TamaraLJ

Hi, I started a beta blocker (metaprolol) about 5 weeks ago. Within 24 hours I felt relief from the tachycardia and my heart rate is now at normal levels. I thought it was a miracle drug of sorts. But since then I have been gaining weight at a rapid pace and recently I've been experiencing intense depression. I have struggled with weight and depression before; that is nothing new. But my husband has pointed out that things seem to be much worse since starting metaprolol. Does anyone else have a similar experience? Thanks, Rain

I want to thank all of you again for sharing your stories and for encouraging me as well. Even though this is a short reply I really appreciate all that you've shared. One day at a time, right?

Also I forgot to add that last night my husband said that criticism should cause a person to become a perfectionist in whatever they are being criticized about. I told him that if he really believes that then our relationship will not work. (We are in counseling and this will definitely be the next topic).

Thank you to all of you for your support. I really appreciate it. Potsgirl - I do work and it's sad but I tend to do better emotionally when I'm at work because I'm not criticized about anything. I don't really go to church anymore or have any true friends. At some point I isolated myself and I guess I need to get back out there. I'm sure a big part of my problem is that he's one of the only people in my life. Lieze and GingerA - thanks for your words. You both have very good points. RockiesGirl - I haven't always been heavy. It first started when we got married (11 years ago) and my husband was quite overweight himself. Since then I've been up and down between 50 lbs or so. Based on symptoms alone I think I've had POTS since I was 12 and just didn't know it, so it's been quite a while. I have had lots of bloodwork and it all came back normal. I haven't been doing the 30 mins a day routine very long, at least not at a lower heart rate level. Before that I was doing a boot camp exercise program for 4 months which wasn't working at all because my heart rate was near the max all the time, and that's how I was referred to the cardiologist and got my diagnosis. I'm hoping that this new, slower pace of exercise will help. It has in the past, but it just takes a lot longer. But I appreciate your questions. My aunt is a PA and is also concerned that I could have something else underlying this so she is researching that. Thank you all again. I see that this is a great place for support.

Hi everyone, I guess I need some advice. I was diagnosed with POTS not quite two months ago, and the diagnosis explained so many symptoms that I've had for a long time, the main one being exercise intolerance. My POTS is somewhat "mild" in that I don't get dizziness or BP issues unless I get severely dehydrated or I'm out in the heat for a while. My cardiologist told me that exercise will be my best relief but to take it very easy and slow. My issue is more with my husband than with the POTS. I am currently overweight which is a huge issue for him. So the thought of taking anything slow in the process of exercise doesn't sit well with him. There are days when he tries to go with the flow and other days where he feels the need to give me exercise/diet advice and say that I could be doing more exercise than what I'm doing (30 mins/day). The constant criticism over my body and what I am or am not doing is really taking a toll. Part of me thinks I would be better off alone just so that I wouldn't have all of this negative energy around me. He uses my POTS diagnosis as an excuse when he doesn't want to leave the house ("you can only do things half way so why do them at all"), and complains about all he could be doing if I was healthy. Truly I'm not that bad off...I just have to take it slow due to the POTS and associated fatigue. Does anyone else have experience with a really unsupportive spouse? He doesn't seem to have any concern whatsoever about my health. The rollercoaster ride is so draining.

Naomi, it sounds like we're married to the same man!! I got that line the other day: "it's not that hot in here" when it was 78 in the house. Thank you everyone for chiming in about both questions. I definitely don't feel so alone or crazy knowing that others are dealing with the same issues. I appreciate that you are sharing your stories.

Thank you all for your quick replies! It's nice to have a place to go to talk about this. I forgot to mention one biggie for me - reactive hypoglycemia. That one is no fun! It's really scary to think of having a "mild" form of POTS to severe due to pregnancy/childbirth. I will definitely need to consult with a few doctors. And just for the record MomtoGuiliana, I am no longer able to do boot camp. I always thought that being out of shape was something I just had to push myself out of. Like as long as I put in the effort I could be an athlete/runner if I wanted. I discovered very quickly that it wasn't the case, but still didn't know why. There was definitely sadness in discovering the "why", but I'm determined to do as much as I can to be the best I can be regardless.

I am 33 years old and was diagnosed with POTS a couple of weeks ago. My symptoms are not as severe as those who have syncope and other debilitating symptoms. My heart goes out to all of you who do. The major one for me is exercise intolerance. I was attempting to do a boot camp exercise program for four months (it was excruciating) and finally went to see a cardiologist about the fact that my heart rate would get close to the max with very little effort. Now that I’ve read more about POTS, I realize that I’ve probably had it since I was 12. That is when the exercise intolerance started. A whole slew of symptoms that I’d always ignored came together and made sense. I also have a high degree of heat intolerance, fatigue (I’ve always required more sleep than the average person), anxiety, and various others. I have a couple of questions for the seasoned veterans out there. First, unless symptoms are severe, POTS can appear psychosomatic. My husband is having a hard time believing that it is real. He thinks that my insistence on air conditioners and my exercise intolerance are both heightened because I now have a name for the problem. Does anyone else have experience in how to get someone to understand that this has nothing to do with being lazy or getting our way about the temperature? My other question is related to pregnancy. I have read that POTS can originate either because of pregnancy or can get worse with pregnancy. I’ve seen a couple of you mention that pregnancy really caused your POTS symptoms to worsen. Can I ask how much they changed? I ask because I consider my case to be fairly mild and I’m wondering if I could develop a severe case of POTS from having a baby. Thanks in advance, Rain