pregnancy and was disabled for nearly a year (partly b/c it took so long to get a diagnosis). I also had a complication during delivery that could have killed me and my daughter (nothing to do with POTS). But the combination of disability and the scary delivery were for me enough to chose to not attempt another pregnancy.

As others have said you may want to evaluate your support system--what doc would work with you if you became very sick with POTS during pregnancy or post partum, what support do you have to help care for all of your children, yourself, etc.

[julieph85]

My pregnancy actually caused my pots so i'm not going to chance making it worse by getting pregnant again. If you have hypo pots and your blood pressure drops when you stand pregnancy may make it better, especially in the third trimester because of the increased blood volume. If your pots is hyperandrenergic pregenancy may make it worse. I would try to find out before what the mechanisms are behind your pots, as best as you can.

[icesktr189]

well I havd orthostatic hypotension and the third trimester was terrible. I couldnt stand for nore than a couple seconds and crawled to the bathroom.. ugh making me rethink having another in the future for sure lol.

[micheller]

I never noticed any symptoms of pots until I was diagnosed. I did notice that I got dizzy when I would stand up and get the tunnel vision but figured it was from lack of vitamins from not being able to eat much. The fatigue I blamed on lack of sleep. Now that I'm aware I have pots, I notice the symptoms more. I think once I get the nausea under control I should be ok, I hope! But with pregnancy comes more nausea. I was recently diagnosed so I the only tests I've had was the autonomic dysfunction tests, there was 4 tests total. My first 2 pregnancies were great besides some intestinal problems. Like I said, it won't be for at least another year so hopefully I'll have further answers by then. I have a great team of new doctors but they are 2 hours away.